Ch. 16..20: A Warrior Luna's Awakening Chapter 16-20

Chapter 16

Freya’s POV

It was well past nine when Caelum finally returned to the pack’s estate.

He came back exhausted, dragging the weight of the day behind him.

I already knew why–he’d spent hours at the healer’s den with Aurora after her fall from the warbeast. Bruises and scrapes marred her skin, but no broken bones, thankfully, Still, it meant Caelum’s night was shot.

When he stepped through the heavy carved doors and saw me, he didn’t hesitate.

“Freya,” he said quietly, “I didn’t mean to skip the memorial for your parents today. Aurora told me last minute that Silas Whitmor was at the grounds, and I had to go–for the company. So I went with her.”

I met his eyes, cold and steady. “It doesn’t matter,” I said simply.

No explanation from him would fix what felt broken. I was done caring about his reasons.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll go with you,” he offered.

“No need.” I cut him off.

“But-”

“Really, you’re busy,” I said, voice low but firm. I didn’t want him disrupting the silence where my parents rested.

He swallowed and didn’t press.

I knew he’d been stretched thin lately. Between hospital visits for Aurora and company matters, Caelum’s hands were full.

“Then when there’s a better time, I’ll go with you,” he promised.

I couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that curled at my lips. Better time? Caelum, you’ll never get that chance.

After a beat, he shifted gears. “You said earlier at the grounds you’re with SkyVex Armaments. What’s that about?”

I shrugged. “Literally means I joined SkyVex.”

He frowned. “No need to spite me like that. You can come back anytime.”

I gave him a sharp, humorless smile. “I didn’t join SkyVex to spite you. And I’m not coming back.”

His brow furrowed deeper. “I told you, the door’s open. What else do you want?”

“What exactly do you want me back for?”

“To keep pushing the Riderwing project,” he said. “Whitmore Coalition wants to invest in airborne combat tech. You can lead the project we started.”

“And Giselle?” I shot back. “Isn’t she already the lead?”

“I’ll reassign her.”

I fixed him with a cool stare. “So because I saved Silas today, you think he’ll invest just out of some debt to me? That’s why

you want me back?

His face betrayed a flicker of awkwardness, caught.

“Nothing wrong with maximizing benefits,” he said quickly. “It’s good for the company–and for the family,”

Family.

That word used to hold warmth for me. When I married Caelum, I dreamed of a pack, a home.

But now?

I only saw how hollow that word could be.

“If I hadn’t saved Silas today,” I asked quietly, “would you still want me back?”

“You’re the company’s rightful leader. You can come back anytime.”

I arched a brow. “Then maybe I should just announce it–right there in the forge–that I’m the true head.”

He was silent, then muttered, “We agreed to keep the marriage secret… until the time is right.”

“Right,” I said, voice sharp as broken ice. “Because if you reveal it now, the whole company will know you cheated on me. Everyone already knows Aurora is your ‘moonlight,‘ but no one knows we’re married.”

His jaw tightened, anger flashing in his eyes. “Must you make this so difficult?”

“I’m not trying to make things hard. Which is why I’m not coming back.” I turned to leave.

“And at the grounds, I told Silas if he insists on repaying me, he should build a hope school. So don’t expect me to help you win his investment for SilverTech Forgeworks.”

That seemed to push Caelum over the edge. His frustration burned bright, and for the rest of the night, he ignored me completely.

The cold night felt sharp on my skin, but nothing compared to the frost settling between us.

This was no longer a union of two wolves–it was a battlefield.

And I was ready to hunt on my own terms.

Send Gifts

Chapter 17

Freya’s POV

The next morning, I went to meet Lana at SkyVex Armaments.

We had already agreed–I would officially join her faction after I escorted my parents‘ remains home to be buried in the Southern Territories. There was something grounding about knowing where I belonged, and SkyVex was offering me not just a position, but a chance to start over.

At noon, during lunch, I scrolled through my WolfComm feed and saw a post from Giselle.

A photo.

A man’s hand–holding a bowl of steaming bone–broth porridge. The other hand carefully scooped from it with a carved silver ladle.

The caption?

“Brother Caelum made porridge for his future mate. Smells better than a Moonblessed brew!”

I stared at the photo, at the familiar veined knuckles, the way he held the bowl.

So that was what Caelum had been so busy with in the kitchens this morning.

I remembered the time I fell ill during an inspection run–fever burning at 40 degrees, limbs heavy as lead. I could barely get out of bed. But Caelum? He said the company needed him and left me to fend for myself.

Even after my fever broke, he ordered me back to the Foundry to lead project evaluations.

I was

still hooked to an IV when I signed those damn reports.

He didn’t so much as buy me a meal, let alone cook one. I had to order my own rations.

And yet now–he was waking early to make porridge… for Aurora?

So this is what it looked like–to be cherished. The difference between love and obligation was glaring.

“What’s got your hackles up?” Lana leaned over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of the post. Her eyes widened. “Wait–is that… is that Caelum making porridge for Aurora? While he’s still legally bound to you? That bastard!”

“It doesn’t matter.” I locked the screen and stood up.

“Where are you going? You’re not storming the infirmary, are you?” Lana asked.

“No,” I said simply. “I’m going to visit my parents.”

I didn’t owe Caelum anything–not even my anger.

But as I stepped out of SkyVex’s headquarters and headed for my car, a black armored cruiser pulled up beside me.

A tall man in a dark suit stepped out and bowed.

“Lady Freya, Alpha Silas sent me. He’d like to invite you to lunch to thank you for saving his life.”

“I already told him,” I replied, brushing past, “if he really wants to thank me, he can fund a Moonhope Academy. No need for

lunch.”

I climbed into my own vehicle and pulled away.

Half an hour later, I arrived at the Runestone Mausoleum, where the ashes of war heroes and honored wolves were kept. My parents‘ urns were housed within a glass cabinet, covered by the crimson–and–gold battleflag of the Southern Pack. “Mom, Dad,” I whispered, bowing my head, “I used to think Caelum owed you an apology. I wanted him to kneel here and say he was sorry. But now? I see it clearly. He’s not worth the air it’d take.”

The silence in the mausoleum was heavy, but comforting.

I clasped my hands in front of me and bowed deeply, offering a warrior’s respect.

“I’ll bring you home soon. Just wait a little longer.”

Then, a low voice behind me cut through the stillness.

“You’re leaving the capital?”

I whipped around.

Silas Whitmor stood there, towering and calm, as though he belonged among these sacred stones.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, startled.

“You refused my assistant,” he said. “So I came to extend the invitation myself.”

His presence left no room for evasion.

nodded. “Alright. Since you’ve come personally, I suppose I can’t keep refusing.”

He stepped closer, his gaze settling on the name plaques below the urns: Arthur Thorne. Myra Thorne.

“These are your parents?”

“Yes.”

“Not just any wolves get battleflags,” he murmured.

“They were soldiers,” I said, my voice proud. “Ordinary, but also heroes.”

They’d served thirty years between them–facing death every season, standing watch while others slept.

As a child, I’d once begged them to stop. To come home.

But my father had knelt and held me close. “Freya,” he said, “we don’t just protect our den. We protect the Pack. The whole nation. That is what a real wolf does.”

Now, I finally understood him.

After I graduated from Halston Combat Academy, I enlisted too.

And if not for the day the death scrolls arrived… I would still be wearing a blade, not a badge.

“I’ll come back to visit again,” I whispered, bowing one last time.

When I turned, Silas was still standing there.

“Aren’t you coming?” I asked.

He didn’t reply.

Instead, he strode forward, stopped in front of my parents‘ urns–and bowed.

Three times.

Deep and deliberate.

Each motion precise, solemn. Not a mockery of form, but a warrior’s respect.

My throat tightened.

This was what Caelum should have done.

But instead, the man most feared in the North–the mad Alpha of the Ironclad Coalition–was the one bowing to my parents.

When he straightened, he turned to me and said simply, “Let’s go.”

I opened my mouth, but words caught in my throat. “Why did you…”

“Bow?” he cut in. “They died for the Pack. They earned it.”

We left the mausoleum.

Outside, his armored cruiser was waiting, door held open by a silent guard. I slid into the backseat beside him, still lost in thought.

The car carried us to a private establishment hidden in the shadowed part of the Inner Ring.

A place of high ceilings, silence, and power.

“Ever been here?” Silas asked.

“No.”

“You’ll like the food.“.

He wasn’t wrong. The dishes that arrived were fragrant and complex–meats slow–cooked with wild herbs, root–seasoned broths, seared rootbeast slices.

I ate fast. Old habits.

In the field, you learn to finish before the next order comes.

After I’d had enough, I looked up–and caught myself staring

Silas’s hand.

Long–fingered, pale, strong. Wrapped around a pair of bone chopsticks like they were weapons.

It was a beautiful hand–but also a dangerous one.

The kind that could cradle or kill.

“You keep staring,” he said suddenly, voice low.

“Sorry,” I said without flinching. “Your hands are… striking.”

He tilted his head, like he was analyzing that thought.

“If I die before you,” he said with unnerving calm, “I’ll have them removed, lacquered, and sent to you in a glass box.”

I blinked.

“What?”

“So you can keep staring at them.”

Chapter 18

Freya’s POV

“Cough-!“.

I choked violently on my drink, nearly spewing the lemon tonic across the table. I had to grab the glass and down a long gulp before I could respond.

Alpha Whitmor, you’re joking… right?”

“I’m not,” Silas said calmly.

I stared at him.

Was this male actually serious? Did he really just say that if he died before me, he’d have his hands removed and preserved- just to send them to me as a gift?

What kind of lunatic thought like that?

For moons, I’d heard whispers that Silas Whitmor, Alpha of the Ironclad Coalition, was completely unhinged. Dangerous. Unpredictable. Some said he’d killed his own cousin during a Council dispute. Others said he once gouged a traitor’s eye out with his thumb.

I hadn’t believed half of it.

Now… I was beginning to think they’d understated it.

“That… won’t be necessary,” I said, clearing my throat. “I prefer hands attached to living bodies, not cold in glass cases.”

“A shame,” he replied lightly. “I thought it would be an appropriate token for a life debt.”

Stars above.

“I’ve already told you,” I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “If you really want to repay me, donate to a Moonhope Academy. That would be enough.”

At that, he raised his hand slightly.

A guard stepped forward and handed me a sleek folder.

I opened it.

Inside was the official confirmation: a full donation to construct a Moonhope Academy in the outer territories. Land, materials, staff–all approved and in motion.

My heart stilled.

He’d actually done it. In less than two days.

“If you’d like to rename the school,” he said, “to include your name or a family crest, now would be the time.”

I looked down at the documents again, then back up at him.

“No need,” I said softly. “Thank you.”

The smile I gave him was small, but genuine. It surprised even me.

wasn’t used to receiving… sincerity.

He blinked, just once, like he hadn’t expected that smile. As if something in it caught him off–guard. Most wolves in his world wanted power, fame, position.

But I wanted none of that.

So what was it I wanted?

“Freya,” he said suddenly, “how would you feel about becoming my bodyguard?”

I froze.

“What?”

“You’ve proven your strength, and your instincts. You saved my life. I prefer to keep useful wolves close.” His voice was casual, but his eyes were sharp. “You name the price.”

“I’m flattered,” I said carefully, “but I’ve already joined SkyVex Armaments. I don’t intend to leave.”

“A pity.”

Thankfully, he didn’t push the topic further. I exhaled in relief.

As I stood to leave, he added quietly, “I don’t often allow others to save me, Freya. But once someone does…. they’d better not stop halfway.”

I turned back to him, unsettled.

What did that even mean?

He had guards. Layers of security. He didn’t need me.

But he didn’t explain.

And I didn’t ask.

After we parted, I hadn’t even made it halfway back to my vehicle before my WolfComm rang.

I didn’t recognize the number at first.

But the tone? Instantly familiar.

“Freya.” Giselle snapped through the line, “I need you to write a new project proposal for the Sky Patrol Wing Development. The one you led before? Yeah. Redraft it.”

I almost laughed.

“And why would I do that?”

“Because you’re still my brother’s wife!” she barked, like that made me her servant.

Giselle had always been the little princess of the Grafton bloodline. Spoiled Entitled. Arrogant. She assumed that because I once loved Caelum, I’d do whatever she wanted.

“Your brother’s wife?” I repeated with a low chuckle. “I seem to recall you calling Aurora your future Luna. Why don’t you ask her for help?”

“I’ll call whoever I want,” she hissed. “And if you don’t send me that proposal by moonrise, I’ll have Caelum file for divorce tonight. He listens to me. You’ll be thrown out of the estate like a dirty rogue, you hear me?!”

My voice dropped, cool and steady.

“Go ahead,” I said. “Tell him. I’m waiting.”

Then I hung up.

She could bark all she wanted.

But I wasn’t the same she–wolf who used to beg for scraps of affection from the Graftons.

That Freya was long gone.

Let them come for me. Let them burn whatever bridge they wanted.

I’d already built my own damn road.

Chapter 19

Caelum’s POV

I stared at the proposal Giselle had dropped on my desk, the pages barely holding together with all the sloppy formatting and contradictory nonsense.

This? This was what she turned in after claiming she could handle the Sky Patrol Wing project?

The project Freya had once overseen flawlessly?

My jaw clenched, frustration bubbling like heat under

my

skin.

“You really think you can close a deal with this trash?” I growled, tossing the document across the obsidian–topped desk in my Alpha office within Silverfang’s central tower. “Did you even read what you submitted?”

Giselle shrank back slightly, but her tone stayed sharp. “It’s not my fault! Freya didn’t hand over her notes properly during the transition–she deliberately left things out to sabotage me!”

My voice snapped out like a whip. “Silence.”

Her eyes widened at the edge in my tone. “You begged me to give you a chance, Giselle. You insisted you could take this on. This “I gestured to the papers, “-is a disgrace. How am I supposed to keep this project alive with this level of incompetence?”

Her lips twisted. “Blame Freya. She never wanted to help me. That woman’s always had it out for me! Caelum, you should’ve divorced her a long time ago–she’s poison to this Pack!”

My claws nearly unsheathed at her words.

“Enough,” I said coldly. “Freya stood beside me when no one else did–when I was still clawing my way out of the ruins of my father’s failed dominion. She married me when Silverfang was bleeding from all sides. She is not to be slandered in this Pack. Ever.”

She flinched but didn’t argue further. I dismissed her with a flick of my hand and a growl that echoed faintly through the

chamber.

Later that night, my mother–summoned me to the Grafton estate.

She didn’t waste time.

“How dare you shout at your sister like that?” she snapped, eyes filled with indignation. “Giselle just graduated. You can’t expect perfection from her.”

“She made a mess of an inter–Pack aerospace partnership,” I replied coolly. “And blamed Freya when things spiraled. That’s not immaturity–that’s cowardice.”

“And yet Freya’s the one who’s destroying this family,” my mother hissed. “Thanks to her meddling, I still can’t get an audience with Healer Smith. My vision is getting worse, Caelum. Worse! That woman is slowly blinding me!”

I exhaled slowly, willing myself to stay calm. “I’ve already pulled every string I can to book Healer Smith. Others are bidding higher. It’s not Freya’s fault.”

But as she continued to complain, I found myself remembering how things were when Freya was still handling everything— my mother’s appointments, Giselle’s tutoring, even internal disputes across the Silverfang ranks.

Back then, all had to focus on was expanding SilverTech Forgeworks. Freya handled the rest.

And I let her,

Tl try again,” I said at last. “I’ll find a way to secure the appointment.”

“Your sister was right, Caelum,” my mother sneered. “You should have discarded Freya already. She’s holding you back.”

I stood abruptly, voice iron–hard. “Freya has done nothing to deserve this. I won’t betray her.”

Her gaze turned stony. And in the silence that followed, I knew–she was disappointed. But I didn’t care.

I left the estate with a storm in my head and a burn in my

chest.

The next morning, everything worsened.

“What do you mean the loan wasn’t approved?” I asked my beta assistant, Wren.

“The bank withdrew its preliminary approval,” Wren said, glancing uneasily at the tablet in his hand. “They cited a retracted investment commitment from the Ironhold Consortium.”

Ironhold? That didn’t make sense.

“They were onboard. We had an agreement-

“They backed out last night. Apparently, they’ve been informed that the Sky Patrol Wing development no longer involves Freya Thorne.”

My blood ran cold.

“Who told them that?”

“No clue,” Wren said. “But the moment the news broke, the bank got jittery.”

I didn’t hesitate.

I called Ironhold’s liaison, Alpha Simon, directly.

“Alpha Simon,” I said, trying to keep my voice level, “I’m calling about the partnership we discussed. I was told your consortium-”

“We’re withdrawing, Alpha Grafton,” Simon cut me off. “Our interest in SilverTech Forgeworks was tied to one factor–Freya Thorne. Without her, the proposal’s foundation doesn’t meet our threshold.”

I stiffened. “Freya? But… she was just an R&D consultant.”

He laughed–cold and dismissive.

“You clearly don’t understand her value. Which is unfortunate. I suggest you don’t call again until you do.”

The line went dead.

I sat there for a long time, staring at the comm tablet.

Freya?

What the hell had she done, who had she impressed, that Ironhold and other Packs had started to align with her?

And why did I only realize it now?

I stood and paced my office like a caged wolf, heat simmering in my chest.

Everything I’d built was

now at risk. Because of one woman.

Because of the only woman who had never asked for anything.

I dialed her number.

She didn’t answer.

I tried again.

Finally, she picked up.

“Freya,” I said, trying to control my voice. “I need you to come back to SilverTech. Just once. There’s something we need to

talk about.”

And this time, I wasn’t asking for her as an employee.

I was calling her as the Alpha who let go of the one wolf who mattered most.

Chapter 20

Freya’s POV

I didn’t want to come back to Silverfang Tower. Not even for a second.

But until Caelum and I formally severed our mate bond under the Moon Tribunal, I didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention. I didn’t want the vultures in this city to smell blood in the water–at least, not yet.

So I returned.

Caelum was already pacing when I entered his office. The moment he saw me, he launched straight into it. “You left the company, and Ironhold Consortium pulled out of the aerial cavalry tech project. Did you conspire with them to sabotage

me?”

I blinked, stunned for a moment, before the absurdity made me laugh. “Sabotage? You give me far too much credit. If they withdrew, it’s because they no longer believe in the project’s potential.”

“Then explain this,” he snapped, eyes narrowing. “Their Alpha Simon said they pulled out because you resigned.”

That made me pause. So that’s how it was. Of course. Ironhold had probably done their homework–on me. My track record with the airborne units, my designs, my combat simulations. I had been the backbone of the project. Now, with me gone, all they saw was an empty shell being fronted by an unqualified brat.

“They probably weren’t impressed with your new project lead’s skills,” I said coolly.

Right then, the office door slammed open.

Speak of the devil.

Giselle stormed in, eyes blazing. “What’s that supposed to mean? That I’m incompetent? I think it’s more likely you were sleeping with the investor!”

My wolf flinched at the vile words, claws itching just beneath my skin.

“Giselle, that’s enough,” Caelum warned, though there was hesitation in his tone.

“Oh, come on! Ironhold dropped us the moment she left. What else would explain it? She slept with someone–admit it, brother, she cheated on you and now we’re paying for it!”

And there it was.

Caelum looked at me, that doubt flickering in his eyes–eyes I used to trust, used to love.

“Do you believe that?” I asked, voice low.

He didn’t answer right away. Just stared at me, lips parting like he was struggling to speak. Then finally, “If it’s not true, then explain why they dropped the deal the moment you left. Tell me you didn’t-”

I laughed.

It wasn’t joyful. It wasn’t even bitter. It was hollow, Cold. A sound scraped from the bottom of a soul that had long since stopped hoping.

A three–year bond, and he could still look at me like that. Still doubt me based on his sister’s venom. No matter what I had given up for him–my wings, my title, my name.

“You really think I slept with an investor?” I said slowly.

She’s clearly guilty! Look how defensive she is,” Giselle said smugly.

I turned to her, staring into her smug, spoiled eyes. “You’re sure I slept with someone at Ironhold?”

Positive,” she sneered.

“Good,” I said, pulling out my phone. I dialed.

“Emergency Dispatch.”

“Yes, I’d like to report a rape,” I said calmly. “I was drugged and assaulted without my knowledge. My husband’s sister has claimed she witnessed or has proof. She can testify.”

“What the hell are you doing?!” Caelum lunged toward me, yanking the phone away.

“It’s a misunderstanding! My sister didn’t mean it!” he yelled into the receiver before hanging up, his face pale.

“You’re insane!” he shouted at me.

I straightened my back and met his fury with calm steel. “She accused me of a serious crime. Shouldn’t I investigate it? If she’s so confident, she can testify under oath.”

“She didn’t mean it that way-”

“Maybe not,” I cut in coldly. “But you did. You didn’t stop her. You believed her.”

I hit play on my phone. The recording of Giselle’s voice filled the office, her words clear as a mountain stream: “She slept with someone from Ironhold. I’m sure of it.”

Her face turned crimson.

“You still want to stand by your accusations?” I asked. “Because if not, I’ll see you in court.”

She muttered something unintelligible.

“Louder,” I said.

“I’m sorry,” she gritted through her teeth. “I… made it up. I don’t actually know anything.”

I nodded, sliding my phone back into my coat. “If I hear one more whisper of slander, we’ll let the Moon Tribunal sort it out.”

I turned to Caelum. “If that’s all, I’ll be going. Next time, don’t summon me to your company like I’m still one of your people. I.resigned. That bond? It’s already broken.”

I walked out without looking back.

Later that evening, I received word that Caelum had gone to retrieve Aurora–from the infirmary after her recovery from the riding accident. Typical.

Always had time for her.

While I was fighting off betrayal in his office, she was being pampered.

I could picture it. Her nestled in his arms, whispering sweet nothings, guilt–tripping him with teary eyes.

“I wanted to help you connect with the Whitmore Clan,” she probably said. “I only meant to help… but now I’ve ruined everything…”

And Caelum? He’d lap it up like milk.