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CHAPTER 145
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Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 146
Sebastian POVWe were both relieved and nervous about the fallout from our resounding triumph against the rogues, which threatened to rip apart the fragile strands of our newfound partnership. Pride rose in my breast as I looked over the wounded and bloodied bodies of men who had battled with such unflinching bravery and resolve as I examined the ranks of our combined forces.We had triumphed, our disobedience resonating through the centuries like a primal scream that had driven the outlaws back into the darkness from where they had emerged. Still, I was unable to ignore the tensions that pervaded my pack even as I reveled in our victory.The Nightwalkers, raised in the high ideals that had guided our species for many generations and shaped in the furnace of hardship, looked with cautious suspicion at our strange comrades. We had been enmeshed in a violent and retaliatory dance of teeth and claws for far too long, fighting for territory and supremacy.Now, though, with our joint victo
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 147
Liam POVAfter we beat the rogues, things got really busy. The air was heavy with the metallic tang of blood and the stench of effort, bodies were hauled and ay, and the injured were attended to. My gaze was never off Sebastian and his companion Athena. They exuded a strong energy even smeared with blood and dirt. When Sebastian saw the wolves gathered ours and those of our recently acquired allies his frame seemed to swell with pride. Standing tall too, Athena threw poisonous glances at everyone who ventured to gaze at her, one hand resting safely on her round belly.Sebastian lifted a hand to demand stillness as the hum started to fade. He said in a voice that reverberated across the battlefield as the last snarl faded."Today we rejoice in our common victory over a force that threatened to tear us apart, brothers and sisters." That certainty was in his eyes. But we have to stay alert and united even as we celebrate this hard-earned win."Agreeable nods sprang out of the assembly.
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 148
Sebastian POVWeeks after we defeated the rogues was a frenzy of activity. There were not enough hours in the day to handle business inside my region and fortify the recently created alliance with Drystan's pack. But above all, my main driving forces were to make sure my mate Athena and our kids, Anna and Hendrix, were safe. Though the threat of the rogues may have subsided, this unique alliance of former enemies might bring forth fresh, sneakier threats at any time.That was a worry that tore at me all the time, making me increase patrols, gather supplies, and start fortifying the walls of our apartment complex. Regarding my family's protection, no step was too drastic. I had no idea that I would soon need to build something else, something for which I felt woefully unprepared.It started quite obviously one evening when Athena and I broke our fast together. We had a rare period of quiet and closeness while the dogs were off playing someplace. I slid my hand affectionately across t
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 149
Hendrix POVThree years. That had been the length of time since the terrible evening my parents, the wonderful Alpha Sebastian and Luna Athena, had gathered Anna and me to announce their amazing news. Our family was going to get a new puppy soon.Processing the news that a newborn sibling was on the way was, to put it mildly, difficult when I was just eleven years old. The idea excited me uncontrollably on the one hand; it was like having a lifetime friend and ally built right in. But I also couldn't get rid of a nagging feeling of anxiety at witnessing the family dynamic I had known my entire life irreparably change in front of me. Would everyone get enough love and attention? Or would this newcomer just tip everything over?It's hard for me to understand how I ever worried three years later. For Jaxon Ezra Stone became the glue that held our family together more firmly than ever before, from the day he was born in a whirlwind of passionate wails and my mother's relieved laughter.
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 150
Anna POVOver the years, our pack had experienced far too much violence and upheaval. Emerging from the rubble of one revolution to be overwhelmed by the next wave of bloodshed, conflict, and political scheming. But nobody could have predicted the chaos that was going to break out from within our ranks, even in the middle of that history of ongoing hostilities. As most catastrophic tragedies do, it started rather simply. Just another restless evening passed into the next as our family bonded over my priceless nephew Jaxon, the newest member.The terrifying Alpha, Sebastian, all strength and control, lovingly cradling his son. Hendrix, giving up his future leader character to share in our infrequent moments of humor. Even the typically collected Athena was moved by Jaxon's baby antics.Evenings like that stood for the peace I tried to find in the middle of the storms.So I had foolishly thought.Because, I had no idea, malignant seeds of dissension had started to sprout in the shadows
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 151
Sebastian POVOver our ancestral grounds hovered the sour smell of Kellen's betrayal. What had started to be a night of planned family time turned into blatant rebellion quite quickly.I enjoyed my mate and the puppies' calm for a little while. Hendrix's constant presence at my side, his intensity and pride reflected in his lycan eyes. The impulsive Anna, flshed in that well-known dance of guarding her baby brother.And then the entire planet erupted.The well-planned invasion by Kellen played out like a lavish operatic wickedness. suddenly turning coat, those who had pledged unwavering loyalty suddenly flocked upon me with a ferocious zeal, their muzzles peeled back in shows of repulsive ambition.I answered with the cold, mechanical efficacy of a lunatic son born to the role of leadership, not with fear or uncertainty. My years of tempered combat experience, stature, and conditioning came in very handy as I skillfully crippled many attackers with well-timed blows.But two more appea
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 152
Athena POVThe ritual grounds had the wounds of earlier catastrophes carved into their sacred skin like weeping runes. The craters and blood-dimpled furrows where cosmic energies had previously fought in great elemental overtures. Looking at this ancient battlefield was to see the never-ending struggle for dominance.And there was a tense, reverent silence over the land itself on this terrible new moon. As though the very elements had gone into a trance, waiting for divine signs to upset the uneasy balance that covered the stadium.I felt more than saw Sebastian arrive his unyielding determination and rage radiated forth like a sun corona tinted in crimson. His ragged rank was shrugged off as he moved with a nearly dreamy cadence, layers of lupine musculature trembling with expectation.Brother. Alpha being me. His whole life had been a list of rebellions carved in excruciating verse on the cosmos itself. Risen from the charred remains of poverty to accept, by pure willpower, his inev
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 153
Sebastian POVIt cost nothing to declare victory. I could feel the whole weight of my efforts pulsing through every shattered sinew as the ceremonial flames fell to smoldering embers in the wake of my ritualistic victory over Kellen. A deep, bone-deep pain that bit avariciously at the fundamental fabric of my existence, beyond bodily injuries.It was the price I paid for taking even my already increased lycan enhancements to unnaturally high levels. Every muscle cord and tendon that had been scarred and stretched to the breaking point to put a stop to Kellen's rebellion cried out.Not for the first time in my life, I was slipping in and out of awareness, the line separating feverish insanity from waking reality becoming thinner. In those erratic hours, I would be visited by strange visions spectral, primordial impressions that alternated between a feral need and a primitive fear.I coldly bore them. Not that these hallucinogenic journeys were unwanted after my victory. Just the spiri
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Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 165
Hendrix POVI stood gravely before the large ceremonial fire, the flickering flames creating dance shadows on the old stones around me. For my family history, this hallowed place carried decades of power and memories. Tonight, I could sense the weight of that legacy heavy with respect and feeling.Raising my arms, I started the hallowed rights passed down over innumerable years. "We come here on this holy equinox to pay tribute to Athena and Sebastian, the fabled founders of our family. Along with building this wonderful family, the mates whose unwavering love and unbreakable friendship shaped the entire path of our lives.As the gathered members of my pack listened with great concentration, my words rang across the quiet forest grove. We gathered together as one on this night, mothers and fathers with babies in arms, wizened elderly with lined faces, raucous younglings hardly able to contain their excitement."Their story is one of huge hardships faced with far more fortitude, of dar
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 164
Athena & Sebastian's POV Athena's povI sighed contentedly as I savored the brilliant glow of the fall sunset streaming over the large den windows. I curled in my beloved overstuffed chair while ribbons of blazing orange and crimsons bathed the old timber beams in warm, nostalgic colors.Though my face showed the wrinkles and lines from a very busy life, I felt an ageless tranquility cover me like a gentle, reassuring blanket. Once so brilliant and strong, my piercing blue eyes now reflected a calm ocean of earned knowledge and fulfillment.A faintly familiar smell of cedarwood and spice floated around as two strong, worn-out hands gently rested on my thin shoulders with learned sensitivity. Sebastian bent down to tenderly kiss my forehead, and I reached up to grab his palm. "You look so wonderfully calm, my eternal goddess," he said softly, his voice rasping but preserving that virile tone that still made my heart flutter after all these years. Looking up at him with a gentle smil
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 163
Hendrix POVAs I looked at the young people fresh-faced before me, the crackling fires covered the ancient lair in a warm, flickering brilliance. Though soft in years, I could already see the marks of great leaders in their controlled poses and focused eyes.These dogs stood for the birth of a new age to be developed on the hard-earned ideas and visions left to us by my heroic parents, therefore reflecting the future of our combined packs. It was now my great responsibility as Athena and Sebastian's son and Jax my younger brother to educate this new generation those revered values and ancestral knowledge."You all know the significance of why we've convened here this night," I began, letting my rich baritone carry the whole weight of the occasion. "The holy ceremonies to raise you from students to sovereigns over the continuation of our civilization's enlightened precepts."A handful of the younger ones seemed uncomfortable at the gravity of my words. I wore a forced smile on my worn
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 162
Anna POVAcross the sandstone walls of the den, soft candlelight danced shadows that appeared to bring the old etchings to life. Scenes of great wars, somber ceremonies, and the otherworldly visues of the ancient ones danced in the dazzling light. I inhaled steadying, letting the holy aura envelop me as I dropped myself onto the soft fur before the ceremonial fire pit. My fingertips gently stroked the strong wood lovingly white oak blessed by Luna Amara herself, drenched in berries. Its airy, cleansing tendrils brushed my flesh like a phantom mist.Since I had formally adopted Alpha's mantle, today was the first full moon. A fresh moon cycle was breaking through a fresh era. One whereby I would guide our unified alliance into an unparalleled period of peace and illumination. No little chore for a young person two decades old. But my spiritual background and the iron will have passed on from my ancestors inundated my very cells with blessed power and conviction. Little footsteps' gen
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 161
Athena POVTen Years A flickering in the lifetime of an eternal, but eons appeared to have changed all around me. From the roots of conflict and hardship Sebastian and I had lived, so much had blossomed.The den bathroom mirror flashed back a mature beauty, residual youthful brightness now enhanced by a royal, almost imperial posture. Laugh lines framed whole lips, showing a ten-year history of great happiness. My small, toned body nevertheless turned alpha heads. Sebastian most definitely never gets bored with destroying me every night as lovesick newlyweds do.As I turned the diamond encrusted wedding band around my finger, I felt a gentle satisfaction. Now the perfect unity symbol I had created for that terrible Sienna embodied the purest spousal loyalty. The great light of our love had sterilized her deadly daggers of betrayal and evil. A high pitched shriek pulled me from dream. I grinned, adjusting my summer tunic as tiny feet pounded closer. The door opened and a tiny tornado
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 160
Sienna Mother POVMy tending tools' regular clunk against the hard-packed mud floor offered a calm cadence. Every careful cut of root vegetables and herb mixing functioned as a little ritualistic offering to drive out the demons of past misdeeds.I still felt the weight of that darkness weighing down on me, an inky, stifling miasma of sadness, wrath, and misplaced vengeance almost corrupting me beyond redemption even now. The road I had begun down in the name of exacting revenge for my daughter Sienna was one tinged with terrible crimes and sins. But I had been spared completely giving my soul to those horrible depths by the kindness and intelligence of the Nightwalkers and allied packs. My life had been given an improbable continuity, a chance atonement I knew I could never merit.Sometimes even the basic tasks of attending to the spiritual and medical needs of our new haven felt like an unjustified privilege. The mother of a deranged, homicidal monstrosity, how could I be given r
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 159
Athena POVOur caravan reached the last mountain pass as the first rays of light were barely peeping over the horizon. A collective silence descended over the worn-out procession of wolves as the jagged forms gave way to the expansive views beyond.This was it the rich valley Hendrix had sought with every deliberate step of our exhausting journey. Virgin and pure like the earth before the embrace of civilization's development, a real paradise unspoiled by human efforts. As we first viewed the panoramic sight, Sebastian's calming presence at my side helped me. From this distance, the promise of refuge emanated from the very ground itself - a rich, earthy scent that piqued my increased lupine senses. Hendrix signaled for the packs to make camp just inside the pass, clearly understanding the need to gather before setting off into our fresh starts. Though tired to the bone, the assembled thrumming masses carried a tangible pulse of relief and expectation."Well!" The austere rumbling of
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 158
Sebastian POVOur large pack was leaving the gathering grounds as the first rays of dawn just peaked on the horizon. Though my body had long since given up the vitality of youth, in those first moments an almost electric stream of energy surged through me. This was it, the start of our magnificent journey into hitherto undiscovered territory.My eyes strayed over the line of wolves walking solemnly beside me. So many well-known people, generations of bloodlines and kinships entwined under those lupine pelts. It was a humble sight that sent off a reflexive protectiveness right down in my core.Whatever paths forward, whatever dangers we were destined to face, I would make sure our people came out on the other side intact. Too much had already been given up to let this desperate endeavor fall apart before it could start."You're quite reflective this morning." As Athena dropped into step next to me, her little voice caught my attention. " EVEN for you."I sensed the rueful half-smile of
Return of the rejected white she luna CHAPTER 157
Hendrix POVI waited in the hole for the packs to react to my suggestion in great silence. The choice of whether to leave our ancestral house felt like a millstone around every lupine throat. It was against every strand of our beings to uproot our whole lives and to turn our backs on the places that had protected us for ages. Still, the hard fact of cold could not be overlooked the human world was invading far too much of our land. If we stayed, exposure and the carnage that would surely follow seemed like an increasingly certain fate. The alphas started nodding their terrible assent one by one. First was Drystan, with his sharp but firm rugged features. The grizzled warrior understood the great need of this circumstance after seeing enough cycles of violence and death. "You make a good point, Hendrix," he rumbled, his rich baritone booming across the hollow. "Much as it hurts, we have to give our packs top priority. If moving is the only way we can guarantee our ongoing safety and
