When I look up with a hesitant frown, Aurora stops in front of me.
“We've been waiting for you, Willow. Now that you're here, we're all excited. You're home now.”
In Luna Aurora's radiant hazel eyes, I see the kind of warmth and sincerity I've been craving my whole life, and it touches my heart.
It's the same familiarity I saw in Thane's eyes tonight, and the only thing that's holding me back from believing it all is my own insecurities and those haunting nightmares I've been having.
For the first time in a long while, I’m not sure what’s more terrifying.
My power…
Or feeling like I might belong somewhere, because in an instant, I could lose it all, just like the house I set on fire.
Chapter 15 - Thane
The morning is icier than usual, a cold blanket of fresh snow settling over Girdwood, the kind of gray stillness that follows destruction. The ruins of my house remain smoked out faintly in the distance, a scar on the snow-blanketed village. I glance at it from the ridge one last time before turning toward my grandfather’s property, my boots crunching through frost as I head to the front door.
It feels strange coming here after everything that happened. The smell of smoke still clings to me even after I showered at Elias's place this morning, the memory of Willow’s tear-streaked face from last night etched into my mind. I've hardly slept since she left with Aurora and the others, having spent most of the night making sure the fire didn’t spread and the perimeter was secure. When I did retreat to Elias's place in the unholy hours of the morning, Willow was already asleep. But even exhaustion couldn't numb the tight knot in my chest when I realized I would have to face my grandfather today.
I don't have a house anymore, and Willow and I need a place to stay. Luckily, my grandfather returned from his mission this morning, welcomed back by my burned-down house and the news I'm about to give him.
Grandfather’s house stands just as it always has—solid and dignified, like a relic from another era. The door is already open as if he’s expecting me.
When I step inside, Charles Savage is seated at the kitchen table, a mug of black coffee in one hand, a cigar in the other. He doesn’t look up immediately, but I can tell by the slight lift of his brow that he knew I was there long before I stepped inside.
“Good morning, Thane,” he says evenly.
“Grandfather.” I clear my throat, standing awkwardly in the arched doorway. “We need to talk.”
He sets the cigar onto the ashtray, motioning to the chair across from him. “About the fire? Or the woman?”
My breath catches in my throat. “You know about Willow?”
Grandfather Charles smiles faintly, that old, knowing glint in his eyes. “Nothing escapes me, son. Did you forget that I am on the elder council? Word spreads fast in a pack. Besides, I could smell the mate bond on you the moment you walked in. Faint, but present.”
I exhale slowly, running a hand through my hair. “I didn’t mean for it to happen this way. She’s…different. She doesn’t have a wolf. I wasn’t sure you would approve.”
“Approve?” He chuckles, low and gravelly. “You think I care that she’s wolfless?”
I take a deep breath, finally making my way to the chair across from him. “I know how much you despise omegas…”
Grandfather snorts. “If you're referring to your mother, I never despised her,” he says firmly, prompting me to frown when he meets my eyes.
“I pray you never have to bury your own child. That's the kind of pain I faced, and the only thing I resented was her inability to save my son.” He lowers his eyes bashfully. “I was truly only resentful of myself and my inability to save your father.”
“It's not your fault,” I implore, and my grandfather nods slowly.
“Neither was it hers. The bond chooses who it chooses. Always has, always will.” His eyes sharpen. “And from what I hear, this woman may be the key to more than your heart. The witches have taken her under their wing for a reason.”
That catches me off guard. “You’ve spoken to them?”
“Elias called this morning when I arrived. He had to; he's the main alpha,” Charles replies, leaning back in his chair. “Said the girl’s power is awakening. Said you looked like hell.” His tone softens. “Son, I’ve seen this before…the pull between duty and love. Every generation of Savages faces it. But if the Moon Goddess saw fit to bind you to this omega, there’s purpose in it. Don’t fight it. I won't, either.”
I look down at my calloused hands, the ones that dragged Willow out of the fire last night and still tremble from the memory. “I hurt her once,” I admit quietly, replaying our fight in the woods. “I won’t do it again.”
“Then don’t,” he says simply, standing and rounding the table toward me, placing a hand on my shoulder with firm reassurance. “Protect her. Learn from the past, from your fellow alphas. The threat of the demons is greater than any of us, and this pack's preservation lies in the hands of the witches. You’ve got my blessing. And my house, until you rebuild yours.”
A weight lifts off my shoulders—one I've carried for many years, since the moment I rejected Willow—and it feels like I can finally breathe in my grandfather's presence. “Thank you, Grandfather.”
