Chapter 15
Andre, the eldest son of the pack doctor, appeared at the doorway and bowed slightly.
“Alpha, the car is ready.”
Kayla nodded.
“Thank you, Andre.”
Max, who had just ended his call with Ana, straightened up and lifted the bags.
“Let’s go.”
As they walked down the corridor, Kayla turned to Max.
“Listen carefully. While I’m gone, I want regular updates. Not just from you but from the warriors, the patrol leaders, and aunt Seraphina.”
Max adjusted the bags on his shoulder.
“Got it.”
“And don’t let anyone slack off. Training should continue as usual. If the warriors start getting lazy, remind them that Alpha Zayron will personally inspect them when he returns.”
Max smirked.
“Nothing motivates them more than Zayron’s terrifying training sessions.”
“Exactly,” Kayla said. “And keep an eye on Cedric. If he acts strange, tell me immediately.”
Max sighed.
“He’s always strange.”
Kayla rolled her eyes.
“You know what I mean.”
As they reached the center of the pack, Kayla slowed down.
A crowd had gathered.
Men, women, even a few pups stood waiting for her.
Their faces were filled with uncertainty.
Kayla knew why.
Over time, they had grown to love her leadership.
She had led them with strength, fairness, and a touch of warmth.
Now, they had heard she was leaving for the Azure Moon Pack.
They were afraid she wouldn’t come back.
Kayla straightened her posture and forced a smile, hoping to reassure them.
Stepping onto the small podium at the center of the courtyard, she raised a hand in greeting.
“Why does everyone look so gloomy?” she asked playfully. “Did Max cook breakfast again?”
Some warriors chuckled, but most of them remained serious.
Kayla smiled and waved her hands.
She softened her expression.
“I know why you’re worried.”
The crowd fell silent, waiting for her to confirm what they had heard.
“I’m going to the Azure Moon Pack to welcome Zayron,” she said. “But let me make something very clear. I am not abandoning you.”
Murmurs ran through the crowd.
Some nodded.
Others still looked uncertain.
“My ancestors built this pack with their own hands. I will never abandon it,” Kayla continued. “I have fought for you, stood by you, and I will not let my leadership end without a proper transition.”
A brief silence followed before she added,
“Max will take over as the Alpha. But not today. Not yet. I will set a date for his installation when I return.”
Max stiffened beside her.
He hadn’t expected her to announce it so soon.
He hadn’t even told her what he thought about the idea of being the Alpha of the Silver Mountain Pack.
“In my absence,” Kayla said, “Max will be in charge. You will obey him as you obey me.”
She turned to Max.
“And you, make sure you don’t mess up.”
Max scoffed.
“As if I would.”
Some of the warriors chuckled this time.
Kayla nodded.
“Good. Now, I have a mate to welcome home. And all of you, get back to work.”
With that, she stepped down from the podium.
The pack members watched her in silence.
She could still feel their concern, but at least now, they had an answer.
As she walked toward the waiting car, Max muttered,
“I still can’t believe you made that joke about my cooking.”
Kayla smirked.
“It wasn’t a joke.”
“Is my cooking that bad?”
“You know the answer,” Kayla chuckled.
Max groaned, shaking his head as he loaded the bags into the car.
Kayla took one last look at the pack.
Then, without another word, she stepped into the car and shut the door.
As Andre drove through the winding forest path, the breeze slipped into the car, cool and gentle, brushing against Kayla’s face.
It smelled of rain, as if the sky itself was holding its breath.
But even as the wind soothed her skin, something inside her felt unsettled, like she was walking toward something unknown.
She took a deep breath and pulled out her phone, calling Alpha Denzel.
“Kayla,” Denzel answered. “I assume this is about your personal assistant, Ana.”
“Yes,” she said. “I need her at the Azure Moon Pack today.”
Denzel sighed.
“She’s already on her way. We struck a deal.”
Kayla sat up.
“What deal?”
“She traded her freedom,” Denzel said. “For something we’ve been searching for generations. She has three days to find it.”
Kayla’s throat tightened.
“What did she promise you?”
“The Moonweaver’s Veil.”
Kayla’s breath hitched.
The Moonweaver’s Veil was a legendary fabric, said to be woven from the first strands of moonlight itself.
It was believed to enhance a werewolf’s strength during a full moon and protect them from curses.
Many thought it was just an old tale, but Ana had once claimed to have seen it hidden deep within the ruins of a forgotten temple.
“She says she knows where it is,” Denzel said. “I don’t know if I believe her, but if she’s right, our pack will become stronger than ever.”
“Oh, okay, thank you,” Kayla sputtered and ended the call.
“Ana,” Kayla murmured.
She kept her face straight ahead and refused to let her mind wander.
The only thing she allowed herself to think about was the party she was organizing in her head.
Every little detail needed to be perfect.
Still, no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts drifted back to the night Zayron was told about the peace restoration campaign.
She remembered how he had held onto her like she was the only thing keeping him grounded.
He had mated her like it would be their last night together, like he wasn’t sure he would return.
Now, after the long battle, the endless days of waiting, he was finally coming home.
At exactly nine in the morning, Kayla’s car rolled into the Azure Moon Pack.
The moment she stepped out, she felt the shift in energy, the cold, unwelcoming air.
Her gaze swept over the pack grounds, searching for any signs of the preparations she had instructed Helena to oversee.
But nothing had been done.
No banners, no ceremonial torches, no elders waiting in anticipation.
The warriors standing guard at the gates didn’t even look alert, let alone excited.
And they weren’t excited to see her either.
She knew why.
It was because of the Lunar Insignia they believed the Silver Mountain Pack had stolen from them.
The one she had refused to return.
“We will settle that as soon as Zayron returns,” Kayla told herself and exhaled slowly.
For now, she had bigger things to handle.
Turning to Andre, she said firmly,
“Return to the Silver Mountain Pack.”
Andre hesitated.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“There’s nothing more for you to do here. I’ll handle the rest.”
Andre didn’t argue.
With a short nod, he got back into the car, turned the wheel, and drove out of the pack’s territory.
Kayla stood still for a moment, inhaling deeply before walking forward.
If they wouldn’t welcome Zayron back properly, she would make them.