119 Taking Control
Mara
I wanted to go back to the holiday house. Hide in the silence. Wait for Lucian like I was still the girl who didn’t know better. But I wasn’t that girl anymore-and Lucian would’ve hated it if I’d ignored his orders.
So, I headed to the one place I didn’t want to be.
The Nighthorn mansion.
My hands trembled on the wheel as I drove. My chest felt hollow. This day was supposed to be beautiful, but fate had
other plans. Lucian tried to fix it-he tried-but this Saturday had always been marked by something darker.
The time we spent on the cliff felt unreal now. Just him and me, detached from the weight of the world. No politics, no
packs, no battles. Just love. Skin on skin. His lips, his touch. For hours, we reaffirmed everything we were to each other.
And now he was flying into danger, and I couldn’t follow.
Fear clawed at my logic. What if he doesn’t come back? What if that was the goddess letting him say goodbye?
“No,” I said aloud, gripping the steering wheel harder. “Get a grip, Mara.”
You’re Luna. You chose this life. This is what being the mate of an Alpha means. He protects the pack. You protect the people. You lead when he’s gone.
I repeated those words like a prayer until my heart slowed.
Lucian wasn’t alone. He had Darian. He had his father. Three Alphas. If anyone could return from Driftwake alive, it was
them.
The first gate to the mansion appeared, and I rolled down the window. The guards greeted me with the respect reserved
for an Alpha. I met their gazes with the poise expected of a Luna. No fear. No hesitation. The same happened at the second gate.
When I parked, Austin, Rowan, and a handful of lower-ranked military personnel were already waiting.
At least Rowan was here.
I stepped out of the car and handed the keys to Austin. “Thank you.”
“Welcome, Luna,” he said, bowing slightly.
I nodded in return and turned to Rowan. He saluted, the soldiers following suit.
“We are at your command, Luna Mara,” he said.
I nodded. “Why didn’t you go with them?”
“I’m a Delta now,” he explained. “Denis Stormborn went in my stead as Gamma. Alpha Vander felt you’d need someone familiar to keep the island secure in their absence.”
And I understood.
This wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. I wasn’t just the Luna in name. I was the one they’d chosen to keep Mooncrest from falling if the worst came. Because we ruled the island, yes-but not everyone bore our mark. Not everyone could be
trusted.
This was more than holding down the fort.
119 Taking Control
It was preparing for the possibility that the real fight hadn’t started yet.
“Very well,” I said, turning to Rowan. “We need eyes everywhere. Full alert on all city sectors and outskirts-especially anywhere near Driftwake. Radio every security agency on the island. Effective immediately, impose an indefinite curfew across all packs, towns, and cities. No one should be outside two hours from now. If the streets are empty, we’ll spot
threats faster.”
Rowan saluted and pulled out his phone without hesitation. He knew I wasn’t asking-I was commanding.
“Link me if you need anything,” I added.
He nodded, offering me a brief smile before stepping away to carry out the order.
I turned and walked toward the mansion, bracing myself.
Inside, the household had gathered. I stopped in my tracks, taken aback. The air was thick with fear. Staff members were crying, and to my surprise, even Martha, Tiffany, Tina, and Lacy were visibly shaken. Eyes red. Silent tears running down
their cheeks.
It made sense. We all had someone out there in that fight. This wasn’t about alliances or grudges. Not right now.
I looked at them-two of them heavily pregnant, all of them anxious wrecks. And even if only one of them wasn’t a complete nightmare, I wasn’t going to pick that fight today.
“We need to stay strong,” I said firmly, stepping into the center of the room. “This is part of their duty. They’ll be back
soon. It’s not as bad as it looks.”
My eyes met Tiffany’s as I said it. Her lip trembled. She rushed forward and hugged me tight.
“Oh, Mara… don’t lie to us. It’s all over the news. They came with guns. Guns, Mara,” she sobbed, her voice cracking.
That shook me. I held her tighter, even as something cold crept into my gut. I had tried to hold it together, but that detail- guns-made it harder.
“We should go to the evening lounge,” Martha said, wiping her tears and trying to keep her tone level. “There’s a television there. We may not like each other, but right now, we need each other.”
I nodded. She was right-for once.
Tiffany held onto me as we walked to the lounge. She refused to let go. When we sat down, she stayed beside me like a
child needing safety.
“Do you think they’ll make it?” she linked me privately, her eyes searching mine for truth.
I swallowed hard, then nodded.
I didn’t speak the words because I couldn’t. Not yet. Especially not with the confirmation I’d just heard.
Five minutes later, I couldn’t sit there anymore. My chest was tight. My brain screamed for space. I stood.
“Why are you leaving us now, Mara?” Martha asked, eyes narrowing just slightly.
I looked at her, steady but close to cracking. Not here. Not in front of her.
“I need time to strategize,” I said calmly. “To keep the city safe. Don’t come looking for me unless it’s a real emergency.”
Tiffany immediately got to her feet.
“Please don’t leave me with these witches, Mara. Let me come. I won’t say a word, I promise,” she linked me, eyes wide with panic.
I looked into her face and saw genuine fear. Not for herself-for Darian. Maybe for the child, too.
x119 Yaking Control
+15 Ponte
Tina left the room in silence, disappearing down the hallway. She didn’t speak. She didn’t need to. Her worry followed her
like a storm cloud. But right now, I couldn’t bring myself to care.
I gave Tiffany a small nod. “Come with me.”
And I walked out of that room without looking back.
Because whatever I had just realized-it wasn’t something I could afford to ignore.
