Chapter 32
1210 Words
The Bloodmoon Gates
Hailey
The gates of Bloodmoon Pack open slowly before us, revealing a world that suddenly feels very different from the one I remember.
I had been here before.
I trained Lila here.
I rode my bike along these roads.
I had walked these paths, I had helped Lila improve her combat skills here.
But now it feels different.
As the SUV rolls forward through the ancient stone entrance, I realize with startling clarity that I never truly saw any of it.
Because I wasn't meant to.
Not yet.
The massive carved symbols above the gates remain visible in the side mirror as we pass beneath them, and now that I've seen them, I cannot stop thinking about them.
The Northern Ice Clan.
The Southern Storm Clan.
The Eastern Desert Clan.
The Western Forest Clan.
The four ancient bloodlines.
The four brothers.
The realization settles heavily inside my chest.
This was never coincidence.
Nothing about them was coincidence.
Not their powers.
Not their wolves.
Not even the strange feeling that seemed to surround them from the moment I first felt them while training Lila.
The way my stomach twisted when I felt they were near.
The way my pulse seemed to quicken when I felt them.
The strange pull I could never explain.
I thought it was unease.
I thought it was intimidation.
I thought it was my instincts warning me away from four powerful Alpha heirs.
But now I know better.
It wasn't fear.
It wasn't uncertainty.
It was destiny.
The mate bond had been reaching for us long before it awakened.
Fate had been pulling us toward one another long before any of us understood why.
They knew where their bloodlines originated.
They knew the stories.
The prophecies.
The legends.
And somehow, without realizing it, I had stepped directly into the centre of all of it.
The SUV follows a winding stone road through towering forests before the trees finally begin opening up around us.
My breath catches.
Bloodmoon Pack stretches across an enormous valley surrounded by mountains, but it looks different now.
Or perhaps I do.
Ancient stone buildings stand among the trees rather than replacing them. Massive wolves and old symbols are carved into nearly every structure. Silver lanterns glow softly along pathways despite the storm raging overhead.
Everywhere I look, I see traces of history.
The old history.
Not pack history.
Clan history.
How did I never notice before?
Selene stirs softly beneath my skin.
Because you were not awake.
The answer feels painfully simple.
Before, I saw buildings, dark shadows against the night sky connected by winding roads that seemed to lead nowhere in particular.
Now I see symbols.
Before, I saw decorations, merely markers used to identify different sections of the territory.
Now I see stories.
Before, I saw a powerful pack.
Now I see the descendants of ancient kingdoms.
The SUV slows as the main pack house comes into view.
My heart stumbles.
It isn't a pack house.
Not originally.
The structure rises from the centre of the valley like an ancient fortress built directly into the mountain itself. Massive stone pillars support balconies carved with wolves, moons, trees, storms, and stars. Time has weathered the stone, but it has not diminished its presence.
Ancient runes glow faintly beneath the rain.
Not bright enough for most wolves to notice.
Bright enough for me.
The moment the vehicle stops, unease settles heavily into my stomach.
This is real.
I am actually here.
Not as a guest.
Not as Lila's trainer.
Not as an outsider.
As their mate.
As their future Luna.
The thought makes my pulse quicken instantly.
The bond responds immediately.
Warmth ripples through all four brothers.
Gods.
This thing is impossible.
The doors open.
Cool mountain air rushes inside.
For a moment, nobody moves.
Then Rider steps out first before turning immediately toward me.
Not because he thinks I cannot exit a vehicle alone.
Because he wants to be the first thing standing between me and any threat.
The realization is becoming alarmingly familiar.
I take his hand anyway.
The second my boots touch the stone courtyard, something changes.
The bond pulses sharply.
Selene rises.
And the mountain itself seems to notice.
A soft hum vibrates through the ground beneath my feet.
Ancient.
Powerful.
Alive.
I freeze.
Did anyone else feel that?
Kael's head snaps toward me instantly.
He felt it.
Asher did too.
The brothers exchange a brief look.
One that tells me this isn't normal.
Wonderful.
I have officially reached the point where mountains are reacting to my existence.
Exactly the life I always imagined for myself.
"Hailey."
My attention lifts.
A young woman is running across the courtyard toward us.
Dark curls.
Bright eyes.
Determination.
Lila.
The moment she reaches me, she throws her arms around me so hard I nearly lose my balance.
Relief crashes through her emotions so intensely as her hug tightens around me.
"You're alive."
The words break slightly.
My throat tightens immediately.
"I am."
Lila pulls back just enough to glare at me.
"You nearly died."
"Technically"
"Don't."
Fair.
Very fair.
To my surprise, tears fill her eyes.
"I heard about the attack. Then nobody knew where you were. Then my brothers disappeared. Then nobody would tell me anything."
She points dramatically toward the four brothers.
"They are complete idiots for not keeping me updated."
"Accurate," I say looking at my mates.
Zane looks offended.
Which somehow makes everything better.
For the first time since leaving Ironclaw, a genuine laugh escapes me.
The sound surprises everyone.
Including me.
The bond practically explodes with relief.
Rider smiles.
Asher relaxes.
Kael's shoulders lower slightly.
And Zane looks absurdly pleased with himself.
The realization hits me immediately.
They were worried.
Not because of the prophecy.
Not because of destiny.
Because I was hurting.
Gods.
Dangerous.
All of this is dangerously easy.
Lila notices the shift instantly.
Of course she does.
Her eyes narrow suspiciously as she looks between me and her brothers.
Then her gaze drops to our joined hands.
Silence.
Slowly, a grin spreads across her face.
"Oh."
No.
Absolutely not.
"Oh?"
The grin widens.
"Ooooh."
Zane immediately starts laughing.
Heat floods my cheeks so quickly I know I'm turning bright red.
For a second, I consider walking back through the gates and letting the witches find me.
It seems easier.
But before Lila can begin whatever interrogation she is clearly preparing, the massive front doors of the fortress open.
Everyone falls silent.
An older man steps into the courtyard.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Silver threaded through dark hair.
Ancient power radiates from him with enough force that even now, I instinctively straighten.
Alpha Theron.
Bloodmoon's Alpha.
His gaze settles on me immediately.
Not the brothers.
Not Lila.
Me.
For one long moment, neither of us speaks.
Then something unexpected happens.
The Alpha of Bloodmoon lowers his head.
Not fully.
Not submissively.
Respectfully.
The entire courtyard freezes.
My pulse stumbles.
"What is he doing?" I whisper.
Selene rises quietly inside me.
Recognizing you.
Alpha Theron lifts his head again.
His silver eyes hold mine steadily.
Then he speaks words that send chills down my spine.
"Welcome home, Silvermoon."
And suddenly, I realize Bloodmoon has been expecting me far longer than I have been expecting them.
- Writer
