Chapter 158 The View from the Top
Malia’s POV
The morning air atop the highest terrace of the Mooncrest Administrative Tower was thin, sharp, and carried the scent of pine needles and ancient stone. I stood at the very edge of the stone parapet, my hands resting lightly on the cold granite. From here, the entire world seemed to shrink.
The massive courtyard that had nearly been my grave looked like a mosaic of pebbles. The winding paths through the Silverwood Preserve were emerald ribbons, and the distant mountains—the ones that held the secrets of my ancestors—stood like silent sentinels under a pale blue sky.
I leaned back, drawing a deep, steadying breath into lungs that no longer felt tight with anxiety. In just a blink, my reality had fractured and reformed into something unrecognizable. A few days ago, I was calculating the cost of a bus ticket home and worrying about the ink level in my pens. Now, I was worth billions of dollars. I owned the air I was breathing, the stone I was touching, and the future of every person walking the halls below.
I hugged myself, my fingers digging into the soft wool of my sweater. It wasn't the cold that made me shiver; it was the sheer, staggering weight of the word owner
I closed my eyes and reached out with my senses. With the dampening fields gone and my power fully integrated, I could feel the school’s heartbeat. I could feel the shifting of the students below, the rustle of the wind in the trees, and the faint, golden hum of the mate bond pulsing in the back of my mind—Aiden was nearby, likely in a meeting with the interim board, making sure they knew exactly who was in charge now.
"Should we bow, or is a simple 'Your Majesty' enough?"
The voice broke my reverie. I spun around, a genuine smile lighting up my face before I even saw them.
July and Freddy were standing at the roof’s entrance, breathless and grinning like they’d just pulled the greatest prank in history. July looked like she had barely slept, her eyes bright with excitement, while Freddy was practically vibrating with a restless energy that usually preceded a major shift.
They didn't wait for an invitation. They came running across the terrace, their sneakers squeaking against the stone, and collided with me in a massive, tangled group hug.
"Malia!" July squealed, squeezing me so hard I could barely breathe. "Oh my god, you’re okay! You’re more than okay! You’re... you’re a mogul!"
"I'm still just me," I gasped, laughing as I hugged them back.
Freddy pulled away, looking at me with a mixture of awe and mischievous delight. "No, no, no. You are not just you. You are Miss Mooncrest. The Landlady. The Boss. The woman who just made the entire Moonfall family look like they’re living on a budget."
I swatted his arm, but I couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up from my chest. "Stop it. It’s still sinking in. I don't feel like a billionaire. I feel like I need a nap and a very large coffee."
"A coffee?" July scoffed, looping her arm through mine as we walked toward the center of the rooftop. "Malia, you could buy a coffee plantation. You could buy the beans, the baristas, and the entire franchise."
We sat on a stone bench that overlooked the quad, the three of us huddled together just as we had been in the library during those long, terrifying nights when we thought Vesper was going to win. But the fear was gone. In its place was a vibrant, electric friendship that felt like the only truly normal thing left in my life.
"So," Freddy said, leaning back on his elbows and looking up at the sky. "Now that you officially own our education, I have a few suggestions for the cafeteria. Starting with a twenty-four-hour taco bar and a ban on that gray mystery meat they serve on Tuesdays."
"Noted," I said, leaning my head on July’s shoulder. "What else?"
"Ooh, me next!" July raised her hand. "I want the library to stay open all night, but with actual comfortable couches. Like, velvet ones. And maybe a fountain that runs with chocolate?"
"You're going to spoil us, aren't you?" Freddy teased, nudging my side. "The 'Malia Mooncrest Scholarship for Being My Best Friend'—it has a nice ring to it. Does it include free room service and a personal chauffeur?"
"It includes my eternal gratitude for not running away when I started glowing like a glow-stick," I said softly, my voice turning serious.
July’s expression softened, and she squeezed my hand. "We weren't going anywhere, Malia. Wealthy or broke, wolf or goddess... you’re our girl. We knew you were special the day you walked in here with that 'don't touch me' look on your face."
"I was just scared," I admitted.
"We all were," Freddy said, his eyes reflecting a rare moment of gravity. "But you were the one who took the hit for everyone. Seeing you stand up to those suits... seeing you take back what was yours... it changed things for us, too. It made us feel like we didn't have to be afraid of our own shadows anymore."
We sat in silence for a moment, watching a group of younger students far below. They looked up, saw us on the roof, and I saw several of them point and wave. It wasn't the mocking wave of a bully. it was a gesture of hope.
"They're calling you the 'White Queen' in the dorms," July whispered. "Aiden’s crew is already calling you the 'Luna of the Land.' Everyone knows that from now on, Mooncrest isn't a prison. It’s a sanctuary."
"That’s what I want it to be," I said, feeling a surge of purpose. "A place where people can learn without being harvested. A place where you don't have to be a Moonfall to be important."
"Well, you’ve certainly got the Moonfall attention," Freddy joked, glancing toward the door as the heavy thrum of the mate bond intensified. "Speaking of which, your Alpha looks like he’s about to start a one-man search party if he doesn't see your face in the next ten seconds."
I looked toward the roof entrance just as Aiden stepped out. He looked tired, his sleeves rolled up and his tie loosened, but the moment his eyes landed on me, the tension drained out of his shoulders.
July and Freddy immediately stood up, grinning.
"Don't let us keep you, Miss Mooncrest," July said with a dramatic wink. "We have to go see if the new 'owner' has authorized the delivery of that pizza we ordered to the West Wing."
"I'll authorize it," I laughed.
"See? Best friend ever," Freddy cheered. He gave me one last quick hug, then nodded respectfully to Aiden as they passed. "Keep her happy, Thorne. She’s the one who pays the electric bill now."
Aiden let out a dry chuckle and waited until they disappeared back into the building. He walked over to me, the morning sun catching the sharp lines of his face. He didn't say anything at first; he just pulled me into his arms, tucking my head under his chin.
"You look alive today," he murmured into my hair.
"I feel alive," I said, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Talking to them... it makes all the money and the titles feel real in a good way. They don't care about the billions, Aiden. They just care that I’m still the Malia who shares her notes."
"That’s because they’re real friends," Aiden said, pulling back to look at me. "And they’re right. You’re going to be a hell of a leader. You’ve already got the most loyal pack I’ve ever seen."
I looked out over the school one last time. July and Freddy would always be my anchors. No matter how high I climbed, no matter how much the Mooncrest empire grew, I knew I would always have them to laugh with, to complain with, and to remind me where I came from.
The "Mooncrest Days" of shadows and secrets were over.
But as I stood on the roof with my mate, watching my friends walk across the quad with their heads held high, I realized that the true wealth I’d found wasn't in a silver-bound chest or a legal deed.
It was in the people who had stayed when everything was trembling.
"Ready to go down?" Aiden asked, offering me his hand.
I took it, my fingers interlacing with his, the silver in my eyes glowing with a steady, peaceful light. "I'm ready."
We walked together toward the stairs, leaving the lonely heights behind. I had an empire to run, a graduation to prepare for, and a life to build. But for the first time, I wasn't just surviving the day.
I was owning it.