POV Drake

The battle was over quickly, but its implications will last much longer. Watching Aria direct her warriors was a revelation—the strategic mind I'd dismissed for years now on full display, saving lives and securing victory.


I help tend to the wounded, working alongside Silver Lake's residents. They eye me warily at first, but seeing me labor without complaint or privilege seems to soften their suspicion.

"You're not what I expected," a young wolf says as I help him bandage his arm.

"What did you expect?" I ask.


He shrugs. "Instructor Stone said you were a traditional Alpha. I figured that meant arrogant, demanding respect without earning it."

I wince at the assessment. "She wasn't wrong."


"But you fought for her today," he continues. "Even though she left you."

"She had every reason to leave," I admit, surprising myself with my candor. "And I had every reason to fight for her today."

The young wolf studies me thoughtfully. "She's different when she talks about you now. Less angry."

This catches my attention. "She talks about me?"

He nods. "Sometimes in training. Uses you as an example of how even strong wolves can be blinded by obligation and tradition."

I laugh despite myself. "An educational tool. Well, at least I'm useful for something."

The cleanup continues into the evening. I find myself working alongside Elena, Silver Lake's formidable female Alpha.

"You surprised me today," she says bluntly. "I expected you to try commanding everyone, throwing your Alpha weight around."

"Would it have worked?" I ask wryly.

"Not a chance in hell," she replies with a snort.

We work in silence for a moment before she speaks again.

"She's built a good life here. Respected. Independent."

"I can see that."

Elena gives me a hard look. "So what exactly are you hoping for, coming here?"

It's the question I've been asking myself since I arrived. What do I want? To bring Aria home? To reclaim what was lost? Neither seems right anymore.

"I don't know," I admit honestly. "At first, I just wanted to apologize, to see her safe. Now..."

"Now you see who she really is," Elena finishes. "Who she always was, when she wasn't trying to be what you wanted."

The truth of her words stings. "Yes."

"And?"

"And I love her more for it," I say quietly. "But I don't deserve her forgiveness."

Elena considers this. "Probably not. But that's for her to decide, not you."

She walks away, leaving me with that thought. It's humbling to realize that after years of making decisions for Aria, the most important one now rests entirely in her hands.

In my room at the inn that night, I stare at the ceiling, replaying the day's events. Aria commanding her warriors. The respect in their eyes. The life she's built without me.

Tomorrow we'll talk. I have no idea what will come of it, but for the first time in months, I feel something like hope.

Not hope that she'll return to being my Luna—that role seems too small for her now. But hope that somehow, we might find a new way forward. Together or apart, but with truth between us at last.