Isaac and Jack were looking at Nolan now, I wasn’t sure how much they even knew, even after Jack and I talked I knew how Nolan could spin things.
“It doesn’t matter, Camilla was pregnant, and I took her as my chosen mate. Theo is my heir.” His voice was firm but his face gave away his emotions.
“But you rejected Willa knowing she was pregnant?” Griffen asked, clearly bored of the encounter.
“I was going to before that; the pregnancy didn’t matter,” Nolan muttered.
I knew that was true, even though in the past I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it.
I thought that if the situation was different, if he found out about my pregnancy first or if I had gotten pregnant months before, everything would be different.
If he never had that conference where he must have re-connected with Camilla if we took over as Alpha and Luna sooner. A million possibilities used to keep me up at night.
But I realized, that no matter the situation, no matter what I could have done differently, Nolan was still the same person.
I couldn’t blame myself for anything I did or didn’t do; those were his actions, his choices, and nothing that I could have done changed who he was or the choices that he made. I chose to forgive my past self, and that freed me.
“The line of succession does,” Caspien faced the crowd, “Nolan fathered a child with his mate and rejected her after finding out she was pregnant.”
“I gave up my rights,” Nolan hissed.
“Emmett, Willa’s, and my son is the rightful heir of Blue Ridge,” Caspien started ignoring him.
The crowd was silent for a long moment.
“However, he is heir to Crescent Moon and,” Caspien looked back to the pack house, “I think he is destined for much more than this. Emmett Balfour is my heir,” Caspien said. “So where does that leave us?” Jack asked.
“Theo can be heir here if he chooses. There will be rules and regulations, and you will sign a new treaty with us.” Caspien went on.
“Like h.ell we will.” Nolan cut in, and Jack put his arm out stopping him from going further.
“Your Luna, ex Luna,” Caspien corrected himself, and Nolan’s eyes shot to him, “Has gone against the Alpha and Luna’s decision of this territory.” Caspien turned to the crowd that seemed to have almost doubled yet again. “Camilla went to Alpha Jasper the Alpha that took a hit out with an assassin on my son,” The crowd collectively gasped, “Camilla informed him about the challenge that we decided I could go forward with at the conference here.” “Who cares?” Nolan said.
“Alpha Jasper had time to prepare a special kind of poison he used against me in the challenge. It wasn’t a fair fight, thanks to Camilla, and she betrayed the packs in our territory.”
“So you killed her,” Nolan was shaking.
“No,” Caspien shrugged, “I left it up to my Luna to decide, I would have gutted her on the spot, but Willa is the more rational one.”
Nolans’s eyes turned to me.
“She’s here,” I said, “She will be stripped of her title,” I informed him, my voice unwavering.
“No,” Nolan said.
He wasn’t happy to have her back? How was that his first thought? Anger over her title being stripped instead of relief that she was alive and well? Well, and well as she would let herself be, I was past feeling guilty for the choices of others. “The other packs have been informed,” Caspien said, “She will not hold any weight at this pack, and we will have regular check-ins.”
“Then what’s the point?” Issac asked.
“Of her?” Caspien shrugged, “I’ve been wondering that for a while.”
“She can be a mate and a mother, with no official duties or titles. That will be upheld.” I told Nolan.
The only reason that I let her live was because of her son. I couldn’t do that to him, even though I was warring with the decision and the potential impact it could have on my family.
“She will take a blood oath not to harm any members of my pack,” Caspien said.
“No. she won’t.” Holden tried to lunge at us, but Jack held him back.
“She already has,” Caspien replied, glancing at the slight cut on his palm that was already almost faded from this morning.
Nolan’s face paled. He violently shook his head, taking a step back.
“What the fuck am I supposed to do without a Luna?” Nolan shouted, thrashing against Jack’s hold.
“Hire a party planner,” I murmured, and Caspien smiled at me, but I tried to keep my face impassive.
“We came here to tell your pack the truth, so they know what you are capable of,” Caspien said, “The decisions you make as an Alpha have an effect on your entire pack.” He glanced back at Nolan briefly.
“You could have lost everything if Willa was vindictive.” Caspien went on, “Lucky for you she doesn’t give a single s.hit about you anymore.”
That was true, Goddess that felt good that that was true.
“I know there have been a lot of rumors, and talk swirling around.” I addressed the pack. Lola told me that a lot of the pack members pieced it together about my son, but some of them still thought that I ran without telling Nolan. “I just wanted to set the record straight. I grew up here, and for many years, this was home. I was, at one point, your future Luna,” A lifetime ago, “I just wanted you to be informed.”
“We want you to be able to make an informed decision,” Caspien said, placing a hand on the small of my back.
“Decision?” Jack said, but he didn’t look away from Rachel, who was fidgeting and tugging on her hair.
You okay? I linked her looking back to where she stood.
Her wide eyes met mine, and she nodded imperceptibly.
“If they want to stay here under his leadership,” Caspien said.
“What other option do they have?” Jack asked.
“They can leave, relocate to a pack with better leadership.” Even Isaac snarled at that.
“Crescent Moon is open to anyone. We have a packhouse in the city and in the forest, also apartments around the city and suburbs that are open to pack members,” Caspien announced, his voice booming.
“It’s just an option but one I wanted to open up to my first pack, the first place I knew as home,” I said, not sounding as confident as I would have liked.
There was talk amongst the crowd.
“I’m coming,” Lola walked to the front of the pack with her parents behind her.
“So are we if you’ll have us.” Her dad said.
“Of course, I would love nothing more.” My heart swelled. Lola bounced up and down and tucked her short blonde hair behind her ear.
‘Talk later’? She mouthed, and I nodded, smiling.
“Decisions don’t have to be made now; it’s an open invitation, even if in a few years you decide to move,” Griffen said, quieting the group.
“You will not take any of my pack members.” Nolan bellowed.
“They have free will, or don’t they?” Caspien countered, his aura expanding.
“You know the truth about your Alpha and former Luna. We came here to return her to you. Any questions after will be addressed by my Beta and Gamma.” Caspien said.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.