Chapter 52 Farewell

• THE QUIET OF THE morning after the Blood Moon was a stark contrast to the magical storm of the night before. The sun rose, a gentle golden orb in the sky, and its light filtered through the forest canopy, casting a warm, dappled glow over the Alpha’s cabin. The air was fresh and clean, filled with the scent of pine and damp earth, a stark departure from the charged, metallic air of the temple.
• Selene and Waldemar had returned to the cabin a few hours earlier, utterly exhausted but wrapped in a sense of peace and rightness. The pack had dispersed, their awe-filled whispers following the new Alpha and his Queen. They had a long road ahead of them, a new dynamic to establish with the pack, but for now, they had this quiet moment.
• Selene was sitting on the porch swing, a warm blanket wrapped around her shoulders, a mug of steaming tea in her hands. She watched the sun rise, feeling the energy of the awakened earth hum beneath her. It was a beautiful, powerful feeling. The goddess power within her was no longer a terrifying storm but a gentle, humming current of life. She felt whole, complete.