Chapter 138 The Gift Of Understanding

Chapter 138 The Gift Of Understanding
~ Allene's POV ~

I kept thinking about the visitors from the previous day as I walked toward the meeting hall early the next morning. After speaking with Caelen, I had decided to meet the first group of wolves who had asked for my guidance.

I expected questions about Moonbound history, ancient laws, or disagreements between territories. Instead, I found ordinary people waiting quietly with worries that had nothing to do with politics.

The first family entered together after one of the volunteers invited them inside. Their nervous expressions reminded me of people I had once met during treaty negotiations.

An older wolf cleared his throat before speaking. His hands remained tightly folded in front of him.

"We don't know how to speak to our daughter anymore," he admitted. "Everything becomes an argument."

His daughter lowered her eyes toward the floor without interrupting him. I could tell she wanted to speak but did not know where to begin.

"I'd like to hear from both of you," I said. "Nobody has to rush."

The father nodded before sitting down again. His daughter took a slow breath before finally meeting my eyes.

"They stopped listening after I refused an arranged mating," she said. "They only hear what they wanted instead of what I actually say."

Her mother quietly wiped away tears before speaking. The sadness in her voice reached me before the words themselves did.

"We thought we were protecting her future," she admitted. "We didn't realize she believed we had stopped loving her."

I listened without interrupting either of them. The emotions inside the room became clear to me without any effort.

The father carried regret behind his stubbornness. The daughter hid hurt beneath her frustration.

"You all came here because you still want to be a family," I said. "That means you haven't given up on one another."

They looked at each other for the first time since entering the room. None of them spoke immediately.

"You don't have to agree today," I continued. "You only have to begin listening again."

The father slowly reached across the table toward his daughter. She hesitated before taking his hand.

"Can we start over?" he asked.

"I'd like that," she replied.

After they left together, another family entered almost immediately. This time the room felt heavier before anyone spoke.

A woman sat beside her husband while holding a small blanket in her hands. I understood they had lost a child even before she found the strength to explain.

"Our son died during one of the rogue attacks," she said quietly. "Everyone tells us to move forward, but we don't know how."

No words could erase that kind of pain. I knew better than to pretend otherwise.

"I'm very sorry," I said. "You don't have to stop loving him to keep living."

The woman lowered her head as tears rolled down her face. Her husband gently placed his arm around her shoulders.

"We're afraid people will forget him," the husband admitted. "We don't want that."

"They won't," I replied. "Neither will you."

The couple stayed for several more minutes before quietly leaving together. They looked no less sad than before, but they no longer seemed quite as alone.

Throughout the afternoon more visitors arrived. Every conversation carried different worries, yet every person wanted the same simple thing.

They wanted someone willing to listen. I realized that many of them had spent months believing nobody truly heard them.

Near midday two brothers entered together but sat on opposite sides of the room. They refused to look at one another.

"We fought during Alpha Caelen's leadership challenge," the older brother explained. "He supported Duno while I stayed loyal to the Alpha."

"I thought he betrayed our family," the younger brother admitted. "We haven't spoken since."

Neither man sounded angry anymore. What I sensed instead was disappointment mixed with regret.

"You both chose what you believed was right," I said. "That doesn't mean your family has to remain broken forever."

The older brother looked across the room for the first time. His expression softened as he studied his younger brother.

"I never wanted to lose you," he admitted. "I just couldn't understand your choice."

"I felt the same way," the younger brother replied. "I thought you had stopped seeing me as your brother."

The silence between them lasted only a few seconds. Then both men stood at almost the same moment.

The older brother stepped forward first. His younger brother met him halfway across the room.

"I'm sorry," the older brother said.

"I'm sorry too," the younger brother replied.

They embraced without another word. Watching them reminded me why I had become a diplomat long before learning I was Moonbound.

When the final visitors left that afternoon, I remained alone inside the meeting hall for several minutes. The quiet gave me time to think about everything I had experienced.

I had expected the Moonbound gift to be connected with authority or command. Instead, I was beginning to understand something much more important.

People did not need someone to control them. Most of them simply needed someone willing to understand them.

That realization lifted a burden I had carried since discovering my heritage. I no longer felt torn between the woman I had always been and the bloodline I had inherited.

I could still be a diplomat. Being Moonbound did not erase the life I had chosen for myself.

As I walked back through the territory, I noticed another change inside me. I no longer had to concentrate before recognizing emotions around me.

Fear, guilt, relief, and honesty reached me naturally now. Instead of feeling overwhelming, the awareness felt familiar, almost as though it had always belonged to me.

I smiled without realizing it. For the first time, my growing abilities felt less like something I was learning and more like something I was remembering.

I spotted Caelen standing near one of the training fields as I approached. He had obviously been watching from a distance without interrupting my work.

"How did everything go?" he asked.

"Not the way I expected," I admitted. "It went much better."

He smiled after hearing my answer. Pride had slowly replaced the constant worry I used to see in his eyes.

"I'm proud of you," he said. "You never stopped being yourself."

"Maybe that's what I was supposed to learn," I replied. "The Moonbound gift isn't about commanding wolves."

"It's about understanding them," he said.

I nodded. "I finally understand that."

That evening we quietly left the territory without telling many people where we were going. We only wanted a few hours without meetings or responsibilities.

A quiet lake rested several kilometers away from Dravik. Hardly anyone visited it during the evenings.

We left our shoes near the shore before walking into the cool water together. The laughter we shared felt natural after such a long day.

"You swim better than I expected," Caelen said.

"I've had years of practice," I replied. "You just never asked."

He splashed water toward me without warning. I laughed before returning the favor.

After swimming, we sat together along the shoreline watching the calm water. Neither of us spoke for several peaceful minutes.

"I've been thinking about our future," I admitted. "Not just tomorrow or next month."

He turned toward me without interrupting. His attention remained completely focused on my words.

"I want children someday," I said quietly. "I'm only afraid they'll inherit every danger connected to the Moonbound bloodline."

He gently reached for my hand before answering. His voice stayed calm and certain.

"Whatever future we build, we'll face it together," he said. "Our children won't face those burdens alone because neither will we."

I leaned against his shoulder and smiled. For the first time, imagining that future no longer filled me with fear.

Across the lake, hidden among the trees, someone quietly lowered a camera after taking another photograph. The stranger immediately transferred every image before sending them to a single recipient.

The photographs arrived only moments later on Duno's secure device. Every picture showed Caelen and me together beside the lake.