Chapter 5 Chapter 5: Vaelune.

Chapter 5: Vaelune.

Damarys-

After more than fifteen hours of traveling, exhaustion had sunk deep into my bones by the time the ferry finally docked. My limbs felt heavy, my eyes burned—but the moment I stepped outside, all of it faded.

“Dari!!!”

I winced and then laughed at the same time. Only one person could be that loud.

Fiora came sprinting toward me, arms wide, tears already pooling in her eyes. Mine stung instantly as I wrapped her in a tight hug, breathing her in like I hadn’t seen her in a lifetime.

“Can you not be so loud?” I muttered between laughs as she crushed me into her chest.

Still, she would never truly know just how much I’d missed her and her loud voice.

“I’m just so happy to see my little sister!” she cried, pulling back to hold me at arm’s length. “Let me look at you!” Her eyes scanned me head to toe before she shook her head. “Uht, uhn! You’ve lost too much weight. I’m feeding my baby immediately.”

I laughed, shaking my head as we made our way to her car.

“I’ve actually missed your cooking.”

“What a coincidence,” she teased, popping open her trunk. “I’ve missed your baking.”

We’d split Zelly between us—Fiora inherited her cooking, I took her baking. A perfect balance.

As we got into the car and she pulled onto the road, I leaned my head back, glancing out the window. This was my first time ever leaving the East Region. Everything felt…new. Open. Different. As if reading my thoughts, Fiora smiled.

“Perfect weather, huh?”

I turned toward her as she continued.

“The Central Region is like this all the time. Never too hot, never too cold. And the rainforests here? Beautiful. I’ve grown some of my best herbs since moving.”

I nodded slowly, taking it all in.

“Granddam’s house is really nice too,” she added with a smirk. “That old windbag was living pretty well out here.”

I snorted at that. Fiora had called Zelly that for as long as I could remember—usually right before or after one of their legendary disagreements or differences of opinions.

Still…

“I wonder what made her move to the East,” I murmured.

Fiora glanced at me.

“I asked her that once.”

I blinked. “You did?”

She nodded. “I was curious too.”

“Well? What’d she say?”

Fiora’s lips curled into a faint, almost knowing smile as she glanced briefly in my direction.

“She said the Moon Goddess came to her in a dream… and told her she’d finally become a mother if she moved to Ashbourne.”

My breath caught.

I went still.

Zelly—powerful as she was—had always carried one quiet pain. She could never bear a pup. It was the one thing magic had never been able to give her.

It was why she’d never bonded. Never taken a true mate. No wolf wanted a barren female.

Assholes.

As if that was the only thing that defined a woman. Still, it was always something she’d wanted—the quiet longing, the ache she rarely let show. When she took in me and Fiora, she said we were the gifts the Goddess had truly blessed her with.

My lips curved softly.

“The Goddess always knows,” I whispered.

Fiora reached over, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tight.

“Welcome to Vaelune, little sister…” she said gently. “Welcome home.”

The tears came before I could stop them.

Inside me, Shira stirred—no, more than that. She surged with joy, practically bouncing with excitement. She’d missed Fiora and her wolf, Rona, just as much as I had.

“Hey…” Fiora’s voice turned playful. “Want to go for a run when we get back? I know Shira’s been dying to get out. Rona’s been pestering me all morning.”

My grin was instant. Wide. Bright. It had been over three years since I last shifted. Silver-Chain collars didn’t just restrain you—they cut you off from yourself.

From your natural way.

From your wolf.

And now… we were home.

As we neared the house, my eyes widened. Fiora hadn’t been exaggerating. It was a beautiful townhome—cozy but spacious, nestled between an open field and a stretch of forest. No neighbors. No noise. Just…peace.

Perfect.

After living with the Frostmeres and their suffocating mansion, I’d grown to hate large estates. This…this felt right. Inside, the rich scent of chicken and dumplings hit me instantly, my stomach tightening with hunger.

“After our run!” she called with a laugh, already heading toward the back door.

I didn’t even argue.

The moment my feet hit the back patio, I shifted. The transformation ripped through me—bones reshaping, muscles stretching, senses exploding to life—but instead of pain, there was relief. Freedom. Air. Scent. Sound. Life.

Shira took over with a joyful surge. Rona was already there. She didn’t hesitate—launching herself straight at us. We collided in the grass, rolling, snapping playfully, licking, wrestling like we’d never been apart. Laughter echoed between us, not in human voices, but in something deeper. Something older. Something whole.

You didn’t lose your speed, did you, little sister? Rona teased through the mind-link before darting off.

Shira bolted after her without hesitation.

We ran.

Goddess—we ran.

Through open field, through trees, through wind and earth and wild freedom that pulsed through every fiber of our being.

After years of cages and chains…We were finally ourselves again.

This place is incredible, Shira breathed.

Rona led us up a hill overlooking a vast, shimmering lake. The half-moon hung above it, casting silver light across the water. We slowed, settling side by side. For a moment…there was only quiet. Then Rona’s voice cut through it—sharp, fierce.

They will pay. Every last one of them. I swear it—I’ll rip their throats out myself.

Shira huffed a soft laugh, nudging her. We both knew she meant every word. Like Fae, Rona had always been fire. And right now… that fire burned for us.

For the life that was taken.

For justice.

For home.

By the time we got back, I barely had enough energy to stay on my feet. A hot shower brought me back to life just enough. Steam curled around me, washing away dirt, memory, and exhaustion all at once. But the second I stepped into the kitchen…Food. Fiora was already setting the table, and my eyes immediately caught the bottle beside her.

Silver-Howl.

Zelly’s favorite.

“Shall we?” she asked softly.

I nodded, my chest tightening. We poured the drinks and lifted our glasses.

“To Zelly’s daughters,” I said.

I swallowed hard.

“To the old windbag…” Fiora added with a wobbly grin. “I told you I’d bring our girl back.”

The tears came again as we drank. Then food. Warm, rich, perfect food. I let out a soft sound as I took the first bite, eyes fluttering shut.

“Good?” she asked.

I nodded, smiling. “Just like I remember.”

She beamed.

The rest of the night slipped by easily. Comfortably. I told her everything—Tristen, the prison, the Frostmere, all of it. Her reaction was immediate.

“Are you fucking serious?!” she snapped. “He just expected you to come back and act like he didn’t throw you in jail for his whore?

Like he didn’t LIE and abandon you!”

I shrugged lightly. “That about sums it up. He really thinks because he is future Alpha he can do whatever he wants.”

“That fucking prick,” she muttered. “And your texts?”

“They’re at the university now. Apparently she’s training to be a keeper.”

Fiora burst out laughing.

“Are you kidding me? That girl can barely read ancient texts!”

I laughed too. “Which is probably why they stole all my work.”

She shook her head in disbelief.

“What are they even going to do now that you’re gone? She can’t fake it forever.”

“They’ll find someone else,” I said with a small shrug. “There’s always someone they can use. Threaten. Take advantage of.”

Fiora’s expression darkened—but she let it go, shifting the topic to her herbal shop instead.

“It’s small, but it’s cute. You’re going to love it.”

“I already do. I can’t wait to see it!”

Then a memory flickered.

“Oh—speaking of herbs…”

She perked up. “Yeah?”

“I helped someone on the ferry.”

Her brows rose. “Someone?”

I nodded slowly, recounting everything—the panic, the symptoms, the man…Don. By the time I finished, she was watching me carefully. Quietly.

“…What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

She smirked.

“Sounds like he made quite the impression.”

My eyes widened. “What? No! I barely even spoke to him! It was his friend doing all the talking!”

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed, clearly unconvinced. “And yet you described his eyes, his face…” She tilted her head. “His physique.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

“That’s not—! I had to look at him to help!”

She burst out laughing. I grabbed a pillow and smacked her with it.

“Hey!” she gasped. “Don’t abuse me!”

“You started it!”

“I was just asking about my potential new brother-in-law—”

PLOP.

She shielded herself, still laughing.

“Zelly! She’s beating me again! Haunt her!”

I hit her again, both of us dissolving into laughter.

By the time we finally went to bed, dawn was creeping in. My room took my breath away. It was perfect. Spacious, warm, with earthtone colors and thoughtful details—exactly the way I would’ve designed it. My chest tightened.

Fiora always knew. She always took care of me. I sank into the bed, exhaustion pulling me under almost instantly. But just before sleep fully claimed me…A face surfaced. Clear. Unexpected.

Don.

My brows shifted slightly, even as darkness closed in.

Strange…

And for some reason—

I couldn’t shake the feeling that meeting him hadn’t been an accident.