Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 285: Tell Them

Chapter 285: Tell Them

Eldur’s POV

The tires hadn’t even cooled on the pavement outside Nova’s apartment before silence took over the car. A rare silence, one I didn’t mind sitting in for a moment. Nova’s scent still lingered faintly in the passenger seat—vanilla, honey and old book pages—and it made something flutter low in my stomach.

She’d laughed tonight. She’d smiled with her whole face, her eyes, her heartbeat. And gods help me, I had memorized the rhythm of that smile.

But now it was just me, Mai, Liam, and Ollie.

"You’re grinning like a madman," Mai said from the backseat, kicking the back of my seat lightly. "It’s weird."

"I’m not grinning," I said, knowing full well I was. "Shut up."

"She made him smile, people," Liam announced like he was breaking world news. "I’m talking full-on soft eyes and everything. Should we alert the Council of Elders? Sound the ceremonial horns? Eldur Daegon has a human mate and a non-threatening expression. This is it. This is how the world ends."

Ollie leaned forward from the backseat, grinning like a devil. "You looked like you were about to drop to one knee when you fixed her bowling grip. I’ve seen less intimacy in wedding vows."

"It was technique, you gremlins," I snapped, gripping the steering wheel tighter and stepping on the gas just a little harder. "She doesn’t know how to hold a ball, I was trying to help."

"Oh sure, technique," Ollie said with a wicked smirk. "That’s why your hand lingered like you were guiding her into battle, not bowling."

"And you don’t even know how to bowl," Liam added. "You literally used magic on your last turn."

"I did not," I said, maybe a little too fast.

"You blinked," Liam said flatly. "The ball glowed. Then it curved like a boomerang and wiped out all ten pins like a military strike. You can’t even deny it. There were witnesses."

"Maybe the pins glowed in fear," I muttered under my breath.

That earned a collective groan loud enough to rattle the windows.

"You’re impossible," Mai sighed from the passenger seat, but she was grinning too.

And honestly? I didn’t mind. Not with them laughing, not with Nova’s laughter still echoing in the back of my mind.

Maybe soft expressions weren’t such a bad thing.

The ride back to my apartment was loud—mostly them rehashing moments from the night, laughing about Lara almost tripping into a waiter and Mai declaring war on a too-fancy dessert fork. I should’ve been annoyed, but I wasn’t. It felt... warm. Like a fire lit low in your chest on a cold night.

That feeling vanished the moment we stepped into my apartment.

Ollie blinked, did a slow turn like he was on a showroom tour, and said, "Is this... a museum?"

Mai burst out laughing. "Oh my god, Eldur. Did you let your parents furnish this place?"

I shut the door behind them with a snap. "So?"

"So? So, why is everything beige?" Ollie dropped dramatically onto the couch, which groaned like it wasn’t used to holding anyone heavier than a decorative pillow. "This looks like a hotel for rich, boring vampires who lost their sense of color centuries ago."

Liam was eyeing a side table like it might bite him. "This is real marble. Probably imported from some ridiculously rich kingdom. Possibly cursed."

Mai flopped onto the crimson velvet couch like a melodramatic heiress in a ghost story. "I think this sofa just whispered an insult at me. I can feel the generational trauma embedded in these cushions. The bloodshed. The drama. The betrayal."

"It was imported," I said flatly, not bothering to look up.

"Oh, imported," she deadpanned, her eyes wide and voice dripping sarcasm. "Well then. That makes the murder energy so much more tasteful." She added as if her father wasn’t worse than mine when it came to spending on unnecessary things.

I couldn’t help it—I laughed. Like, actually laughed.

Not the usual sarcastic breath I pass off as amusement. Not the dry half-smirk that people have to squint to catch. This was the real deal. A snort-laugh that cracked out of my chest before I could smother it. Loud, stupid, and honest.

And for a second, I forgot about the pressure. The legacy. The looming conversation with my parents.

Maybe Nova’s sunshine was rubbing off on me.

Maybe I didn’t mind one bit.

The others slowly settled in, the teasing mellowing into comfortable silence as I threw some logs into the fireplace and flicked my fingers—sparks danced from my skin to the wood, catching flame instantly.

"So," Mai said after a thoughtful pause, curling her legs underneath her on the couch like a queen settling into her throne. "Are you finally gonna tell Papa Adrian and Auntie Juliette?"

I froze mid-motion, the fire poker hovering just above the burning logs. "Tell them what exactly?"

Mai arched a brow, giving me a look like I was the dumbest genius in the room. "Oh, I don’t know. That you’ve found your mate? That the Moon Goddess herself decided to gift you a brand-new wolf? That you, Eldur freaking Daegon, have stopped brooding in shadows and actually started acting like someone with, you know, feelings?"

Ollie, who was lounging like a lazy housecat draped over the back of the couch, threw in his two cents. "This is like... headline-level stuff. The kind of thing your dad throws a full-blown blood-feast over. Goat soup, ceremonial drums, fire dancers. You think he’ll go that hard?"

Liam winced like he’d been physically struck. "Gods, not the goat blood soup. I’m still traumatized."

I sighed and dropped into the black leather armchair, slouching just enough to feel the weight of my thoughts. One arm hung lazily off the side as I stared into the fire, the flickering orange light painting shadows across my face. "I haven’t told them yet."

Mai’s eyes narrowed, sharp and cutting. "Why not?"

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair—an old, tired habit. "It’s just... not that easy."

The words stuck for a moment, then tumbled out, slow and raw.

"My parents—especially my dad—they’re not exactly the dream in-laws. They’re intense. Overprotective. Dramatic as hell. If I tell them about Nova now... they might go full vampire-werewolf on her. And she’s strong, I know that. But they can be a lot. I’m talking full ceremony, ancestral blessings, moon chants. It’s the kind of overwhelming that makes people run."

My voice dropped lower. "Nova knows about the supernatural now. She knows what I am. But she doesn’t fully understand what it means to be... a mate. That it’s not just some romantic bond—it’s cosmic. Sacred. Chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. And introducing her to my family? That’s like throwing her into the deep end with weights tied to her ankles."

"You’ve gotta tell them," Mai said gently, but firmly. "They deserve to know, Eldur. This is big. Huge. Life-altering. You’re not just the moody prince of a dark castle anymore—you’re stepping into something real. You’re changing. That matters."

"And," Ollie chimed in with a mischievous grin, "we have to see papa Adrian’s face when he finds out you fell for a human. He’s going to look like someone just punched the Moon."

I couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped out. "He’ll probably be more terrified for her."

Ollie smirked. "Exactly."

I turned to Mai. "You like her?"

She blinked at the sudden question. "Nova?"

"Yeah. Do you... think she’s right for me?"

Mai’s expression softened into something warm and sure. "She’s good for you, El. I’ve never seen you like this. You’re present. You laugh. You let her hold your hand in public. That’s basically a marriage proposal in your language of emotional repression."

"Don’t screw it up," Liam added quietly. His tone was calm, but there was weight behind it. "You’ve come too far to let fear decide this for you. Love her with everything. Or let her go and regret it forever."

I exhaled, slow and deep, the fire casting flickers of silver across my vision. I could feel Aethros beneath my skin, quiet and steady.

"You’re right," I said finally. "I’ll go tonight. Tell them everything."

A beat passed.

Then Mai hurled a pillow at my head. "YES. Character development! Emotional growth! This is the good stuff!"

I caught it midair and gave her a flat look. "You people are so annoying."

"And yet," Ollie grinned, "here we are, still invited to your vampire castle."

"I was hoping the couch would swallow one of you," I said dryly.

Laughter erupted around the room.

For a moment, it was just... perfect. The fire crackled softly. Shadows danced along the walls. My friends—my pack—were themselves: loud, sarcastic, fiercely loyal.

And deep within me, Aethros stirred. Not with bloodlust. Not with rage like Raivo always did, but with something softer. Warmer. A quiet hum of peace.

"I’ll leave after you guys head out," I said, leaning back into the chair. "This is something I need to do on my own."

"We figured," Mai nodded.

"You’ll tell us how it goes though, right?" Liam asked.

I didn’t respond. Just smirked.

They all groaned.

"You are a menace," Ollie sighed.

"Fine. I’ll bring you the juicy details, you nosy pack of wolves," I said, shaking my head.

They laughed again—and this time, so did I.

And I meant it.