Chapter 48: The Moon Goddess's Answer

A year after I first met Rowan at Greyhaven Airport, we returned to the same arrivals hall.

Not intentionally.

At least that was what he claimed.

I didn't believe him.

"You booked this flight."

"Yes."

"At this time."

"Yes."

"Through this terminal."

"Coincidence."

"You're a terrible liar."

He smiled.

The terminal looked smaller than I remembered.

A year ago, I had dragged a suitcase through these doors expecting to expose a stranger.

Instead, I found a ridiculously handsome boy holding too many roses.

Today, Rowan held one rose.

"Budget cuts?"

"I learned moderation."

"Impossible."

He handed it to me.

Red.

My favorite.

I smelled it.

"Why are we here?"

"Anniversary."

"We didn't start dating here."

"Our wolves did."

"Technicality."

We walked toward the place where we had collided.

I remembered his expression.

Shock.

Blushing.

The electric jolt.

Mate.

At the time, I thought the Moon Goddess had played an absurd joke.

Now, after everything Helena had revealed about predictions and bloodline compatibility, I had thought more about fate than I ever wanted to.

"Do you believe the Moon Goddess chose us?" I asked.

Rowan considered.

"I believe our wolves recognized each other."

"Not the same question."

"I know."

We sat near the windows.

Planes moved outside.

"Maybe she did," he said.

"Does that bother you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because choosing the meeting isn't choosing everything after."

I smiled.

"Good answer."

"I practiced."

"I knew it."

He laughed.

Then he reached into his pocket.

I immediately narrowed my eyes.

"No."

He froze.

"What?"

"If that's a ring, put it back."

His ears turned red.

"It's not."

"Good."

"We're eighteen."

"Exactly."

He pulled out the half-moon pendant.

The childhood one.

My breath caught.

"I had it repaired."

The broken edge had been restored, but a thin line remained where the metal had once cracked.

"You kept the scar."

"Yes."

He placed it in my palm.

"I thought you should have it."

"Why?"

"Because you gave it to me first."

"I was a child."

"Still counts."

I remembered the fragmented scene.

A lonely boy.

A crying girl.

A small pendant.

Two children who had met before either understood Packs, politics, mate bonds, or bloodlines.

Maybe fate had started there.

Maybe coincidence had.

It didn't matter as much as I once thought.

I closed my fingers around the pendant.

"Thank you."

He kissed my forehead.

"You're welcome."

Back at Lunaris, Rhea had transformed the archive hall into her kingdom.

No beige curtains survived.

She had officially been appointed Keeper of Lunaris.

Cassian handled defense.

Garrick ran training.

Lyra worked with survivor outreach.

Mom and Dad split their time between Willowmere and Lunaris.

Dad, despite having no Lunaris blood, had somehow become everyone's favorite person.

Probably because he cooked during meetings.

The Pack had grown.

Not dramatically.

Slowly.

Families returned when ready.

Some never did.

We respected that.

Nightvale and Lunaris signed a formal alliance that explicitly stated my mate bond with Rowan did not merge our territories.

I insisted.

Adrian agreed immediately.

Several old Council members nearly fainted.

Wonderful.

Helena and Marcus were both convicted after lengthy trials.

I attended only the final sentencing.

Not because I needed to watch them suffer.

Because survivors deserved to see someone from Lunaris standing openly in the room.

Marcus received life confinement.

Helena did too.

Lucian Voss and Mara Snowe received long sentences for conspiracy and kidnapping.

Several officials were removed.

The Council wasn't magically fixed.

Systems never were.

But records were open.

Oversight changed.

Survivors had seats at the table.

It was a beginning.

Knox and I became something close to acquaintances.

Maybe one day friends.

He and Elodie were slowly rebuilding trust.

Not romance yet.

Possibly never.

Again, their choice.

The Freshman Ball story faded from campus gossip.

New scandals replaced it.

University life moved on.

I continued training.

Not to disappear.

Not to become worthy.

Because I liked being strong.

Sometimes I ate dessert afterward.

Garrick called that progress.

Tessa called it normal.

Both were annoying.

On the next full moon, I stood beneath the cedar with Rhea.

She looked toward the rebuilt territory.

"Do you ever wish none of it happened?"

"The massacre?"

"Obviously that."

She nudged me.

"I mean everything this year."

I thought about Knox.

The transfer.

Rowan.

Lunaris.

Marcus.

Seraphina.

Moon Crown.

"Some things."

"Would you undo meeting Rowan?"

"No."

"Becoming Alpha?"

I groaned.

"Ask me after the budget meeting."

She laughed.

Then she became serious.

"Marcus told me the Moon Goddess abandoned Lunaris."

I looked up.

The moon shone through cedar branches.

"What do you think now?"

"I think people blame gods for choices people make."

"That's annoyingly wise."

"I study history."

I touched the pendant around my neck.

Maybe the Moon Goddess had sent Rowan back to me.

Maybe she had placed us in the same game.

Maybe she had nothing to do with Knox transferring the account.

I would never know.

But I knew this:

The person who loved me hadn't begun loving me when I became thin.

He hadn't loved a perfect photograph.

He had loved my voice when I was sleepy.

My terrible jokes.

My stubbornness.

My habit of pretending I wasn't hurt.

He had seen an old photograph and called me cute.

At first, I thought that was the proof I needed.

It wasn't.

The deeper proof was that Rowan never asked me to remain the girl in that photograph either.

He didn't need me fat.

Thin.

Weak.

Strong.

Unknown.

Alpha.

He simply kept learning whoever I became.

Footsteps approached.

Rowan.

Rhea groaned.

"Your boyfriend."

"Mate."

"Disgusting."

"You'll survive."

She left.

Rowan stood beside me.

"Keeper seems cheerful."

"She insulted you."

"So yes."

I leaned against him.

His arm wrapped around my shoulders.

"Do you think the Moon Goddess sent you back to me?"

He looked down.

"Back?"

"We met as kids."

"Ah."

He thought about it.

"Maybe."

"That's all?"

"What answer do you want?"

"I don't know."

He kissed my hair.

"Then here's mine."

I waited.

"If she sent me, I'm grateful."

His hand found mine.

"But I stayed because I wanted to."

My chest warmed.

That was enough.

More than enough.