The Rejected Luna's Secret Heirs

Chapter 10: Unbreakable Terms

Lucian’s hand shook slightly as he pressed his signet ring into the soft wax at the bottom of the treaty, officially binding the Crescent Pack to the alliance terms.

"It's done," Lucian said, looking up at me, his dark eyes brimming with unshed emotion. "The silver mines are yours. The patrol boundaries are yours. But Ayla... please. Let me at least be part of Leo and Lyra’s lives. I am their father."

"You were a stranger to them until ten minutes ago," I said flatly, taking the signed document and sliding it into my tactical folder. "Fatherhood isn't a title given by blood, Lucian. It's earned through loyalty and protection—things you threw away five years ago."

Caelan stepped beside me, resting a hand on my lower back. "Our garrison will arrive by nightfall to establish defense perimeters around your territory. Commander Vance and I are returning to the Nightshade compound."

Lucian took a desperate step forward, reaching out as if to touch my arm, but stopped himself when he saw the cold warning in my eyes. "Ayla, I made the biggest mistake of my life. Every single day since you left, I've regretted it. Give me a chance to make it right."

"Regret doesn't undo the past, Alpha," I replied softly, turning toward the SUV where Leo and Lyra were already buckled into the backseat. "You made your choice on my eighteenth birthday. Now live with it."

As the heavily armored doors closed and our vehicle pulled out of the Crescent courtyard, I looked back through the tinted window. Lucian stood alone in the center of his grand estate, watching us drive away.

For the first time in five years, the heavy knot in my chest completely unraveled. I wasn't running anymore. I had claimed my power, protected my children, and brought the Alpha who broke me to his knees.