Ch. 46..50: A Warrior Luna's Awakening Chapter 46-50
Chapter 46
Third Person’s POV
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Aurora, daughter of the Bluemoon Pack’s Beta, basked in the flattering words swirling around her like warm spring air.
The daughter of Bluemoon’s Beta is naturally unlike any ordinary woman.
Every compliment felt like a rich reward for the grueling years she had clawed her way through to become the first female pilot of theBluemoon Airborne Wing.
“Where,” Aurora demurred with practiced humility, her voice as smooth as glass. “I was simply lucky to become the Airborne Wing’s first female pilot.”
“You certainly were lucky.”
The lazy drawl sliced through the polite hum of the gathering. Kade’s sharp gaze locked on her.
“I heard,” he continued, “that back when you were just an ordinary flight officer, you were sent abroad to deliver a shipment of aid. Your co–pilot died unexpectedly on foreign soil, and together with the captain, you managed to bring back a number of stranded pack members–earning yourself high merit. That’s how you were promoted to co–pilot. Without that… well, with your record, you wouldn’t have climbed that high so quickly.”
Aurora’s expression flickered–just for a second.
It meant Kade had looked into her. But why? She had never crossed paths with him before this night.
“That kind of merit is rare,” someone at her side quickly added. “And at the time, the territory she went to was riddled with war and bloodshed. That kind of courage isn’t something just any woman can match.”
Kade’s lips curved–not in a smile, but in a cold, mocking twist. “Then you must not have met many women.”
The well–meaning supporter’s voice died in their throat.
Aurora tilted her chin slightly, irritation pricking at her composure. She knew well that Kade Blackridge was not someone she could afford to offend. But neither was she willing to let a few careless words trample on the hard–won glory she had bled for.
“Kade,” she said evenly, “I may have been lucky to become co–pilot, but not every woman can step into that role, even if fortune hands her the chance.”
“So being a co–pilot is such an accomplishment?” Kade’s tone was almost amused. “In the military wings, there’s no shortage of women who can fly, Before I met you, I thought you were a self–reliant, relentless kind of woman. Now, it seems… you fly a plane and think yourself invincible.”
His mind flickered to someone truly formidable–Freya Thorne.
She had once flown a warbird straight through the burning clouds of cannon fire, risking everything to saye pack civilians and comrades alike. She had been prepared to die doing it.
The thought brought a faint warmth to Kade’s otherwise cold demeanor.
Aurora’s cheeks flushed red, then paled. His words were like the crack of an Alpha’s strike across the face. The rest of the guests shrank back, unwilling to get caught in the crossfire.
Fortunately, Caelum stepped forward, breaking the taut air. “Kade. An honor to finally meet you.”
Vaughn, Aurora’s uncle, seized the chance. “Kade, you’ve only just returned to the Capital, so you might not know–Caelum is one of the rising stars in the tech world. His company went from nothing to a full listing in just three years.”
hope we’ll have the opportunity to work together,” Caelum added smoothly.
“Young and accomplished?” Kade’s laugh was low and edged with steel. “Vaughn, are you joking with me? You dare call a man who cheats on his mate ‘accomplished‘?”
12:50 PM P P
Chapter 46
The air thickened. Every gaze shifted toward Aurora and Caelum.
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After all, the story of that fateful banquet night–when a giant display had shown Caelum’s mother Eleanor and sister Giselle conspiring to ruin his own mate, just so he could cast her aside and be with Aurora–had already swept through the upper ranks of the Capital’s packs.
Both Aurora and Caelum flushed a furious crimson.
“It’s a misunderstanding,” Vaughn rushed to say.
“Yes,” Caelum echoed. “Aurora and I are only friends.”
“Friends?” Kade’s voice was velvet over razors. “I hear that last month, while your mate traveled alone to retrieve her parents‘ remains from overseas after a tragic accident, you were right here in the Capital–keeping this ‘friend‘ company.”
Caelum’s heart jolted. How in the moon’s name did Kade know that?
“It was sudden,” he explained quickly. “Aurora got a headache, and I had to rush her to the medics. I couldn’t make it in time to accompany my mate.”
“Headache?” Kade’s eyes were shards of ice. “So your friend outweighed your own mate’s grieving parents?”
The unspoken judgment rang through the room. Everyone here was too sharp to buy the word friend. Many already knew Caelum had concealed his marriage, letting the world believe he was unattached.
And the Blackridge bloodline was infamous for its uncompromising loyalty to their mates. In their creed, betrayal was unforgivable.
No wonder more than a few of the guests now looked at Caelum and Aurora not with admiration–but with pity.
Chapter 47
They had come tonight with the clear intent of currying favor with Kade Blackridge.
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Now, it was no longer a matter of building ties–at this point, avoiding his open contempt would be the greatest mercy they could hope for.
A fine sheen of sweat broke across Caelum’s brow. Kade was younger than him, but the sheer dominance in the Alpha’s eyes carried the weight of a seasoned warlord. The pressure coiled in Caelum’s spine like a hunter’s fangs poised over prey.
“Dead wolves can’t be compared to the living,” Ryker drawled suddenly. “Fetching an urn doesn’t take two. But Aurora’s headache, and that could be serious or not. Caelum was simply being considerate.”
A flash of glacial fury lit Kade’s gaze. He rose from his seat in a single, fluid movement and stalked toward Ryker, every step emanating the predatory prowl of an apex Alpha.
“What,” Kade’s voice cracked like a whip, “did you just say?”
Ryker, oblivious to the danger, pressed on. “I said the dead can’t be compared to the living. Freya Thorne’s parents have been dead for three years. Was Caelum supposed to abandon an injured woman just to escort her to collect ashes?”
CRACK.
The sound of Kade’s palm striking flesh split the air like lightning over the mountains. Ryker stumbled back, nearly toppling into the low table beside him.
“Kade, that’s going too far,” Caelum interjected, his voice tight. Ryker was, after all, his beta and friend.
“Too far?” Kade’s snarl rumbled deep in his chest, every syllable bristling with the feral edge of a wolf ready to tear flesh. “I’ve not even begun.”
In a blur, his boot slammed into Ryker’s midsection, sending him sprawling to the floor. Before Ryker could rise, Kade’s heel came down hard, pinning him by the chest.
“Doing what?” Kade’s tone was deathly cold. “Putting down a beast. One who dares speak words only a beast would utter. Freya Thorne’s parents–are they yours to disgrace??
Ryker wheezed under the pressure but still managed, “And why not? Freya’s parents can’t be beyond reproach. Three years married to Caelum, and all she’s done is idle away her days. Everyone knows Aurora is the better choice! Surely even you, Kade Blackridge, aren’t so blinded by gossip that you’d pity Freya. That woman doesn’t deserve pity!”
Part loyalty to Caelum, part self–interest–Ryker’s words were as much a performance as a defense. His small company survived only on the scraps of contracts Silver Tech Forgeworks tossed his way.
Kade laughed then–a sound sharp enough to cut bone. To him, Freya was a name carved high as the mountain peaks, a presence he revered. And here she was, reduced to filth in the mouth of this cur.
Worse still, her own mate stood silent.
“You think your mate unworthy compared to Aurora?” Kade’s eyes bored into Caelum like a blade.
Caelum hesitated before answering. “In temperament and skill, Freya falls short of Aurora. But she’s still my mate. Even if she lacks ability, I don’t hold it against her.”
Kade withdrew his boot from Ryker’s chest, his expression still like a winter storm. “Her ability? How much do you even know? Without her, do you think your fledgling company could have reached the point of going public in three years?”
“That’s because Caelum’s vision is sharp, his judgment precise, his abilities exceptional,” Aurora interjected smoothly.
Caelum met Kade’s gaze in silence, clearly agreeing with her. In his mind, his rise had been entirely his own doing.
Kade’s mouth twisted into a cold sneer. “Caelum Grafton, without Freya Thorne’s hand guiding you, you are nothing. The vision you boast of, the ability you prize–it was her, always her.”
Chapter 47
“What?” Caelum blinked, momentarily thrown.
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Aurora’s voice sharpened. “Kade, even if you want to defend Freya, you can’t demean Caelum like this.”
“Exactly.” Ryker muttered from the floor, though with far less bravado after the blows. “What skill could Freya possibly have to help Caelum?”
“What skill?” Kade’s contempt deepened, his tone brimming with Alpha authority. “Back in the Iron Fang Recon Unit, her research overhauled the pack’s entire defense grid. In aerial drone applications, she was unmatched–one of the top military specialists in the field. If she hadn’t resigned her commission, she’d have more accolades in drone warfare than you could
count.”
The room fell silent.
Ryker’s eyes widened. “Impossible. How could she-?”
“Do I look like I’d waste my breath on lies?” Kade’s voice was pure frost.
No one dared speak further. The Blackridge heir would never tarnish his name with falsehoods, least of all for a woman he defended with such open ferocity.
Caelum’s face burned. Kade’s words were a dagger driven deep–telling everyone present that the Silverfang Alpha’s renown as a tech prodigy was built on Freya’s foundation.
He wanted to deny it, to lash back. But the moment he tried, his mind betrayed him–flashing with memories of Freya standing beside him at late–night strategy tables, pointing out paths he hadn’t seen, sealing deals he couldn’t have won alone.
Chapter 48
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Caelum had always believed it was sheer luck that Freya had been able to help him land certain lucrative contracts for SilverTech Forgeworks.
But now–if it wasn’t luck at all?
If every victory, every step toward the pack’s rising power in the tech world… was tied to her alone?
A cold film of sweat prickled at the back of his neck, and an icy weight seemed to coil around his chest.
“What ‘tech prodigy“? What a load of dung,” Kade Blackridge’s voice cut through the air, sharp with contempt. “Caelum Grafton, you should be thanking Freya for standing beside you for three years. Her taste in males is the only thing I’ll fault, her for–imagine giving so much to someone like you, and you strut around thinking it was all your own doing.”
Every word from Kade’s mouth landed like a deliberate slash at Caelum’s pride.
Worse he couldn’t muster a single retort.
Kade turned toward Vaughn, his amber gaze still glinting with the hunt. “Looks like this feast is over. I’m leaving.
Vaughn nodded hastily. “Of course.” The Bluemoon elder only prayed their pack hadn’t provoked this young warlord of the Capital.
But just before crossing the threshold, Kade paused and looked back at Caelum.
“Oh, one more thing–none of the Four Great Banks‘ lawyers will touch your mother’s and sister’s cases. That’s my doing.”
Caelum’s pupils constricted.
So the walls he’d been slamming into for weeks… were Kade’s making?
Why?
(
For Freya’s sake? Out of pity–or something else entirely?
And how did this ruthiess Alpha know so much about Freya–down to classified Iron Fang Recon Unit research, her being a top–tier unmanned aerial systems expert?
Information Caelum, her own mate, had never even heard.
His mind flashed back to an argument with a former project manager who’d once said, “Alpha, you don’t know your mate at
all.”
Now, that sentence burned with truth.
Kade’s departure scattered the rest of the gathering; one by one, they made excuses and slipped out.
Vaughn gave Aurora a meaningful look. “Kade once served in the Iron Fang Recon Unit for a time. From the way he spoke tonight, I suspect Freya did as well. They may have… history.”
Aurora’s eyes widened. “You mean–Kade and Freya might know each other well? Closer than they should?”
“This
young Alpha of the Blackridge line isn’t the sort to raise his hackles for just anyone,” Vaughn said grimly. “If I were you, Alpha Caelum, I’d keep my distance from him.”
Caelum’s jaw Lightened.
The once–lively chamber was now–hushed, with only Caelum, Aurora, and Ryker remaining
Ryker clutched his ribs, grimacing. “That Freya’s got some skill, I’ll give her that–got another male stepping in to defend her. A male and a female that close… bet the real closeness is in bed, eh?”
“Ryker!” Caelum’s voice cracked like a whip. “She’s my mate–watch your tongue.”
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Ryker blinked, startled, then scoffed. “Since when do you care? You’ve let me talk about her before. Don’t tell me you actually believe Kade’s tail–lifting nonsense–that your company’s rise is all her doing. She’s just an Omega from Iron Fang’s backline. Caelum. She patched supply manifests, not battle drones. She doesn’t even carry a proper wolf scent–weak as a human’s. Military expert? Please. If she were, I’ll go gnaw my own tail.”
Ryker’s voice dripped with derision, but Aurora said nothing–her silence telling enough. Both she and Caelum knew that an Alpha like Kade had no reason to spin a false tale.
“Enough. I’ll call you a transport. Get yourself to the healer and check those ribs,” Caelum told Ryker curtly.
Once the Beta was on his way, Caelum turned to Aurora, bitterness shading his eyes. “I’ve let you down, haven’t I?”
“Of course not,” Aurora said softly. “But Freya’s strange, Caelum. Already mated to you, yet she hid any past achievements with Iron Fang. If she really is an expert in unmanned aerial systems, she should have patents–blueprints that could grow SilverTech Forgeworks to new heights. If it were me, I’d have given you everything for the sake of the pack.”
Caelum froze. Patents?
If she had those–and they could be fused into SilverTech’s production lines…
His gaze sharpened with a sudden gleam.
“As for your legal trouble,” Aurora went on, “I’ll keep looking. If the Four Great Banks‘ lawyers won’t touch it, there are still others. Don’t worry too much.”
Gratitude softened his voice. “Aurora… thank you.”
“I only want the best for you,” she murmured.
After all, she had chosen him. And if her chosen Alpha thrived… so would she.
Chapter 49
Freya’s POV
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I had packed the last of my belongings from the Silverfang Alpha’s villa and set them neatly into the trunk of Lana’s car.
Three years
of marriage, and my possessions could fit into a single case.
Lana leaned on the driver’s side door, smirking. “Honestly, I thought you’d have Kade come help you haul your stuff out. That boy would probably leap at the chance.”
I shook my head. “For one suitcase? Not worth calling him.” Kade had offered, of course–he always did–but I had no desire to drag him into this.
Lana chuckled as she popped the trunk shut. “Careful, Freya. He might think you’ve ditched him again. Wouldn’t be the first time he’s cried about it.”
I raised a brow. “Cried? He’s a grown wolf, not a pup fresh out of the den.”
“Oh, trust me,” she said, sliding behind the wheel, “when he found out you’d mated to Caelum without telling him, he bawled in front of everyone after a pack gathering. Kept howling about how you had terrible taste in males–‘Why him? Of all wolves, him!“”
That made me pause. In the Iron Fang Recon Unit, Kade had taken wounds without so much as a wince. The thought of him breaking down over my mating bond was… strange.
“Still,” Lana went on, “he wasn’t wrong about Grafton. That Alpha’s not exactly worth the fur on his back.”
“Enough. Just drive,” I said, sliding into the passenger seat.
I planned to stay with Lana for a few days–long enough to take my parents‘ ashes back to our homeland for a proper resting place—before returning to The Capital to find my own den.
Lana started the engine. “Oh, and don’t tell Kade I told you about the crying. He bribed me to keep quiet.”
I arched a brow. “What kind of bribe?”
She grinned wickedly. A shirtless sleeping shot of his uncle.”
I choked on air. “You’re interested in his uncle?”
“I was,” she said with a shrug. “He’s a lawyer, cold as winter steel. I chased him for a while, but it got boring. Males are plentiful; why get stuck on one tree when there’s a whole forest?”
I caught the shadow in her eyes and didn’t pry. Years ago, she’d been smitten with that male, but in the last two years, his name hadn’t passed her lips.
My phone buzzed then–an unfamiliar number. When I answered, a low, commanding voice filled my ear.
“Miss Thorne,” Silas Whitmor said, “if you wish to return my coat, I’m at the range.”
“The range?” I blinked.
“Yes. I have time now. If you don’t, then never mind.”
“I have time,” I replied quickly. Better to sever this tie now, before the Ironclad Alpha found more excuses to cross paths with
me.
He sent me the location. I turned to Tana. “Drop me here. Take my case to your place–I’ll collect it later.”
She gave me a look. “That was Whitnor on the line? What does he want?”
To return something that’s his.”
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Chapter 49
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The shooting range was an exclusive, members–only place–not somewhere just anyone could walk into. Wren, Silas’s ever- efficient Beta assistant, was waiting at the gate when I arrived.
“Miss Thorne,” he said with a respectful nod. “This way.”
His deference was notable; in The Capital, Wren barely acknowledged most high–born wolves. And yet, he treated me—an Omega with no pack standing here–with something that edged on reverence.
I knew what it meant. Silas Whitmor’s interest was a dangerous thing.
The sharp cracks of gunfire reached my ears as we crossed the open–air range. I didn’t flinch; the sound was as familiar as my own heartbeat. In the Iron Fang days, the rifle range had been my daily haunt.
And then I saw him.
Silas stood with the poise of a predator in black, sleeves rolled to the elbow, the hard lines of his forearms taut as he leveled his weapon. A headset covered his ears, his stance balanced and unshakable.
Each pull of the trigger sent another round into the bullseye, the recoil barely moving him.
It was clinical, precise–like watching a wolf hone his claws, every movement under absolute control.
And as the brass casings hit the ground with a soft, metallic chime, I knew one thing–Silas Whitmor didn’t invite me here just to retrieve a coat.
Chapter 50
Freya’s POV
I watched Silas Whitmor lower his weapon, removing the headset to glance in my direction. His eyes, sharp as betrayed the satisfaction of a hunter seeing prey respond to the lure of the hunt.
“Here you are. Faster than I expected,” he said, his voice as controlled and precise as the rifle he had just fired.
I stepped forward with the neatly folded coat I’d dry–cleaned. “This is the jacket you lent me last time.”
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wolf’s,
skimmed the fabric with casual indifference. Wren moved to take the clothing from my hands, his posture rigid
Silas’s
gaze with deference.
“Then I’ll take my leave,” I said, turning to step away.
Silas’s voice cut through the air, calm but commanding. “Since you’ve come all this way, why not shoot a few rounds? Consider it a way to repay me for lending you the coat.”
I pursed my lips. “A few rounds?”
“Five rounds. Ten shots each,” he replied.
A staff member set the pistols, ammunition, and ear protection before me. I looked down at the weapon, and instinct surged through my veins.
Even after leaving the Iron Fang Recon Unit, even after stepping away from military life, my hands remembered. Checking the pistol, loading it, donning the headset–all of it felt as natural as breathing. Muscle memory carved deep into my bones.
I raised the gun, aiming at the distant target.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Each shot echoed in the open range, sharp and controlled. My eyes were steady, my expression cold, precise–the calm, lethal calm of a soldier still etched into me.
Silas watched me, and for a fleeting moment, his controlled exterior seemed to falter, almost dazzled by the
presence of another predator. He remembered the past–the chaos of war, the rubble, the moments when he’d thought all was lost. He had felt that same glint of survival then, and now, in my steady hands and unyielding gaze, it returned.
Round after round passed. We alternated shots, our scores almost neck and neck. Five rounds later, I set the gun down and exhaled, a long, satisfying breath. It had been a game for him, but for me, it was the kind of sharp, intoxicating release I hadn’t felt in years.
“You are the most skilled female shooter I’ve ever seen,” Silas said, his voice calm, but there was a weight behind it.
“Thank you,” I replied politely. “But there are many women in the unit whose aim surpassed mine. I’m not the best.”
Silas tilted his head slightly, curious. “Then why, with your skills, did you choose Caelum Grafton?”
My face darkened. “That is my private matter. I don’t owe an explanation.”
He smiled faintly, a predator’s smile. “And if I don’t like him… if I wanted to make him pay, what would you do?”
I kept my tone flat, neutral. “Do what you will. I will not interfere.”
“Then you don’t care about Caelum?” he pressed, eyes locked on mine.
turned to leave, dismissing the question, but his voice stopped me.
“And Kade? What about him?”
I froze. Kade… how did he know about my history with the Blackridge Alpha?
Chapter 50
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Silas’s voice cut again, smooth as ice. “If I moved against him, what would you do? I’m genuinely curious.”
My hands curled into fists, fury and instinct rising in tandem. In a heartbeat, I spun on him, closing the distance in a blur of motion, and yanked at his collar, my amber eyes blazing.
“Don’t you dare touch Kade!”
It was both a warning and a threat.
Wren froze beside us, pale and stiff. In The Capital, who had the audacity to seize the collar of the Ironclad Alpha? No one. And yet, there I stood, my teeth gritted, my wolf’s instinct sharp and raw.
Silas’s gaze stayed locked on me, unwavering. His amber eyes, so often calm as the dead, now burned with an intensity that rivaled the sun itself–but not for me. For another male. A rival.
“You hear me? Don’t touch Kade. He is not a toy for your amusement!” I growled, every word laced with the predator’s edge of my lineage.
Silas’s eyes narrowed. “And you? Would you stay by my side, then? For a while?”
I faltered. “What… do you mean?”
“If I leave Kade alone, you remain here, with me. That’s the condition,” he said, calm as a frozen lake, as if negotiating the most ordinary of contracts.
My wolf growled deep in my chest, fury sparking hotter than any gunfire. This man, this Alpha, treated others‘ lives like pawns. And yet… he dared speak to me as if I were merely a piece on his board.
I drew back, amber eyes flashing, heart and wolf both warning me–this was not a man to be underestimated.