The Black Crescent pack territory was hidden in upstate New York—acres of forest, rolling hills, a massive lodge that served as headquarters. As Kael's SUV wound through the gates, Lyla stared at the compound in disbelief.
It was beautiful. The main lodge was built of stone and timber, with wide windows that looked out over the forest. Smaller cabins dotted the landscape, smoke curling from chimneys. Wolves moved through the trees, some in human form, some in fur, all of them pausing to watch the vehicles pass.
"It's like a resort," she murmured.
"With more wolves," Leo added from the back seat.
Luna pressed her face to the window, her breath fogging the glass. "There's so many! Can I play with them? Can I run with them? Can I shift and run with them right now?"
"Soon." Kael glanced in the rearview mirror, a smile playing at his lips. "First, you meet the pack. Then we see about playing."
The lodge was warm and welcoming—stone fireplaces, comfortable furniture, wolves in human form moving through the halls with quiet efficiency. They stopped to stare as Kael entered with Lyla and the twins, their eyes curious, assessing.
"Alpha?" A massive, scarred man approached. Lyla recognized him from Leo's description—Marcus. "You brought them here?"
"They're in danger. The Crimson Fang attacked at the park."
Marcus's expression hardened. "Casualties?"
"Two rogues. One escaped to report."
"Then we need to prepare. I'll call a war council."
"Wait." Lyla stepped forward, her voice steady despite her nerves. "Before you plan wars, my children need dinner and baths. They've had a long day."
Marcus blinked, clearly unused to being interrupted. He looked at Kael, who nodded.
"She's right. Get the guest quarters ready. We'll meet in the morning."
The guest quarters were a small apartment within the lodge—two bedrooms, a living area, a kitchenette. Luna immediately claimed the bigger bedroom, declaring it "princess-worthy." Leo sat on the couch, staring at the ceiling with an expression that made Lyla's heart clench.
"What is it, baby?"
"The wolves here are loud." His voice was quiet, his silver eyes distant. "They're all thinking about us. Some are happy. Some are scared. A few are angry."
"Angry why?"
"Because we're human. Or they think we are." He looked at her. "They don't know about the Moon Spirit. They don't know about me and Luna. They just see humans in pack territory."
Kael, who'd lingered in the doorway, stepped inside. "Leo's right. Some of my pack won't accept you at first. They've been taught that humans are weak, that mates must be wolves. It will take time."
"Then we'll give them time." Lyla sat beside Leo, pulling him close. "We're not going anywhere."
Luna appeared in the bedroom doorway, her arms crossed. "Is there food? I'm hungry. Very hungry. I haven't eaten in minutes."
Kael smiled. "I'll have dinner sent up. Anything you want. Anything at all."
"Pizza!" both twins shouted simultaneously.
"Pizza it is."
After dinner, after baths, after the twins finally fell asleep, Lyla found Kael on the balcony overlooking the forest.
"You're still here," she said quietly.
"I said I wouldn't leave."
"I know. I just... expected you to have Alpha things to do. Meetings, plans, whatever Alphas do."
"I do. They can wait." He turned to her. "How are you holding up?"
"Honestly? I have no idea. Twenty-four hours ago, I was an architect with weird kids. Now I'm in a werewolf compound, hiding from rival packs, and the father of my children is a billionaire Alpha who kills people with his teeth."
"That's a lot."
"It's insane."
Kael smiled ruefully. "It is. But Lyla—" He moved closer. "I meant what I said. I'm in this. Whatever comes, we face it together."
"Together." She tested the word. "I don't know what that looks like."
"We figure it out. Day by day." He reached for her hand. "Can I show you something?"
"What?"
"The forest. At night. It's beautiful under the moon. I think you'll understand it better than you realize."
Lyla hesitated. The twins were asleep. Marcus was watching the door. For the first time in five years, she wasn't solely responsible for everything.
"Okay."
They walked through the trees, Kael leading her to a clearing bathed in silver light. The moon hung huge and bright overhead, and something in Lyla stirred in response—a warmth, a recognition, a feeling she couldn't name.
"This is where I come to think," Kael said. "When pack politics get overwhelming. When I need to remember why I do this."
"Why do you do it?"
"Because someone has to protect them. The pack, I mean. They're my family. My responsibility." He looked at her. "I want you to be part of that family. You and the twins."
"Even though I'm human?"
"You're not human. You're a Moon Spirit. You just don't know it yet."
Lyla closed her eyes. The moonlight seemed to pulse against her skin, warm and inviting. Something was happening—something she couldn't explain.
"Kael?"
"Yes?"
"I feel... strange. Like there's something inside me, waking up."
Kael was beside her instantly. "What kind of strange?"
"Like something's been sleeping for a very long time. And now it's stretching. Like it wants to come out."
"Let it come. Don't fight it. The Spirit has been dormant for years. The full moon is calling it."
Lyla breathed. And breathed. And then—
The world exploded into sensation.
Scents flooded her—every tree, every animal, every wolf in the territory. Sounds sharpened—leaves rustling, hearts beating, whispers on the wind. She could hear everything. Smell everything. Feel everything.
Her eyes snapped open.
They were silver. Fully silver, glowing like twin moons.
Kael stared at her, awe and terror mixing on his face. "Lyla. You're beautiful."
"I can... I can feel everything. The pack. The forest. The—" She gasped. "The children. I can feel the children. They're dreaming. Luna's dreaming of running, and Leo's dreaming of the moon."
"Moon Spirit," Kael breathed. "You're awakening."
"Is that bad?"
"No." He pulled her close, careful, reverent. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
Lyla leaned into him, overwhelmed by sensation, by power, by him. And for the first time in five years, she felt whole.