Chapter 45: Chapter Forty-five

Chapter 45

Lia's POV

The first breath he took felt like a hurricane.

I hadn’t realized I’d been holding mine until Edgar’s fingers twitched in mine, a weak but certain movement that jolted the entire room. The Soothsayer gasped, the healers scrambled to his side, and I, tears already streaking down my cheeks, felt the bond between us hum to life again like an ancient bell being struck. He was back.

But not whole. Not yet.

His eyes remained closed, his skin pale and clammy. Though the blood curse had been lifted, its poison had lingered, clinging to his veins like a stubborn shadow. The Moon Goddess had returned him to me, but at a cost she had yet to name.

I stayed by his side through the night. Elena brought food I didn’t touch, and the healers came in waves, checking his vitals, whispering prayers to the moon. But I never left. Not even when he whispered my name in his sleep.

“Lia…”

I held his hand tighter, brushing back the damp hair from his forehead. “I’m here, Edgar. You’re safe.”

When morning broke, the whispers began.

The Ironclad pack wanted answers. Rumors of Connor’s second attack and Edgar’s mysterious awakening had spread like wildfire. The council demanded an audience with me. But I refused to leave the room, not until I saw his eyes.

By midafternoon, Edgar stirred.

His breathing deepened, and he groaned softly as though waking from centuries of pain. I stood at the edge of the bed, hands trembling.

And then… his eyes opened.

Dark, familiar, but dulled, like someone searching for the sun after being trapped underground.

“Lia?” he croaked.

My heart broke at the sound of his voice. “I’m here.”

He blinked slowly, his gaze landing on my face, and the slightest curve of a smile formed at the corner of his lips. “You came back.”

“I never left,” I whispered, crawling into the bed beside him and resting my forehead against his. “You just needed time to find your way back to me.”

He exhaled, a shaky breath laced with relief, regret, and longing. “I saw you, in the dark. Calling my name. You pulled me out.”

“Not alone,” I said softly. “The Moon Goddess helped. And Elena. And the Soothsayer. We fought for you, Edgar.”

He nodded faintly, his voice still raspy. “How long, was I gone?”

“Months,” I said gently. “Long enough for the world to nearly fall apart.”

His brows drew together.

Edgar closed his eyes briefly, the weight of it all crashing down on him. I could feel it, the guilt, the shame, the realization that his absence had left scars.

“You suffered because of me,” he said.

“We suffered because of all of this,” I corrected. “But now we heal.”

The door creaked open, and Elena stepped in, her eyes softening when she saw him awake. “Well, damn,” she muttered. “You really don’t know how to stay dead, do you?”

Edgar chuckled weakly. “You look older.”

“Almost died watching your woman hold a kingdom together,” Elena said, setting down a bowl of broth. “She didn’t flinch once. She’s the alpha now, you know.”

Edgar turned to me, blinking slowly. “You are?”

“Co-alpha,” I corrected. “Until you were well enough to take your place.”

“I don’t deserve it,” he whispered.

“You don’t get to decide that anymore,” I said gently, brushing my thumb over his cheek. “The pack needs you. And I need you.”

He gripped my hand like a lifeline. “Then I’ll get stronger. For you. For the pack.”

LATER THAT NIGHT

Word of Edgar’s awakening spread quickly, but I controlled who entered the room. The council was denied. The elders would wait. Only those who truly loved him were permitted.

Elena returned with the Soothsayer, who performed another cleansing ritual. The energy in the room shifted as incense filled the air and chants echoed off the walls.

Edgar sat up with help, the color slowly returning to his cheeks. But his wolf, his wolf remained silent.

“He’s still not speaking to me,” Edgar admitted after the Soothsayer left. “It’s like he’s… gone.”

“He’s not,” I said. “He’s just afraid. Hurt. Give him time.”

He nodded, clearly trying to believe it.

As I helped him drink, I noticed the new mark forming on his chest. A shimmering crescent, the same shape as the one on my back. The bond mark. But this one pulsed faintly, as though reactivated by the ritual.

“It’s glowing,” I whispered.

He looked down, wonder in his eyes. “Is that…?”

“The Moon Goddess’s gift,” I said. “Proof that your wolf is still in there. And that the bond is still alive.”

He leaned his head back, a long sigh escaping him. “Thank the stars.”

THREE DAYS LATER

Edgar was walking again, though slowly. With my help, he made it to the balcony of the healer’s house where we could watch the twilight settle over Duskwood.

Below us, the pack had gathered, many still unaware of the full truth. The council was ready to challenge the decision to keep Edgar as alpha. Some elders wanted to appoint a new one, someone of their choosing.

“They’ll come for me,” Edgar said, his voice steadier now. “They’ll try to remove me.”

“They’ll have to go through me first,” I said, resting my head on his shoulder.

He smiled faintly. “You really became the Luna.”

“I didn’t have a choice. But now… I don’t want to give it up.”

“You don’t have to,” he said. “We’ll rule together. As equals.”

I closed my eyes. “Then we’ll have to fight again. But this time, we’re ready.”

THE COUNCIL MEETING

We stood before the council, Edgar at my side though his steps were slow. The elders eyed him with a mix of awe and suspicion.

“He was cursed by his own mother,” one of them argued. “He’s a danger to the pack.”

“He was betrayed,” I countered. “And he still survived.”

“He was unconscious for months. Who’s to say he won’t fall again?”

“He woke when I needed him most,” I said. “When the war was at its peak. He returned. That’s the sign of a true alpha.”

Edgar raised his voice then, quiet but firm. “I will not relinquish my position. Not to fear. Not to politics. If any here think they can lead better, challenge me. Or accept that I am still your alpha.”

Silence fell. None stepped forward.

Then an elder, a woman with silver hair and sharp eyes, rose. “The Moon Goddess has spoken through your bond. She spared you both. That is no accident. I will not oppose you.”

One by one, the council bowed.