Chapter 168
Kyle's POV
I was absolutely shocked when my mother called me the next morning, her voice carrying a tone I hadn't heard from her in years—genuine remorse mixed with something that sounded almost like respect.
"Kyle," she said without preamble when I answered the phone. "I've been thinking all night about what happened, about what I did to that girl... to your mate."
"Her name is Lexa," I said firmly, not willing to let her reduce my mate to just 'that girl' anymore.
"Lexa," she repeated, and I could hear her testing the name on her tongue. "I want to formally accept her into our family. I want to apologize for my actions and welcome her as your Luna."
The words hit me like a physical blow. After everything that had happened, after the torture and manipulation and political games, my mother was actually backing down?
"Are you serious?" I asked, hardly daring to believe what I was hearing.
"Completely serious," she replied. "I saw the way you were willing to give up everything for her, and I realized that kind of love... that's not something that can be manufactured or arranged. The Moon Goddess chose her for you, and I was wrong to interfere."
I was so excited I could barely contain myself. When I told Lexa the news, she seemed even more excited than I was, her face lighting up with a joy that made my heart swell with happiness.
"Really?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder. "She actually wants to accept me?"
"She does," I confirmed, pulling her into my arms. "She wants to formally welcome you into the family."
Lexa grinned and threw her arms around my neck. "I need to thank her," she said. "I need to call her and express my gratitude for giving us this chance."
But when she made the call, my mother's response surprised us both.
"You don't need to thank me, dear," my mother said, her voice warm in a way I hadn't heard in years. "I need to be the one thanking you for saving my son's life. I've never seen him as happy as he is with you, and that's worth more than any political alliance could ever be."
The next day, we announced our engagement officially to both packs, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. But I had unfinished business to attend to before we could truly celebrate.
"I'm going after the pack that orchestrated the attack on you," I told Lexa as I prepared to leave with my men. "They need to pay for what they did."
"Be careful," she said, her hands fisting in my shirt as she looked up at me with worried eyes. "I can't lose you now that we finally have everything we wanted."
"You won't lose me," I promised, kissing her forehead. "I'll be back before you know it."
The confrontation with the rival pack was swift and decisive. They had expected political maneuvering and negotiations, not the full force of an enraged mate seeking justice. I dealt with them harshly, taking several of their key members as prisoners—a move so bold that not even their Alpha could do anything to stop it without risking all-out war.
"You attacked my mate," I told their Alpha as my men secured the prisoners. "You tortured an innocent woman for political gain. This is the consequence of that choice."
After staying for a few days to ensure the message was clearly received by all the surrounding packs, we returned to Mudiville to announce our engagement there as well.
Zenevieva was extremely excited when we told her the news, her face glowing with genuine happiness that made my heart ache with old affection.
"Oh, Kyle!" she exclaimed, pulling both Lexa and me into a warm embrace. "This is wonderful news! I'm so happy for both of you!"
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" I asked quietly, needing to know that she truly was at peace with our relationship.
She smiled at me with the kind of wisdom that came from accepting difficult truths. "I knew I wasn't the better option for you," she said honestly. "I could see it in the way you looked at her, the way you came alive when she was around. I'm glad the Moon Goddess planned everything the way she did."
Her words hit me harder than I expected, and I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. "I'll always cherish and care for you," I told her sincerely. "You'll always be important to me, but I'm so glad Lexa is my mate. She completes me in ways I never knew I needed."
"And I'm grateful for that," Zenevieva replied. "Because now I can love you as a friend without the complications of wondering 'what if.'"
Tyson appeared at that moment, his face breaking into the biggest grin I'd ever seen from him.
"Finally!" he said, clapping me on the back with enough force to nearly knock me over. "I was wondering when you two would stop dancing around each other and make it official."
"You seem awfully happy about this," I observed, raising an eyebrow at his enthusiasm.
"I am," he admitted. "I wouldn't have to deal with the guilt anymore of watching you pine after my pregnant mate while trying to be a good friend to both of us. This makes everything so much cleaner."
That night, the entire pack erupted in celebration. The dining hall was filled with laughter, music, and the kind of joy that came from witnessing true love triumph over adversity.
"To Kyle and Lexa!" Tyson raised his glass in a toast. "May your love be as strong as your stubbornness and twice as entertaining to watch!"
"To friends who support each other through everything!" Zenevieva added, her own glass raised high.
"To sarcastic replies and the couples who unite stronger because of them!" I called out, making everyone laugh as we all drank to the absurdity and beauty of our intertwined lives.
As the night wore on, I watched Lexa laughing with Zenevieva, saw Tyson joking with my men, and felt a peace settle over me that I had never experienced before. We had all found our places, our people, our purposes.
The couples had united stronger, and we had all become true friends in the process. Sometimes the Moon Goddess's plans were more beautiful than anything we could have imagined for ourselves.