Aether's Claim | Editing

Chapter 24

Ares didn't need to challenge Riven's father.

Once he saw Ares shift and begin to make his way to him, blood oozing out of every wound on his body, he did what needed to be done. He knelt on the rain-soaked floor, gaze pointed to the ground and neck exposed.... submissive.

He was willingly handing over his pack to Ares...

The area was silent as the realisation spread through every one of us, hearts beating almost in sync as we waited for what Ares would do. He could either take Riven's father's life or leave him to become an unranked member of the packs once they united. The risk was great for both - if Ares took the life, some would see him as heartless, they would question his judgment and it would do no good but sow seeds of doubt in his new pack members. But if he didn't take the life, there was a possibility that some would stay loyal to their original Alpha, begin to plot against Ares...

It was a tough decision, but I trusted him to make the right one...

Riven's father saw how powerful Ares had become, how hell-bent and determined he was to have me as his mate. Riven's father did not want to shed more blood. And it would not just be his own...pack his members would be offended that a male had taken the life of their Alpha. They would challenge Ares without thinking, without seeing reason.

Ares was wise...he knew this, which was why he decided to spare Riven's father.

When Riven realised what had happened, she jumped into my embrace and we laughed, a joy spreading over us. She would be free to be with her own mate, and I mine.

I broke away from her, embracing Ares as he collapsed from exhaustion in my arms. He was almost three times the size of me, a beast of a male, yet I felt no hesitation as I placed a kiss onto his lips.

Our first time...but not our last.

Months went by and the preparations for Ares to take over both packs were underway. The border had to be combined, allies formed, even the coronation outfits had to be fitted. The whole ordeal was taking a toll on Ares and yet, he still always managed to find time for me.

His mate...

It was so surreal. Almost a year ago I was moving away from him, angry that he was to be mated to Riven. And now...we had even gone so far as to have marked each other, and I was to be crowned as his Luna.

Luna...

My mother, when she realised it, almost jumped out of her seat...excitement washing over her. My wolf too was overwhelmed by the realisation, and the power was beginning to get to her head. Being an unranked wolf for her entire life, then suddenly being thrust into the position of Luna...it must have been strange.

I wasn't any different, though, if my stubborn nature had anything to say about it. As I promised myself, I would be a force to be reckoned with, and one of my many orders were that the pack's respect the tradition of mates...that no one is allowed to mate with another who isn't their own and doing so would be punishable.

It was a bold move, but I knew it was needed. No one would ever have to go through what I went through, no one would ever seek the sweet release of death just because their mate laid with another.

Ares and I, our relationship, it was a rocky one. Despite the mate pull that thrived between us, there were many unspoken tensions, many nights where I slept back in my own apartment due to disagreements. I still had a long way to go with fully trusting him, I was still insecure within myself no matter how strong I had grown, but every day Ares showed me he was indeed sorry, and he would do everything in his power to make it up to me. This allowed me to fully open up to him, to state how I felt at every crossroad and communicate with him, so our thoughts were aired out. Wolves were usually not this vocal with each other, but after all we'd been through, I believed Ares and I were doing the most we could to make sure this worked out.

We had both opened up to each other, both acknowledged that mistakes were made, though more him than me... I had to tell him that Aether and I had kissed, though I had made it expressly clear it was only once, and he let me know that he and Riven had, that day that I had seen them, kissed too.

And that was that.

I had grown to see love in a new light. I had been deceived by my mother and father's - their love was perfect, incorruptible and the best kind. Other love, it was fractured, warped, and imperfect. It lived in the moments we shared, the arguments had, and the words spoken. It wasn't so explicit, wasn't so bold and daring. It needed footing, it needed a strong base so at the slightest wind it wasn't knocked over. It needed two willing, committed participants to put their one hundred percent in it at all times.

But what mattered the most, was that love could conquer all.

No matter what, Ares and I were living proof that the Moon had a path for us all, and destiny was intertwined with the love that we shared with others, as corny as it sounded. We could never escape our destiny, only through death, we could deviate and lose our way, but we would always find the right path back...guided by those who loved us, and who we trusted.

My destiny was with Ares, by his side, as one of the most powerful Alpha's in our generation. He would lead werewolves into a new era, a new age of change. And no matter what the future held for us, I knew we would be okay.

Together.

"I love you, my Luna." Ares smiled down at me.

I chuckled, I was hating the lovey-dovey talk, but my wolf revelled in it, so I was beginning to grow used to it. Ares pulled me in and kissed me, our mouths moulding together in perfect harmony as we lay on his bed.

The mate pull was stronger than ever; it was constantly between us, pulling us together. I never had to lack in love, never wondered if Ares truly wanted to be with me. He always made me feel wanted, always listened to my needs...both physically and emotionally...

We had not yet mated but the time would soon come.

"I love you too, my Alpha." I breathed out, pulling away.

No more did sadness constantly reside in my heart. Instead, a slow joy always rested there, always, as if the best was yet to come. I anticipated so much more for us, so much had to be done. We were still young, if I could ever believe it - it felt like I had already lived through the milestones of a lifetime.

And in a way...I had.

The death of my father, the betrayal of Ares, Aether's betrayal, and my subsequent mate ship to Ares. It was as if time was moving so fast with me...but I was glad I could put all the sorrow and shame behind me, I was glad I could now openly love my mate.

There was nothing more to say between us, no more sorrows and no more weeping. All we could do was move forward, learn from the painful past we had left behind and make sure we didn't make those same mistakes again.

The pack was ecstatic at the outcome, many of them visiting me for hours on end in the months that followed. They mostly apologised for never coming to see me in my time of need, informing me that Warren had commanded all to stay away from me...only Aether and my mother could see me, their love for me overriding any Alpha's command.

All stories have darkness within them, all stories have those fighting for what's right, even if the journey seems futile. Ares and I, we had gone through so much, but this was just the beginning of our journey, our new life together.

Our.

That word again, it finally meant something. Ares and I were together. On some nights, lying next to a sleeping Ares, both of us tangled together, I couldn't even believe it.

My mate.

My Alpha.

Alpha Ares.

Luna May.

I cringed in my head, I would still have to get used to my title. But, in time, I would.

Ares is mine.

Just as I am his.

And nothing will ever change that again.