Chapter 12 After defeating Leon , Asher approached Mia , who lay collapsed on the ground , her scream echoing with terror and despair . His expression remained cold and devoid of mercy . " Take her away , " he ordered flatly . " Exile her to the ice fields in the far north . Let her live or die on her own . " Two warriors stepped forward , dragging Mia's trembling form away like discarded trash . My father stood frozen , watching the scene unfold . When his gaze shifted to me , tears streamed down his lined face . In me , he finally saw the truth . The daughter he had forsaken was now radiant , fierce , and powerful . She had always been his tribe's greatest treasure . And he had been the one to cast her away . He stumbled toward me , reaching out with a shaking hand . " Pauline ... I'm sorry . It was my fault . Come home . The tribe needs you . " " Home ? " I echoed , my voice distant . " I don't have a home . " His face crumpled . " The moment you cast me out , Black Stone ceased to be my home , " I said , my voice calm but unyielding . " Whether the tribe needs me or not no longer matters . " " I belong with my mate . I will follow Asher . " Without looking back , I walked to Asher's side and took his hand . Rising onto my toes , I pressed a soft kiss to his lips - a gesture filled with love and finality . Then I turned my head , exposing my neck to him in an unspoken vow . His eyes met mine , and in that moment , he understood everything : my trust , my devotion , my love . The Moon Goddess had not abandoned me . She had led me here , to him . Asher leaned down and bit into my neck , marking me as his forever . Power surged through us , a bond blazing to life with overwhelming force . We clung to each other , breathless , our souls awakened . I was no longer just Pauline . I was Luna of Ashborn . My father watched with hollow eyes , understanding at last what he had lost was not only a daughter , but the tribe's strongest future . Grief crushed him . Months passed . I heard what became of Leon . After being crippled , he fell below even the Omegas . Bullied and discarded , he died alone on a snowy night , frozen outside the tribe he once sought to control . My father grew ill soon after . He relinquished his Alpha title and passed leadership to a capable Gamma . In his final days , he lived alone , kneeling before my mother's portrait , whispering too - late apologies . Without its rightful heir , the once - mighty Black Stone Tribe began to fade . But far from that fading legacy , I thrived . Asher loved me fiercely , treating me as the most precious wolf in his world . The Ashborn people embraced me as their Luna with loyalty , respect , and love . One evening , I stood on the highest peak of our land , gazing over the fertile North that now belonged to us . Asher wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my head . " What are you thinking about ? " he asked gently . 1/2 Chapter 12 +25 BONUS I placed a hand on my growing belly and smiled . " Whether our child will be a boy or a girl . " He chuckled . " Whichever it is , they'll be the strongest Alpha the world has ever seen . With the mightiest father and the bravest mother . " I leaned into him , heart full . The past hadn't broken me . It had made me unshakable . As moonlight bathed us in silver light , the joyous howls of the pack echoed across the mountains - a song of celebration , of new life , and of the eternal reign of their king and queen . Continue Reading C