Chapter 142 Protective Supervision

Chapter 142 Protective Supervision
~ Allene's POV ~

I could not stop thinking about the words carved into the stone wall after Kieran shared the photographs from the hidden Moonbound sanctuary. The message had already spread farther than anyone expected, and by the next morning it seemed as though every wolf in Dravik Territory had heard it.

The declaration that the Moonbound had chosen her Alpha changed everything around me. I had not made any public announcement myself, yet people acted as though history had spoken through those six words.

When I stepped outside the rebuilt cabin, several wolves immediately lowered their heads as I passed. None of them had done that only a few weeks earlier.

I stopped walking because the reaction caught me completely by surprise. The young woman standing closest to me looked embarrassed after realizing what she had done.

"You don't have to bow," I said gently. "I'm just Allene."

"I'm sorry," she replied. "It happened before I even thought about it."

I smiled to reassure her before continuing toward the community center. Even after the conversation ended, I kept wondering why the gesture had felt so natural to her.

Not everyone reacted the same way. Some wolves avoided meeting my eyes altogether.

As I crossed the main square, an older man stepped aside the moment he noticed me approaching. He kept his attention fixed on the ground until I had passed.

I wanted to stop and speak with him. Instead, I continued walking because I could sense his discomfort without needing to ask about it.

Others reacted differently. Several children stared openly at me while whispering questions to their parents.

One little girl finally gathered enough courage to wave. I waved back, and her face immediately brightened with excitement.

Her mother smiled apologetically before leading her away. I realized the curiosity in the child's eyes carried none of the fear I often sensed from adults.

Throughout the morning I experienced the same reactions again and again. Some people treated me with quiet respect, while others behaved as though they were standing near something they did not understand.

Very few people spoke to me the way they once had. The simple conversations I had enjoyed only months earlier seemed much harder to find.

By the time I reached my office, I felt more tired emotionally than physically. I closed the door behind me and sat quietly for several minutes.

I missed the days when people only saw a diplomat trying to help. Back then they judged my decisions instead of my bloodline.

Being recognized everywhere did not make me feel important. It made me feel strangely alone.

A gentle knock interrupted my thoughts before I could sink any deeper into them. Caelen entered after I quietly invited him inside.

"You've had a difficult morning," he said. "I could see it before you spoke."

"I didn't realize how much everything had changed," I admitted. "People don't know how to look at me anymore."

He walked over without saying anything immediately. His silence gave me room to finish what I needed to say.

"I miss helping people without becoming the center of every conversation," I continued. "Sometimes I miss being ordinary."

"You haven't stopped being yourself," he replied. "Other people's expectations don't change who you are."

His words eased some of the tension I had been carrying all morning. I appreciated that he offered comfort instead of trying to solve every problem for me.

"Come on," he said with a small smile. "Let's make lunch before another meeting finds us."

"I think that's the best idea I've heard today," I replied.

We worked together in the kitchen with the same rhythm we had developed over the past several weeks. He prepared vegetables while I finished the rest of the meal before either of us had to ask what needed to be done.

"I've improved since my first attempt," he said proudly.

"You've improved enough that I no longer worry about the kitchen catching fire," I answered.

He laughed before pretending to look offended. The sound made me laugh too.

After lunch we spent time training together behind the cabin instead of attending another meeting. The exercise helped clear my thoughts far better than sitting behind another desk.

Caelen carefully matched my pace instead of treating me like someone who needed constant protection. That simple choice reminded me how much our relationship had changed.

"You've become faster," he said after I successfully avoided one of his practice attacks.

"I've had a good teacher," I replied.

"You've also worked harder than anyone else I know," he said.

His encouragement never sounded forced. That made it easier to believe him.

We finished training and walked toward the medical building after hearing that several volunteers needed extra help. A young wolf had been injured during construction work and was already receiving treatment.

The healers worked quickly around the examination table. The injured boy tried to remain calm, but pain kept tightening his expression.

I stepped closer without thinking very much about it. Something inside me urged me to help even though I did not know how.

"It's all right," I said softly. "You're safe."

The young wolf reached for my hand before I realized what he intended. The moment our hands touched, a warm feeling moved through my arm.

His breathing became steadier almost immediately. The tension across his face slowly faded.

The healers looked at one another with open surprise. One of them quietly continued treating the injury while the boy remained calm.

"He isn't fighting the pain anymore," one healer said. "I've never seen anything like this."

I did not know what had happened either. I only knew that the warmth continued flowing until the treatment was finished.

As soon as the healers stepped back, the strength seemed to leave my body all at once. My knees weakened before I managed to steady myself against the nearby table.

Caelen was beside me immediately. He supported me without drawing unnecessary attention.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

"I think so," I replied. "I'm just tired."

The exhaustion felt much deeper than ordinary fatigue. It was as though my body had given away something it needed.

Later that afternoon I rested while Alistair visited the cabin after hearing what had happened. His expression remained thoughtful from the moment he sat across from me.

"I've been reading more about the Moonbound women," he said. "There are patterns history repeats."

"What kind of patterns?" I asked.

"They're admired while people believe they can solve impossible problems," he replied. "Everything changes when fear replaces admiration."

I listened carefully because I knew he was not speaking only about history. He was speaking about my future.

"You don't have to reveal every ability you possess," he continued. "Some things should remain known only to people you trust."

"I don't want to hide forever," I said.

"I'm not asking you to hide," he replied. "I'm asking you to protect yourself."

His warning stayed with me long after he left the cabin. I understood that he spoke from regret as much as experience.

Far beyond Dravik Territory, Duno continued meeting quietly with leaders from neighboring territories instead of challenging Caelen directly. He no longer presented himself as a rival seeking power but as a man offering stability.

He warned every audience that the Moonbound would eventually become too powerful for any Alpha to resist. Fear spread through those conversations far more easily than hope ever could.

That evening, as Caelen and I prepared to end another long day, Kieran arrived carrying an official envelope marked with another territory's seal. His expression told us the message would change everything again.

I opened the letter carefully before reading the first lines aloud. Every word became heavier as I reached the formal request.

A respected Alpha requested that I leave Dravik Territory and live under what he described as 'protective supervision'.