Chapter 20 #2
My mother squeezed my arm, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.
"She is a gift. The one our family, and this pack, desperately needed.
" She took a shaky breath, composing herself, and when she looked at me again, her expression was filled with a pride that healed a part of me I hadn't realized was still broken.
"I'm proud of you, son," she said, her voice steady now. "You finally became the man and the mate I always knew you could be." A small, watery smile touched her lips. "Even if it took you a while to get there."
"Too long," I admitted, the truth of it still a raw ache in my chest.
"Perhaps," she said, her gaze returning to Annalise and our son. "But you're here now. All three of you. And our pack has its future back."
As the evening wore on, I watched Annalise settle back into pack life with remarkable ease. She moved through the Alpha house like she belonged there, accepting congratulations and settling into the Luna suite with Fenrir as if she'd never left.
But there were differences. She carried herself with new confidence, spoke with new authority, and when pack members approached her, they did so with genuine respect rather than the condescending tolerance she'd received before.
The next evening, the pack gathered in the main hall for a meeting.
Annalise sat beside me at the head table, Fenrir sleeping peacefully in her arms. She wore a simple but elegant dress that emphasized her natural grace, and I could see pack members stealing glances at her with expressions of respect and admiration.
"As you all know," I began, "the past few months have been a time of change for our pack. Since I first met our Luna,” I glanced at Annalise. “I made mistakes, serious mistakes, but I have learned from them and will never repeat."
I went on to outline the changes I'd already implemented: the firing of pack members who had engaged in harassment, the new policies about respect and dignity, the shift toward a more collaborative leadership style.
"But these changes are just the beginning," I continued. "Your Luna has ideas for making our pack stronger, more unified, more supportive of all our members. Annalise?"
She stood gracefully, Fenrir still sleeping in her arms, and I watched as the pack's attention focused on her with genuine interest.
"Thank you all for welcoming me home," she said, her voice carrying clearly throughout the hall. "I want to be honest with you, I'm not the same person who left here months ago. I've learned what it means to be valued, to be respected, to be part of a community that supports each other."
She paused, her green eyes sweeping across the assembled pack members.
"I want to bring that same spirit to our pack. I want us to be a place where everyone feels valued, where strength is measured by character rather than bloodline, where we support each other through challenges rather than competing against each other just because you’re a Delta, or Warrior, or Omega. "
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.
"I also want to address something directly," she continued, and I felt the atmosphere in the room shift. "There have been pack members who treated me poorly in the past. Who saw my youth and inexperience as weaknesses to exploit rather than qualities to nurture. That ends now."
Her voice grew stronger, more commanding. "I am your Luna. I am Marshall's equal partner in leadership. I am the mother of your future Alpha. I will be treated with the respect those positions deserve, and I will not tolerate any challenge to my authority or any disrespect toward my family."
The room was completely silent, the weight of her words settling over everyone present.
"But," she continued, her voice softening slightly, "I also want to be a Luna who earns that respect through her actions. I want to be someone you can come to with problems, someone who fights for what's best for all of us, someone who helps build a pack we can all be proud of."
The response was immediate and thunderous. Applause filled the hall, and I could see faces throughout the crowd lighting up with genuine enthusiasm. She'd done it—she'd claimed her position not through fear or dominance, but through strength and vision.
"Any questions?" she asked, and I watched as hands began to rise throughout the room.
For the next hour, she fielded questions with grace and intelligence, outlining her vision for the pack's future with specificity and passion. I watched in awe as she demonstrated the natural leadership abilities that my mother had been nurturing all these years.
"She's going to be an incredible Luna," Jackson said, appearing at my side.
"She already is," I said, my chest swelling with a pride so fierce it was almost a physical ache.
Jackson clapped me on the shoulder, his grip firm and his expression one of genuine relief. "You did it, man. You fixed it. For a while there... I didn't think she'd ever forgive you."
"Neither did I," I admitted, my gaze never leaving Annalise as she laughed at something one of the elders said.
"I'll spend the rest of my life making sure she never regrets her decision.
" I turned to my Beta, a wry smile touching my lips for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
"I just can't wait until you find your mate.
I'm going to watch you make every stupid mistake in the book, and I'm going to enjoy every second of it. "
Jackson shook his head, a look of absolute certainty on his face. "Not gonna happen. When I meet my mate, there will be no mistakes. She'll be worshipped from day one. I'll treat her with the love and respect she deserves, because I've had a front-row seat to what happens when you don't."
His words were a gentle ribbing, but they held the weight of truth, and we both knew it. I just nodded, accepting the unspoken lesson.
Our attention drifted back to Annalise, who was now holding a sleeping Fenrir while my mother cooed over him.
"He's something, isn't he?" Jackson said, his voice softening. "Got your scowl, but he's got his mother's strength. You can feel it already."
"He's perfect," I said, a wave of love for my son so powerful it almost staggered me. "And he's going to need a best friend to get into trouble with. You'd better get a move on finding your mate. This pack needs its future Beta."
Jackson just grinned. "I'm working on it."
The crowd was finally beginning to thin. I saw Annalise stifle a yawn, the long day catching up to her. It was time.
"I'd better go," I said to Jackson, the words carrying a new sense of purpose. It wasn't about command or duty anymore. It was about care. "I need to escort my Luna to her suite."
Jackson's smile was genuine. "Good to have you back, Alpha."
"It's good to be back," I said.
Later that night, I found myself standing in the doorway between the Alpha and Luna suites, watching Annalise put Fenrir down for the night in his bassinet. She moved with a quiet grace, her obvious love for our son so profound it took my breath away.
"Thank you," I said softly.
She looked up, her expression tired but content. "For what?"
"For giving me this," I said, my voice thick with an emotion I couldn't name. "For coming home. For being willing to build something new with me."
She finished tucking Fenrir's blanket around him before turning to face me fully. "I'm not doing this for you, Marshall. I'm doing this for us. For Fenrir, for the pack. I'm doing this because I believe we can create a future that is better than our past."
"I know," I said. "And I'll spend every day proving you were right to believe that."
"I hope so," she said, a small, weary smile touching her lips. "Because I meant what I said. I'm not the same girl who would have forgiven you anything just to have you. I've learned my worth."
"I know you have," I said, my heart aching with pride for her. "And your worth is immeasurable."
She studied my face for a long moment, and I could see her weighing my words, testing their sincerity. Finally, she gave a small nod.
"Marshall," she said. "I’m proud of the changes you've made. I see the man you're becoming, and... I like what I see."
Hope and gratitude and a love so fierce it almost buckled my knees hit me. It wasn't a declaration of love, not yet. But it was acceptance. It was a foundation.
"Thank you," I said, my voice hoarse. "I won't let you down."
"I know," she said, and for the first time since this new beginning, her smile was completely genuine, reaching her eyes. "I wouldn't be here if I thought you would. Goodnight, Marshall."
She quietly closed the door to her suite, leaving me standing alone in the hallway. I didn't feel shut out. I felt respected. She had set a boundary, and I would honor it.
Back in my room, I stood by the window, looking out at the moonlit territory. We had come a long way, but we still had a way to go.
We're home, Ranger said, his voice a contented rumble. Our mate, our pup, our pack. We're finally home.
"We are," I agreed, a smile touching my lips. "And we're going to make it everything it should have been from the beginning."
The new beginning had started. Now it was time to make it last.