Chapter 39
THIRTY-NINE
THALRIC
Five days had passed since Rocky Point Island, and the weight of those events still pressed against Thalric’s chest like a boulder.
The ambush, Graven’s death, Sylar’s ultimate betrayal—each memory carved itself deeper into his consciousness with every strategic meeting, every pack discussion, every moment he caught himself second-guessing decisions that once came as naturally as breathing.
The pack had accepted his explanation about Sylar’s death with surprising grace.
Most understood that an Alpha faced impossible choices when protecting his mate and territory.
Still, Thalric carried the burden of not listening to Navira’s instincts from the beginning, of allowing his blind trust in Sylar to nearly cost them everything.
She tried to warn me, he thought as he navigated the coastal road toward their destination. Every instinct she had was correct, and I dismissed her concerns because I couldn’t see past thirty years of misplaced loyalty.
The realization that Sylar had likely orchestrated the cove ambush as well—the attack that nearly killed Navira—made his wolf snarl with rage all over again.
When that ambush attempt failed, Sylar had simply adjusted his strategy, playing the long game until Rocky Point Island provided the perfect opportunity for elimination.
“You’re brooding again,” Navira observed from the passenger seat, her voice carrying that mixture of affection and gentle challenge he’d grown to love.
Through their completed bond, she could surely feel the dark turn of his thoughts even when he tried to shield them.
“Just thinking about the pack meetings,” he replied, which wasn’t entirely a lie.
The past five days had been consumed with strategic discussions about territorial defense, adapting their approach from reactive to preventative as Navira had suggested.
Her brilliant tactical mind had impressed even the most skeptical pack members, and watching her command their respect filled him with fierce pride.
“The past is behind us, Thalric.” Her hand found his thigh, warm and grounding.
“You’ve listened to every piece of advice I’ve offered these past five days, Martin is proving to be an excellent head enforcer, and the pack trusts your judgment more than ever.
Stop punishing yourself for Sylar’s choices. ”
She was right, as usual. He was becoming a better listener and trusting her instincts implicitly.
And Martin had stepped into the head enforcer role with not only competence, but also transparency and genuine loyalty—qualities Thalric now knew to value over familiarity and history.
Not to mention, the surrounding packs had rallied to their cause, creating a network of communication and mutual defense that would prevent another Graven from rising unchecked.
But today, Thalric didn’t want to keep brooding about Alpha duties or territorial threats or the weight of leadership.
Today, he had something far more important on his mind—something that had been building since the moment Navira first walked into his office and turned his carefully controlled world upside down.
The private beach came into view as they crested the final hill, a crescent of pale yellow sand embraced by crystal-clear pink water. The twin suns hung high in the Nova Aurora sky, casting everything in warm, golden light that made the ocean shimmer like liquid jewels.
“It’s beautiful,” Navira breathed, her excitement rippling through their bond and making his own pulse quicken.
Thalric soon parked the vehicle and stepped out, retrieving the picnic basket from the backseat with hands that were steadier than he felt. Inside his shorts pocket, the ring seemed to burn against his leg—a constant reminder of what he planned to do, what he hoped she would say.
Just breathe, he told himself as Navira joined him and he took her hand. She loves you. She chose the bond. This is just making it official in every way that matters.
But knowing something intellectually and feeling it emotionally were different beasts entirely. Through their bond, his nervousness would be impossible to hide completely, though he tried to keep the specific reason buried beneath surface thoughts of their day together.
They strolled down to the beach hand in hand, the warm sand shifting beneath their feet.
Navira’s face was tilted toward the twin suns, her long brown hair catching the light as it moved in the gentle ocean breeze.
She looked radiant, alive in a way that still took his breath away—this woman who had traveled across worlds for what she thought was a simple coaching job and ended up becoming his salvation.
“You know,” she said, squeezing his fingers, “I never imagined feeling this happy. Back on Earth, I thought my best days were behind me. But this—” She gestured toward the endless pink expanse of ocean, then back at him. “This is everything.”
Her words sent a surge of determination through him. This was exactly why he needed to ask her properly, with all the ceremony and commitment such a moment deserved.
Thalric set the picnic basket down on the sand but made no move to open it. Instead, he turned to face Navira fully, his storm-grey eyes locking onto her bright blue ones. The moment stretched between them, heavy with possibility and the weight of everything they’d survived together.
“Navira,” he began, his voice rougher than he’d intended.
Before he could lose his nerve or overthink the perfect words, Thalric dropped to one knee on the warm sand. Navira’s sharp intake of breath told him she understood immediately what was happening, and when he looked up, he saw tears already forming in her expressive eyes.
His hand found the ring in his pocket—a band of Nova Aurora platinum set with a stone that captured the exact color of their ocean. Something he’d commissioned the day before she’d arrived on his planet, before he even knew how perfect she was or how powerful their mate bond would be.
“I know we’re already mated,” Thalric said, holding the ring up between them as his heart hammered. “I know the completed bond makes us one in every way that matters. But I want more than that with you, Navira. I want everything.”
Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, but her smile was radiant enough to rival both suns overhead.
“I want to marry you,” he continued, pouring every ounce of love and certainty he possessed into the words. “I want you to be my wife, not just my Luna. I want to stand before our pack and claim you in every tradition we have. Will you marry me?”
“Yes.” The word came out breathless and immediate, no hesitation whatsoever. “Absolutely yes.”
Thalric slipped the ring onto her finger with hands that trembled slightly, then rose to his full height and cupped her face, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.
“I love you,” he whispered against her lips before claiming them in a kiss that tasted of salt air and forever promises.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Navira held up her hand to admire the ring catching the light.
“It’s absolutely perfect,” she said, then looked at him with eyes that sparkled with mischief. It was the look that preceded one of her spontaneous, all-in decisions.