BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha
Chapter 306: COMMANDER FLORA AND RITA

Chapter 306: COMMANDER FLORA AND RITA

"I vow to guard your heart as fiercely as I defend our home with every breath, every beat, and all the love I carry within me."

The sun had barely crested the eastern cliffs when I stepped onto the training field of the Bay Shifter military base. The morning air was sharp with salt and steel, and already the sound of clashing swords and shifting paws filled the air. This was home to me. Chaos with discipline. Loyalty forged in fire. And today, strategy would guide it all. Rita was already inside the main war room, leaning over the map spread across the central table like a queen about to wage war. Her long braid was tucked behind her back, and her sharp eyes scanned every inch of terrain and border. She did not need to look up to know I had entered.

"You’re late," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Only because I was watching the new enforcers spar. One of them might be faster than Troy," I replied, shrugging off my jacket as I joined her. "Do not worry. I am still prettier."

Rita snorted. "If you say so, Commander."

The table was crowded with markers, small carved figures representing Rogourau units, Shifter patrols, and enforcer outposts. At the north border, the symbols had shifted since I last saw them. "Rogourau protectors are holding the ridge path?" I asked, pointing to the crescent-shaped bluff above the treelined.

"Yes," Rita said. "Rolan sent word this morning. He has placed a rotating guard with Enforcer Troy’s support. They are coordinating with Bay patrols at the western cliff."

I nodded, tracing the connection between the posts. "Smart. It will close the gap that Ashanai’s followers once used. And the Rogourau are comfortable being stationed that far from their main territory?"

"They are," she said. "Especially now that Elle has stepped back. They are honouring her transition and Rou’s leadership." That made my chest tighten not from sadness, but from pride. Elle had fought with honor and ruled with strength. Now she was embracing peace. That was rare and brave. I tapped a finger on the southern coastline. "We still need to bolster here. I do not want another seaside incursion, not after what happened in the Moonlit Gulf."

"The Paradise Coven sent scouts," Rita added. "Dante confirmed their water seers will keep watch."

"And Freyr?" I asked.

"He stays on Hanka Island. But his loyalty has not wavered." She looked at me then, her gaze steadier than the sea. "He gave everything to protect this land, Flora. We owe him our vigilance."

I nodded once. "Then let’s make sure we’re worthy of it."

The doors opened behind us, and General Mortas strode in, flanked by three commanders and two Rogourau lieutenants. Maps were rolled out, border lines redrawn, and contingency plans restructured. My head spun with planning, but my heart stayed steady. We were not just drawing lines, we were weaving a wall of strength, one that pulsed with unity from claw to fang. Hours passed. My hands bore ink stains, and my voice grew hoarse, but the energy in the room stayed fierce and focused. Rita never once backed down from a hard question or a challenge, and I followed her lead with unwavering intent.

When the sun finally dipped toward the ocean and the meeting ended, I leaned against the open balcony rail of the command centre. Rita joined me, her arms crossed, her eyes watching the sea.

"We’re ready," she said quietly. "No matter what comes."

I smiled, a rare softness blooming in my chest. "With you at my side? Always."

By the time we left the base, the sky had surrendered to twilight deep indigo shadows kissed by streaks of gold. The scent of the sea followed us, but softer now, not the sharp breath of war strategy and soldier sweat. Just the peace of the ocean is unthreatening, infinite.

Rita walked beside me in silence, her fingers brushing against mine. That simple touch grounded me more than any battle plan ever could. She did not say anything until we reached the front steps of our house tucked beneath the cliffs, a quiet place just far enough from the barracks to feel like ours.

"I’ll light the hearth," she said, her voice low, almost playful. "Unless you’re still in military mode and want to assign it to me as a task, Commander."

I laughed as I dropped my satchel by the door. "Only if you want me to draft a performance review after."

The soft glow of our home wrapped around us as we stepped inside, warmth in wood grain and worn fabric, the scent of rosemary and citrus clinging to the air. She moved like she belonged here. Like we both did. We cooked together without needing to speak much, her chopping vegetables, me searing meat. Occasionally, she would sneak something into her mouth and smirk at me, daring me to say something. I never did. I just watched her, memorizing every little line in her face lit by golden firelight.

"This is nice," Rita murmured, sliding behind me to wrap her arms around my waist. "Just... being."

I tilted my head back against her shoulder. "It’s everything."

Later, after the meal had long been eaten and the dishes half-forgotten in the sink, we curled on the couch, legs tangled, a blanket draped across us like a lazy afterthought. I traced lazy circles on her arm while she spoke about childhood memories I had never heard soft ones, fragile ones. Stories not built for war.

She leaned in and kissed me. "You feel like home," she whispered against my lips.

I closed my eyes, resting my forehead against hers. "You are home." When she pulled me into her lap, I let myself fall without hesitation. Into her arms. Into the night. Into everything we had built together.

The moonlight slipped through the window, soft and silver, casting gentle shapes across our bed. Rita lay beside me, her fingers brushing through my hair in slow, lazy strokes. We had been quiet for a while, the kind of silence that did not press, did not demand, just... held space for what came next.

Still, something tugged at the edge of my heart, a question I had never dared ask when the days were full of strategy and the nights too fleeting.

I turned my face toward her shoulder, my voice barely more than a whisper. "Do you ever regret it?"

She blinked down at me, brows gently knit. "Regret what?"

"Leaving the mountain. Your people. The Rogourau. All of it... for me."

The pause was brief, but it was there. She studied my face as though trying to see past my question to the worry beneath it.

"I didn’t leave it for you," she said softly, cupping my cheek. "I left it for us."

I let out a shaky breath. "Rita..."

She shifted, propping herself up on one elbow, her other hand resting on my hip. "Rolan and Qadira were always meant to lead. They were born of the mountain’s core fire and stone in their bones. When they were chosen to be the Alpha and Guardian, it was not just a changing of roles. It was a sign. That the mountain would be safe in their hands. That the clan would thrive without needing me to guard it."

Her voice softened even more, and a quiet smile curved her lips.

"That meant I could be free. Free to follow my heart. Free to live without always watching the border or listening for the old spirits in the wind. And my heart..." Her thumb brushed my lower lip. "Has always belonged to you."

I swallowed hard, emotion catching in my throat. She leaned in, kissed the space just below my jaw.

"I do not regret a thing, Flora. I chose a life with you, and I will choose it again every day we are blessed with breath." I pulled her closer, burying my face in her neck, letting the quiet swell between us again this time, heavier with love, deeper with the kind of peace only truth brings. And as I held her that night, I knew love was not about sacrifice. It was about choosing what mattered. And she had chosen me.

The warmth of Rita’s body curled perfectly into mine, her breath a soft, steady rhythm against my collarbone. I held her tighter, grounding myself in the way her presence settled every restless part of me.

"I don’t deserve you," I murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Rita shifted to look up at me, a playful warning in her eyes. "Say that again, and I’ll drag you back to the sparring ring."

I laughed quietly, but the truth still pulled at me. "You gave up everything, your role, your legacy, your home, just to build a life with me. And I have not said it enough, but... thank you."

Her gaze softened, lips parting, but I stopped her with a finger gently pressed to her lips.

"No, let me say this," I whispered. "I vow to protect you, Rita. With everything I have, every soldier’s instinct, every commander’s strength, and every inch of my heart. You will never face this world alone, not if I breathe." Her eyes shimmered in the moonlight, and I continued, voice low and raw. "I will love you with the fierceness of a warrior and the tenderness of a mate who knows how precious you are. I will give you peace, passion, laughter, and safety. All the love in the world is yours, forever." She did not speak. She just kissed me deep, full, and certain. And when we finally curled back into each other, tangled and warm beneath the blankets, I knew my vow did not need to be spoken twice.

It was already written into the shape of our lives.

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