Blessed By The Moon

Chapter 55

The road stretched endlessly, lined with trees that looked darker than I remembered. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was everything I carried in the trunk,  metaphorically and literally.

Storm's hand never left mine on the drive. He didn't speak much, only once to tell me to close my eyes. I tried. Sleep didn't come, I thought of Jordan, but I leaned into the silence, the low hum of the engine, the steady warmth of his palm.

When the forest began to thin and the wide, familiar gates of Alpha Elijah's pack came into view, my chest tightened, it had been too long since I last saw it. The scent of pine, the subtle hum of pack life woven into the air, the place where everything started going downhill.

As the car rolled closer, two guards stepped into the road, their hands on their weapons, shoulders tense. One lifted his hand, signaling us to stop.

Storm slowed to a halt, but he didn't let go of my hand. 

The guard approached cautiously, his voice firm. "State your name and your purpose here."

I lowered the window, the crisp air rushing in. My heart was in my throat, but I forced the words out. "It's me. May."

The guard froze. His eyes widened, and his whole body shifted, rigid to almost stumbling back in disbelief. "M-May?" His voice cracked. He leaned down, searching my face like he couldn't quite believe it. Then, recognition dawned. Relief softened his features. "By the Moon, it's really you."

Behind him, the second guard lowered his face, the tension dissipating, I couldn't see him clearly but I had a feeling I recognized him.

"Yes," I whispered. "I... I've come home."

He glanced past me, eyes flicking toward Storm in the driver's seat. His tone sharpened just slightly. "And him?"

Storm didn't move, didn't flinch under the scrutiny. His silver eyes gleamed, steady as stone.

I tightened my grip on his hand. "He's with me."

The guard hesitated, then gave a slow nod, stepping aside. "Welcome back, May. Alpha Elijah will want to see you immediately."

The car rolled forward, and the weight in my chest grew heavier with every turn. Every familiar scent and sound wrapped around me, both comforting and suffocating, children running past, warriors training in the yard, Yara's bakery was now closed... life had gone on without me.

When Storm parked, I couldn't move at first. My fingers trembled against the handle, then the door opened from outside.

"May?"

The voice cracked me open. My father.

I stumbled out of the car before I even saw him, and then I was in his arms. Alpha Elijah towering and unshakable, clutched me so tightly I thought my ribs would break. His scent, cedar and smoke, wrapped around me, pulling me back to the girl I used to be.

"My little star," he whispered against my hair. His voice was rough, breaking in ways I had never heard. "I've missed you."

"Hey dad," I choked, my tears soaking into his shirt. "I'm here. I'm here now."

Then another set of arms joined, softer but no less desperate. My mother, she cupped my face, her tears matching mine. "My sweet girl," she breathed, pressing her forehead to mine. "You came back to us."

For a moment, I let myself drown in them. Their warmth, the weight of their relief, but it didn't erase what I carried behind me. Nothing could.

When they finally pulled back, their eyes shifted, sharp, assessing, toward Storm. He stood a step away, silent but unyielding, his hands in his pockets like he was bracing for judgment.