Chapter 260

Ava

The morning sun cast long shadows over the ruins of the Packhouse as Chris and I picked our way through the debris. The acrid smell of smoke still hung heavy in the air, making my eyes water and my throat itch. Charred wood crunched beneath our feet, and here and there, small wisps of smoke still rose from the wreckage even though the fires had been put out last night.

If it weren’t for the other Alphas showing up when they did, however, the building would have still been smoldering now. And for that, Chris and I would forever be grateful.

We approached what remained of Olivia’s garish throne, which was now nothing more than a heap of blackened rubble in the center of what was once the banquet hall. I felt a fresh surge of anger bubble up beneath my skin and kicked at its base with the toe of my boot, watching with grim satisfaction as it crumbled further in on itself.

“Well, that’s rather symbolic, isn’t it?” Chris chuckled from beside me.

I sneered, scoffing at the absurdity of it all. “The queen’s mighty throne, reduced to ash.”

Chris and I stared at the heap of rubble for a moment longer before he turned. “Let’s keep looking,” he said softly. “We need to find... well, you know.”

We continued our search, sifting through the ruins for any sign of Olivia or Elise’s remains. But as the hours passed, we found nothing. No bones, no recognizable fragments—nothing. Not even Patrick’s bones remained, even though his body hadn’t been removed during the fire. The flames had burnt them to a crisp.

“If they died in the fire,” Chris said, wiping sweat from his brow, “their remains are long gone.”

I nodded, feeling a strange combination of relief and disappointment. Part of me had hoped for closure, for definitive proof that our ordeal was finally over. But another part was glad not to have to face the grim reality of their charred remains.

That was, assuming they had even died. For all we knew, they could have escaped—they could be out there, somewhere, plotting something else.

But I doubted it. With all five packs’ forces surrounding the entirety of Moonstone, Olivia and Elise would have had to burrow a hole beneath the earth to escape. I wouldn’t have put the idea past them, of course, but they would have been caught before they got very far.

Sighing, I turned to survey the wreckage one last time. “This is all my fault,” I muttered. “If I hadn’t knocked over that brazier…”

Chris cut me off before I could finish. “No, Ava. This is not your fault. You saved us all. We’ll rebuild the Packhouse, make it better and stronger than before. This isn’t an ending—it’s a new beginning.”

As I was about to respond, something caught my eye: a flash of green poking out from under a fallen beam. Frowning, I moved closer. “Chris, help me lift this,” I called.

Together, we heaved the beam aside. I crouched down, brushing away ash and debris, and gasped as my fingers closed around a familiar object. The moonstone.

I stood, holding it up to the light. It had been cracked in half, one side crushed to dust, but the other half still clung to its chain. Without a word, I walked to Chris and gently placed it around his neck.

“It’s finally home,” I said softly, “even if half of it is missing.”

Chris touched the stone. “I was such a fool,” he murmured. “It was right under my nose this whole time. And the blight... it came from my damn helicopter all along.”

I cupped his face in my hands, forcing him to meet my eyes. “You were not a fool, Chris. Even when you thought the blight was caused by the missing moonstone, you never once left it up to fate. You worked tirelessly to protect our pack, even when you believed forces beyond your control were at work. We’ve both made our own mistakes—what matters is what we do to make things right.”

Chris’s hand drifted to my belly, a tender smile replacing his frown. “Well, I couldn’t have done any of it without you, Ava. My True Luna.”

We pressed our foreheads together, savoring a moment of peace amidst the wreckage. But it was short-lived.

A faint sound caught my attention—coughing, coming from somewhere nearby. Chris and I exchanged a glance before following the noise. It led us to the Packhouse cellar entrance, which had been hidden behind piles of rubble and ash.

Clearing away the debris, we pried the burnt door open and were hit with the cool, musty scent of the basement. Chris pulled out his phone flashlight, scanning the darkness. As we descended the stairs, the coughing grew louder.

There, in the dim light, we could make out two figures huddled in the corner. My heart leapt into my throat as I recognized them.

Olivia and Elise.

Elise lay motionless as we approached, her face ashen. Dead.

But Olivia stirred, her golden dress now reduced to burnt tatters. She was hardly conscious, her face blackened with soot, but she was alive. Chris cursed under his breath, and it was hard to tell if he was relieved or angry that she had survived.

“Get them out of here,” he ordered the warriors who had followed us down. “Take Olivia to the clinic. And... take care of Elise’s body.”

As they carried the Elder’s lifeless form past me, I felt a tear prick at the corner of my eye. Despite everything she had done, she had been our Elder. Now she was gone, and with her, any final prophecies she might have had. We would never know.

Hours later, I paced outside the clinic, waiting for Chris. When he finally emerged, his face was dark, unreadable.

“How did it go?”

He shook his head. “Not now. I need to speak with the Alphas first.”

Within the hour, all five Alphas, the remaining Elders, Leonard and Ophelia, and Chris and I had gathered in my living room. The place felt like a hovel now compared to the grand estates that the other Alphas had boasted, especially with so many people crammed into the small space, but no one complained.

“You have a lovely home, Luna Ava,” Winston said, accepting the tea that I offered him. “Thank you for having us.”

I nodded and thanked him quietly, unsure of what else to say. It was still awkward, looking Winston in the eye—and it was clear that his compliment was not yet easily given, either.

But it was a start.

Finally, once we had all settled, Chris began. “I’ve been thinking about everything that has happened, about how we move forward from here. And I have a proposal.”

He paused, his eyes briefly meeting mine before sweeping across the room. “I propose we form a Council of Alphas... and Lunas,” he added with a nod in my direction. “A council spanning all five packs, consisting of our male and female leaders, Elders, and even a human emissary.”

With that last word, he looked over at Ophelia, whose cheeks turned pink at the mention.

Murmurs of surprise and interest rippled through the room. Chris held up a hand for silence.

“This council would meet annually to discuss politics, make decisions that affect all five packs. We have seen what division can do to us. I believe it’s time we were truly united. What do you all think?”

Alpha Fabian was the first to speak. “And who would lead this council?”

“We all would,” Chris replied. “Equal voices, equal votes. No single pack would have more power than the others.”

“And the human emissary?” Alpha Winston asked, clearly skeptical.

“Ophelia,” Chris said, gesturing to our friend. “That is who we would nominate for Moonstone. Although, I believe that each pack should have their own.”

The Alphas and Elders murmured amongst themselves. Finally, Elder Paul said quietly, “Alpha Chris is right. The human world is not so disconnected from ours as we previously thought. Perhaps it would be… beneficial to incorporate humans in our affairs.”

The other Alphas exchanged glances, uncertainty and intrigue flashing across their expressions. Finally, Alpha Edward spoke.

“It’s an ambitious idea, Chris. But I think it has merit. What would be the first order of business for this council?”

Chris’s face darkened.

“The first order of business will be… What the hell to do with my damn sister?”