Chapter 59

*Authors note: *made some revisions seeing my editing app made changes i didnt realize. Next chapter should be out in the next couple days. Im so sorry for the wait, getting my masters demands so much of my attention.**

A soft morning glow beams slightly through my drawn drapes. Slightly warming my bare skin on contact. My eyes flutter open and find my mate and I in a tangle of limbs. He has an arm over my middle and my leg is curled around him. Like cutting off any escape.

His breathing is steady and his lips are slightly parted indicating he is still asleep. I take this time to study him and admire the man who is my now and future. I lightly brush his dark hair from his eyes revealing his amazing violet mark. He is my beautiful mate. My future husband, partner, father of my unborn children, my soulmate. There is nothing in this world that can make me love him less.

His eyes twitch his breathing picks up slightly, a sign he is waking up. I feel his body stretch and his eyes flutter open. A lazy smile spreads across his face and I cant but smile with him.

“Morning, beautiful.” He says huskily with sleepiness reminiscent in his voice.

“Morning” I whisper and plant a light kiss on his nose. He pulls me closer snatching my lips sweetly.

Once our lips break he holds me tight to him. I breathe in his eucalyptus and Forest scent giving me a sense of peace. The sparks from our connecting bare skin that usually send me into a frenzy, contributes to my calm and contentment.

“Can we just hide out all day like this?” I ask with a sigh.

“I wish we could Angel. There is no place I’d rather be.” He mimics my sigh and brushes my hair with his hand. “But there is a lot of stuff we have to do today.”

I groan and nestle myself in his chest not wanting to deal with anything right now.

“My little mate. My beautiful, stunning, gorgeous woman, we cant hide from the world forever.” He chuckles. “It’ll find us eventually in the form of our family and friends.”

“Ill bet ten bucks it’ll be Celeste.” I giggle and lay a little kiss on his chest.

“hmm, I’ll bet it’ll be both Alaric and Celeste together.” He smiles to himself. “But I think Celeste will be the ringleader in that situation.”  He combs his hand through my long hair tempting me to doze off.

“That she always is.” I sigh and rest my eyes for a moment longer. Then the peace is predictably interrupted by a loud knock at the door. We smirk at each other. We both get up and throw on some clothes to cover up before answering the door.

Finding Celeste and Alaric on the other side. I raise a brow and glance at my mate who has a ‘I told you so’ look.

“Morning love birds.” Celeste smirks. “We’re all about to head down for breakfast and we have a whole list from your mother on what needs to be done.”

“Sounds good. We’ll get dressed and be right down.” I say rather quickly.

“Hurry.” Alaric lightly laughs to himself and they begin their journey to the kitchen.

I shut the door and turn to Silas who still is beaming with smugness. I roll my eyes and head to my closet where I grab a teal blouse, jeans, and fresh black underwear.

I take off the extra-long baggy shirt I used to cover up and reach for my undergarments. However, I am interrupted by Silas lifting me up from behind.

“Goddess, you are insatiable.” I giggle and slightly kick my feet, feeling his hard on behind me.

“hmm, then stop looking so divine every single second of the day.” His lips connect to my neck and I throw my head back.

“We have things to do.” I state breathlessly.

“That we do.” He growls. “The other stuff can be put off for a couple more minutes.”

“hmpf, couple minutes? If I allow this we’ll be here for the next hour.” I manage to roll my eyes but I cant hide my amusement.

“We want to see how fast we can make you come.” He growls in my ear that sends a shiver down my spine. He and his wolf both as one again. My core throbs with anticipation.

He hauls us back to the bed and sits down with me on top, his lips still making marks on my neck. His hand travels to my breast and the other goes to my sensitive bundle of nerves. My voice cannot be contained and I whimper with need.

“Tell me what you need, Angel.” He groans seductively.

“I need you.” I mewl. “I need you inside me.”

With no further delay, his dick quickly slips inside my wet cunt. I scream as the lightning of pleasure spreads throughout my body.

His slow yet hard strokes sends something through me that makes my eyes roll to the back of my head. He lays us back slightly and lifts me up slightly. His pace quickens sending me into a mewling frenzy and the coil nearing my climax tightening fast. My hands reach back and I grip his hair.

Then as quickly as this started, my orgasm floods my body. My body violently shakes and my mates groans fill my ears as my walls grip his dick. He manages to get another punishing thrust into me and I feel him burst.

I breathe heavily and my body slackens and he holds me closer to him. Ill never get sick of this feeling of completeness. We pant in cadence and staying as one for every moment possible. He then pulls out of me and he turns me over to face him. He snatches my lips in a light sweet kiss.

“Who knew a quickie could be so good.” He smirks but his eyes still hold adoration.

“Now we really need to get moving.” I lightly poke his nose and giggle.

“hmm, I think we should stay right here.” He growls and lightly nips my earlobe.

“I don’t think so.” Still grinning I slip out of his grasp. I snatch my clothes and run to my bathroom before he catches me again. Before I close the door I see the fire in his eyes reigniting considering chasing. I throw on my clothes for the day, brush my teeth, and wash my face.

I go back into my room finding he is also ready to go. I make a quick stop at my vanity and brush on light mascara along with some lip gloss. Lastly I brush out my hair from all the knot that were caused by the activities that transpired in the last 10 hours.

Once I finish and turn back to see he is leaning against the wall waiting for me. “Ready?”

He holds his arm out to me and grins. “Always, Angel.”

I take his arm and grin back. “Such a gentleman.”

“Only the best for my Queen.” He chuckles to himself and we begin our descent to the kitchen to join everyone. It is late morning now thus only our friends and my mother are in the kitchen. They are all eating and a conversing about the ceremony.

“About damn time. Thought you two would never join us.” Celeste smirks at us which only earns her an eyeroll.

“Indeed. We were just discussing decoration arrangements.” Mom smirks into her coffee cup knowingly.

Ignoring the obvious judgment, he and I grab some coffee and something to eat before joining them. Allowing time for the subject to be changed.

We settle into our seats, the murmurs of conversation fading as the weight of what’s to come presses in.

“This will be the ceremony of the century,” Mom says, her voice clear and commanding. She leans forward slightly, her eyes scanning the table. “She will be the first female Alpha in history. We need to present it as an event of power—something undeniable, something that leaves no room for doubt. All the packs need to see her as the only choice, the best choice.”

Her words hang in the air, and I can feel the tension growing, thickening the atmosphere like a hurricane rolling in. Mom looks down at her hands for a moment, lost in thought, before continuing.

“There was an ancient tradition, practiced by the alphas of this pack long ago,” she says, her tone turning more reflective. “A ritual that proved the worth of the heir. But it died out over time—too many lives were lost, too many heirs failed the trials. It became… too dangerous.”

I can barely breathe as her words settle into me. I clutch Silas' hand, my fingers tightening around his like a lifeline. The room falls completely silent. Even the low commotion of the pack in other places of the house seems to quiet in the space between her words and the reality of what she’s implying.

I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to know what’s coming next.

But then Mom turns her gaze to me, her eyes dark, unwavering, and filled with something I can’t quite decipher—something dangerous.

“I believe,” she says, her voice dropping a shade lower, “it may be time to revive it. The Moonshadow Rite.”

The words hit me like a physical blow.

I freeze, my breath caught in my throat. I don’t know whether to run or confront the weight of what she’s saying. Silas’ hand tightens in mine as if he feels the shift in the air, too, but neither of us speaks.

“The heir,” Mom continues, her voice growing cold and clinical, “must face their sibling in combat. No rules. No mercy. Afterward, the victor takes on the Sentinel of Artemis herself—the ancient warrior, the guardian of the night. Defeat him, and no one will ever question your right to lead.”

The room is so still I can hear my own pulse in my ears. The words echo, hollow and final, reverberating in my skull.

Fight the Sentinel of Artemis? An entity of night?

It feels like the world has shifted beneath me. The weight of the tradition presses down on me with suffocating force. The ancient Rite. A legacy of bloodshed, of proving worth through violence. To show I am strong enough, powerful enough, to lead. More so than any male you faced the sentinel.

My heart races, panic starting to claw at my chest.

“Mom, no,” I whisper, the words slipping out before I can stop them. I turn to Silas, my grip on his hand tightening, but he remains silent, his face pale. The words from my mother sink into his expression, too. He understands.

But she doesn’t flinch. Her gaze remains fixed on me, unwavering, the weight of her eyes on me.

“The Rite is the only way to prove your strength, to silence every doubt,” she says, as if it’s a simple truth. “This pack has never had a female Alpha. There will be resistance. But if you defeat the Sentinel, they will have no choice but to kneel before you. This even applies to all other packs. You will be the most powerful wolf in this world.”

I can barely process it, the knot in my stomach tightening with each word. My breath comes in shallow gasps as I try to understand the gravity of what she’s asking. This is more than tradition; it’s a test of my very worth. To defeat my sibling. To fight a creature of myth, one of Artemis’ own warriors.

“I can’t…” I start, but the words choke off in my throat. I can’t imagine the brutality of what she’s suggesting. The violence, the blood, the cost.

“Don’t be naïve,” she snaps, her eyes narrowing, cold as steel. “You must choose to prove your worth, to lead. If you hesitate, if you show weakness, the pack will tear you apart. The Rite will ensure your strength is unquestionable. You’ll be unstoppable.”

The silence in the room is deafening, every pair of eyes trained on me, waiting for a response, waiting for my decision. I feel like a storm is brewing inside of me, fear taking over every nerve.

I look up at Silas, the one person who has been by my side through everything. He doesn’t speak. But his eyes—those eyes I’ve known for such a short period of time—hold a quiet, resolute understanding.

“Is this what I have to do?” I ask him, my voice trembling, barely above a whisper. “Is this the only way?”

He doesn’t answer immediately. He just squeezes my hand, his grip tight, as if anchoring me to the present, to reality.

“I don’t know,” he says quietly, but there’s a weight to his words. “This is your decision and if you believe this will be worth it, ill support you.”

I turn back to my mother. The air between us crackles with the tension of the centuries-old tradition.

“Is there no other way?” I ask, my voice steadier than I feel.

She shakes her head; sympathy now shrouds her gaze. “You’re either strong enough to claim your place, or you’re not. There is no middle ground.”

I swallow, the taste of metal on my tongue, my body trembling with a mixture of fear and determination.

The Moonshadow Rite is not just a test of strength. It’s a test of my soul. A test of my very being.

And I have to decide whether I’ll walk through the fire—or burn in ice cold flames.