Chapter 138 The Alpha’s Siding
The courtyard feels different this morning.
Not just because of the ceremony. Not just because of the colors or the quiet tension humming beneath everything.
Because of me.
I feel it the moment I step down the last stone stair.
Everyone's eyes were on me watching and waiting.
I pause at the edge of the courtyard, letting the early light settle on my skin. The fabric Mara dressed me in shifts softly with the movement, light but deliberate, like it knows it’s part of something important.
The pack is already gathered in loose formations,leaders near the front, warriors standing back, elders positioned like anchors in the space. Conversations are quieter today, more controlled.
I inhale slowly.
And then,
I feel him.
I don’t turn immediately. I don’t need to. The bond doesn’t pull,it steadies. Like a quiet hand pressing against my spine.Darius steps into place beside me.
Not ahead.
Not in front like he usually does when there’s risk.
Beside.
That alone shifts something in the air.
He doesn’t touch me right away.
I notice that.
Not because I expect it,but because I’ve started to recognize the way he chooses when to.
He waits.
Just long enough for me to feel the space between us.
Then his hand lifts,slow, deliberate,and hovers near my shoulder.
Not quite there.
A question.
I glance at him.
His expression is calm, but his eyes are watching me carefully,not the crowd, not the elders.
Me.
“May I?” he asks quietly.
The words are simple.
But they land heavier than anything he’s said in front of the pack before.
He’s not asking as Alpha.
He’s asking as my mate.
I nod.
“Yeah.”
Only then does his hand settle on my shoulder.
Light.
Grounding.
Not claiming.
And for some reason, that difference matters more than anything else.
We step forward together.
The movement draws attention immediately not loudly, but like a ripple through water.
Pack leaders begin to approach.
Not in a rush. Not all at once. But one by one.
Measured.
Respectful.
The first is one of the older alphas from the northern ridge,broad, gray at the temples, He bows his head slightly.
“Alpha. Luna.”
The word still hits differently when they say it like that.
Darius inclines his head in return.
I do the same.
“Morning,” I say, keeping my voice steady.
He studies me for a moment longer than necessary.
Not in a way that feels invasive.
In a way that feels like he’s… recalibrating.
Then he nods.
“Preparations are moving well.”
“They are,” I reply. “Your people did most of the work.”
A faint smile touches his mouth.
“We follow where we’re led.”
The words sit in my chest, heavier than I expect. More pack leaders approach after that.Different territories. Different dynamics. Some warmer than others. Some more reserved. But none of them dismiss me. None of them ignore me.
They’re watching for something.
I realize what it is when the third alpha hesitates mid-sentence.
He looks at Darius.
Then back at me.
He’s not asking him for direction.
He’s waiting to see what I will say.
It clicks into place slowly.
They’re not looking for cracks.
They’re looking for cues.
Who speaks first.
Who answers.
Who leads.
I feel the weight of it settle into my posture.
So when he finishes his question,about the outer ring placements,I don’t look at Darius.
I answer.
“The rogues will stand along the outer perimeter, not inside the inner path,” I say, keeping my tone calm. “They’re included, but not central to the ceremony.”
The alpha nods immediately.
“Understood.”
He doesn’t question it.
He doesn’t push back.
He just… accepts it.
That’s new.
That’s very new.
Another leader steps forward, younger, more cautious.
“What about patrol rotations duringand after the celebration?” he asks.
I open my mouth,
But Darius speaks first.
“For that,”
He stops.
Mid-sentence.
Just… stops.
And I feel it.
That subtle shift in his attention.
The decision.
He turns his head slightly toward me.
Not enough to draw attention.
But enough.
“the Luna will decide,” he finishes.
The words land like a quiet explosion.
For a split second, the entire group goes still.
Not confused.
Surprised.
Because this isn’t how it’s been.
Not since the trial.
Not since I stepped into this role.
He’s not just supporting me privately.
He’s handing me the authority in front of them.
Deliberately.
Without hesitation.
My pulse spikes,but I don’t let it show.
I step into it.
“Reduced rotations,” I say, my voice steady. “Only essential patrols. We’re not letting anyone moss the celebration unless there’s a direct threat.”
The young alpha nods.
“Understood.”
The conversations continue.
One after another.
And each time, I feel it happen again.
Darius doesn’t override. He doesn’t correct. He doesn’t step in unless necessary. He defers.
And slowly, something inside me stops bracing for resistance.
It stops expecting the moment where someone questions me, where someone pushes, where someone reminds me I don’t belong.
Because it doesn’t come.
Instead—
They listen.
I feel it in the way their bodies angle toward me.
In the way their questions start coming to me first.
In the way Darius stays beside me,not in front.
By the time the last group steps away, the courtyard has shifted again.
The tension isn’t gone.
But it’s different.
Focused.
Aligned.