Chapter 136 The Vigil
The moment the sun dipped behind the trees, the pack changed.
It wasn’t loud. There was no signal, no horn, no announcement echoing across the grounds. It just… happened.
Voices quieted.Movement slowed.
The restless energy that had filled the territory all day,workers, laughter, arguments, preparation,folded inward like a breath being held.
The Vigil of Stillness had begun.
I felt it before I fully understood it.
Something inside me stilled too. Not completely, my thoughts still raced, my body still hummed with the familiar tension of being constantly alert, but there was a shift. A subtle tightening of the air, like the entire pack had collectively decided to stop reaching outward and instead turn inward.
No shifting.
No fighting.
No mating.
I stood at the balcony doors of our room for a long moment, watching as wolves moved quietly below. Fires were lit in small circles across the grounds, but there was no music, no celebration. Just low murmurs, then silence.
It felt strange.
Unnatural.
But also… grounding.
I stepped outside.
The night air was cool against my skin, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. The moon wasn’t full yet, but it hung heavy in the sky, bright enough to cast pale light across the clearing.
I leaned against the railing, letting the quiet settle into my bones.
Footsteps approached behind me.
I didn’t turn.
I knew who it was.
Darius stepped out onto the balcony, the door sliding shut softly behind him. He didn’t say anything at first. Just stood there, close enough that I could feel his presence without him touching me.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then,
A weight settled across my shoulders.
I looked down.
His jacket.Warm and Familiar.
I exhaled softly.
“Thanks.”
“You looked cold.”
“I wasn’t.”
“I’m trying to be romantic don’t argue with me.”
I didn’t argue. He stepped closer, standing just behind me now. Close enough that I could feel the heat of him through the thin fabric of my shirt.
The silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable.
It was… charged.
The kind of quiet that made every small movement feel amplified.His hand brushed lightly against my arm as he adjusted the jacket.
Then, His lips.
A soft press against the side of my neck.
My breath caught.
“Darius….” I whined. I turned slightly, about to remind him.No mating. The Vigil of Stillness had begun.
But the words stuck in my throat.
Because for a moment,I didn’t want to say them. His breath was warm against my skin. His presence steady behind me. And the bond between us hummed, quiet but undeniable.
“Lyra,” he murmured softly.
My fingers tightened slightly against the railing.
“We’re not supposed to..”
Then came a sharp Knock.The sound cut through the moment like a blade. We both froze.
Another knock. More insistent.
I exhaled slowly.
“Of course.”
Darius stepped back just enough for me to turn.
“Come in,” I called.
The door opened.
Mara.
Of course it was Mara.
She stepped into the room, gaze sweeping over us once before settling into her usual calm, unreadable expression.
“Luna. Alpha.”
Her tone was formal.
Too formal.
Something was coming.
“I’ve prepared the guest room,” she said.
Darius blinked.
“The guest room?”
“Yes.”
“For who?” Darius questioned.
“For you.”
The silence that followed was almost comical. Darius stared at her. Then at me. Then back at her.
“I’m not leaving,” he said flatly.
Mara didn’t blink.
“The Vigil of Stillness must be observed.”
“I am observing it.”
“You are not.”
“I am literally standing still.” Darius retorted.
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.
Mara crossed her arms.
“No shifting. No fighting. No M-A-T-I-N-G”
“We’re not mating.”
Her eyebrow lifted slightly. “Yet.”
I turned away, biting down on the inside of my cheek. This was happening. Darius ran a hand through his hair.“This is unnecessary.”
“It is required.”she responded.
“I can stay here.” Darius said.
“No.”
“I’ll sleep on the floor.”he pleaded.
“No.” Mara answered firmly.
“I won’t touch her.”
Mara’s expression didn’t change.“That is not the point.”
“What is the point?”
“Separation.”
Darius made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl. “This is ridiculous.”
From below,
A voice cut through the quiet.
“Hey!”
I stepped closer to the railing and looked down. Vincent.
Of course.
Standing in the courtyard, arms crossed, looking far too pleased with himself. “If I don’t get to sleep with my mate,” he called up loudly, “then you don’t either!”
I froze.
Darius went completely still.Vincent grinned.“Fair’s fair, Alpha!”
A few nearby wolves quickly pretended they hadn’t heard anything.
Mara turned her head slightly.
“Thank you, Vincent,” she said calmly.
“You’re welcome!” he shot back.
“Now go observe the Vigil properly.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He disappeared into the shadows, still clearly amused. I couldn’t help it.
I laughed.
Darius turned to me, eyes narrowing slightly.
“You find this funny.”
“Yes.”
“This is a betrayal.”
“This is tradition.” I shrugged.
He looked back at Mara.“You’re serious.”
“Completely.”
He exhaled sharply.
“This is absurd.”
“Rules are rules.”
I lifted a hand slightly in a helpless gesture.
“Rules are rules.”
He stared at me.
“You’re siding with her.”
“I’m siding with the ceremony.”
He shook his head, but there was a hint of reluctant amusement in his expression now.
“This is punishment.”
“It’s one night,” I smirked slightly.
He didn’t respond. Mara stepped toward the door again.“The guest room is prepared,” she repeated.
Darius didn’t move.
For a moment, it looked like he might actually refuse.Then he glanced at me. And something in his expression shifted, and he surrendered, he knew arguing with Mara was of no use.
He walked toward the door slowly.
Then paused.
Turned back to me.
“You’re really letting this happen.”
I shrugged.
He studied me for a long moment.
Then,A small, reluctant smile.
“Fine.”
He stepped into the doorway.
Mara moved aside just enough to let him pass.
Then she gently,firmly,pushed him out into the hallway. The door closed behind him.