Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ava
The manuscript is finally done.
I hit 'submit' on the Environmental Science Journal portal, and immediately slump back in my chair with a groan of relief.
"Done?" Hunter asks from the doorway, two mugs of tea in his hands.
"Done. Submitted. Out of my hands." I accept the tea gratefully. "Ethan's spatial analysis made all the difference in the discussion section. And Rachel's editing caught at least a dozen places where I was being too technical."
"So now we wait for peer review?"
"Now we wait. Could be weeks, could be months." I take a sip of tea, savoring the warmth. "But it's out there. The research is public record now, regardless of what the journal decides."
Hunter sets down his mug and pulls me to my feet, wrapping his arms around me. "I'm proud of you. Two weeks to write a full manuscript while dealing with security threats and media requests and pack integration. That's incredible."
"I had help. A lot of help." I lean into him, exhausted but satisfied. "And now I have exactly three days to recover before Caleb and Rachel's wedding."
"Which reminds me—" He pulls back slightly. "The pack is doing a pre-wedding celebration this weekend. Sort of a welcome party for you and Rachel both, since you're both officially joining the pack as mates."
My stomach does a nervous flip. "Both of us? Together?"
"It'll be low-key. Just a barbecue at my place, no formal ceremonies or anything stressful."
"Your place?" I look around the house that's become so familiar over the past weeks. "Hunter, I've been basically living here for a month. At some point we should probably talk about... logistics."
"What kind of logistics?"
"Like whether I keep paying rent on a house I never sleep in. Like where my official residence is. Like—" I gesture vaguely. "Like whether we're actually living together or just pretending we're not."
He grins. "Are you asking to move in with me, Dr. Sinclair?"
"I think I have already moved in. I'm asking if we're going to make it official.
" I pull away to start gathering my research materials, needing something to do with my hands.
"And speaking of which… I got the final approval from Clemson today.
Remote work arrangement is confirmed. I just need to go back for one week each semester. "
"That's great news. How do you feel about it?"
I consider the question as I stack papers into folders.
"Good. A little strange. I've been working toward a tenure-track position since grad school, and now I'm stepping off that path entirely.
" I turn to face him. "But I can do more valuable research here than I ever could in a university lab.
The environmental recovery work alone could be years of publications. "
"And you get to stay in Willow Creek." He says it casually, but I can feel the hope through the bond.
"I get to stay with you," I correct. "The pack, the research, the work—that's all important. But you're the reason I'm staying."
He crosses the room and kisses me, slow and thorough. When we finally break apart, he rests his forehead against mine.
"Move in with me. Officially. Bring your stuff from the rental, set up your research space however you want, make this place ours instead of just mine."
"Are you sure? That's a big step."
"Ava, you're my mate. We're bonded for life. Moving in together isn't a big step—it's the obvious next step." He pulls back to look at me seriously. "Unless you want your own space? I'd understand if?—"
"No. I want to be here. With you." I smile. "Though fair warning, I have a lot of research equipment. And books. So many books."
"Good thing this house has empty rooms, then." He kisses my forehead. "We'll move your stuff this weekend, after the celebration. Give you time to set up before the wedding."
The day of the pack celebration arrives sunny and warm, perfect weather for a barbecue. I spend the morning helping Hunter set up his backyard. We borrowed tables and chairs from the community center, stocked coolers full of drinks, and Caleb's grill is apparently large enough to feed an army.
Pack members start arriving around two, and within an hour, the yard is full of wolves in human form, children playing tag between the adults, the smell of grilling meat making my stomach growl.
Rachel finds me in the kitchen, where I'm arranging potato salad in serving bowls.
"How are you holding up?" she asks, already knowing the answer through her own experience with pack integration.
"Nervous. Trying not to show it." I glance out the window at the crowd. "There are so many people, and they're all here partly because of me."
"They're here because they want to get to know you, without the stress of a formal ceremony or a town hall presentation." She takes the bowl from my hands. "Come on. Let's go mingle. I'll introduce you to people you haven’t met yet and make it less overwhelming."
We step outside, and immediately several pack members approach. Mona is first, pulling me into a warm hug.
"Ava, dear! I'm so glad you're making this official. Hunter's been happier these past weeks than I've seen him in years." She releases me and steps back. "Now, has anyone talked to you about Luna duties yet?"
"Um. Not really?" I glance at Rachel, who just grins.
"Well, let me give you the basics." Mona takes my arm and guides me toward a cluster of older women.
"As Luna, you'll be expected to mediate disputes between pack members.
Nothing major, usually just squabbles about boundaries or hurt feelings.
You'll help organize pack gatherings, though honestly, most of us enjoy that part.
And you'll be a listening ear for pack members who need someone to talk to. "
An older woman I recognize from the challenge ceremony speaks up. "Don't let it overwhelm you, dear. Luna duties grow naturally out of being part of the pack. You'll find your own style."
"My mother was Luna before she passed," another woman adds. "She always said the most important part was just being present, being someone people could trust. The rest follows."
"What if I mess up?" I ask, voicing my biggest fear. "What if someone comes to me with a problem and I give terrible advice?"
Mona laughs. "Then you learn from it and do better next time. No one expects perfection, Ava. We just expect you to care about the pack and try your best."
A younger woman—I think her name is Mia—approaches with a toddler on her hip.
"Dr. Sinclair? I wanted to thank you for the water quality work.
My son was getting sick before, and now he's healthy again.
" She shifts the child higher. "That's what being Luna means to me.
Protecting the pack's future. You've already done that. "
The weight of responsibility settles on my shoulders, but it doesn't feel crushing. It feels like purpose.
Gregory appears at my elbow, offering me a glass of lemonade. "Walk with me for a moment?"
We move away from the main crowd, toward the edge of Hunter's property where the forest begins.
"You're nervous about taking on the Luna role," he observes.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Only to someone who's been watching Alphas and their mates for forty years." He takes a sip of his own drink. "Can I share something with you?"
"Please."
"Curtis—Hunter's predecessor—his mate couldn't handle being Luna.
The responsibility, the constant presence of pack in their lives, the weight of everyone's problems landing on her shoulders.
She left after less than a year." He turns to face me fully.
"But I don't think you're like her, Ava.
You've already proven you can handle pressure, that you care about this pack's wellbeing.
The Luna title isn't going to change who you are.
It's just going to give you a framework for the things you'd naturally do anyway. "
"You think so?"
"I know so. You've been acting like Luna since you arrived. You’ve been asking questions, learning about pack members, caring about our problems, and working to solve them." He smiles. "You just didn't know that's what you were doing."
His words settle something anxious in my chest. "Thank you. That helps."
"Good. Now, let me tell you about some of the pack traditions you'll need to know..."
He walks me through the basics. The full moon gatherings where the pack runs together, seasonal celebrations, coming-of-age ceremonies for young wolves, the role Luna plays in welcoming new pack members.
It's a lot of information, but he makes it feel manageable, like something I can learn over time rather than needing to know immediately.
When we return to the party, Hunter is at the grill with Caleb, the two of them engaged in what appears to be a serious debate about proper burger-flipping technique.
"Your Alpha is arguing with his Beta about meat temperature," Gregory observes dryly. "Truly, we are led by great minds."
I laugh and head over to join them, slipping under Hunter's arm naturally.
"Everything okay?" he asks, his concern immediate through the bond.
"Yeah. Gregory was giving me a crash course in Luna duties and pack traditions." I steal a chip from the plate beside the grill. "I think I'm starting to understand what I've gotten myself into."
"Second thoughts?" There's worry in his voice, carefully hidden but present.
"Not even a little." I lean up to kiss his cheek. "Just... processing. And figuring out how to be part of something this big."
Caleb flips a burger with unnecessary flourish.
"Fair warning, once you're officially recognized as Luna, everyone's going to start bringing you their problems. Mrs. Henderson will complain about Mrs. Patterson's chickens crossing the property line.
The Evans kids will need someone to mediate their constant squabbles.
And someone will definitely ask you to organize the winter solstice celebration. "
"Caleb, don't scare her," Hunter protests.