Chapter 32

Hayley

As Axton, Lily, and I head back to the packhouse, I notice the same pair of pigeons I see every morning from my bedroom window. They’re perched on an oak tree, watching me.

I offer them a small smile and keep walking. But then I realize they’re hopping from branch to branch, seemingly following me.

Why would they follow me? It’s probably just a coincidence. Werewolves might be strange to humans, but this behavior is even stranger to werewolves.

The weirdest part is, I’m not scared. I feel peaceful.

They keep trailing me until we reach the packhouse. Then, they suddenly take off, disappearing between two towering trees that look like a doorway.

They weren’t following me. They were leading me somewhere.

I grab Axton’s arm—he’s still holding Lily’s hand—and pull him with me. We follow the path the birds took. “Hayley, what are you doing?” Axton asks, sounding curious.

Caught up in my thoughts, I don’t answer. Instead, I lead them through the branches until we reach a small clearing. It’s filled with all kinds of flowers, from bright yellow sunflowers to delicate pastel tulips.

I’m still taking in the beautiful scene when I spot a small waterfall behind a cluster of mossy rocks. It’s flowing gently, soothingly.

Perched on one of the rocks are the same two pigeons, their heads touching. This is what they wanted to show me. But why?

Is this their home? No, they have a nest on the tree outside my window. So why bring me here? What’s the purpose?

“Wow. This place is beautiful,” Axton whispers. “I almost forgot this existed.” I look at Axton, wondering why this place isn’t more popular.

“This used to be where all the pack events were held. It was so relaxing, it eased any tension. But when the pack grew, it got forgotten. The overgrowth didn’t help. There’s no easy access.”

He’s right. It’s hidden.

I wander around, brushing my fingers against the flowers. I take a deep breath and just stop. Everything stops. I’m frozen in tranquility.

All I can hear is the cool breeze and the soft chirping echoing through the forest. I imagine it’s just me in this magical meadow, free from everything.

Just me, getting through one more day. Alone.

But that’s not true anymore. I’m not alone. I have Jax. Axton. Lily. Dimitri. I have a pack to lead.

I can’t just think about myself. There are hundreds of others who are counting on me.

They’ve been waiting their whole lives for their new leader. It’s time I start living up to their expectations.

It’s strange, but when I’m helping others, I forget about my own problems. It’s a distraction from the demons that haunt me at night.

Maybe if I focus more on my pack, it’ll help me heal. I know Jax has been keeping things from me. Ever since Aurora came back, I’ve been able to see into Jax’s mind.

Not a lot, but enough to know what’s happening. And that my father is behind it all.

Whenever Jax is around, I try not to think about it. I don’t want Jax to know until I have a plan. Jax is in a tough spot because of me.

He’s hiding things from his pack because I don’t want them to know about my past. But that’s not fair.

It’s my job to help them, but I’m putting them in danger for selfish reasons. Because I’m scared. But there’s no time for fear. I need to face it.

We need to tell the council. If we don’t, people will die. And their blood will be on my hands.

Jax has respected my wishes and kept quiet. But I could be saving lives.

If that means putting myself in danger again, so be it. That’s what a real Luna would do.

It’s not about whether I’m ready to be Luna. It’s about protecting my pack and doing what’s right.

Even though I don’t have a choice, it’s the right thing to do.

What helps is knowing Jax would never let anything happen to me. With that, I believe I can stop the murders and avoid reliving the past nineteen years.

I need to work with Jax to tell my pack and the council about the emerging threat before it’s too late.

It’s funny. I’m now calling the pack ‘my’ pack. Just a few weeks ago, I thought I was going to die. Now, I’m about to become Luna. I used to call this Jax’s pack, but now I feel a connection to it.

Even though I haven’t done much, it’s a big step for me, considering my situation. It might be small, but it’s progress. And that’s better than nothing.

With Jax’s encouraging words this morning, I know I can be a true Luna. Maybe not right away.

Maybe not for a few more months. But eventually, I’ll be able to do everything a Luna should.

Things change so fast. “You should get married here,” Axton says, interrupting my thoughts. How does he know about that?

I haven’t had a chance to tell them since we found Lily.

“Your ring,” he points to my left hand. “I noticed it when we met up. I didn’t say anything because I was waiting for you to tell me. But I couldn’t wait any longer. And yes, I know about human traditions. I was a hopeless romantic growing up,” he chuckles.

Axton’s observation of my engagement ring catches me off guard, but he quickly explains, “I notice everything about you, Hayley. Plus, that ring is so shiny, it nearly blinded me when the sun hit it. I guess congratulations are in order.”

I laugh at Axton’s typical antics and rejoin my two companions. “When are you guys getting married?”

“Sunday. We wanted...to have it as soon as possible,” I reply.

Axton’s words linger in my mind. Maybe he’s right. Maybe Jax and I should get married here. Maybe that’s why the pigeons led me here. It’s the perfect place.

I’ll have to discuss it with Jax, see what he thinks. Or maybe the pigeons led me here because I needed a wake-up call.

A quiet place to think about what I need to do.

“Let’s head back,” I suggest. Hand in hand, the three of us return to the packhouse, ready to play some Just Dance.

***

We play Just Dance and a few rounds of UNO until it’s time for Lily to go to bed. She’s exhausted, which isn’t surprising considering her busy day.

I haven’t forgotten about those mean pups. They’ll learn a lesson soon enough.

The first step to being a Luna is protecting her pack. I may not be ready to lead, but I will protect.

No one protected me growing up, so I know how it feels. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

Now, I’m on my way to Jax’s office with Axton. I’ve spent all day rehearsing what I want to say. Nothing will stop me now. Not even my fears.

I knock gently on the door. “Come in, Sunshine.” I smile at his nickname, open the door for both of us, and walk towards my mate.

I lean down to give him a soft kiss before rubbing my cheek against his in a sign of affection.

I turn to Axton. “Could you give...us a few minutes, please?” I need to have this conversation privately.

“Of course. Alpha. Hayley,” he bows. He closes the door behind him as I turn back to Jax. I take a deep breath and start pacing, nerves gnawing at me.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Jax stands and walks over to me, holding my hands to stop them from shaking.

“I need to talk to you about something.” I try to organize my thoughts, deciding where to start.

“Okay. I’m listening.” His hands gently massage my arms, easing my tension. Inhale. Exhale. I can do this.

“I know something bad is happening. Since my wolf has been coming back...I’ve seen into your mind. You think there’s a war coming,” I take a deep breath, “because of my...father.”

Shock and panic cross Jax’s face. He didn’t know that I knew. Defeat settles in his expression. He can’t avoid this conversation.

“I didn’t want to scare you. You’ve been through enough. I was just trying to protect you,” he defends himself.

I place my hand on his cheek. “I know. But I’m not scared anymore. I have you, so I feel safe.” I open my mind to Jax, letting him see my thoughts.

I’ve learned to control shutting it down, but times like this, it’s useful.

I let him see that I want him to tell his pack about my past. Let them know who’s trying to hurt them. To protect them, he has to tell the council. About me. About the attacks.

About everything. And why it’s necessary. To save families. To save lives. This has to be done.

Jax seems taken aback by my thoughts. He doesn’t say anything for a while, just stares into my eyes, until he finally speaks.

“Are you sure about this? I don’t want you to feel pressured. If not, it’s okay. We can find another way,” he says, uncertainty in his voice.

A small smile tugs at my lips. Even now, Jax still wants to protect me.

“I’m as sure as the fact that I love you,” I say, showing him how serious I am. He walks over to the window overlooking the pack grounds, mulling everything over. I stand still, waiting for him to speak.

After a few minutes of Jax clenching and unclenching his fists, he finally turns around and says, “If I have your full permission, we can make a plan. We’ll need to tell the council...but they’ll want proof. I don’t have any solid evidence linking Mason and his pack to the attack. We need to find a way to connect the two. Evidence that shows Mason is working with rogues.”

“Can we get proof?” I ask.

Jax falls silent, deep in thought, before he remembers.

“I’m supposed to meet with Dimitri soon to see if the surveillance team has found anything. I sent a team to watch the rogues after we found their camp, hoping to catch something suspicious. I also have a team watching Bloodnight Pack. And then there’s...Rose.”

Rose? What does Rose have to do with this? I didn’t see anything about Rose in his mind.

“No! Nothing like that. Nothing is happening between me and Rose. I’ll explain everything soon. But with all this, we should be able to find solid evidence that can convict Bloodnight Pack, because right now, it’s just accusations.”

“What do we do now?”

“We need to strategize. I’ll reach out to Dimitri, Axton, and Rose through our mindlink. We need to start talking about this right away.” His eyes glaze over as he does exactly what he said he would. When he comes back to reality, his eyes are filled with pride and admiration.

“You’re so brave, Hayley. You’re going to be an amazing Luna.” He leans in slowly, savoring the moment, before our lips meet. It’s a slow kiss, but it’s filled with passion and love. He pulls away after a few moments.

I gasp, overwhelmed by the raw emotion. His thumb brushes over my lip as he studies my face. “I’m so lucky to have you as my mate, Hayley. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Not long after, there’s a heavy knock on the door.

“Are you sure about this?” he asks one last time. I give him a nod, and he walks over to open the door, welcoming the others in.

Dimitri, Axton, and Rose bow to their Alpha, then turn to me and do the same. They’re acknowledging me as their Luna. My face turns red at their respect, and I look to Jax for support.

He gives me a nod and a smirk, as if to say, ‘get used to it’. I look down at the floor, hoping it will be more helpful than my mate.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. We have an urgent matter to discuss.” Jax gestures towards the large corner sofa in his office.

“Please, sit.” All three of them sit down. Rose is furthest away, near the door, Axton is in the middle, and Dimitri is closest to Jax’s desk, with a folder in his lap.

A sudden warmth spreads through me as I remember all the times Jax and I have made out on that sofa. Too many times to count.

Jax smirks, reading my thoughts. He takes my hand and leads me to his chair behind his desk. He sits down first, then pulls me onto his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

“I’ll get straight to the point. We all sense something evil approaching. Our wolves can feel it. It’s because of a neighboring pack—the Bloodnight Pack. They’ve been working with rogues.

“The Alpha of the Bloodnight Pack is Hayley’s father. He’s the one who attacked us not long ago, and they’ll keep coming back until they get what they want,” Jax says, pulling me even closer to him, leaving no space between us. It’s as if he’s reassuring both himself and his wolf that I’m still here.

“Why did they attack us? What do they want?” Axton asks, confused.

“Me,” I whisper.

“What!” Axton roars, standing up. His eyes flicker to a dark shade of brown, almost black, as his wolf starts to surface.

“Control your wolf, Axton. Now!” Jax commands, using his Alpha voice, which makes any wolf submit.

“I’m just as angry as you are about all this, but losing control of your wolf won’t help. They want Hayley because of the horrible things they did to her year after year. They know it’s illegal to hurt another wolf from the same pack, so they want to get to Hayley before she can say anything. But they’re too late.

“The Moon Goddess let the matebond show me what happened to Hayley. They don’t know this, so they’re still trying instead of running away.”

“But why? Why would they hurt Hayley in the first place?” Dimitri asks.

“My mom died giving birth to me. They blame me...and because my wolf left...making me human,” I say, looking down and holding Jax tighter, scared of their reaction.

“That’s ridiculous!” Axton shouts again.

“You had no control over that! I’m sorry your mother died, Hayley, but that’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault! They blamed an innocent child! And it doesn’t matter if you’re human, you have Alpha blood in you, so you’re still part of our species!” Axton says, furious.

Everyone agrees with Axton. Jax, Dimitri, and even Rose nod. They don’t blame me. No one blames me except that horrible pack. Finally, people see my side.

I didn’t want my mother to die. I didn’t want my wolf to leave. I didn’t have a choice. Tears well up in my eyes as I realize, none of it was my fault.

I’m innocent, just like Axton said. I was blamed because no one could accept that it was the Moon Goddess’s doing. She did this for a reason—to show how terrible my father was as an Alpha.

It was all part of her plan. We were all just pieces in her game, but that’s how the werewolf world works. That’s how it has to be.

Jax’s arms tighten around me, holding me close to let me know he’s with me.

“Exactly. So we need to hold them accountable for their actions by going to the council. But the council will need proof; otherwise, they can’t do anything. We need to find proof of what Mason and his pack have done.

“Our other option is to go to war with them, but that would cost many lives. I think the safest option is to go to the council and let them do their job. We just need to provide the proof.”

The room goes quiet as we all think about how to prove that my old pack is responsible for the attack and the near-deaths of so many pack members.

“What about the rogue we captured? Has he said anything?” Jax asks, suddenly having an idea.

“He killed himself last night. I’m not surprised, really. He was never going to betray the rogues. Either he snitched and we let him go, only for the rogues to kill him for his betrayal, or he kept quiet and faced torture for the rest of his life for his crimes. He was dead either way.”

“Damn,” Jax mutters, frustration lacing his voice. “That’s not going to help us.”

“But this might,” Dimitri chimes in, a spark of hope in his voice. “This morning, the surveillance team at the rogue’s campsite reported seeing Alpha Mason in conversation with one of the rogues. We believe this rogue is the leader.

“It looked like they knew each other, which aligns with what you said. They were exchanging smiles and handshakes. Our team managed to snap a few photos of their interaction.” He opens the folder in his lap and pulls out several pictures.

“Here.” He strides over to Jax and me, placing the photos in Jax’s outstretched hand.

There he was. My father. The man who has turned my life upside down and now wants me dead. Once, the sight of him would have filled me with pain, but now all I feel is rage. I want him to pay for what he did to me.

A growl slips from my lips at the revolting sight before me. Aurora. My wolf pushes me to the back of my mind, taking control.

Jax gently lifts my chin towards him, reading my eyes. He knows Aurora is in control.

“Hello, mate.” Jax closes his eyes briefly before reopening them. Now, it’s his wolf, Aaron, who’s present. This is their first interaction. Purrs fill the room from both of us. Aaron is soothing Aurora.

I let her savor this moment with her mate. She deserves it. Eventually, sensing no immediate danger, she retreats, giving me full control again. A few seconds later, Jax does the same.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know...” I begin, but he cuts me off.

“Don’t apologize. It’s good she’s coming out. Aaron already loves her as much as he loves you,” he says, his signature smile playing on his lips. I blush for what feels like the thousandth time today.

“I love when you blush,” he whispers in my ear, his fingers holding my chin firmly. A cough echoes in the room, reminding us we’re not alone.

Jax reluctantly withdraws his fingers, settling them on my lap, gripping my thigh. His touch sets off a flurry of sensations within me.

“Right, where were we?” Jax asks. “Ah, yes. This could really help us. It proves that Mason is working with the rogues... the only problem is that it doesn’t link to anything. The council will dismiss it as insignificant.”

“What about the attack a few weeks ago? We know they did that and we have the CCTV footage to prove it. Can’t we link the photo to that?” Rose asks.

She has a point. We could clearly show that the same wolves attacked our pack under my father’s orders.

“We can’t link the two. As Dimitri said, the photo was taken today, so it doesn’t show Mason orchestrating that attack from weeks ago. Nothing links that attack to these photos.

“The only way to link the photos is if we have another attack from the same rogues in the photo and CCTV. Which brings me to my next point.” Jax gently pats my thigh as if to brace me for the information to come.

A sharp intake of breath echoes across the room, everyone bracing themselves, before Jax says, “Luke is Rose’s mate.”

Anger.

That’s what I feel. That monster has a mate. And she’s sitting just a few feet away from me. Claws start to sprout from my fingertips as I begin to lose control.

Aurora is taking over again.

All I can think about is the pain Luke has caused me and how I can finally make him suffer... by hurting Rose.

“Calm. Down.” Jax’s Alpha command rings out. He’s never used that tone with me before. I understand why he did it, but why would he protect her?

I immediately calm down, submitting to my Alpha, but Aurora continues to growl in my mind, not giving up as easily.

She doesn’t see him as her rightful Alpha yet. Our last Alpha broke me completely, so much so that Aurora became dormant, so she doesn’t trust Jax as much as I do.

She’ll need to spend more time with him to realize he’s nothing like our father.

“Rose is Luke’s mate, but she doesn’t love him. She’s on our side. She knows what he did to you, and has been helping me trick Luke into thinking she’s on their side,” Jax says, trying to soothe me, but it only makes me more anxious.

How does she know what he did to me? Did Jax tell her? When he promised he wouldn’t tell anyone? He promised me.

What has she been doing with Jax? If she’s been helping him, that means she knew everything before coming here.

Why didn’t he tell me? Dread washes over me. I start to rise, needing some space from my mate, but Jax holds me in place, not letting me leave.

Jax, sensing my thoughts, quickly answers my flurry of questions.

“The Moon Goddess allowed the matebond to show Rose the truth. That Luke is a monster by showing her the things he did to you. Just like how the Moon Goddess showed me everything.

“I never told her anything. I kept my promise. It was only when Rose came to my office a few days ago asking to talk that she explained.” Jax shifts his gaze to Rose, signaling her to continue the story.

Rose squirms uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes darting everywhere but mine.

“I met...Luke at the border a few weeks ago, before the attack. Everything seemed fine at first, but he said we couldn’t be together right away, that he needed time. I found it strange, but agreed because...well, he’s my mate. I didn’t think he would do anything bad.

“I didn’t want to seem clingy so I agreed. I left shortly after, but not before he told me I couldn’t tell anyone. Again, I didn’t know what else to do, so I agreed. At the time, I didn’t want him to leave me. I had just found my mate and was overjoyed, so I did whatever he asked,” she says, her voice heavy with defeat.

“I didn’t get a word from him until a random number texted me, ‘Be careful’. Next thing I knew, our pack was under attack. Whoever sent that text knew what was coming.

“I didn’t realize it was Luke until I stepped out of the bunker. My wolf was buzzing with excitement, signaling he was close. I could feel it. So, I went looking for him and found him at the very edge of our territory.

“That’s when it all clicked. I saw...I saw the terrible things he’d done to you. I had to watch him torment a child and I was powerless to stop him. It showed me that he knew about the attack. I managed to hide my shock and ran away as fast as I could. I didn’t want him to know I’d seen everything, in case he decided to hurt me,” she breaks down, tears streaming down her face.

“I want to apologize for everything Luke has done to you. I’m sorry I’m mated to him, but I want you to know that once this is all over, I’ll reject him. I’ll never be mated to a beast who’s committed such heinous crimes,” Rose declares.

Rose suddenly stands, walks over to me, and kneels, her neck bent low, eyes on the ground. Complete submission.

She was submitting to me, showing that she saw me as her Luna, and her loyalty was to me, not her mate. I stand and walk over to her.

Kneeling in front of her, I wrap my arms around her, giving her the hug I know she needs. She wraps her arms around me, and we both cry over the memories of the same monster. This was tearing her apart.

Knowing her mate caused so much pain was eating her alive. She needs to know it’s not her fault.

“It’s okay, Rose. I don’t blame you. It’s not your fault,” I whisper. This only makes her cry harder, but I think she can now find comfort in the fact that she did nothing wrong.

When we both finally calm down, Rose rubs her cheek against mine as a sign of affection and gratitude. I stand first and go back to where I belong. On Jax’s lap.

Rose takes her seat on the sofa, composing herself. Axton reaches over to Rose and squeezes her hand to show his support. I smile at his kind gesture.

“When Rose told me all of this, I figured that the unknown number was actually Luke because if not, that’s quite a coincidence. It’s odd that Rose gets a text from an unknown number and then her mate, who she hasn’t spoken to in days, shows up.

“It didn’t sit right with me, so I took a gamble. Luckily it paid off, and the unknown number is Luke. Since then, I’ve been pretending to be Rose when texting him to trick him. He’s not the brightest pup, that’s for sure.

“He started spilling everything almost immediately. Since he warned Rose before the attack, I’m almost certain he’ll warn her again, meaning we’ll know when the next attack will be.

“This way we can be prepared and when they strike again, which they will, we can use that as evidence for the council,” Jax explains.

“So we don’t have to worry about an unexpected attack?” Axton asks for confirmation.

“No. I have Rose’s phone with me at all times, so I’ll know right away when the attack is planned. Luke wouldn’t want his mate to get hurt, so he’ll warn her in advance.

“And planning an attack takes days, if not weeks, so since these photos were from this morning, we have time before their next attempt,” Jax explains.

“So you guys can still get married on Sunday?” Axton asks, a hint of excitement in his voice. Jax turns to me, surprised.

“He found out,” I say in defense. Dimitri and Rose offer us their congratulations with smiles on their faces.

Jax thinks it over before saying, “Unless I get a message from Luke, I don’t see why we can’t get married on Sunday. The next couple of days will be when the females' heat is manageable enough for them not to get hurt by others, after that we have to sort out restrictions.

“So, it's the best possible time, given the circumstances.” Jax glances down at me with a hint of a smile before placing a kiss on the top of my head.

“The last thing before you go, I’ll be holding a pack meeting tomorrow morning to announce mine and Hayley's engagement. I’ve decided not to inform them about the threat as I believe it will do more harm than good.

“Everything is under control, so I don’t want to worry the pack. However, I will have a separate meeting with the warriors to warn them about the potential threat so they know to be cautious. Let's keep this as private as possible, please,” Jax says. A chorus of “Yes Alpha!' is heard.

“Alright, if I’ve covered everything, I want to thank you all for coming and for your help. You're dismissed,” Jax finishes. All three stand and bow their heads. Rose still has tear stains on her cheeks, a testament to her pain.

I pray the Moon Goddess gives Rose a second mate, as she deserves anyone better than Luke. He is the lowest of the low. Everyone files out of the room, the door closing softly behind them.

As soon as the door shuts, I can’t help myself. My lips find his in an instant, hungry for his touch.

My fingers thread through his hair, tugging on the ends, causing a growl to escape from his swollen lips.

His hands are everywhere. Firmly on the back of my neck, grasping my waist before they settle on my butt, gripping hard. Butterflies flutter in my stomach, and all I want is him.

His lips trail soft kisses down my neck, along my collarbone, before sucking on my jaw. Amidst our heavy breathing, I hear myself moaning Jax’s name.

His lips find mine again before he whispers, “Say my name again, Hayley.” Without any control, I follow his orders.

“Jax,” I breathe. Clutching his shoulders, I pull him closer to me so our chests are touching. Too caught up in a haze, I hadn’t noticed that I was now straddling my mate.

Our tongues fought against each other, trying to dominate the kiss. Of course, Jax won; I never stood a chance against his strength. Running out of air, I reluctantly pull away.

Jax presses his forehead to mine, and we both take a moment to catch our breath. A smile blooms on my face, a reflection of the joy bubbling up inside me.

He leans in, his breath a soft whisper against my ear. “Soon, my love, you’ll be Mrs. Lauder...”