Chapter 47 The Celebration
The night arrived whether I was ready for it or not.
By the time I stepped outside, the estate grounds had been transformed into something out of a storybook, if that storybook belonged to wolves instead of humans. Lanterns hung from tree branches, their golden light swaying gently in the cool breeze. Strings of lights crisscrossed the open field, glowing softly against the deepening indigo sky. In the center, a massive bonfire roared, flames licking upward, sending sparks dancing into the night like embers of celebration.
Music filled the air, deep drums, rhythmic and primal, vibrating through the ground beneath my feet. Laughter followed it, layered and warm. Wolves gathered in groups, their eyes glowing faintly with excitement. Long wooden picnic benches lined the edges of the clearing, already crowded with food and people.
And all of it.
All of it.
Was for me.
“Our Luna,” voices murmured as I passed.
The word followed me like a shadow.
I forced my steps forward, my spine straight, my expression carefully neutral. Inside, everything felt wrong. I felt like an intruder wearing someone else’s name, someone else’s destiny. The weight of hundreds of eyes pressed against my skin, curious, hopeful, reverent.
I didn’t belong here.
But I had a plan.
So I smiled.
Not wide. Not bright. Just enough to pass as polite. Just enough to look like acceptance.
Darius stayed close to my side, his presence constant, solid, warm, infuriatingly reassuring. His hand hovered near my back, sometimes brushing lightly against me as if to remind the pack, and me, that I was claimed. That I was his.
Every time his fingers touched me, my body reacted before my mind could catch up. A shiver. A tightening low in my stomach. A spark I hated myself for feeling.
I leaned into it outwardly.
Inside, I promised myself I would escape the moment I gained his trust.
The moment I found Fred.
We moved through the crowd slowly. Pack members approached one by one, offering greetings, bows of the head, quiet smiles. Some were shy, others openly excited. A woman with silver-streaked hair pressed a cup of something warm into my hands and told me she was glad I was here. A broad-shouldered man thanked me for returning their Alpha safely, like I had been the one protecting him.
It unsettled me.
They were kind.
Genuinely kind.
A young couple told me how much they hoped I would like the pack lands in winter, how beautiful the snow looked against the forest. An older man joked that now Darius would finally stop working himself to death.
I laughed at the right moments. Nodded. Listened.
And with every smile they gave me, every sincere word, something inside my chest twisted painfully.
This wasn’t the den of monsters I’d built in my head.
These were families. Friends. Children darting between adults, laughing as they chased one another around the benches. Elders sitting near the fire, watching everything with knowing eyes.
Belonging wrapped around me like a warm cloak.
I didn’t want it.
I couldn’t want it.
Because wanting it would mean accepting him.
And I refused.
At least—that’s what I told myself.
“Lyra.”
I turned to see Mara standing beside me again, her sharp eyes softer tonight. She handed me a small plate piled with food before I could protest.
“You should eat,” she said. “Celebrations are long.”
“Thank you,” I replied quietly.
She studied my face, then glanced at Darius, who was speaking with a group of men nearby.
“He’s been anxious about tonight,” she said.
I blinked. “Darius? Anxious?”
Mara huffed softly. “You’d be surprised. He carries the pack like a mountain on his shoulders. Always has.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I stayed silent.
That’s when it happened.
A group of children, four of them, ranging from barely walking to maybe ten years old, came barreling toward us like a small, chaotic storm.
“Alpha!” one of them shouted.
“Darius!” another cried, already grabbing onto his leg.
Before I could process what I was seeing, Darius laughed.
Actually laughed.
He crouched down effortlessly, letting one of the smaller children climb onto his back while another tugged at his arm, demanding his attention. His expression changed completely, gone was the guarded Alpha, the man of sharp edges and command.
In his place stood someone… gentle.
Someone real.
“Alright, alright,” he said, mock stern. “What trouble are you planning tonight?”
“We want to play!” they chorused.
He glanced over at me briefly, as if checking something, then nodded. “Ten minutes,” he told them. “Then you all need to get back to your families.”
They cheered like he’d promised them the moon.
He let them pull him away, his deep laughter carrying through the music as they dragged him toward the open space near the fire.
I stood there, frozen.
Mara watched him go, a fond smile on her lips.
“He’ll be a wonderful father one day,” she said quietly. “He’s always loved the children of the pack. Even when he was barely more than a boy himself.”
Her words sank into me slowly.
Father.
Children.
Pups.
The thought hit me like ice water.
My hand tightened around the plate, knuckles whitening.
I hadn’t thought about it.
Not really.
Not the consequences of proximity. Of touch. Of nights spent too close. Of a bond that didn’t care about my hatred or my plans.
I hadn’t been taking precautions.
The realization bloomed in my chest, sharp and terrifying.
A cold chill slid down my spine.
Pups.
His pups.
The idea made my stomach twist violently.
I watched Darius lift one child onto his shoulders, the little girl shrieking with laughter as she grabbed his hair. He steadied her easily, his hands strong, sure. The children adored him. Trusted him completely.
And suddenly I saw it—clearly, vividly.
A future I did not want.
A future where this pack claimed me fully. Where my body betrayed me into creating life tied to the man I blamed for my father’s death. Where escape became impossible not because of walls or guards—but because of blood.
I swallowed hard, forcing the panic down.
No.
I would not let that happen.
I couldn’t.
I glanced over at him again, His laugh was genuine, his smile easy, and I hated him for it. How could he be so comfortable, so at peace, after everything he’d done? He was lifting three kids this time, showing off his strength while the girls giggled and clung to him like he was some kind of hero.
Hero.
The word twisted in my gut like a knife. Darius was no hero, not to me. He was a villain, the monster who had torn my life apart. But here, in this pack, he was loved, admired. How could they not see it? How could they not see what I saw?
I didn’t care how good he was with children or how loyal his pack was to him. All I could think about was my father. My chest tightened at the thought of him.
I forced myself to breathe, to focus on the rhythmic crackle of the bonfire and the distant hum of laughter around me. I couldn’t lose control, not here, not in front of them.
Beside me, Mara nudged my arm, her voice soft. “You okay? You look pale.”
I forced a smile, my throat tight. “I’m fine. Just... tired, I guess.Must be jetlag”,
She frowned, her eyes lingering on me as if she didn’t quite believe me. But thankfully, she didn’t push. Instead, she glanced toward the dancing crowd, her smile returning. “It’s nice to see everyone so happy. You brought this happiness, Lyra”
I nodded absentmindedly, my thoughts still miles away. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, the possibility that my life was about to take a turn I wasn’t ready for. A baby. Darius’ baby. The thought made me want to scream, to run as far away from this place as possible. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not until I knew for sure.
The bonfire blazed in the center of the backyard, its flames casting flickering light across the faces of the pack members. The warmth from the fire barely reached me as I sat on the edge of a picnic bench, staring into the dancing flames but feeling a coldness settle deep in my bones. I was scared, there was a possibility I was carrying the child of my enemy.
I watched the others laughing and chatting, their faces full of joy and camaraderie, as if the world was perfect. They were all so close, so united, it was almost sickening. Then there was Darius. He was surrounded by children, lifting two in each hand as they giggled with glee. His eyes caught mine for a brief moment, and I turned away from the scene, my appetite gone, my chest tight. Around me, the celebration continued, music rising, wolves dancing, voices lifted in song.
They were celebrating their Luna.
And all I could think was.
I was running out of time.
I was lost in my thoughts when Adrian the pack doctor and Darius’ childhood friend appeared beside me, his eyes full of mischief.
"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Adrian teased, folding his arms. "The one that got away, huh? Darius was tearing the city apart looking for you. Almost lost his mind."
I gave him a dismissive glance. "He should’ve tried harder."
Adrian chuckled, though it sounded a bit forced. "You really don’t care, do you? Darius had been acting like a madman since you vanished. Day and night, he couldn’t rest until you were found."
My heart clenched at the mention of his relentless search, but I quickly shoved that feeling aside. He could lose sleep for the rest of his life, for all I cared.
"Good for him," I muttered under my breath.
He nodded toward the far end of the yard, where Darius stood. My eyes followed his gaze, and there was Darius still surrounded by a group of children, effortlessly lifting two of them into the air, one in each arm. The kids shrieked with laughter, their faces lit up with joy. To anyone else, it would have been a heartwarming sight, an alpha doting on his pack’s young ones.
But not for me. Not after everything. That man, no matter how he pretended to care, was still the one who had destroyed my world. I couldn't forget that.
Adrian glanced at me, his eyes softening with what I could only assume was pity. "You know, the pack adores him. Darius would do anything for them."
"Good for them," I replied, my voice cold.
Darius, still surrounded by the children, glanced over at me. Our eyes met across the yard, and I felt my stomach twist with a mixture of anger and something else I couldn’t quite place. If only they knew what he was capable of.
I clenched my fists, turning away from the sight. Adrian was still beside me, watching me carefully.
"You seem tense," he said, his voice quieter now, as if sensing that the topic of Darius was a landmine. "Look, Lyra, I know things are complicated between you and Darius, but he’s not a bad guy. He’s done more for this pack and all werewolves than anyone knows."
I stopped in my tracks, my eyes hardening as I stared at him. "You don’t know everything, Adrian. You don’t know who he really is."
Adrian raised his hands in surrender, his expression softening. "Hey, I’m just saying, try not to let whatever’s between you cloud your judgment. Darius isn’t a monster you paint him out to be."
I couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that escaped my lips. "No? Then why does it feel like I’m trapped in a cage he built for me?"
Adrian fell silent, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. "You’ll be okay. Just give us a chance and you'll see that we're not that bad after all."
I nodded, though my resolve remained unchanged. Give the pack a chance? Maybe. But Darius? Never.
For now, all I could do was wait, wait for the moment when I could escape this life, I wasn’t about to let him win.