Chapter 106 Elara's POV
I woke to fluorescent lights and the steep of medical equipment. My head felt heavy. My body ached. My mouth was dry like I'd been asleep for days instead of hours.
"Easy," a familiar voice said. Damian. "Don't try to sit up yet. You've been through a lot."
I turned my head and found him sitting beside the bed, looking exhausted. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his clothes rumpled like he'd been wearing them for too long.
"What happened?" My voice came out as a croak.
"You collapsed. Hypothermia, dehydration, and severe stress. Your body just gave out." He held a cup of water with a straw to my lips. "Small sips. Not too fast."
The water was the best thing I'd ever tasted.
"The baby?" I asked.
"Fine strong heartbeat no signs of distress but you scared us all half to death."
"How long was I unconscious?"
"About eighteen hours."
The door opened and Kaden walked in. He looked even worse than Damian like he hadn't slept at all. The moment he saw I was awake, relief flooded his face.
"Elara." He was at my bedside in seconds. "Thank God."
He leaned down and kissed me. Gently at first, then with more intensity, like he had been terrified he'd never get to do this again.
When he pulled back, I noticed something. The tension between him and Damian. The way they weren't looking at each other. The way Damian's jaw was tight and Kaden's shoulders were rigid.
"What happened between you two?" I asked.
"Nothing," Kaden said quickly.
"We had a disagreement," Damian said at the same time.
"About what?"
"About whose fault it was that you collapsed," Damian said bluntly. "I blamed him for rushing you back. He didn't appreciate that."
"Damian-"
"She deserves to know the truth."
I looked between them. "Did you fight? Actually fight?"
"Almost," Kaden admitted. "Ethan stopped us before it got that far."
"You two are adults and act like it." I tried to sit up and immediately regretted it as the room spun.
"I told you not to move yet," Damian said, easing me back down.
Kaden pulled a chair close to the bed. "Elara, I'm sorry for all of it for demanding you come back immediately. For not thinking about the consequences. For putting my fear above your wellbeing."
"It's not-"
"Let me finish. Please." He took my hand carefully.
"I've been thinking about what Elder Miriam said. About how I keep trying to protect you instead of partnering with you. About how I need to trust you to be strong instead of treating you like you're fragile."
"Okay..."
"I want to make you my Luna. Officially. With a proper ceremony. In front of the whole pack. I want everyone to know that you're not just my mate, you're my equal partner in leading this pack."
My heart stuttered. "Kaden, I don't know if I'm ready-"
"I know you're not ready but I also know you'll never feel ready because there's always going to be something. Some threats, some crises, some reasons to wait."
His eyes were intense. "I don't want to wait anymore. I want the pack to see what I see that you're strong, capable, and exactly who I need beside me."
I didn't know what to say. Part of me was terrified. But another part felt something else. Hope, maybe. Or possibility.
"Can I think about it?" I asked.
"Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."
He stayed with me all night. Sleeping in the chair beside my bed, his hand holding mine.
Morning came with Damian entering carrying a portable ultrasound machine.
"Ready to find out what you're having?" he asked.
I'd forgotten about that. About the plan to learn the baby's gender.
"Yes. Absolutely."
Kaden woke immediately. "Right now?"
"Right now," Damian confirmed. "Might as well since we're all here."
He set up the equipment and placed the sensor on my stomach. The familiar sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room.
"There's the head. The spine the heart." Damian moved the sensor slowly. "And right there that's definitive you're having a boy."
A boy. I was having a son.
Tears filled my eyes without warning. "A boy. We're having a boy."
Kaden's hand tightened around mine. His voice was rough when he spoke. "A son. We're having a son."
"A healthy, active son who's going to be a handful based on how much he kicks," Damian added. "Congratulations."
After the scan, after I'd been cleared to leave the medical wing, Kaden drove me back to the pack house.
"Take it easy today," he said. "Rest. Recover. Don't push yourself."
"I won't."
But the moment we arrived, Kara found me with news.
"You should know what happened while you were in the medical wing," she said, helping me to my quarters.
"What happened?"
"Selena threw a party. In the main hall. Invited people from outside the pack. Was acting like she owned the place."
Anger sparked. "And?"
"Kaden shut it down. Threw everyone out. Told Selena if she pulled anything like that again, he'd exile her permanently regardless of what the elders said."
Kara's eyes were bright with excitement. "It was amazing. He was furious. I've never seen him that angry."
"Good."
"But Elara, that's not all. The servants are talking. They're confused about who's really in charge. Some still listen to Selena because she acts like she has authority. Others are trying to follow your lead but they're scared of backlash."
An idea formed. "Take me to the servant quarters."
"You should be resting-"
"I'll rest later right now I need to do something."
Kara led me to the servant quarters. Word spread quickly that I was there. Within minutes, servants gathered maids, kitchen staff, groundskeepers, everyone.
I stood in front of them, very aware of how I must look. Still pale from my collapse covered in fading mosquito bites visibly pregnant.
But I stood straight met their eyes spoke clearly.
"There's been confusion lately about who gives orders in this house. I'm here to clear that up."
I gestured around the room. "From now on, all household matters go through me not Selena. Not anyone else me If you have questions about your duties, you ask me. If you need supplies or support, you come to me. Understood?"
Most nodded. But one older servant a woman who'd been here longer than I'd been alive spoke up.
"With all respect, miss, but you're not Luna. Selena said-"
"I don't care what Selena said. She has no authority here."
"But the elders released her. Said she could return as a pack member-"
"As a pack member. Not as someone with power over you. Not as someone who can give orders."
I moved closer. "If Selena tells you to do something that conflicts with what I've said, you follow my instructions. Is that clear?"
"But miss, we can't just-"
"You can't just what?"
The voice came from behind me deep. Commanding furious.
Kaden.
He strode into the servant quarters, his presence immediately dominating the space. Every servant straightened, their eyes going wide.
"Is there a problem here?" he asked, his voice dangerously calm.
"No, Alpha," several servants said quickly.
"Good. Because I want to make something absolutely clear to all of you."
Kaden moved to stand beside me. "This is Elara. My mate. My Luna. Not Selena. Selena has no authority in this pack house. She has no right to give orders. She has no power over any of you."