Chapter 15:Gold
432 Words
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“Ask him why he let you leave.”
Roran’s words hung in the cold night air like a blade.
I looked at Keal. His hand was still on mine, but his grip had gone stiff. For the first time since I came back, he wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“Keal,” I said. My voice didn’t shake. It had to not shake. “Tell me.”
He exhaled. “Your father was planning to challenge my father for Alpha. He lost. Your exile was the deal I made to keep you alive.”
The ground felt like it dropped out from under me.
“You let them throw me out,” I whispered.
“I let them spare you,” he shot back, finally looking at me. “The other option was death, Lyra. I was 18. I chose you.”
Roran laughed. “See? He’s always chosen himself. And now you’re his Luna only because it’s convenient.”
“Shut up,” Keal said.
I stepped between them. “Enough.”
I turned to Roran. “You wanted me to hate him. To break the pack. To make you Alpha by default. It’s not happening.”
Then I turned to Keal. “You lied by omission. But you didn’t kill me. You didn’t let me die. That counts for something.”
His eyes widened.
“So here’s my choice,” I said, raising my voice so the whole ridge could hear. “I’m Lyra of the Silver Fang Pack. And as of now, Roran is banished. For life. Anyone who follows him leaves with him.”
No one moved.
Roran’s face twisted. “You’ll regret this.”
He shifted and ran. The few rogues with him followed. The rest stayed.
I looked at Keal. “We talk later. About everything.”
He nodded. No excuses. No more hiding.
One month later, the pack was stronger than it had been in years. Borders were secure. The elders respected me. Pups called me Luna without being told to.
Keal found me on the same balcony where we started.
“Partners?” he asked.
“Partners,” I said.
And this time, I meant it.
*Epilogue*
A year later, I stood in the training grounds watching our daughter shift for the first time.
Keal’s arm came around my waist. “She’s got your temper,” he said.
“She’s got your loyalty,” I replied.
The moon was full. The pack was whole. And for the first time in my life, I wasn’t running from it.
I was home.
*The End*
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