Chapter 207
There’s something sacred about the hush that falls over a room just before power is tested.
The elders were already seated when Jake and I entered the hall, their aging eyes watching us like buzzards perched on polished oak. I held my head high, refusing to let the weight of their stares chip away at my posture. I had earned this.
Jake’s hand hovered lightly at my back, not guiding me, not protecting me—just there. A quiet reassurance. His silent way of saying You’ve got this. And I’ve got you.
And I did.
Because today, I wasn’t just his mate. I was Luna of this pack. And they were going to see it, whether they liked it or not.
Jake took his usual seat at the head of the long council table. I took mine—right beside him. For the first time, the seat wasn’t empty. It was mine. And I wouldn’t be giving it up.
Elder Harlan cleared his throat. “With respect, Alpha, perhaps the Luna would prefer to observe today’s proceedings from the gallery?”
My spine straightened, and I turned to him slowly. “Why would I do that, Elder Harlan?”
He blinked. “Well, it’s just—these are… complex matters. Border control. Patrol schedules. Witch interference. Not the usual arena for—”
“For a woman?” I said coolly.
The room shifted.
Elder Marie, one of the few women in the council, pressed her lips together. Some of the younger warriors standing along the wall looked away, uncomfortable.
Jake’s gaze slid to mine, but he didn’t speak. He wouldn’t. He knew I wanted to handle this myself.
I leaned forward, lacing my fingers together on the table.
“Elder Harlan, you were nearly taken hostage last month by a group of witches that my team and I neutralized before they crossed the eastern border.”
He frowned.
“And last week, I led a patrol that identified a scouting ring no one else noticed. The border is quiet now because of me.”
Murmurs rippled through the room.
“I don’t expect a seat at this table because I’m the Alpha’s mate,” I continued, voice calm and measured. “I earned it—by bleeding for this pack, fighting for this territory, and protecting every soul under our banner, including yours.”
Harlan’s mouth opened, then closed.
I turned my attention to the room. “If anyone here thinks leadership is about tradition over results, you’re welcome to challenge me. But I’ll warn you—I don’t lose fights.”
Dead silence.
Then Jake leaned back in his chair, a slow smirk forming. “Well said.”
The meeting continued, and not another elder questioned my presence again.
When it ended, a few lingered behind to quietly ask for my opinions—on border strategy, on witch deterrents, on supply runs.
Funny how fast doubt turns to curiosity once you show teeth.
As Jake and I stepped out into the midday light, he bumped my shoulder playfully. “Remind me not to piss you off.”
I grinned, still riding the high. “Noted. I’m a terror.”
“You are,” he said, catching my hand and twining our fingers together. “And I’ve never been prouder.”
“I didn’t want to embarrass them,” I admitted. “I just want them to see me as more than your shadow.”
“You’re not my shadow, Ayla,” he said, voice serious now. “You’re the moon beside me. My equal.”
The warmth in my chest swelled.
“Now,” he added, glancing at the sky, “you’ve got two pups waiting to show off. Something about walking?”
“Oh, Goddess,” I gasped, tugging him toward the house. “They’re taking steps today!”
The moment I opened the nursery door, Logan wobbled to his feet like he’d been waiting just for me.
He stood with all the determination of a warrior ten times his age—pudgy legs shaking, arms spread for balance, mouth open in a toothy grin. Lily clapped from her spot near the toy chest, already on her feet too, giggling like a proud twin.
“Look at you!” I knelt, arms out. “Come here, sweet boy.”
Logan took a step.
Then another.
Then promptly fell on his diapered butt, blinking in confusion before giggling in delight.
Jake chuckled behind me, crossing to scoop Lily into his arms. “She walked to me earlier.”
“Oh, of course she did,” I teased. “Daddy’s girl.”
“She is,” Jake said proudly, letting her gnaw on his thumb as she stared at him with wide, adoring eyes.
I scooped Logan up and kissed his cheeks, holding him close. The baby scent, that mix of milk and something sweet, filled my senses. I let myself savor it.
This was the kind of power I cherished most.
Not council seats.
Not battle plans.
But these tiny victories. These soft, golden hours.
When Logan finally fell asleep, his head resting on my shoulder, I tucked both him and Lily into their cribs and lingered at the doorway.
Jake stood beside me, his arm sliding around my waist.
“They’re safe,” he murmured. “Because of you.”
“They’re ours,” I said quietly. “I’d die for them.”
Later that evening, we ate on the balcony outside our room. Just us. No formal dining. No pack politics. Just a simple meal under the stars with roasted chicken, grilled vegetables, and wine Jake claimed he’d been saving for “a night worth remembering.”
“I think I scared Elder Harlan,” I said between bites.
Jake snorted. “You shattered his ego. I haven’t seen him that quiet since the Great Winter.”
“I don’t want them to fear me.”
“They don’t. They’re adjusting. You’re a new kind of Luna.”
“Not soft?”
“Not small.”
That quieted me.
I looked out at the woods, where the shadows stretched long and soft under the twilight.
“You know, sometimes I still feel like the outsider,” I confessed. “Like they’re waiting for me to mess up so they can say, ‘Told you so.’”
Jake reached across the table and took my hand.
“They don’t see it yet, but they will. The pack isn’t looking for someone perfect, Ayla. They’re looking for someone real. And you—you’re raw and honest and brave. You protect, but you don’t lose yourself in the protecting.”
I laughed, a little choked. “You’re so sappy when you drink wine.”
He raised a brow. “And you’re so pretty when you’re trying not to cry.”
“Shut up.”
Jake stood and came around the table, crouching beside me. “You’re the best Luna this pack’s ever had. And I’ll punch anyone who says otherwise.”
“You’re not supposed to punch the elders.”
“I’ll punch them gently,” he said, brushing his thumb over my cheek.
I tilted my face to his, lips brushing his. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For seeing me.”
“I always have,” he said, kissing me softly. “Even when you didn’t see yourself.”
That night, as the pups slept soundly and Jake curled around me with one arm slung across my waist, I stared up at the ceiling and breathed in the calm.
This life—the weight, the wonder, the war and peace of it—it was mine now.
I wasn’t living in anyone’s shadow.
I wasn’t a footnote.
I was Ayla.
Luna.
Mate.
Mother.
And tomorrow, I’d do it all again.
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