272 The Sendoff
Lucian
TWO DAYS TO THE FIGHT
It was time.
We were finally leaving for Neev, two days ahead of the duel, to meet with Alpha Ighor, finalize the logistics, and settle in. Every hour between now and then was precious. Every decision we made could tip
the balance.
Mara, Martha, Tiffany, and Keisha insisted on escorting us to the base, where the helicopter waited. Their presence, even just for the sendoff, grounded me. Made it feel real.
Our three hundred troops had arrived in and around Neev. Some kept low, blending into nearby towns,
avoiding attention. Others had already positioned themselves near the outskirts of the battlefield, waiting
quietly for the day of reckoning. They knew their cue. On the day of the fight, they’d move. Swift. Silent.
Deadly.
I was relieved, truly, that Mara had agreed to stay in Mooncrest. It wasn’t just strategy anymore. It was
survival. Her strength here was just as vital as mine out there.
Mara, Darian, Tiffany, Rowan, and I shared one car. My father rode in the other, along with Martha, Denis,
and Keisha. I could feel Mara’s tension, tight and thrumming through the bond. I reached for her hand and
pulled her gently to me.
I’ll be home soon, darling, I linked softly.
She turned, kissed me, and nodded without a word.
And then we saw it.
The moment we drove out of Maison’s gate, we were met with a sea of people, thousands of them. They lined both sides of the road, holding flowers, hand-painted signs, cards with words like “Stand Strong,” “For
the Future,” and “End the Monster.” Some were crying. Some shouted our names. Some just stood in
silence, hands over hearts.
I hadn’t realized how many were watching. How many had chosen us.
“They’re listening, Lucian,” Mara whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
I pulled her closer and lowered the window. My hand went out first, and then the rest of me leaned forward to wave, really look at them, these people who had suffered in silence until someone spoke up.
They waved back. Some reached out. Others shouted, “We love you!” and “Make him pay!”
Alaric had made many mistakes, but the biggest was stepping into the light. Now the world could finally see him for what he truly was. There was no more sympathy left for him. No more loyalty.
The crowd didn’t thin.
It grew.
They lined the streets all the way to the base, where a group of children stood waiting, each holding small white flowers, faces solemn, eyes shining. Their parents hovered behind them, hands resting on their shoulders, as if to say: This is who you’re fighting for.
I stepped out of the car into their silence and was nearly overwhelmed. Not by the cheers. But by the
hope.
We weren’t just going to fight a monster.
We were carrying the weight of a nation on our backs.
We stepped out of the cars and began the slow walk toward the entrance. Mara gripped my arm tightly, her
body warm against mine, as we waved to the crowd lining the base. Their cheers and tears wrapped
around us like a storm of emotion, hope, fear, love, desperation, all colliding in the space between now and what was coming.
At the threshold, a little girl stood waiting. No older than six. Delicate features, wide eyes, and a bundle of
red roses cradled in her hands like something sacred.
I bent down to meet her at eye level.
“What’s your name, little one?” I asked, my voice soft.
Her smile bloomed like the flowers she held. “My name is May.”
I smiled back and gently patted her head.
“Come back to us, Alpha,” she said, and held out the roses.
That simple sentence knocked the breath from my lungs. I took the flowers, then scooped her up and spun her gently. She let out a giggle so pure it felt like sunlight in a storm.
Behind me, Mara’s smile faltered just slightly, eyes wet, lips curved.
I turned to face the crowd with May in my arms. “Let’s wave to everyone, May.”
She nodded eagerly, and together, the three of us lifted our hands and waved. The people roared in
response.
Around me, my father, Darian, Rowan, and Denis were also receiving flowers from the children. Their faces softened, touched by the love we were being sent off with. For a moment, it wasn’t just duty pushing us forward, it was something deeper. Something worth bleeding for.
One of the soldiers jogged up to me, his phone outstretched.
“Alpha, you need to see this.”
On the screen was a live broadcast from Driftwake.
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“Alpha Lucian!” the crowd shouted on the stream, wild with energy. “Show them what the Redlocks are made of and kick his ass! For Alpha Natasha Nighthorn, Alaric must pay!”
Their voices were fire. Their support was thunder. And it didn’t stop there, messages kept pouring in from all corners. From packs near and far. From Neev itself. The tide had turned, and Alaric’s name was sinking
with it.
Martha’s confession had stripped him bare in front of the world. No one could defend a man who killed a woman for saying no. Not even his most loyal followers.
The crowd behind us had grown quiet now, reverent, as we climbed the stairs to the rooftop helipad. Wind howled softly at the edges of the base, tugging at our coats and hair as the blades of the helicopter began
to spin.
At the top, I turned to Mara. She looked radiant and strong, but I could see the storm in her eyes.
I dropped to a squat and pressed my lips gently to her bump. My hand rested over it as if I could somehow
shield them both from what lay ahead.
“I’ll come back to you,” I whispered to our child. “Both of you. I swear it.”
I stood, kissed Mara one last time, and then stepped into the helicopter.
Below, the women stood shoulder to shoulder, Mara, Martha, Tiffany, Keisha. Unmovable. Unyielding.
Guardians of home.
As the chopper lifted off, I looked down at them, my heart heavy but burning with purpose.
I didn’t know what the battlefield would bring. But I made a vow in that moment.
We would return.
Alive. And victorious.
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