Blood And Silver:Rise of the Alpha’s Rejected Mate
Chapter 226

Chapter 226 AURORA It was still clinging to my skin , the chill of the night before , when I woke , the vision of the glowing pieces of the pendant fresh .

Morning light pouring through the packhouse windows , though .

managed to chase some of the leftover unease away .

Outside , what met my gaze was a balm of sweet solace to my soul .

Brilliant blue met the horizon again , bathing the village in golden warmth from the sun .

Wolves moved purposefully as they rebuilt , the sound of their laughter and chatter mingled with hammering and sawing .

Dane was at the tree line , facing off with some number of scouts .

Relaxed shoulders still ; he stands strong , holding command without command .

Hes happy when hes watching me and his easy smiling tugged a deep inner piece of myself in his direction .

Morning , he offered , the sound of warmth steady as I stepped up and stopped beside him , taking his own sean around the little action scene happening .

Chapter 226 It is , really , I said smiling just now doing it my way loo .

2/6 He nodded , his gaze following mine .

We fought hard for this .

This time we allow ourselves to enjoy it .

We spent the morning wandering the village and making sure things were progressing as well as they appeared .

Wolves were smiling at us , giving us progress reports .

The roof on the storehouse is all but complete , one wolf told us , jerking a chin toward the huge structure .

Should be done by next week .

And cleaned the rubble out of the eastern fields , one of them added .

The crops ought to grow healthy once more .

The pups were further off at play ; their giggles were wafted forward by the breeze .

The puppies tore through the grass at each other , a never ending sphere of energy .

One came to me : a little girl , large , round eyes with that sense of curiosity , holding onto something .

For you , Luna , she said in almost a whisper , with great pride in her voice .

I crouched down and took the gift , lifting it to really look at the wildflower with a grin .

Thank you , I said softly .

She beamed before bounding away to join friends .

Dane watched the whole exchange with a small smile on his lips .

Chapter 226 You are good with them .

3/6 They remind me why we do all this , I asked him .

Why does it matter ? By morning , the whole pack had assembled themselves around the fire pit .

I stood before them ; my chest heaving with pride as determination was reborn within me .

Weve been through so much as a pack , I told them , and my voice carried across the clearing .

We have been through adversity that should have snapped us , broken us .

But it served only to make us more resilient .

Their eyes flashed , the echo of mine , deep running with that same resolution .

Let us institute some new traditions now , to keep us this strong , I said .

Weekly storytelling circles , where our elders can share in their experiences and our history .

Training curriculums for our younger wolves to develop them into leaders .

Community projects that encourage bonding .

A murmur of assent rippled across the tide of faces and broke over me like a wave of relief .

Dane moved closer , his presence anchoring me .

And well be expanding our borders to give ourselves room to grow , he said .

Trajan and a select few will head out to range new territory , Chapter 226 4/6 while Piper puts on combative training sessions for anyone who wants to brush up their skills .

Great , Piper groaned from the side , sarcasm dripping off the words .

Because teaching Warrick how to hold a sword was exactly what I wanted to do with my week .

Warrick flashed a grin over his shoulder , crossing his arms over his chest .

Youll enjoy it .

Im a fast learner .

The pack laughed at that , light teasing lightening up the mood .

Days passed in one big blur .

Werewolves fixed training in groups and eating out beneath open sky .

Late that evening , the two of us finally took some time away from the trees .

The sun had gone down , but oranges and pinks streaked across the sky .

He took my hand , his thumb tracing over my knuckles .

Youve done something amazing here , he said softly .

We did something brilliant , I corrected , catching in on him .

We stood in comfortable silence and watched the stars come out one at a time , then Dane turned into me , searching for the very first time , nervous .

Ive been meaning to do this for some time , he started , his hand reaching into his pocket .

Before I could fathom what he was referring to , much less what Chapter 226 the thought implied , he pulled out an exquisitely crafted diamond bracelet from his pocket .

5/6 Aurora , he said , firmness in his voice but a slight quake in his hand .

I have always thought of you as my Luna .

But now I want you to be my wife .

I caught my breath , and for a moment , uttering a word was beyond my capacity .

The sincerity of his eyes , the way in which , with that one word , his voice gentle , the emotion overwhelmed.

me .

Yes , I whispered , my voice shaking just a little .

Yes , Dane .

Of course .

He slipped the bracelet onto my wrist , and I flung my arms around him , drawing him close .

Word mustve gotten out fast , because within a heartbeat or two , there was a celebratory party tossed together by the pack .

There was food and drink out of nowhere , and music danced on air .

Dane and I danced under the moon , his firm hands on my hips , swaying into rhythm .

The pack cheered and jeered ; the laughter was contagious .

Piper and Warrick joined in though Warricks dancing left a little to be desired .

Is that supposed to be a spin ? Piper giggled , barely suppressing the urge to burst into laughter .

Chapter 226 Im improvising , he shot back , grinning despite himself .

Even Trajan relaxed , his rich laughter booming across the clearing as he watched the pups reenacting events of the past weeks in melodrama style .

It was during this final quieting of the party that somehow I found myself on the ridge , staring down at the village .

6/6 The firelight from below cast a gold glow over treetops ; the long darkness capered over the ground .

Dane joined me , his hand slipping into mine .

What are you thinking about ? For the first time in a long time Im thinking about the future , I said , About what we can build here .

He nodded , his eyes soft .

Weve come a long way .

I leaned into him , feeling the strength and comfort of his presence .

We have .

But I looked down to the still village below and saw something in my vision , a smooth , almost not there shake of the forest .