<b>Chapter </b>86
“Congrattions”
The chorus of voices startled me. I gasped and blinked in disbelief as I took in the crowd gathered in the dimly lit, elegantly decorated banquet room. My hand flew to my mouth as I stared at each familiar face, trying to register what I was seeing
It wasn’t just Beta Alfonso, Audrey, Patricia, Louis, Monica, and Joshua–all beloved faces from the pack—but also Katrina, Ang, and Jose my clownt human friends from the university. They stood among round tables, under warm golden lighting and cascading floral arrangements, pping, cheering, beaming at me.
“What…I breathed, frozen at the entrance of the private hall.
Francesco had only said he was taking me to dinner–just a quiet Friday evening to celebrate the end of my final exhibition. Nothing fancy, nothing pverwhelming<b>. </b>That’s what he told me. And I believed him. I never expected this
The entire top floor of a five–star hotel in Florence was transformed into a celebration hall. Elegant <b>but </b>cory. Vibrant but familiar. Everything f
thoughtful. Personalized Home.
My gaze swept across the decorations–moon motifs on the wall, scattered with brushstroke–style paintings of wolves, stars, and forests. A blend of both my worlds: the artist and the she–woll
It was too much
Too beautiful.
Too kind.
I turned, heart swelling, and found him already watching me–my <b>mate</b>, standing not far behind with a small, nervous smile tugging at his lips
His eyes <b>flickered </b>instantly to mine, and he tensed the moment he saw the tears glistening there. His smile faded. In two long strides, he was at my side, hands gently cupping my face.
concern, thumb brushing my <b>cheek</b>.
“What’s wrong!” he asked, voice tight with
I shook my head, my hands wrapping around his wrists. “Thank you” I whispered, my voice cracking slightly with emotion.
His shoulders rxed immediately Relief washed over his features like a gentle Lide
“I thought you didn’t like it.” He exhaled, visibly easing
A familiar voice broke in with a yful grin,” can say she loves it
turned and saw Katrina already pushing through the small crowd, arms wide open. She hugged me tight before I could say anything
Iughed through t the remnants of my tears. “You guys are here too!! How?”
Ang joined her, smiling knowingly. “Your man these, she gestured at Francesco is more romantic than we gave him credit for. Audrey came to us after you left the other day. Said he wants to n something special for her <b>graduation</b><b>, </b>and we want her closest friends there.‘ How could we say no to
that?
ne sotter.
<b>Ang </b>actually looked touched, her usual sarcastic grin reced with something s
u got a good one, El. If you don’t marry him, that’s your loss, babe,”
Katrina grinned. “You <b>got </b>a
“Seriously,” Jose chimed in, leaning against the buffet table with a drink in hand. “I mean, have you seen the <b>way </b><b>he </b>looks at you? We all thought he was just a handsome guy picking you up now and then. But this?” He waved at the crowd, the music, the perfectly arranged setup. “This is love.”
Chapter S
The three of them nodded in unison as di might foolishly deny the obdous truth,
<b>I </b>couldn’t help butugh, want thing in my chest.
This was why he brought me to a hotel in Florence instead of our teritory:
He knew I wouldn’t be able to celebrate with my human friends otherwise.
He included everyone
Not just pack members. Not just wolves. But people–anyone who had mattered in my jour
I swallowed hard and looked around again, more slowly this time. There were students from other majors <b>too</b>–Joshua from Engineering, Lena from Literature, Emil from Architecture. All smiling, holding sses of sparkling juice or champagne, All celebrating
It wasn’t just for me
Twas for all of us.
A celebrition of victory. Of survival. Of futures long fought for
I looked back at Francesco
My God… the things he does for me.
Before I could go back to him, my three friends suddenly squealed as the DJ shifted to a remix of our favorite pop song from campus <b>days</b>–one that used to y in our dormmon room at midnight when deadlines were killing us.
“Come on, Ell” Katrina screamed over the beat, grabbing my arm,
Before I could object, they pulled me onto the dance floor.
I twisted around to nce at Francesco. He’d <b>taken </b>a seat at the center table. Regal in his ck shirt, sleeves rolled, top button undone–casual butmanding. And yet… his whole attention was on me.
Not the music. Not the room. Not the people constantly trying to get <b>his </b>attention.
Just me.
His golden eyes locked with mine, <b>a </b>small smile pulling at the corner of his lips.
He wasn’ting over. He was giving me space,
Letting me enjoy this moment.
Letting me be… Eine.
estiny tangled my heart.
The me I was before destiny
I blew him a kiss, smiling as he nodded slightly in return, eyes soft,
Then I danced
I danced like I hadn’t in years.
With Katrina, Jose, and Ang twirling apound me, screaming lyrics andughing, I forgot the pain, the fear, the weight of everything, Just for a while. I let myself feel the joy.
The music had started to slow, drifting into a sofer rhythm an ached fromughing so much with Ang,
fa, and Jotar
They were all still on the dance floor, limbs failing with joyful abandon but ever drove
Francesco
hadn’t moved from his seat, but his eyes never left me,
I smiled and blow him another kiss, letting him know I saw him too. That always did
Eventually, I broke away from the dance floor, the warmth of the moment will radiating in my hear smile, one hand extending toward me like it was the most natural thing in the wor
“Come,” he said softly. “There’s something I want to show you”
He led me through a private corridor of the hotel, past velvet–lined walls and rooftop terrace, the city of Florence gttering beneath us like scattered
I gasped
In sconces I was still barefoot from dancing
A telescope stood by the edge, polished and slook. Beside it, a small table with t
a flutes of spark
“What is this?” I whispered, turning to him.
graduation gift,” he said, then gestured to the telescope. “I thought you’d want to keep chasing stan
when you
My throat tightened. “Francesco..
He hold up a finger and opened the box inside was a delicate pendant–a crescent moon of silver wrapped around a luminous blue gem
“I made this special for you.”
Tears burned behind my eyes. “It’s beautiful”
He stepped behind me, cing the chain around my neck. “nothing against your beauty, amore mist
The weight of it felt powerful. This is like a promise.
I turned in his ams, burying my face in his chest, breathing in the scent th
<b>We </b>stood there for a moment, the silence sacred.
Then he pulled back just enough to cup my cheeks. “The night isn’t over yet. Come with me
He led me back through the building, this time exiting through the private elevator that opened up to the hotel’s secluded garden. There, waiting
the soft light of the moon, was Audrey, Beta Alfonso, Joshua, and several warriors–including those who had once doubted mo
And in the clearing beyond them–our pack
Dozens of them, in wolf form. Waiting
My breath caught in my throat. “What is this?”
“A tradition,” Francesco said. “When a Luna graduates, she <b>runs </b>with the pack beneath the moon. Tonight, they run for you.”
The emotion nearly shattered me.
Audrey stepped forward, eyes gleaming “Go on, Luna. Show them who you are.”
I felt Mika stir inside me, her joy rippling through my chest.
Francesco shed his clothes in a bilink and shifted into his massive Lyom form beautiful and touchle, midnight for glozi
He brushed his trout agent thing, and let po
The thit took me in nine seamless wave, white fur exploding across my skin as I and into my true self.
Gaps of awe echoed around the garden.
And then we rate
Together
Francesco and I tore through the woods, or pack trailing behind in thunderous harmony. The world was nothing but moonlight, w triumphant song <b>of </b>paws against earth
Thad never felt so alive.
Never felt so free
This was not the end.
It was the beginning of something greater.
Of love. Of unity. Of legacy
And as we ran beneath the stars, the night howled our story into the heavens.
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