Chapter 32: Jessica's Darkest Hour

The days following Christopher's sacrifice blurred together in a haze of grief and responsibility. Jessica threw herself into her duties as Luna, working tirelessly to maintain the fragile peace between the packs and implement the changes they had fought so hard for. But beneath her strong exterior, a storm was brewing.

It was James who first noticed the cracks in her façade. He found her late one night, staring blankly at the wall in Christopher's old room, clutching one of his shirts to her chest.

"Jess," he said softly, kneeling beside her. "You can't keep going like this. You need to rest, to grieve."

Jessica turned to him, her eyes hollow. "I can't," she whispered. "If I stop, if I let myself feel it... I'm afraid I'll break apart completely."

James pulled her into his arms, his heart breaking for her pain. "Then we'll put you back together. All of us, together."

But Jessica's pain ran deeper than any of them realized. As the days wore on, she began to withdraw, not just from her duties, but from her mates as well. The Luna's power, once a comforting presence, now felt like a burden, a constant reminder of the price they had paid for peace.

It was during a council meeting, a month after Christopher's death, that things finally came to a head. As Jessica listened to the alphas argue over territory boundaries, something inside her snapped.

"Enough!" she shouted, her voice laced with power. The room fell silent, all eyes turning to her in shock. "Is this what we fought for? Is this what Christopher died for? So we could squabble over scraps of land like common animals?"

Before anyone could respond, Jessica stormed out of the room. She ran, shifting into her wolf form mid-stride, letting her paws carry her deep into the forest.

For hours, she ran, pushing her body to its limits, as if she could somehow outrun her grief and guilt. When she finally collapsed, exhausted, she found herself in a small clearing. With a start, she realized it was the same clearing where Christopher had made his sacrifice.

As the full moon rose overhead, bathing the clearing in silvery light, Jessica threw back her head and howled. It was a sound of pure anguish, of loss and rage and bone-deep sorrow. The Luna's power responded to her pain, erupting from her in waves of uncontrolled energy.

Trees bent in the face of her power, the very earth trembling beneath her paws. In that moment, Jessica understood how Ezra had fallen to darkness. The temptation to let go, to lose herself in the raw power of her grief, was almost overwhelming.

It was then that she heard them - the howls of her mates, calling out to her. One by one, they entered the clearing, approaching her cautiously.

James was the first to reach her, pressing his forehead against hers in a gesture of comfort and solidarity. "We're here, Jess," he murmured. "You're not alone."

Michael came next, his usually stoic demeanor softened by concern. "Let us help you carry this burden," he said. "You don't have to be strong all the time."

David, always the healer, nuzzled her gently. "Your pain is our pain," he whispered. "Let it out. We can take it."

Andrew, Matthew, and Daniel joined them, forming a protective circle around Jessica. As their love and support washed over her, the dam finally broke. Jessica let out a keening cry, her body shaking with long-suppressed sobs.

Her mates pressed close, offering comfort through touch and presence. As Jessica's grief poured out, the Luna's power responded, but this time, it was tempered by the love surrounding her. Instead of destruction, it brought healing, washing over the clearing in gentle waves.

As the night wore on, Jessica's sobs gradually subsided. Exhausted but feeling lighter than she had in weeks, she shifted back to her human form. Her mates followed suit, still surrounding her in a protective circle.

"I'm sorry," Jessica said, her voice hoarse from crying. "I didn't mean to worry you all."

James shook his head, cupping her face gently. "Never apologize for feeling, Jess. We're your mates. Your pain is our pain, your burdens are ours to share."

"We've all been grieving," Michael added. "But we forgot that you needed us as much as we needed you."

Jessica looked at each of her mates in turn, seeing the love and concern in their eyes. For the first time since Christopher's death, she felt a spark of hope.

"I miss him so much," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"We all do," David said softly. "And that's okay. Christopher wouldn't want us to stop living, to stop loving, just because he's gone."

As they sat together in the moonlit clearing, Jessica felt something shift within her. The pain of loss was still there, a wound that would never fully heal. But it no longer threatened to consume her.

With her mates by her side, Jessica found the strength to face her grief, to honor Christopher's memory not through endless work, but through living the life he had sacrificed himself to protect.

As dawn broke over the forest, Jessica and her mates made their way back to the pack lands. There was still much work to be done, challenges to face and a future to build. But now, Jessica knew she didn't have to face it alone.

The Luna's light shone within her, no longer a burden but a beacon of hope. And with the love of her mates to guide her, Jessica was ready to step out of the darkness and into a new day.