I set Azalea down, allowing her to regain her bearings. Once she was steady, she nodded, signaling her readiness. I took her hand and led her into the room, knowing Felix would be watching from the rear.

Inside, Gwen lay on the floor, her hands and feet bound. "She was in the chair when I left," Felix said over the link. A knocked-over chair lay beside her; her mouth was gagged. Declan and his mate stood in the corner; Mrs. Hale sobbed into Declan's chest. Damien sat behind my desk, head in his hands.

"Felix, please return Miss Hale to the chair," I said flatly. Felix nodded. Gwen struggled, screaming through her gag. "Enough, Gwen! Cooperate!" I commanded in my alpha voice. She immediately stilled. I walked behind the desk and placed a hand on Damien's shoulder. Felix secured Gwen.

"I'm sorry about this. You don't have to be here. Go back to your party," I said quietly.

He looked up at me, shaking his head. "No, I need to be here," he said firmly. I nodded.

I turned to Declan and his mate. Declan met my gaze. "I'm sorry it has come to this," I said. He nodded, understanding he could no longer protect Gwen. I addressed Gwen; Felix stood behind her, Damien and Azalea flanking me.

"Gweneth Hale, you are guilty of attacking the future Luna of Blood Eclipse. You were warned against harming her, yet you attempted to take her life. Do you have anything to say?" I addressed the room.

Felix removed her gag. She spat it out, shouting, "SHE IS NOT MY LUNA! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE LUNA! I DO! I SHOULD BE YOUR MATE, NOT THIS TRASH!"

"That's not for you to decide," I said, my anger rising.

"SHE WILL NOT TAKE MY PACK, MY MATE, AND MY FAMILY!" she screamed.

"Gwen, stop!" Declan yelled. Mrs. Hale cried harder.

"Azalea is my fated mate. The Moon Goddess chose her as Luna. Who are you to challenge that?" I challenged Gwen.

"Azalea is such a nice girl, Gwen. But she is not our daughter. She couldn't take your place," Mrs. Hale sobbed.

"ENOUGH!" Azalea shouted, surprising us all. We all looked at her.

"So, you have something to say finally?" Gwen sneered.

"Yes. I never asked for any of this! I can't help my parentage, my past treatment, or my fated mate. I never wanted anything from anyone. I just wanted to be left alone! You tormented me!" Damien and I flinched; we'd been complicit in that torment. "Just because the Moon Goddess didn't give you the mate you wanted, doesn't mean you get to hurt me. I didn't ask to be Luna! But I'll do a hell of a better job than you ever could. You don't deserve the family who protects you after everything you've done!"

Gwen's mouth dropped open. I squeezed Azalea's hand; I was proud of her.

"My Luna should decide your punishment, as you attacked her," I said calmly. I looked at Azalea. Doubt flickered across her face. I nodded, linking her: "I trust your judgment."

She turned to Gwen, then to Declan and Damien. "Mr. and Mrs. Hale, Beta Damien, I'm sorry for these circumstances. Gwen poses a danger to me, Liam, and the pack. Releasing her isn't safe, nor is sending her to relatives again. Her time away didn't change her."

She paused, looking at me. "Gwen, you will be held in the pack jail under strict observation indefinitely. Counseling will be available if you cooperate. Perhaps you can reform and rejoin the pack someday. Visitation is denied until I deem it beneficial." Her eyes locked on Gwen, who was strangely silent.

I smiled at my mate. Her forgiveness and mercy were overwhelming. I looked at Gwen. "That's far more than you deserve. What Azalea said will be done. Felix, can you and Austin handle Miss Hale?"

Felix nodded. Austin entered to assist. Mrs. Hale sobbed; Declan held her. Damien watched his sister leave. Once she was gone, he turned to us.

"Thank you, Azalea. Thank you for letting her live," he said quietly. She gave him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused," she said.

He shook his head. "No. Gwen was wrong. Even if her mate rejected her, she had no right to hurt you. And we had no right to torment you as children. I'm sorry," he said.

She embraced him. He was surprised but hugged her back. "It's okay. I hope she chooses to help herself," she whispered.

She released him, returning to my side. Declan and Mrs. Hale approached.

"Azalea, thank you for showing Gwen mercy. I'm so sorry she tried to hurt you. We never thought…" Mrs. Hale sobbed.

I looked at Declan. "Thank you, Alpha, Luna," he said, voice choked. He left with his mate. Lily peeked in as they exited.

I turned to Damien. "Take your time. We'll handle the party." He nodded. I took Azalea's hand and left. Lily entered; we left them alone. I stopped halfway down the hallway.

"You were amazing," I said softly, looking into her green eyes.

She embraced me. "It didn't feel amazing," she said. I stroked her ginger curls.

"It never does," I said. Something troubled her. "What is it?"

"What happened with the Delta from White Moon?" she begged.

I sighed. "He's in the cells. Damien and I are arguing about what to do. My Beta supports you; he wants a rescue mission, bringing back cooperating wolves and punishing only Eirlys and those threatening you."

"What do you think?"

"I think we should execute the Delta and decimate what's left," I said. She flinched; I knew she'd dislike my answer. I wanted to shield her. I cupped her face. "They tried to take what's mine. They hurt you and Lily. They need to know I won't tolerate it. The world needs to know I won't allow anyone to hurt you or my pack."

She was silent. "Okay. I trust you and Damien."

"We should go back. People will be leaving soon," I said. I noticed her ripped dress. I put my jacket around her. She smiled tightly. We returned to the party hand-in-hand.

Azalea

Damien and Lily joined us to say farewell. They weren't leaving immediately; they'd depart for their honeymoon in a couple of days. Katy, Betty, and Lily's parents helped clean up.

Upstairs, Liam helped me out of my dress. I put on one of his shirts, fixed my hair, and crawled into bed. I rested my head on his chest, processing the day. Liam's hand slipped under my shirt, stroking my skin.

"Little Luna?" he said softly.

"Mmm," I replied.

"When do you want to get married?"

I smiled. His proposal had slipped my mind. I looked at my ring. He took my hand, interlacing our fingers, and kissed my finger.

"So, when?" he prompted.

"I don't know. Shouldn't we tell your parents first? Now that they're trying more…" I said.

His arm tightened around me. "You're always so considerate," he said softly.

I looked into his eyes. "You're their only child. I'm sure they want to be involved. And there are probably Alpha/Luna traditions your mother knows about…"

His eyes widened. "I wasn't expecting that…you being so willing to talk to my parents. I was ready to defend you not wanting to invite them," he said.

I shrugged. "They seem to be trying. I'm not saying your mother picks my dress, but we can be civil, right?"

He kissed me. "They can be included as much as you want. As long as I marry my Little Luna, I don't care."

I smiled. "I know they were wrong, and they do too. We can move forward, right?"

The next morning, I woke to an empty bed. Liam had left. He usually waited for me. I hoped nothing happened. I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and put my hair in a ponytail.

In the bedroom, my shirtless mate held a breakfast tray.

"There you are," he said huskily.

"What do you have?" I asked excitedly.

"Breakfast for my fiancé," he said, setting the tray down. I couldn't help but look him over. "Although, we could skip breakfast and go straight for dessert," he said, looking at me. I blushed.

He pulled me close, kissing me. "As much as I want you for breakfast," he grinned, "you should eat, Little Luna. I'm worried about you after healing yourself last night."

"Okay," I said. I liked him taking care of me. The tray held French toast, strawberries, and bacon. "This looks great," I said, smiling.

"I'm glad. I burnt six pieces before getting it right," he laughed. I giggled.

After breakfast, we got ready. "So, what are you and Damien doing today?" I asked.

"We're deciding about White Moon before his vacation," he said, worried I'd want to discuss it further.

"Oh," I said. I was still unsure about White Moon.

"Also, my parents asked for dinner. I told them it was up to you," he said nervously.

"Oh, really? Um, okay."

"Are you sure? I can tell them no."

"No, really. It will be fine," I said, smiling.

"I love you so much," he said, kissing me.

"I love you too," I said.

I spent the day with Lily, packing wedding decorations and her dress. We ate leftover cake and packed for her honeymoon. We didn't discuss Gwen. I was supposed to have lunch with Mrs. Hale and other women, but she canceled.

Before dinner, Damien and Liam collected us. They were tense. "Ready, baby?" Liam said.

"Yeah, let's go," I said. We were meeting his parents at a restaurant. Liam likely wanted a public setting to ensure civil behavior. He was quiet during the drive.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I linked.

He sighed. "Later," he replied.

I nodded, placing my hand on his arm. We drove in silence. He parked and got out; I waited as he came around. He opened my door and stood there.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. It was a stressful day," he said, brushing my hair away from my face.

"Are you sure you want dinner with your parents? They'd understand," I asked.

"No, we're here. We should do this."

"Okay," I said, smiling. "Can you do something first? Give me a kiss."

He smiled. "I think that can be arranged," he said, kissing me. I held his face. I felt his frustration, but also his relaxation. "Let's go inside," he said. We walked hand-in-hand inside.

Liam's parents were already seated. His father nodded curtly; his mother smiled brightly. Liam pulled out my chair.

"You're such a good boy," Luna Lyssa said.

"Simple manners, Mother," Liam said boredly. "So, why are we here?"

"No need to be short with your mother," Alpha Robert said. The waiter arrived. Liam ordered for us. It was awkward.

"So, Mother, Father, why did you ask us here?" Liam said, slightly annoyed.

"Congratulations are in order," Luna Lyssa said, smiling at me. I blushed. "Please dear, I'd love to see the ring," she asked.

"Oh, um, sure," I said. She examined the ring. "It's beautiful," she said, looking at Liam. I smiled and nodded.

"We should talk about your mate's Luna ceremony and your nuptials," Alpha Robert said.

"And what exactly is there to discuss?" Liam said.

"There are expectations for any Luna. Your mother and I want to support your mate, but we can't support someone not strong enough to lead," he said darkly.

"Now, Robert. We know Azalea may not be physically strong, but I told you we shouldn’t discount her…" Luna Lyssa said, worried.

"And what exactly do you mean by 'not strong enough'? What do you know about her?" Liam said, angry.

"Don't think I'm unaware of what happens around the pack house. If the girl isn't with you, she has a personal guard. She should only need that when you travel," Alpha Robert stated. I looked down. He spoke the truth.

"How I handle Azalea's safety is none of your concern," Liam growled.

"Your mate's perceived strength affects this pack," Alpha Robert said.

"Robert…" Luna Lyssa tried to stop him.

"No, Mother. Let me get this straight. Mom convinced you to be nice once she realized I'd be with my mate and she'd miss out on grandchildren. People changing their opinion on her reflected badly on you two for not being at the announcement. You begrudgingly agreed to accept Azalea to make Mother happy. But you don't really feel that way. You may have some regrets, but it's clear you don't believe she's fit to be by my side," Liam said angrily.

Alpha Robert's face remained impassive. Luna Lyssa looked worried. "Son, that isn't entirely true. Your father is just concerned about the pack. Once an Alpha, always an Alpha…" she tried. I fought back tears. I didn't want to come between Liam and his family.

Liam stood. "There's no excuse. It's clear where he stands. If you can't accept my mate wholly, then you don't need to come to the Luna ceremony or wedding." He held out his hand to me. "Come on, sweetheart. We're leaving."

I grabbed his hand, but stopped him. "Wait, Liam," I said. He stopped, surprised. "Alpha, Luna. I know there are hard feelings surrounding my mating with your son. I feel like the Moon Goddess gave me Liam for a reason. You raised an amazing man. When I watch him interact with the pack, I feel pride and awe. Every day, I work as hard as he does to take care of Blood Eclipse. I'm sorry I'm not physically strong. Liam doesn't make me feel less. And because of that, other pack members don't either. Liam is your only pup, and I don't want to hurt your relationship. I would appreciate it if we could find some middle ground. I probably won't ever be your favorite person, but I'd like us to get along, for Liam's sake."

Luna Lyssa covered her mouth. Alpha Robert looked thoughtful. He stood. "Young lady, I appreciate your candor. I'm sorry for how things used to be. But you're right. We're all adults, and we can find a middle ground. You will make a great Luna if you can make Alphas compromise," he said, offering his hand.

I shook his hand. I turned to Liam, who was silent. "Son, please sit. Let's have dinner and start fresh. We'd really like to get to know your mate…" Luna Lyssa said softly. I looked at Liam.

"We can stay. You don't have to forgive them all at once, just extend the olive branch," I linked him. He was conflicted; his pride was getting in the way. I placed my hand on his chest. "I think you'll regret it if we leave. Let's try," I said. He nodded.

"My Luna has spoken," he said to his parents, and we sat down.