Chapter 169

Aria

I stepped into the candlelit ceremonial hall, my fingers trembling around the bouquet.

The hall had been transformed. Hundreds of candles lined the path in front of me, their golden light flickering against the stone walls. White flowers—moonflowers and lilies—cascaded from every corner, their scent filling the air. All eyes turned to me.

And there, at the end of the aisle, stood Darren.

My breath caught in my throat. He wore his traditional Alpha ceremonial robes, deep blue with silver embroidery that caught the candlelight. His eyes found mine across the distance between us, and everything else—my nerves, my fears, even the weight of all we’d been through—melted away.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas and I began our walk down the aisle. On either side, members of Moonglow Pack as well as the refugees stood alongside the visiting Alphas and Lunas and their warriors. I spotted Melissa with Brandon standing near the center of the room. Beside them stood Lily, who gave me a little wave as I passed.

Up ahead, Darren’s father stood behind a circular altar adorned with more candles and a silver bowl. I recalled that bowl well—the same bowl that had once taken my blood, testing me to see if I was a werewolf. Now, it was filled with water.

Darren stepped forward to meet me, extending his hand.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, his eyes never leaving mine as Lucas placed my hand in his.

“So are you,” I whispered back, earning a smile that made my knees weak.

Lucas took his place beside his grandfather, chest puffed out with pride at having completed his important task. Darren led me to stand before the altar, where his father waited to begin the ceremony.

“Members of Moonglow Pack and honored guests,” Darren’s father began, his deep voice resonating through the hall, “we gather tonight under the light of the full moon to witness the union of two souls—Alpha Darren and Luna Aria.”

Wendy stepped forward, lifting the silver bowl. “The moon has guided our kind since the beginning of time. Its light shows us our path, and thus binds us to one another in its silver glow.” She dipped her fingers into the water, then pressed them gently to my forehead. “As the moon pulls the tides, so too does it pull at the soul of every wolf. Tonight, we honor the pull that has drawn these two together.”

Darren squeezed my hands.

“Do you, Alpha Darren, accept this woman as your Luna?” Darren’s father asked.

Darren’s gaze never wavered from mine. “I do. With everything I am.”

“And do you, Luna Aria, accept this man as your Alpha?”

“I do. With everything I am.”

Wendy nodded, presenting a silver ceremonial knife. “The bond between Alpha and Luna is one of blood and spirit. It cannot be broken, not even in death.”

Darren took the knife, making a small cut across his palm, just below his thumb. He handed it to me, and I followed suit, wincing slightly at the sting. We pressed our bleeding palms together, fingers intertwining.

Then, Darren gently guided our hands over the bowl just as a single rivulet of comingled blood dripped down from our joined palms. It dropped into the water, rippling the surface and blossoming outwards like a red flower.

“What is offered freely, blood to blood, soul to soul, can never be taken away,” Darren’s father went on as I watched our blood gently swirl beneath the silvery water. “By the light of the moon and before these witnesses, you are now bound as Alpha and Luna, husband and wife.”

A warmth spread from my palm up my arm, flooding through my body. I gasped as a tingling sensation settled in my chest, right over my heart—the pack bond forming, strengthening, transforming from the connection we’d shared before into something deeper, somehow.

Darren’s eyes widened, and I knew he felt it too. Without waiting for instruction, he pulled me to him, capturing my lips in a kiss that sent the newly formed bond humming with energy. Around us, the pack erupted in cheers and howls of approval.

When we broke apart, breathless and laughing, Wendy presented us with silver rings—simple bands etched with the pack’s symbols. We slid them onto each other’s fingers, sealing our promises with this final, human gesture.

“I present to you,” Darren’s father announced, “Alpha Darren and Luna Aria of Moonglow Pack!”

The celebration moved from the ceremonial hall to the council chamber, which had been transformed from a war room into something far sweeter. The planning tables had been pushed out of the way, and the room was decorated with candles, flowers, and tables laden with food. Music filled the air, mingling with the scent of bread and meat and sweets.

Alfira, as per our request, was capturing it all on cameras that she’d surreptitiously placed throughout the space. “You’re trending already!” she announced gleefully, showing us her phone screen where thousands of comments poured in from supporters around the world. Humans and werewolves alike.

“Still strange to think people care this much about us,” I murmured to Darren as we moved to the center of the room for our first dance.

He pulled me close, one hand at the small of my back. “They see what I’ve always seen—how extraordinary you are.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop my smile. “Flatterer.”

He twirled me gently, mindful of my still-healing shoulder. “Honest husband,” he corrected. The word sent a thrill through me.

Husband. I was someone’s wife. Not just someone—Darren’s. The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.

As we swayed to the music, I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. “I never thought I’d have this,” I admitted quietly. “Any of this. A family. A home. You.”

Darren’s arms tightened around me. “You deserve all of it and more.”

I lifted my head, meeting his gaze. “So do you, you know.”

His eyes flickered with something tender.

The evening progressed with more dancing, a whole lot of eating, toasts, and speeches. Bella embarrassed me thoroughly with stories from our youth home days. Liam spoke about Darren’s leadership and how finding me had transformed him.

But it was Lucas who brought tears to my eyes when he stood on a chair and declared, “I always wanted a mom, and now I have the best one ever.”

As joyful as the celebration was, there were somber moments, too. Darren called for silence midway through the feast to honor those who had fallen today in battle.

After the silence, someone began playing a traditional pack song on a wooden flute. One by one, pack members joined in with howls that started soft and grew in strength. It was a song of mourning, but it was a hauntingly beautiful one.

The bittersweet moment passed, once again giving way to more celebration. I found myself passed from dance partner to dance partner—spinning with Liam, being dramatically dipped by Brandon, swaying with Wendy as she told me stories about Darren as a child.

Through it all, my eyes kept finding Darren across the room. He would catch my gaze and smile, a private moment shared amidst the chaos. I was glad we had made this decision—to hold our wedding now, before the world burned. Before we made the harrowing venture into the human city, where our lives might be at stake.

Even now, I knew that if we didn’t make it out of the city, these moments—this peace, this tenderness between humans and werewolves alike—would stay with me through my breath.

Hours later, as the celebration showed no signs of slowing, Darren appeared at my side.

“They’re going to celebrate until the sun comes up,” he said. “But I’m ready to make my escape if you are.”

I nodded, suddenly aware of how tired I was, how much my shoulder ached.

Darren announced our departure, which was met with a lot more excitement than I expected. Whistles and howls filled the room, guests banging their mugs and stamping their feet on the floor. I furrowed my brow, glancing over at Darren. He was smirking.

“What’s—” I began, but before I could finish, he was sweeping me off my feet and into his arms.

“Tradition!” he shouted over the din, carrying me through the parting crowd and toward the doors, where Liam and Brandon were grinning. My face flushed as Darren carried me, familiar faces laughing and shouting all around.

We stopped in front of Liam and Brandon, who beamed and bowed at the waists. “Enjoy your night,” Liam said, clapping Darren heartily on his shoulder. I bit my lip as the realization set in.

Finally, with a flourish, they opened the doors. Darren looked at me, his eyes glowing with excitement and our strengthened bond humming with anticipation.

Then, taking a deep breath, he carried me over the threshold.