Epilogue--Lucas

Epilogue--Lucas
Lucas's POV

I adjusted my tie for the fifth time, scowling at my reflection in the mirror. Formal wear always made me feel like I was playing dress-up in Dad's clothes, even though I'd matched his height years ago.

"Need help with that?" Mom's voice came from the doorway, amusement dancing in her amber eyes.

"Please," I sighed, turning to face her. "You'd think after twenty-five years on this planet, I'd have mastered the simple act of tying a tie."

Mom crossed the room, her movements still graceful despite the silver now threading through her chestnut hair. Her fingers worked deftly at my collar, straightening the fabric with practiced ease.

"Your father still can't tie one properly either," she confided, smoothing down my lapels. "Why do you think I always do it for him? Some big bad Alpha."

I grinned, catching her hand and squeezing it. "Speaking of Dad, is he actually going to be on time for once?"

"I heard that," came a deep voice from the hallway. Dad appeared in the doorway, looking unfairly comfortable in his own formal wear. Time had been kind to him—aside from the silver at his temples and the laugh lines around his eyes, he looked much the same as in the photos from when he'd first met Mom.

"You were meant to," Mom retorted, but the smile they exchanged made my chest warm. After all these years, they still looked at each other like lovestruck teenagers.

"Are the terrible twins ready?" I asked, checking my watch. The annual Silver Moon-Shadow Fang alliance celebration was set to begin in less than an hour, and as the official Alpha of both packs, I couldn't exactly arrive fashionably late.

"Olivia's been ready for an hour," Dad said, rolling his eyes. "Cassie, on the other hand..."

On cue, a crash echoed from down the hall, followed by colorful cursing that would make a sailor blush.

"These stupid shoes are instruments of torture!" Cassie's voice rang out. "Liv, I swear to the Moon Goddess if you tell me one more time to just 'walk gracefully,' I'm going to—"

"You're going to what?" Olivia appeared in the doorway beside Dad, looking immaculate as always. Where I'd inherited Dad's dark hair and build, Olivia had gotten Mom's lighter coloring and elegant features. At nineteen, she was already the pack's most skilled diplomat, with a poker face that could fool a lie detector.

"I'm going to redesign your face," Cassie threatened, limping into view behind her twin. Despite being identical in appearance, the two couldn't be more different in personality. Where Olivia was calm and calculated, Cassie was a hurricane of energy and emotion. Her abilities as a fighter already rivaled Mom's at her age.

"Good luck with that," Olivia replied smoothly. "We have the same face."

"Girls," Mom intervened, though I could see her fighting a smile. "Cassie, you can wear flats if the heels are bothering you."

"I can't wear flats when Liv is wearing heels! We're supposed to be twins!" Cassie protested, wobbling slightly.

"You're still twins even in different shoes," I pointed out, earning a glare that could have melted steel.

"Whatever, oh mighty Alpha of two packs," she muttered. "Don't you have some important mingling to do? Hands to shake? Babies to kiss?"

"That's politicians, not Alphas," I corrected her, checking my reflection one last time. "And for the record, I'd rather be running border patrol than playing nice with the Northern packs tonight."

Dad clapped a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm and reassuring. "You'll do fine. Just remember—"

"Maintain eye contact but don't stare, firm handshake but don't crush fingers, smile but not too widely, and never, ever turn my back on Viktor's grandson," I recited dutifully. "I know the drill, Dad."

"And don't forget to actually eat something," Mom added. "Last time you were so busy networking you nearly passed out."

"That was one time," I protested weakly.

"One time too many," all four of them responded in unison, making me roll my eyes.

We piled into two separate cars—the twins with Dad, while Mom rode with me. As I navigated the familiar roads toward Silver Moon territory, Mom studied my profile.

"Something on your mind?" she asked softly.

I hesitated, tapping my fingers against the steering wheel. "Sometimes I still can't believe this is real," I admitted. "Me, leading both packs. It feels like I'm waiting for someone to call my bluff."

"You earned this, Lucas," Mom said firmly. "Not just through bloodline, but through your actions. The way you handled the werebear crisis last year proved that."

I remembered those tense weeks—the nights spent tracking movement along our borders, the strategy sessions that stretched until dawn, the final confrontation where I'd faced down the leader of the werebear with nothing but conviction and raw nerve. My shoulder still ached sometimes where his claws had caught me.

"I had good teachers," I said, shooting her a quick smile.

We arrived at the grand hall of Silver Moon territory, where the celebration was already in full swing. As we stepped through the massive oak doors, conversations hushed momentarily as heads turned in our direction. Despite years of this, I still felt my neck warm under the collective gaze.

Dad and the twins arrived moments later, our family forming a united front as we moved through the crowd. I caught the eye of David—my father's oldest friend and now my most trusted advisor—who nodded approvingly from his position by the refreshments table.

"Alpha Lucas," a voice called, and I turned to see the Northern pack representative--Uncle Leo approaching. "My handsome little buddy."

The next hour passed in a blur of introductions, diplomatic small talk, and navigating the complex web of pack politics. I could feel Dad's watchful gaze from across the room, and once caught Mom giving me a subtle thumbs-up after I smoothly defused a potential argument between two historically antagonistic packs.

Cassie appeared at my elbow during a brief respite, offering me a glass of whiskey which I accepted gratefully.

"Nice job not starting an inter-pack war," she murmured, clinking her glass against mine. "Though honestly, it might have made this party more interesting."

"Your definition of 'interesting' tends to involve damage," I reminded her.

She grinned, unrepentant. "Speaking of which, did I tell you about the new motorcycle I'm designing? It's going to absolutely smoke anything on the market."

"Is that what you've been doing in the workshop? Mom thinks you're building bombs in there."

"Only the fun kind," she winked, then her expression shifted, eyes widening slightly as she looked past my shoulder. "Well, hello. Don't look now, but there's fresh meat at three o'clock. Northern pack, I think, but definitely not one of the usual crowd."

Despite her instruction, I turned, curiosity getting the better of me. And immediately wished I hadn't.

Standing near the entrance was the most striking woman I'd ever seen. Tall and willowy, with copper-red hair falling in waves down her back, she moved through the crowd with the easy confidence of someone completely comfortable in their own skin. Unlike most of the attendees in formal black or silver, she wore a dress the color of forest moss, making her stand out like a flame in darkness.

"Close your mouth, big brother," Olivia whispered, materializing on my other side. "You're staring."

"I am not," I protested weakly, tearing my gaze away. "Who is she?"

My sisters exchanged knowing looks over my head—an impressive feat given I stood half a foot taller than both of them.

"Rumor has it she's Alina, daughter of the Crimson Valley Alpha," Olivia supplied, ever the information database. "They usually keep to themselves, but apparently she specifically requested to attend tonight."

"Requested or demanded?" Cassie added with a smirk. "I heard she told her father she was coming whether he approved or not. Gotta respect that kind of determination."

I watched as the mysterious Alina gracefully dodged an attempt at conversation from Viktor's grandson, her polite smile never reaching her eyes. Something about her intrigued me beyond the obvious physical attraction—a quiet intensity, perhaps, or the way she seemed simultaneously part of the gathering and separate from it.

"Earth to Lucas," Cassie poked me in the ribs. "Your Alpha is showing. Go talk to her instead of doing the creepy staring thing."

"I'm not—I don't—" I stammered, suddenly feeling like an awkward teenager again instead of the leader of two powerful wolf packs.

I straightened my shoulders, downing the rest of my whiskey for courage. "If either of you embarrasses me while I'm over there, I'll assign you both to garbage duty for a month."

"We'd never," they chorused with identical innocent expressions that fooled absolutely no one.

Taking a deep breath, I started making my way across the room. From the corner of my eye, I caught Mom nudging Dad and nodding in my direction, their matching grins making me momentarily reconsider this entire endeavor.

Alina turned just as I approached, her eyes—a startling shade of green that reminded me of sunlight through spring leaves—meeting mine directly. Up close, I noticed the subtle scent of wildflowers and something untamed, like forest after rainfall. The moment her scent hit my nostrils, my world tilted on its axis.

MATE! MINE! Fred, my wolf, suddenly roared to life inside my mind with such force I nearly stumbled backward. OUR MATE! CLAIM HER!

I struggled to maintain my composure as Fred clawed beneath my skin, desperate to emerge and claim what he recognized as ours. My heart hammered against my ribs, and I felt heat climbing up my neck.

Alina's eyes widened slightly, her pupils dilating as she inhaled sharply. I watched her hand fly to her chest, pressing against her heart as if to calm its sudden racing. The recognition in her gaze was unmistakable—her wolf had sensed the bond too.

We stood frozen in that moment, two alphas recognizing something ancient and undeniable. Around us, the celebration continued, but it might as well have been happening in another dimension.

"Alpha Lucas," she greeted me, her voice carrying a slight accent I couldn't quite place. "I was wondering when you'd make your way over."

"You knew who I was?" I asked, then immediately wanted to kick myself for the inane question.

A smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Everyone knows who you are. The youngest Alpha in five generations, leader of two historically rival packs, son of the legendary Aria and Ethan." She raised an eyebrow. "Did you think you could blend into the background?"

"Sometimes I wish I could," I admitted, surprising myself with the honesty.

Our eyes locked, and something shifted in the air between us—a recognition, perhaps, or possibility. Across the room, I caught sight of my sisters giving me exaggerated thumbs-up signs while my parents pretended not to watch.

"Would you like to get some air?" I asked, gesturing toward the balcony doors. "I could show you the Silver Moon gardens. They're particularly beautiful under moonlight."

Alina's smile widened, genuine this time, reaching all the way to her remarkable eyes.

"Lead the way, Alpha," she said, and somehow I knew my life would never be quite the same again.

The story belongs to me will begin, oneday.