Chapter 77 SEVENTY-SEVEN
"He what?!" Janice squealed in excitement, almost jumping out of her seat. Brienne gave her a sharp look.
"Nice, keep your voice down, please," she whispered, noticing people in the café looking their way.
"Oh gosh, sorry!" Janice covered her mouth, but her excitement was clear. "But he really proposed? Bree, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you—you deserve this!" Her eyes filled with happy tears. Brienne reached for her hand and smiled.
"Thank you, Nice. I wanted you to be the first to know," she said.
Janice suddenly started crying, wiping her tears quickly.
"Why are you crying?" Brienne asked, handing her a tissue. Janice sniffled and smiled.
"It’s your fault," she said. "I’m just so happy! First, your pregnancy, and now this. It means a lot that you shared this with me," she added, feeling emotional. Brienne’s smile grew warmer.
"Of course. You’re my best friend, Nice," she said. Janice let out a small laugh and hugged her tightly.
"And you’re mine. Always," Janice replied.
"Do you have any plans for the wedding?" Janice asked.
Brienne shook her head while gently rubbing her tummy. "Honestly, I have no idea," she said with a chuckle. "But I want us to get married after our baby is born." She smiled softly, picturing their child walking down the aisle with her—it filled her heart with joy.
"It's going to be beautiful," Janice said, truly excited for her best friend.
"I also wanted to tell you something about my sisters," Brienne said, making Janice groan.
"Please, hear me out," Brienne added quickly.
Janice sighed and crossed her arms.
"Fine, I will—because it’s you," she said. Brienne smiled.
"Thank you. I’ve made peace with them. I haven’t seen them in years, and when I finally did, I found out they were in terrible situations." She clasped her hands together. "They apologized to me," she said.
"As they should!" Janice exclaimed. "I saw how they treated you. God knows how much I wanted to pull their hair, but I held back because you didn’t want them to hate you even more," she said angrily.
"Nice... I’ve forgiven them," Brienne said gently. "They’re still my sisters. I don’t want to hold on to anger forever." She fiddled with her fingers. Janice frowned.
"Are you sure they’ve truly changed?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Yes," Brienne nodded. "Judy even gave me my share from the sale of our old house, but I didn’t take it. I wanted them to have it so they could start fresh," she added.
"You’re still as kind as ever," Janice said with a sigh. "Even after everything, you forgave them. Are you a saint?" She teased with a chuckle. Brienne laughed.
"Of course not. But they’re the only family I have left to remember my parents who adopted me. I want us to become close," she said. Janice rolled her eyes playfully.
"Alright, if you say so. But if they start treating you badly again, I won’t sit back and do nothing. I will pull their hair!" she exclaimed. Brienne smiled warmly.
"Thank you, Nice," she whispered.
After their conversation, Brienne returned to the Crescent Stone Pack. She immediately went to see Cecil, in the packhouse, who was sitting in the living room, sipping tea.
"How was your trip to town?" Cecil asked with a smile.
"It was great, Mom," Brienne replied. "I wanted to tell you something—where's Sister Ravena?" she asked, looking around.
"Right here, sis!" Ravena called out as she descended the stairs. "I just visited Dad and had a talk with Sam. What is it? You look like you have something important to say," she added. Brienne glanced at them both and smiled.
"Mom… Sis… Raven asked me to marry him," she said.
Cecil gasped, covering her mouth in shock, while Ravena cheered loudly.
"About damn time!" Ravena yelled, pulling Brienne into a tight hug. "Congratulations! And welcome to the family again, Bree," she whispered in her ear. Brienne’s heart swelled with happiness.
"Oh gods," Cecil murmured, tears streaming down her face. "I wish Arthur were awake to hear this. His boy finally asked for his mate’s hand," she added, embracing Brienne.
"I'm so happy for you, sweetie," Cecil said, her voice full of warmth. "A wedding and a grandchild on the way, oh gods, I must be in heaven," she added.
"Where's Raven?" Brienne asked.
"He went to talk to the Elders. It must be about the wedding," Ravena said.
"The Elders?" Brienne asked. Ravena had been teaching her about werewolves to help her understand their world better, but this was the first time she had heard about them.
"Oh, we haven’t gotten that far in our lessons, right?" Ravena said, sitting on the couch in front of her. "The Elders serve as advisors to the Alpha, guardians of traditions, mediators in conflicts, overseers of ceremonies, and mentors to younger wolves, ensuring the pack’s stability and unity," she explained.
"Some of them were against Raven bringing a human as his mate, but they hold no direct power over the Alpha. Besides, Raven proved himself after the battle with Derrick," Ravena added.
"Are we in trouble?" Brienne asked, biting her lower lip. Ravena shook her head.
"I'll let you know that my brother is a stubborn wolf who refuses to bow down even to the Elders. Plus, the pack members love you. So who are they to stop Raven, right?" she said, popping a grape into her mouth from the bowl Cecil had brought.
"Ravena’s right, sweetie. The Elders will definitely accept your union with Raven," Cecil reassured her.
"As they should," Ravena added confidently.
"Can I meet them too?" Brienne asked. Cecil and Ravena exchanged glances.
"Why do you want to meet them, sweetie?" Cecil asked.
"To talk to them," Brienne replied.
"Sis, leave the talking to my idiot brother. Plus, I don’t want you to get stressed. Stress isn’t good for my niece or nephew," Ravena said.
"But I don’t want to leave Raven to face them alone. If I’m going to be a Luna, just like you told me, Ven, then I should meet and talk to them properly, right?" Brienne said, clenching her hands into fists. It was a bold statement, but if she was going to be part of Raven’s family and his pack, she needed to know the Elders. She had to protect herself and her child in the future.
Ravena let out a sigh and stood up.
"Alright, come with me. We’ll meet them," she said.
Brienne’s face lit up, and she immediately stood.
"Take care, sweetie," Cecil said worriedly, watching as her daughters disappeared from sight.
Ravena drove Brienne to the Elders' council room and parked the car when they arrived. As soon as the warriors guarding the entrance saw them, they immediately greeted them and let them inside.
Brienne heard Raven shouting from inside the council room.
"Elder Joaquin, you've crossed the line!" She quickened her pace and pushed the double doors open.
"Who dares enter the council room without permission?!" Joaquin demanded, his voice filled with anger.
"The future Luna of the pack, of course," Ravena said as she casually walked in and took her designated seat.
She leaned toward Brienne and whispered, "Sit in Father's chair, Bree."
Brienne hesitated for a moment but then sat in the chair beside Raven. Her heart pounded as she took in the presence of the Elders around her. She was nervous but did her best to hide it.
"Darling, what are you doing here?" Raven asked, his voice laced with worry.
"To be with you," Brienne whispered, squeezing his hand for reassurance. Joaquin scoffed and glared at her.
"I cannot accept her as the Luna of Crescent Stone Pack!" he exclaimed. Brienne took a deep breath and spoke firmly.
"May I say something?" she asked.
"No, you're not supposed to be here either," Joaquin snapped.
"Let her speak, Joaquin," Elder Koa interjected. Joaquin shot him a sharp glare.
"Koa, shut your mouth," he growled. Koa ignored him.
"Go ahead, dear," he said, nodding at Brienne.
Brienne felt Raven's reassuring touch on her hand and took a deep breath.
"At first, I struggled to accept the truth when Raven told me what he was. It was difficult to believe that werewolves existed, let alone that the man I loved was one. I was scared, confused, and unsure of what our future would look like. But because I love him, I chose to stay. I gave him a chance, and in doing so, I realized that it didn’t matter whether he was human or werewolf—he was Raven, the man who loved and protected me."
She met the eyes of each Elder, her voice steady.
"I know I’m human, and I understand your concerns. But I love Raven, and I love this pack. I may not have been born a werewolf like you guys wanted, but I am willing to learn and do everything I can to be a Luna worthy of Crescent Stone Pack."
She took another deep breath, determination shining in her eyes.
"I don’t expect to be accepted immediately, but I ask for a chance to prove myself. Not just for Raven, but for everyone here," she said, ending her speech.
A heavy silence filled the room. Then, one by one, the Elders nodded in approval—except for Joaquin, who scowled.
"Very well," Elder Koa said. "You will have a chance to prove yourself. But know this, Brienne—being Luna is not just about love. It requires strength, wisdom, and sacrifice," he added. Brienne nodded.
"I understand. And I am ready," she said.
Joaquin scoffed but said nothing more. The meeting was over, but Brienne knew this was only the beginning of her journey to becoming Luna.
As they left the council room, Raven wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"I'm proud of you, darling," he whispered. Brienne smiled, leaning into him.
"I'll make sure they have no reason to doubt me."