Hannah POV
First was the goodbye, the funeral of those who didn't return. Then came the slow return to daily activities.
It is challenging to balance the despair of those who lost their loved ones with the joyful happiness of those who are reunited with them. So, as an Alpha during the last days, Mikkeli visited the families of those who didn't return. He told me that it is his duty to personally tell everyone how brave and strong those who we had lost were. And show them respect one last time.
Despite our loss, the pack seems happy that the worst is finally over; our victory was so big. Again according to what Mikkeli told me, this victory will bring peace and safety from hunters' attacks in this part of the country for many years and will allow packs to prosper and many pups to have a safe childhood.
And now the time has come to celebrate. The delegation from all the packs that fought will be here in an hour. So it's not only one big gathering of allies but also my brothers' first official introduction as the heirs of the Blackwood Pack.
About our situation, Mikkeli and I still haven't talked about it.
We have had too many traumatic experiences lately that I'm not in the mood for serious talking. I also don't see a point in pressuring Mikkeli to do it. So instead, I enjoy the everyday things we have been doing lately, like eating breakfast together, having casual talks in the afternoon, playing with Rosie or the boys, planning the pack's budget for the next year, and helping Kyle with his pregnancy.
I know that we cannot avoid the serious conversation, and sooner than later, we will have to make our mating official because, nevertheless, nothing was said and done; I know Mikkeli is my future, or at least I want to fight for my future with him. And I'm willing to wait for him. I'm willing to give him as much time as he needs.
"You look beautiful," says Rose as she's finished caring for my hair.
I smirk at my reflection in the mirror; I took extra time today to make sure that I will be as stunning as possible and that I won't be anything less beautiful than all of these magnificent Lunas who will be here today.
"Wonderful, Hannah," she smiles again at me. "You will outshine all of the women out there. So, after tonight, we can start planning your Luna Ceremony, and don't roll your eyes; you want this. You want to be marked by Mikkeli. And believe me when I say that you are the best thing that ever happened to him."
"How can you be so sure? After all, I'm only human and..."
"I've known Mikkeli my whole life," she quickly interrupts me. "I've seen him growing up, and during all this time, I've rarely seen him happy. He's been a strong warrior and a good Alpha, but he has never been happy till you came. He was more like a machine before, but now he's finally an alive being. And thank you, Hannah, thank you for giving me family once again, thank you for allowing me into my grandchildren's lives, thank you for the second chance."
She starts crying, and I quickly stand up and hug her.
"I thank you too for making us at home here. And that's enough of it. I can't start crying. My make-up will be ruined." I smirk and let go of her.
As I go downstairs, I feel like seeing Kyle, who decided to spend the evening in his room. He doesn't feel like being around people from the Full Moon Pack, especially now that his baby bump is visible. We thought about trying to convince him but decided that we shouldn't pressure him into anything. So I chat with my friend for some time as Rosie plays with her dolls on the floor. Kyle volunteered to take care of my sister tonight because the packhouse will be crowded today, and everybody is busy.
After saying goodnight to Rosie and Kyle, I head in the direction of Mikkeli's office, as I have an unexpected but unfortunately not very lovely encounter. Jake glares at me as I try to pass him in the corridor.
"Don't be so sure about yourself," he spits in my direction. "Spreading your legs isn't equal to carrying the mark! You are just his whore."
I look at him, counting slowly in my head to ten; I don't want to lose my temper. I won't let him ruin this evening for me.
"Spreading my legs in exchange for the mark would make me a whore, don't you think. But I don't have a price. I sleep with Mikkeli because I love it; I adore making love with him," I say. "Take your bitterness somewhere else, old man."
Jake growls and looks as if he would like to say more but restrain himself cause Becca leaves Mikkeli's office and interrupts us.
"Something wrong?" she asks, giving us a questionable look.
Jake snorts and leaves.
"Alpha and everybody else are already in the garden. First of our guests are here. Shall we go? And don't mind the old beggar. He loves to make people around him miserable," she smiles.
"He seems to be my biggest anti-fan," I say.
"I would say it is not personal. You are just so against everything the previous Alpha stood for. Human Luna, in his pack! He must turn over in his grave. And Jake wasn't only his Beta; he was his friend, I would say, the only friend. I think he has more and more trouble accepting changes happening here because of the new leadership. He is just stuck in his old ways and traditions."
"Honestly, I don't care, and he can spill his venom anywhere he wants."
"That's my girl!" Becca smiles, and we both go in the direction of the garden.
It's a warm summer night today. Everything is already prepared in the garden for a fancy dinner for the highest members of each of the ten packs that have recently fought against hunters. But, just as Becca said, some of our guests are already here. Mikkeli stands with Alpha Kayden, his mate, and Tony. They seem to be deep in conversation.
I don't come closer; I take my time to look at my beloved. He seems as calm and stoic as always, but I am already pretty good at seeing beneath his façade. He is proud of his victory but, at the same time, feels guilty that he couldn't secure the safe return of all his warriors. And I know he feels he can't show anybody he is sad. So he feels that he must maintain his strong composure at all costs.
"Well, for sure, I haven't expected you here anymore," I hear the extremely sweet voice.
I turn around, and of course, I see guests from Full Moon Pack: Alpha Ryan and his Luna, Hank, Connie, and some more people I've seen here before during the preparation for the war.
I take a deep breath. Connie looks divine today. She, for sure, is a very beautiful woman. But I don't feel insecure, and it's funny how much confidence you can gain thanks to the elegant black dress and perfect make-up I'm wearing right now.
"For sure, it's not as big a surprise as you have thought," I respond, looking at her.
Alpha Ryan sends me a death glare when his daughter, on the contrary, for some reason, seems pleased, as if she got exactly what she wanted.
"This is ridiculous; my late friend is turning over in his grave seeing what his son has done here," Ryan snarls.
"And what exactly is that? Mikkeli made this pack one of the most powerful in this country, led us all to a great victory, and made this place safe for all his pack members. All his decision are always motivated by the well-being of his wolves of this place. When your dead friend was a selfish, cruel man who cared about nothing but himself," I respond, accenting every word.
He steps towards me and hisses, "You may be Blackwood's mate, but you are not a Luna yet and..."
"Think carefully if you want to finish that sentence, Ryan!"
I turn around to see not only Mikkeli but also Hayden and Tony standing a couple of meters away from us. Mikkeli is dripping with his Alpha's dominance, and Ryan looks at him with fury. I take that chance to step away from Ryan and go to Mikkeli. But instead, I take hold of his hand, and our fingers interweave.
"Please enjoy your stay at our land," I say slowly. "We hope this evening celebration will only be a chance to celebrate."
Ryan snarls but gives up, passing us with annoyance clearly on his face along with his pack's members. Hank gives us a slight nod of his head, but Connie comes closer and says slowly.
"Despite my father's behavior today, I hope our alliance will prevail. I wish you both good luck since you've made your decision. I have no hard feelings, and I hope for the same from you, Mikkeli. It was always a business deal."
"No hard feelings, Connie; I also hope that we stay civil with each other," Mikkeli responds.
"Can I offer you something to drink?" says Becca and goes with Connie toward the bar.
"Do you believe her?" asks Tony.
"I believe that no matter how angry Ryan is, Full Moon has no strength to challenge us openly, but I'm certain someone from there has something to do with all the attacks on my family. So no, I don't believe her. Hayden, make sure always to keep an eye on your sons today."
The time slowly goes by, and all the guests who should be here slowly keep coming. The atmosphere is cheerful as I spend my evening close to Mikkeli and Hayden and, of course, my brothers. I do a lot of small talk with different people, but I'm consequent with avoiding Full Moon Pack and Jake.
I can see Mikkeli presenting James and Jason as his nephews and heirs. I see some questionable looks most of the guests send toward me. Mikkeli hasn't presented me as his mate, but I know the gossips are already everywhere. Hayden keeps sharing his attention between his sons and me till it's time to send them to bed. When we take them to their room, we nod to two warriors guarding the private part of the packhouse tonight.
After that, Hayden and I stay close to the house, looking at all people in the garden.
"So, have you and Mikkeli made any decisions yet?" he asks me.
"No final decisions, but I promise we will talk soon," I say. "Hayden, what keeps worrying you?"
He avoids looking at me, and for a long moment, there is only silence.
"I guess I'm jealous. I finally have to admit it. Don't get me wrong; I'm not in love with you, although I could've been if things were different. I admit you are extraordinary, but initially, I only wanted to keep you safe. I thought I owed that to your father for everything he had done for my children. But later, I started to think about you as someone close to me, and I greatly care about you. I'm still amazed that not even once you've tried to turn boys against me; you have always put what's best for them first. And I'm so thankful that because of you, I can have a second chance with my pups. "
"What does it have to do with being jealous about Mikkeli?" I ask him cautiously.
"I saw the way Mikkeli and you interacted with each other at the beginning, and knowing his quick temper, I was afraid he could hurt you. Since he became an Alpha, he has always had difficulties accepting any resistance or different opinion. So when it turned out you are mates, I was scared that history would repeat itself, especially since Mikkeli acted with you almost the same as I did with Maddie. I was afraid that the only reason he didn't reject you was to avoid getting his wolf weakened. I saw in him our father, ready to make everybody miserable to keep himself strong. I was afraid that he would force you to mate with him, not taking your feeling into any consideration, just so his wolf could keep getting stronger thanks to the mate bond."
"Mating bond really can be a scary thing," I say.
"It's the source of werewolves' existence, the ultimate happiness for a wolf. But werewolves are a combination of a man and a wolf. We can be cruel and selfish, and we are able to use a mating bond in cruel or selfish ways. We can twist it according to our greed and ambition. And that is what I was afraid of because I did it. I rejected the bond to later use it as an excuse to hurt Maddie. And no matter how much I love my brother, I know how forceful and cold-hearted he can sometimes be."
"Well, if you think about everything that happened between us, your worries had a serious fundament."
"Mikkeli almost repeated my history, and almost is a keyword, and that's what I am jealous about. I am jealous that he got a second chance, that he had time to earn your forgiveness and your love, and that, in the end, he put your feelings first, even risking his own life. And now he has his whole life to love and cherish his mate, and I will never have that."
His voice is shaking. I see tears in his eyes as I reach to hold him. We hug each other as he keeps sobbing on my arm. Then suddenly, I feel Mikkeli's fury, and Hayden pulls away from me.
"I'm sorry, Hannah, it will be better if I go," he quickly says and enters the house.
I look at Mikkeli, who stands on the opposite side of the garden and sends daggers toward us. I keep sensing his anger and jealousy until he lowers his eyes as if I've just caught him stealing cookies from the cookie jar.
I wait for him to look at me again; I want him to look at me again. And he does, a little bit shy and surprised. I smile at him, letting him know I'm not angry. He comes to me.
"What did you mindlink Hayden that he ran away?" I ask.
"I had a brief moment of desiring his blood on my hands. I think he felt that. I'm sorry; you know I trust you."
"Ok, I'll go and check on Rosie and Kyle, and later I'll go to bed. I'm tired."
I enter the house but don't manage to get to Kyle's room because I bump into him in the corridor. He looks pale and says that he feels awful, but ensure me that my sister is sleeping soundly in his room.
"Ok, I take you to the Gideon. " I say and let him rest on my shoulder.
"Don't bother; I mindlinked him already. He's coming," Kyle says as I help him to sit on one of the couches in the living room.
A couple of minutes later, Gideon enters the room, but he's not alone; next to him are Hank and Connie.
"I want to say goodbye before I leave. So maybe we speak for a moment," she says.
I nod and leave Gideon with Kyle as the rest of us go into the corridor.
"My father has already left, but I had convinced him to leave here till the end; our Beta and head warriors with Gamma and their mates, I'm also about to leave, but my pack members will stay till the end; we don't want to offend anybody anymore. Today is the great day for my pack and all allies, and I don't want to spoil it."
"Your father, for sure, didn't seem to care about offending anybody," I say.
"My father wanted that merge between our packs; he kept talking about my mating with the heir of the Blackwood pack with the previous Alpha when I was a small girl, only that time he thought I was about to marry Hayden. Now he's so unhappy all his plans are ruined."
"What about your mate? They can be somewhere there?"
She smiles sadly, looking at me.
"His bloodline is the most important thing for him, and my mother failed to give him a son. So he finds me too weak to rule after him. He clarified that my obligation towards the pack is more important than my supposed mate. I will be left with nothing if I ever mate without his consent. But now that Mikkeli is no longer an option, I feel even relief. I manage to keep my freedom a little bit longer."
I say nothing. I don't know what I should say. I pity her; like Mikkeli or Hayden, she is just another child of Alpha whose only purpose is to serve their father's pride and nothing more.
"Nevertheless, I didn't mind mating with Mikkeli. I know that if we have ever mated, he would treat me fair. But now, it's no longer an option. I was honestly surprised that he chose you; he was always his father's son".
"No," I say" Mikkeli is Mikkeli. He is himself. His father doesn't define him."
"Well, in that case, I wish you good luck. Hank make sure the rest of our pack will stay till the end," she says and heads towards the main door.
I see as the door gets closed behind her and look at Hank.
"I'm sorry I was avoiding you tonight. I didn't want to escalate the tension. Do you believe her?" I ask.
"Yes, that's how it is in our world. Mates are blessings from heaven, and yet we keep twisting them and bending to our expectations." he sighs. "That kid, he is pregnant after that?"
I nod my head, and Hank keeps looking at his shoes.
"I notice something in my pack funds," he finally says. "I checked the books, and it seems that quite from some time, the large sums have just disappeared, recently very large. Ryan didn't think it was important when I told him about that."
"Do you think these large sums could've been used to pay for rogue attacks against my family?" I try not to sound too worried. "Who in your pack has enough authority to do that?"
"All high members, including Alpha's circle of friends and me," he responds.
"But why would somebody in your pack pay to disturb the family of the Alpha of this pack? What for?"
Hank takes a deep breath and says:
"And that's the biggest problem, what for? It's as if someone wants to eliminate Mikkeli, but what for? Even if Mikkeli is gone, Hayden will inherit his title and later his sons, and after them, Tony and later their Gamma and next head warriors. So even if it's Ryan working on getting rid of Mikkeli, it will change nothing for him. He could only gain something if Connie was a Luna here and..."
When he says the last word, his breath suddenly gets rapid, and he starts panting and sweating as if in great pain.
"Hank, are you alright?" I ask, getting closer to him as he leans against me and starts trembling violently.
Before he could collapse, I manage to drag him into the living room, and we both fell to the floor.
Gideon immediately rushes towards us and kneels in front of Hank, who trashes violently on the floor, screaming. I can see his eyes turning red, his fangs and claws growing. My totally panicked eyes look at Gideon, and I almost cringe seeing his face.
"He was poisoned. I know what's happening to him. Kyle, I know you are tired and in pain, but if we want to save him, I need you to lie beside him. Release as much of your omega pheromones as possible; he may live if he is strong enough. Hannah, go upstairs and lock yourself with your siblings. I would notify Mikkeli if someone else were poisoned. We are in danger," he whispers.
Kyle doesn't argue, he shifts and lies close to Hank, and Gideon leaves the room. I follow his command immediately; I can feel Mikkeli sensing my distress as I go toward the stairs, and that's when I hear screams coming from the garden.
But I don't manage to get to my brothers' room as I feel a sharp pain and darkness engulf me.