Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 173: Telling the Pack

Chapter 173: Telling the Pack

LUCIAN’S P.O.V.

The battlefield was finally silent, but the air filled with the aftermath of chaos. My mind couldn’t quiet down; the image of my Teresa and her brother taking over the battle field was etched into my brain. Their new forms were steadily growing on me, but they both needed a new cloaking spell if they wanted a chance at a normal life in society.

"Elizabeth," I called, my voice low but firm, breaking the tense quiet. "We need another concealing spell on them—now."

Elizabeth stepped forward, brushing her fiery red hair over her shoulder as she inspected Teresa and Luke. "You two really have a flair for the dramatic, don’t you?" she muttered, her tone dry but laced with affection.

"Not our fault," Teresa said with a shrug, the sass in her voice almost making me smile. Almost. "You didn’t exactly leave instructions for what to do when we start glowing like the Fourth of July again."

Elizabeth gave her a pointed look before snapping her fingers. "Stand still. Both of you. And try not to think about... whatever it is that makes you glow. Strong emotions, magic bursts, I don’t care. Just don’t do it."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "So, you’re saying we can’t... feel things?"

"Yes, precisely," Elizabeth replied, already forming a glowing circle around them. "And for the love of all that is sacred, try not to get into another life-or-death situation. Like I mentioned before, this spell isn’t as strong as that of your mother’s."

Teresa rolled her eyes, but I caught the flicker of concern in them. "Don’t worry," she said, crossing her arms. "We’ll behave."

I snorted. "You? Behave? That’ll be the day."

"Careful, Lucian," Teresa shot back, her glowing eyes narrowing. "I might just glow out of spite."

Rylan chuckled at that, though he quickly stopped when I glared at him.

Elizabeth finished her spell, her warm brown eyes softening as she looked at them. "That should hold—for now. But seriously, try not to... you know... feel." She sighed and turned to me. "I’m going to need a long vacation after this."

Before I could respond, Helen appeared from the shadows, her steps light and purposeful. She wiped her blade on a piece of cloth before sheathing it. "No more threats to my glowing nephew and niece," she announced. "But I can’t stay."

Teresa frowned. "You’re leaving?"

Helen nodded, her expression calm but distant. "I have to find my sister. She’s still out there."

Luke stepped forward, his face tight with gratitude. "Helen, we owe you. Thank you for everything."

Helen smirked. "Save the gratitude, glowing boy. I only knew to help because your mother gave me a head’s up."

"You’ll miss us," I teased, crossing my arms.

Her smirk widened. "Oh, absolutely. Especially the itching and the smell of wet dog."

Rylan barked a laugh. "We’ll send you a care package of fur and dander."

"Do that, and I’ll hex you," Helen shot back, before vanishing into the night.

*******

Two days later, the pack gathered in the meeting hall, murmurs of curiosity filling the room. I stood at the front, my gaze sweeping over them. Ares growled in satisfaction. "It’s always a source of pride to know we’ve managed to shield our pack, no matter how many dangers have come our way," he said, his voice steady and confident. I nodded in agreement, a small smile tugging at my lips. There was nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing their faces light up with happiness and relief—it made every battle worth it.

"Thank you all for coming," I began, my voice carrying through the hall. "I have two announcements today."

The pack stilled, their eyes glued to me. Perfect. I loved a captive audience.

"First," I said, letting a grin tug at my lips, "I can see again."

For a moment, there was silence. Then the room erupted in cheers, whoops, and whistles.

"I knew he wasn’t blind-blind," someone whispered loudly. "He was too coordinated!"

Another chimed in, "Honestly, Alpha’s always been perfect. Blind or not."

Rylan leaned over, muttering, "They’re practically worshipping you."

"As they should," I muttered back.

One of the elders stepped forward, his face curious. "Alpha, if I may... how did you lose your sight in the first place? You never told us."

I stiffened, my jaw tightening. The truth—about witches, Mai, and the Moon Goddess—wasn’t something I was ready to share. "I just woke up one day and couldn’t see," I said smoothly. "Then, on the morning after my wedding, I woke up and... well, here I am."

The elder didn’t look entirely convinced, but he nodded slowly. "The goddess must be pleased with your union," he said, his tone reverent.

The pack roared with agreement, clapping and cheering. Teresa elbowed me lightly, her eyes twinkling. "Smooth, Alpha."

I winked at her. "Always."

"Second announcement," I continued, "Your Luna, Teresa, and her brother Luke recently discovered that they’re not just human. They’re Fae Titans."

The room fell silent, the air thick with surprise.

"Fae Titans?" one voice whispered.

"Is that good or bad?" another asked.

Teresa stepped forward, her chin held high. "Listen up!" she called, silencing the crowd instantly. "Yes, I’m a Fae Titan. Shocking, I know. Trust me, I’m just as surprised as you are."

A few chuckles rippled through the room.

"I thought I was human my whole life," she continued. "Now I’m glowing and sprouting wings. It’s... a lot. But here’s what you need to know—I’m working on controlling my powers, and I’ll only use them to protect this pack. If anyone has a problem with me being your Luna..." She smirked. "Suck it up. I’m not going anywhere."

The room erupted into cheers, laughter, and a few nervous chuckles.

Rylan nudged me. "You sure you’re the alpha? She just owned this room."

"She owns me," I said without hesitation, earning a bark of laughter from him.

Later that evening, the pack gathered around a massive campfire. The flames crackled, sending sparks into the cool night air. Teresa and I sat close, her head resting against my shoulder. Around us, the pack laughed, talked, and enjoyed the rare moment of peace.

Adrian and Juliette were cuddled together, whispering in that annoyingly romantic way that made even Ares gag. The kids—Mai, Ollie, Eldur, and other pack children—played under the moonlight, their laughter ringing through the clearing.

"You know," I said to Teresa, my voice low, "if I’d known you were this powerful, I’d have tried harder to behave."

She smirked, not looking up. "You? Behave? That’ll be the day."

I leaned closer, brushing my lips against her ear. "Careful, Luna. You’re playing with fire."

Her laugh was soft, teasing. "Good. I like a challenge."

Before I could respond, a sharp cry cut through our conversation. "Eldur!"

Adrian and Juliette were on their feet instantly, rushing to the source of the sound. Teresa and I followed, dread curling in my stomach.

We found Eldur sitting on the ground, clutching his leg, blood seeping between his fingers. Mai stood nearby, a fork in her hand, stained with blood. Ollie looked like he wanted to disappear.

"What happened?" I demanded, my voice sharp.

Mai looked up, her expression eerily calm. "He told me to stab him. So I did."

Adrian turned to his son. "Eldur? Is that true?"

Through his tears, Eldur nodded.

"Why?" Juliette asked, her voice full of exasperation.

Eldur sniffled. "I wanted to see if it would hurt."

Teresa crouched, her voice sharp. "Mai, where did you even get a fork? You know you’re not supposed to play with sharp objects!"

Mai handed the fork to Teresa, her expression innocent. Too innocent. "I’m sorry," she said sweetly, but her silver eyes sparkled with mischief.

I exchanged a look with Teresa. She saw it too—Mai wasn’t sorry. She enjoyed it.

"We’ll talk about this later," I said, rubbing a hand over my face. "Adrian, I’m sorry. She’s... a handful."

Adrian sighed, lifting Eldur gently. "He’s a handful as well but he’ll heal. You might want to keep an eye on her. I think you know who is making her presence known. She’s got... potential."

*******

Back in our house, Teresa paced the room, her arms crossed. "It’s happening, Lucian. Adrian’s right; the witch inside Mai... it’s waking up."

I ran a hand through my hair. "She’s four. We shouldn’t even be thinking about this yet."

Teresa stopped, her gaze intense. "We don’t have a choice. I’ll ask Elizabeth to start her training. If we don’t teach her control now..."

I didn’t need her to finish. The thought of Mai losing herself to dark magic was enough to keep me up at night.

Before we could discuss this further, my phone buzzed. I answered, already irritated. "What?"

"Sir," Kenneth’s voice came through, nervous. "Sorry to disturb your honeymoon phase, but there’s a problem at the company."

"What kind of problem?" I growled.

"Some shareholders are planning to vote you out as chairman. They think your blindness—and your temper—are liabilities. There’s an emergency meeting tomorrow."

My grip on the phone tightened. "Those foolish humans! They really think they can vote me out of my company?"

Kenneth hesitated. "It seems they do."

I ended the call, my jaw clenching. Teresa placed a hand on my arm. "Lucian?"

"They’ll regret this," I growled. "Every single one of them."

I was looking for an outlet to pour out my frustrations anyway. Thank you, Kenneth.