Love And Betrayal | ✔️

65. In the days after (II)

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To building new beginnings.
And living happily ever after.

—Kiara Evergreen
(Love and Betrayal)

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A D E N

GOOD THINGS HAPPEN in the moments you least expect them.

Multiple meetings are held over the span of the next few days. The future is discussed at length. Changes are made—some good, others debatable.

By Friday, a decision is made. Stella Carter reassumes her role as Luna of the Dark Wolves. Until she finds her second mate, she would run the pack herself.

In an unprecedented move, the Blood Hounds had stood by her. Despite their initial hostility, they were united in their disgust towards our father when he publicly claimed it was preposterous and unheard of for a Luna to rule on her own.

Elena Taylor, ex-Luna of the Blood Hound Pack, had stood up and reminded him when her mate died in the first rogue attack, she had taken care of her pack and her children by herself before Ashton stepped in as Alpha at the age of eighteen.

It's okay for a female to run a pack.

Okay for a person to be given a second chance. It's how they mature and become the best version of themselves.

And the news doesn't just end there.

The Blood Hound Pack after careful consideration decided they would remain here while still retaining their old territory in La Push. Stella would be trained under Elena just like Kiara before her.

In the meantime, another issue arises within the other packs. While the Blood Hounds might've chosen to stay, the Black Stone and Wolverine Packs wish differently. They want to go home.

"Too much blood has been spilt here. Too many lives lost." Luna Tessa had explained before the Guardians who hadn't been too enthusiastic about letting them go. "We have paid a heavy price to see this day come. Some of us are lucky. We only have physical scars. But some of us have been traumatised, orphaned and broken. We need time to heal and rebuild and grow."

"Four enormous wolf packs living in such close proximity would spark fights. Egos would clash. Relationships would sour. Unintentionally or not, this might magnify into monstrous proportions and even end up blowing up to a civil war."

"What do you have in mind?" Cerberus Custos had asked her, point blank.

"I propose we part ways while we're still allies so that in the future, we may continue to remain so."

So, in the end the Guardians had conceded. And the Black Stone and Wolverine Pack had returned to their old territories.

It wasn't an easy decision, but after the war, nothing is. Everyone deals with trauma in their own way. They do what they do to survive. Thrive.

But as long as there's unity between us, we have faith we'll overcome the odds one day.

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The afternoon everyone goes home, an unexpected guest comes to pay a visit.

The air is still chilly when Ernouf Maikoh wheels himself in through the open door, bundled up in snug winter coat. Glasses perched high up the bridge of his nose, he must've frowned at the sight before him.