Mira’s POV

I lay on the bed, wanting to take a restless nap, when a soft knock at my door pulled me from sleep. I wasn’t meant to fall asleep at all, but the forest’s steadfast energy had finally worn me down. Cyrus was already dressed. He spoke to the guard outside before returning to the bed. His smile was calm, but his eyes glittered with something unspoken.

“They want to introduce you to the pack. He said gently.

I got up, the import of the request settled over me like a heavy weight. My stomach turned, but my expression was steady. I had expected this, but not so soon. And not like this. Not when Kael was watching.

By midmorning, the entire pack had gathered in the garden, just beyond the Pack House. Warriors lined the edges, flanked by families. Young wolves stared with curious eyes. The people were filled with anticipation, and whispered names and half-choked secrets. I stood at Cyrus’s side, my chin high and my spine straight. But my heart pounded against my ribs.

They stared. And they whispered.

The moment my name was mentioned aloud by Elder Garron. "Mira Voss, of Windermere, guest of honor and ally to Blackridge," a ripple cut through the crowd. Some eyes widened in recognition. Others narrowed. I could feel goosebumps on my skin. The effect of their judgment, their memory, and their confusion.

“She’s back?”

“That’s Kael’s; she was Kael’s mate.”

“I thought she disappeared.”

“No, she was rejected.”

I kept my gaze fixed ahead. I refused to let the sting show on my face or reaction. I didn’t come here to beg for a place. I came here because I had earned it with strength, with dignity, and with blood they would never see.

Cyrus reached over and squeezed my fingers gently. His presence beside me was warm and grounding. But it didn’t shield me from the rest. It didn’t stop the way my wolf flinched every time someone called my name like it was poison.

Kael was a few feet away. He stood tall and composed. He was flanked by his Beta and his council members. His expression was normal but unreadable. He hadn't spoken a word after my first appearance from the forest. But his eyes had found mine the moment I entered the garden. They hadn’t moved since.

And I hated that I noticed him. I hated that part of me that still cared for him. Even now, my wolf moved beneath my skin at the sight of him. Her instincts didn’t care about politics or pain. They only remembered that once, he was everything. I pushed her down, hard, and stepped forward when the Elder gestured for me to speak.

“My name is Mira. I stand here not as a ghost from the past, but as a representative of Windermere. And as a woman who has lived and healed far from here. I do not come to disrupt. I come in peace. And I hope to earn your respect again.” I said, my voice steady and clear.

Elder Marna, the oldest among them, stepped forward with narrowed eyes. “We remember when you left, girl,” she said, voice clear and cold. “Your return brings questions. And questions bring unrest.”

I didn’t flinch.

“Then I will answer them if needed,” I said calmly. “But I will not apologize for surviving.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd again, this time, more curious than cruel. I felt Kael’s energy shift, but I didn’t dare look his way. Not when my balance was so delicately earned.

Cyrus spoke next, his voice firm and diplomatic. “Lady Mira has been instrumental in our negotiations. Her insights have brought unity where there was division. If you should judge her, let it be by the progress she inspires. And not the past you’ve chosen to remember.”

There was power in his words, and I appreciated the shield he offered. But a shield wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to stand on my own. And I wanted Kael to see that.

The meeting dissolved soon after, with the Elders giving noncommittal nods and the crowd dispersing slowly, like reluctant smoke. I turned to leave with Cyrus, my steps controlled, but every part of me still tingled with tension. I knew I had been the spectacle of the morning. The rejected Luna who dared to come back.

On our way to the guest quarters, a voice called my name. “Mira.” I froze.

The sound of my name in his voice, Kael’s voice, was sharper than I remembered. Like stone dragged across steel. I turned slowly, meeting his gaze.

He was alone now, no council and no guards. Just him.

“I need a word.'' He said.

Cyrus straightened beside me, but I placed a hand on his arm before he could speak.

“It’s fine,” I said. “Give us a moment.”

Kael’s jaw twitched as I stepped away from Cyrus; the space between me and Kael shortened. I didn’t stop until we were standing only inches apart, close enough to feel his breath, but not close enough to be pulled in.

“What is it?” I asked. And refusing to let my voice waver.

He fixed his gaze on me for seconds and said. “You handled the pack well. He said quietly. “Most would have crumbled under what they threw at you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I’ve already crumbled once. I didn’t come back to do that again.” I stated.

“This is harder than I thought it would be.”

I forced a slight smile and retorted. “Then you shouldn’t have asked me to come.

“I didn’t,” he said. “Cyrus did.”

That stopped me. I blinked. Then turned my head slightly toward Cyrus in the distance, watching us with patient restraint. “He told me you wanted me here.” Kael looked down. “I didn’t stop him,” he murmured. “Maybe that was the same thing.”

The wind stirred between us, and for a moment, I saw him as he used to be, raw, too serious, always trying to fix everything by pushing it away.

Especially me.

“If you came here to say you regret it, don’t,” I said carefully,

Kael looked at me, and the sadness in his eyes almost made me stumble.

“I don’t regret loving you.but only regretted the way I left.” He said.

I opened my mouth. But no words came. Just a thick, aching silence that neither of us seemed brave enough to fill. And then before either of us could say more, a warrior ran toward us, breathless, eyes wide.

“Alpha,” he said, bowing. “There’s been a breach in the outer perimeter.”

Kael’s entire stance shifted. His shoulders squared. His expression hardened. He turned to me, sharp again, focused. “Go inside. Stay with Cyrus.” I stared at him. “What’s going on?” He hesitated. Then said, “They left another mark.”