BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha
Chapter 304: COVEN LORD AURORA AND NESSA

Chapter 304: COVEN LORD AURORA AND NESSA

"In a world of shifting loyalties and fading stars, I found my forever in you." — Aurora Jade

The marble halls of the Paradise Coven never quite lost their chill, even beneath the burnished sun pouring through the arched windows. But today, it was not the cold that curled through my chest. It was the memory of poisoned water and off-corrupted tides. Of Ashanai’s voice echoing through the sea like rot spreading under skin.

We had barely stepped through the threshold of the main council chamber before the elders rose from their seats, their robes sweeping like shadows across the onyx floor. Nessa moved beside me, steady and quiet, her presence grounding mine. Behind us, Captain Belisont stood tall and unflinching ever the soldier, even with salt still crusted in his dark curls from the Bay.

"I see the sea following your home," murmured Elder Caelum, voice calm but eyes sharp.

I inclined my head. "It did more than follow, my lord. It tried to drown everything in its path."

The coven grew still, and I stepped forward, each footfall echoing through the chamber like a warning bell. "Ashanai rose from the depths. Her soul was no longer her own. The corruption twisted her into something... monstrous. She turned on the Bay Pack first, scouring their waters, draining the light from their wolves. And then, she turned toward Hanka Island."

A ripple of unease passed through the circle of elders. Nessa lifted her chin. "We stood with them. As did the Bay Pack survivors. But it was not our strength that turned the tide."

Belisont nodded. "We were losing ground. Every strike, every defence was not enough."

I exhaled, remembering the moment the waves shimmered with something holy. "And then she came."

"The Moon Goddess," Captain Belisont whispered.

"Yes." My voice was quiet, reverent. "And she was not alone. Fenrith was with her, he was the First Omega, the origin of the Line. They burned through the taint in the water, undid the spell Ashanai had cast across the sea. It was not a battle in the way we understand it; it was a correction. Divine. Absolute. But before that, it was our own Frey who brought down Ashanai, and today, as Paradise Coven, we are proud of our son.

The room was silent.

"They spared her?" asked Elder Aaron, one brow arched, unsure.

"They unmade what remained of her," I said softly. "There was no Ashanai left to save."

Nessa touched my arm gently, then turned her gaze to the council. "The Moon Goddess thanked Paradise Coven. She said your decision to stand with the Bay Pack and the wolves of Hanka was a signal to the realm that holding grudges can no longer divide us. That unity, now, is more than choice. It is survival."

A beat passed before Elder Armon, my father, finally spoke again, more to the chamber than to us. "Then Paradise has done its duty. And more."

The silence returned heavier this time. An unspoken truth is settling between us.

"We will remain watchful," Captain Belisont stated. "And we will remember. Aurora Jade, you have done your Coven and your realm proud."

I inclined my head again. "And I will continue to do so. For as long as the sea remembers my name."

Beside me, Nessa took my hand and for just a breath, I could still taste the salt of battle on my tongue, but I could feel peace rising too. However brief, however hard-won.

It was Elder Thesan who finally broke the silence, his voice low but firm. "And what of Freyr Kayne?"

All eyes shifted to me, but it was Nessa who answered before I could. "Freyr remains on Hanka Island," she said gently, her voice carrying that smooth certainty that always softened even the sharpest council blades. "With Tor of the Bay Pack. They have begun building their home there, something away from the politics, the weight of bloodlines and histories. A sanctuary."

Murmurs stirred in the circle like wind through ash leaves. It was not disapproval. I heard at least not all of it. Some of it was curiosity. Some of it, an uneasy relief.

"But his loyalty?" Elder Sherri asked, brows narrowing in that way of hers.

Nessa met her gaze unflinchingly. "To both. Freyr is the son of Paradise Coven. His soul remembers these halls, just as the sea remembers his name. But he is also of the Bay Pack now through blood, bond, and choice. He belongs to both. And to neither,"

I watched the words settle into the room, their honesty disarming.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Elder Aaron leaned back, folding his hands together. "Let him have his peace. If Hanka Island is where he can be free and whole, then let him stay. The Coven does not own its children. We protect them. And sometimes, we must let them go."

Relief swept through me quietly and warmly, like a breeze after a long night at sea. I felt Nessa’s hand brush lightly against mine beneath the folds of our cloaks.

"We’ll watch over him," I said quietly. "Even from afar." No one challenged it, and no more questions followed. And as we turned to leave the chamber, I allowed myself one breath of ease.

The night air in Paradise was softer than I remembered. It was the way Nessa walked beside me quiet, steady, her fingers brushing mine now and then like she could not let me go. We made it home just past moonrise. The wards hummed a welcome as we stepped into the calm of our stone-and-crystal haven. The weight of politics, of battles and council inquiries, peeled off with every breath inside these walls.

"Straight to the shower?" she asked, a small smile on her lips.

I nodded, tugging off my cloak. "You read my mind."

Steam filled the marble-tiled room as we stepped beneath the warm cascade of water, washing away the scent of travel and war. Her hands moved over my skin, soft, grounding, reverent. I turned to face her, water sliding down her cheeks like starlight. Her eyes were lit with something deeper than desire, fierce affection, relief,and belonging.

I cupped her jaw, brushing my lips to her forehead. "You were perfect there, Nessa."

Her eyes searched mine. "So were you, my Lord."

Afterward, we slipped into our bed, silken sheets cool against flushed skin. The room was dim, lit only by the soft flicker of enchanted candles. She curled against me, her legs tangling with mine beneath the sheets. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close until there was no space between us.

"I missed this," I whispered into her hair.

Her lips brushed my throat. "So did I."

Our kiss began slowly, just a meeting of mouths, lips tasting the familiarity we would both longed for. But it deepened quickly, fire laced with tenderness. Her hand slipped beneath my shirt, tracing the curve of my spine, while mine tangled in her hair. There was no rush or urgency, only the quiet surrender of two souls who had endured, who had come home to each other once more. As our breath mingled and the kiss deepened again, I realized there was no safer place in the world than this bed, her arms, her warmth.

Hours later, the room was still, save for the soft rustle of sheets and our mingled breath. I brushed a damp curl from Nessa’s cheek, marvelling at the way the candlelight kissed her skin. Her eyes met mine, storm-grey and steady but shimmering with emotion.

"I don’t want to sleep," she whispered. "Not yet."

"Neither do I," I murmured, pressing my forehead to hers.

We lay there in silence for a moment, hearts beating coordination. Her hand found mine beneath the covers, fingers intertwining.

"I keep thinking," she said softly, "about how close we came to losing everything."

I tightened my grip on her hand. "But we did not. Because we stood together."

Her eyes glistened. "We always will, won’t we?"

I sat up slightly, just enough to look down at her fully. "Nessa," I breathed, voice rougher now, "I have never chosen anything as freely, as completely, as I choose you." Her breath caught. I took her hand and brought it to my chest, where my heart thudded beneath her palm. "I am yours," I said. "In this life. In the next. My soul belongs to you, and no oath or crown has ever held me the way your love does."

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she smiled even as they fell. "Aurora," she whispered, voice breaking, "I give you all of me body, soul, spirit. I vow to stand by you through fire and shadow, through joy and ruin."

She lifted her hand, placing it over my heart, mirroring me.

"My loyalty," she continued, "belongs to you. My love is yours for eternity."

Our lips met again, not with hunger, but with reverence. A kiss that sealed something ancient. Something eternal. We held each other in the silence that followed, and I felt it in the marrow of my bones: the truth of it, the weight of what we had just said. No matter what came. No matter who rose or fell in the world outside, this bond would hold.