The Lone She-Wolf

Epilogue

Diane's POV

It's been over a year since the defeat of Wilma, the birth of Cleo's triplets and of course the night Andrew and I finally marked each other. The Lunardi-Crone and the rest of the Lunardi witch council came a couple weeks after that. The Lunardi witch council was made up of a Crone, a Mother, a Maiden and a Child, all of which were direct descendants of Mother Moon herself. They allowed Wilma to live, but they did strip her of her magic. According to the Crone, Wilma had forfeited her right to their Lunar magic when she used it to harm one of her own kin. Albeit, a very distant member of the family, but we were still direct descendants of the Moon Goddess herself, and we were never meant to fight one another, but to work together to keep the peace between all of the factions of our great ancestor's family.

Once they had instructed some of their handlers to take the powerless Wilma back to their lands where she would work in order to learn her place and stay there, the Lunardi-Mother had start asking me about how the preparations for my coronation. I was excited that the entire council seemed excited about the fact that I was bringing back a very important branch of the family back into the light and even offered their help with preparing for the event. Since Andrew and I had fully mated in private, I was formally announced to Andrew's pack as their Luna... but we also made another announcement that night.

We had decided that since the Royal lands were right next to Andrew's pack lands, that we were going to combine the two lands together so that Andrew could take his place next to me on the Lunardi-Wolfe throne... Andrew would be titled King of all Werewolves and I the Queen of all Werewolves. This combination of lands would be somewhat temporary, however, because the Throne was passed down from mother to daughter out of respect for Mother Moon who had given us all of these blessings... and thus, our first born daughter would be the next Queen and our first born son would become Alpha of Andrew's pack lands.

The ceremony had been one long week celebrating as the Alpha's from around the world came to pay their respects for our old traditions and to acknowledge me as their Queen. None held any doubt that I would be a good Queen, or showed any distaste at the fact that I was bringing the matriarchy back... honestly, I think the majority of them were relieved that the Royal family was being reestablished and the rest simply didn't mind either way because they would rarely have to deal with me in their minds. How wrong they had been.

Tonight was actually the one year anniversary of our coronation and I waited outside of the ballroom, watching as friends, pack members and visiting representatives from all of the other packs as well as some of the other branches of the Moon Goddess's family, danced together in great joy and merriment. I smiled as I watched Cleo enjoying one of the rare nights that we asked the staff to watch her pups, as well as other pups, in the near by nursery for the wolves that were in the ballroom at this moment.

"There you are, Love." Andrew's voice caresses my skin as I turn my bright smile to him, my simple yet elegant gown matching the color of the shirt he wore with his dress suit.

Andrew looked every bit of a King, proud of all that we had accomplished together in the past year of ruling over the entire werewolf species. The number of rogues had decreased severely, since I had made it my mission to try and rehabilitate them back into pack society. The number of young pups that were either homeless or had been found with human families had dropped significantly as we had decided to use one whole side of the palace to house all of the orphans, run-aways and stray pups that we found. The Palace Warriors were once again revered as the strongest in the world now that Andrew was training them in the ways that were proper for their status. All in all not a bad year, if I had to say so myself. And I do. I'm that confident in all that we've done, so sue me for boasting.

"Are you ready to hear a lot of screaming, cheering and noise in general?" I ask him as I settle in my usual place by his side and hug him, as I also relish in the comfort and safety that I always feel when I'm within his arms.

"Cleo's going to get mad when she discovers you didn't tell her before gala night." Andrew chuckles at me sweetly but I just roll my eyes playfully as we step closer to the entry way and square our shoulders as we prepare ourselves to walk in.

"That's why I'm having her read the announcement card for me." My eyes shimmer with amusement and humor as we exchange one more loving look, "She'll get over it once she reads it for herself."

"So long as you're happy and healthy, I know that our future as a species is secure." Andrew tells me in a very proud tone as we take our first steps into the ballroom, causing the music to stop and every one to pause in their actions so that they can greet us properly.

"That and no matter what, we now have at least one heir for our community to rely on in the future." I murmur softly as I wave to the crowd before secretly running a hand over my stomach.

"Don't worry, my Queen... we'll have plenty of heirs for you to dote on along with this one." Andrew whispers huskily in my ear and I am immediately turned on by the look that he gives me.

"You, my King, are a tease in all my favorite ways. However, for now, I think it best if you behaved." I tell him as I lean into his side again and give him a quick peck on the lips just a moment before Cleo joins us at the bottom of the ballroom staircase.

"I'm ready to help with your announcement sis." Cleo tells me and I smile at her brightly as I hand her the card with what I wish her to say.

"I guess I'll get their attention then." Andrew comments, even though almost everyone's attention is already on us.

"Friends, Family, Pack members from all over. We thank you for joining us tonight on this, the one year anniversary of our coronation, and thus the mark of the first full year that our Werewolf Royalty has been returned to us." Andrew catches the last few people's attention with the attention of those who had already been focused on us and he held it expertly, "We don't want to go into a whole lot of business tonight, because we want everyone to have fun and enjoy the evening. With that said, we'll only have one announcement tonight and because my Queen was instructed not to strain herself tonight, we have asked her Blood Sister Cleo to read, out loud, the announcement card that she is currently reading."

Cleo's head is bobbing up and down from reading the card that I'd given her, to looking me dead in the face and back again. The amusement in my eyes as I watch her do this, all the while trying to listen to my mate speak to the collective group, was enough for her to be drawn out of her shock and finally react to what she had read.

"YOU'RE PREGNANT!?!" Cleo basically shrieks, loud enough for the entire Palace grounds to hear no doubt, before pulling me into a bone crushing hug in her excitement, "Oh my Goddess! Diane, you're pregnant!"

The was truly the best way for the news to be announced in my opinion, because the following cheers and congratulations that Andrew and I received, after Cleo released me, because of how Cleo had yelled out was definitely a blessing for all to hear. When I thought back to everything that I had been through, everything that I was still going through and looked at all of the people that I knew would help me get through anything that came my way... especially my amazing mate. I use both of my hands to cradle my belly gently as I gazed at the barely there bump that held my growing little pup.

"Boy or girl, you'll have a strength all your own... and that's because you have a strong family to help build it up with you, not like how I grew up." I tell my belly softly, feeling content and proud that soon I'd have my own child in my arms in a couple of months time, "I can't wait to see the amazing things you do in the future... because you will never be alone."

THE END

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