Epilogue

Epilogue
The New Dawn
Months later, life had settled into a beautiful, busy rhythm.
Libby had officially reopened the Packhouse infirmary, turning it into a center for both physical and spiritual healing. She spent her days teaching the younger wolves about herbs and the importance of the mind-link as a tool for connection, not just command.
Blake was a different Alpha. He was still formidable, still the strongest wolf in the territory, but the hardness in his eyes had been replaced by a quiet contentment. He listened more. He roared less.
One morning, a letter arrived with a northern postmark. It was a standard status report from the Blackwood Prison.
Libby sat at her desk in the library, the sun streaming in. She looked at the unopened envelope for a long moment. She knew what it would say: Prisoners 402 and 403 remain in stable condition. No incidents reported.
She didn't open it. Instead, she picked up a match, struck it, and watched as the corner of the envelope caught fire. She dropped it into the stone hearth, watching the embers turn to ash.
"Libby?" Blake called from the hallway, the sound of his boots echoing on the hardwood. "The pups are waiting for their first aid lesson, and Alistair is complaining that you’re 'too soft' on the new recruits again."
Libby smiled, standing up and brushing the dust from her skirt. She looked at the emerald on her finger, sparkling in the light of a new day.
"Tell Alistair I'll be there in a minute," she called back, her voice full of life. "And tell him if he wants a harder Luna, he should have picked a different mate."
She walked out of the room, leaving the ashes of the past behind her, and stepped into the light of the future she had fought so hard to win.