JUNIOR

"Are you sure about this, Lilah?" Delilah asked. I nodded. "I have to, Lilah. I'll never be ready to protect everyone if I don't start learning!" She sat on my bed while I combed my hair in the mirror hanging on my closet door.

"What if Uncle Liam says no?" she asked. "We're still kids."

"Dad started training when he was five. Grandma and Mom didn't know I overheard their conversation. That means I'm behind! If I want to be a great Blackfur Alpha, I need to start learning now!"

"Okay," she said, hopping off the bed. "If he says no, we'll figure it out together." I turned to my best friend.

"Thanks, Lilah," I said.

"Good luck," she replied, leaving my room. I turned back to the mirror and took a deep breath. I could make Dad understand. With Grandma, Grandpa, and Mr. Austin gone, there were fewer people to protect us. Dad needed help keeping our people safe, and I wanted to be that help.

I marched to his office, passing Mom without stopping; I had a mission. I knocked, and Dad called, "Come in."

I pushed open the heavy door and went to his desk. "Hey, bud, what's up?" he asked.

"Dad, I mean Alpha, we need to talk," I said.

"Oh?" His eyebrow rose.

"After recent events, I think my Alpha training should begin immediately!" I stuck out my chin like in the movies.

Dad chuckled. "It's pertinent, is it?"

"Yes," I said. "You started at five, and I'm older! Grandma called me the Little Alpha. There's only one Alpha in our pack, so you have to teach me."

Dad smiled, his seriousness unclear. He stood, walked around his desk, and leaned against it, arms crossed. "And what if I say you're too young?"

"Delilah and I will figure it out," I said. Both his eyebrows shot up. He laughed deeply.

"You know the first lesson in being an Alpha?" he asked.

"No," I said.

"An Alpha fights for what's right, but also accepts being wrong," Dad said.

"Wait," I said. "So am I right or wrong?"

Dad laughed. "You came in ready to defend what you believe is right. You considered why, and weren't afraid. If you feel Alpha training is right, I'll accept I was wrong."

"You will?" I asked, disbelieving.

He nodded. "I wanted to protect you longer. Your mother and I wanted you to be a kid. Being Alpha is hard. If you think you're ready, I admit I was wrong. Are you ready?"

"Yes!" I jumped, then controlled myself; Alphas are cool and calm. "Yes," I repeated calmly.

Dad grinned. "Alright, Wednesdays after school for an hour. Alpha training, just you and me."

"One more thing," I said.

"More prepared than I thought," Dad said.

"I want Delilah to train with us," I said. "She'll be my Beta. Betas help when the Alpha's busy, so she should learn with me."

"I'll talk to Uncle Damien," he said.

"Fair," I nodded. "Thank you for meeting with me."

"Thank you for coming," Dad laughed. I walked slowly out, then ran to find Lilah. She'd be so excited.

MADDOX

Missy squeezed my hand as we pulled into the driveway. The Serenity Waters packhouse was far more quaint than the Blood Eclipse one. The entire pack seemed built around a sizeable lake fed by a river.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked as I parked.

"Yeah, I need to do this," I said. It took a long time after the Blood Eclipse attack, but I finally accepted needing to talk to Langston. It was our last day before school, and I knew I'd lose my nerve if I waited.

We got out, and someone our age emerged from the front door. "Welcome, you must be Maddox and Missy! Alpha's told me a lot about you!"

I shook his hand. "Hi," I said.

"Sorry, I should introduce myself. I'm Ronin, the Beta's nephew," he said.

"Nice to meet you," Missy said.

"Alpha's waiting," he said. "He'd have come out, but we're working on making the packhouse more accessible for him."

My stomach felt heavy as we followed Ronin inside. The inside was surprisingly large. Entering Langston's office, we were greeted by Emma's squeal.

"Oh, Missy, you get prettier every day!"

Missy hugged Emma, then held my mate at arm's length, smiling. "Having a mate looks good on you, dear," she said fondly.

"Thanks," Emma smiled.

"Let's get snacks in the kitchen?" Emma said. "We can leave our mates to talk." Missy nodded. "Ronin, sweetheart, could you help your uncle?"

Ronin nodded and left. Emma pulled Missy away, closing the door. I was alone with Langston. He sat behind his desk, not in a regular chair, but a wheelchair.

"Maddox, glad to see you looking so good after the attack," Langston said. I reflexively rolled my shoulder. I still had a scar where my arm reattached; it felt stiff sometimes, but otherwise, you wouldn't know I'd lost a limb.

"Luna Azalea really came through for our pack," I said.

"She's amazing," Langston nodded. "Have a seat?"

I went to a cozy chair across from him and sat down, more nervous now. "Liam said you wanted to talk," Langston said.

I nodded, unable to meet his eyes. "Alpha—"

"Langston. No need for formalities after our adventure," he laughed.

"Langston," I corrected. "I'm so sorry. I should never have left you to fight that Sire alone. If I'd just stayed—"

"We might both be dead," Langston interrupted. I looked up, confused. "Son, you have nothing to apologize for. I knew we faced an impossible situation. I'm no spring chicken, and you're in your prime. Still, more training wouldn't hurt. Telling you to leave was a calculated move for the best outcome."

"But I did it," I said. "I killed Bygrave. If I'd stayed, you wouldn't have been hurt…"

"You killed the Sire after seeing what he'd done to me," Langston said. "You went into a blind rage; instinct took over. I don't think that would have happened if you'd stayed for the whole fight."

"I don't understand," I said.

"Maddox, when you saw my spine was snapped, your demeanor changed. Without reading your mind, I assume it shifted something inside you. You were possessed by revenge. You have immense power and strength that broke free. Not many face such high stakes, so they don't unlock their potential the same way."

"It doesn't feel like that," I muttered.

"I'm sure it doesn't," he smiled. "I've been Alpha a long time. I've seen strong warriors and trained with stronger Alphas. You're letting guilt hold you back. If you can't forgive yourself for something I don't hold against you, it will consume you. Let it go, and you'll be an incredible wolf, warrior, and man."

I met his eyes. "Bygrave had a destined, like a mate. I killed her when she came after Missy."

"Liam sent me a report. You have the perfect partner to support you," he smiled.

The girls walked in, ending our conversation. Emma carried food; Missy had drinks. "How's it going?" Emma asked.

"Great," Langston said. Emma sat on his lap, kissing his cheek. "I was about to ask Maddox about his post-graduation plans."

I felt lighter returning home. Langston assured me he had a plan to step down, and Emma told Missy she was grateful Langston was alive, knowing his extended tenure put him in more danger.

The next day at school was weird. Sol was quiet, but we gave her time to grieve. Emmett was quieter, but the gap in our group was smaller. The weirdest part? People were suddenly friendly to Missy and me. No more whispers or giggles. At lunch, I expected a shoe to drop, but something was missing.

"Why is everyone so nice?" Missy asked.

"The stories," Julie said.

"What stories?" I asked.

"You guys don't know?" Julie asked incredulously.

"Know what?" Missy asked.

"Tell us," I said.

She rolled her eyes. "Stories about you two fighting vampires," she said, giving Emmett a pointed look. "Someone bragged loudly at the clinic about how badass his best friends are and the vamps we took down."

"Wait, they know what happened?" Missy asked.

"A version of it. I heard one girl say you cornered one and bit off each limb before burning it alive, so things have been dramatized," she said.

"Wow," I said.

"They don't think we're misfits anymore. These stories earned us respect and maybe a badass rep," she smiled. Emmett scoffed.

"If it means no more drinks poured on me, I'll take it," Missy said, shrugging. She ate, and the conversation shifted back to school.

It felt normal, and I liked normal.

DAMIEN

Lily and Azalea baked cookies. Since the attack, Azalea had been working to bring normalcy and peace. She watched the kids, making sure they weren't struggling with the loss. She visited the mates of lost pack members, baked, and fed everyone. She kept an eye on Liam, but he had to work through it himself. He was slowly recovering.

I concluded she healed everyone because of the Harvest Moon. There was no other explanation. Her pink aura remained in the sky until sunrise the next day. Yesterday, Delilah banged her knee playing. Azalea rushed to help, but I saw it tired her. She didn't want to talk about it, but looked disappointed her power had consequences.

"Brownie?" a voice asked. Azalea stood before me, holding up a napkin.

"Thanks," I said, taking it.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said. "We just settled Felix into Austin's office. I'll take his things to Abigail soon."

She nodded. No one could bring back the dead. "I'm sorry I couldn't reconnect your wolf," she said, looking down. "I really hoped…"

"It's okay," I said. She looked doubtful. "It'll work out. I have Lily to help keep Cage grounded, and I can fight without him."

"Still, it must be awful having your other half ripped away," she said. "I wish I could help Emmett and the others bitten."

"I guess it must be awful never to have your wolf," I said. Her eyes softened. "I'm grateful I had Cage all these years. He isn't gone, just not with me. Maybe we'll find an answer; maybe not."

"Quinn called," she changed the subject.

"Yeah?" I said.

"She and Michael will be back next week. She wants intense training. She wants a go at you with your axes," she laughed.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," I said, remembering accidentally dismembering Maddox.

"Yeah, for you," Lily laughed, joining us.

"You don't think I can handle the blue-haired hobbit?" I said. Both girls laughed.

"Guess we have a show to watch," Lily said, smiling.