Moonbound: The Rogue's Second Chance-Chapter 95 - NINETY-FIVE - D-DAY(V)

Evelyn placed her hand over her heart and cleared her throat gently. "Welcome, my dear children. I am glad to see each and every one of you in good health."

Serena’s eyes wandered as she looked at the people. Most of them had their eyes on the old woman, a few were elsewhere, conversing, looking at someone beside them, or zoning out.

Her gaze eventually found a small figure tucked near the end of a bench, a little girl with auburn hair, nearly brown, who stared straight at her with wide, unblinking eyes. Serena blinked slowly herself, then a small smile spread across her face.

"What are you smiling at?" Darius asked in a hushed tone, eyes still on his Nana, though his peripheral attention never quite left Serena.

"Oh, there is a little girl looking at me," came the reply.

Darius glanced briefly to see a bug-eyed child who looked like she might just fall out of her seat at a moment’s notice. He returned his gaze to Nana and remained silent for a few moments.

"There are a lot of people looking at you, actually. Just look forward like you really care about what’s going on," he said/

"Ah, alright," Serena said, her voice sounding more deflated than she intended. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Darius pressed his lips into a thin line. The service would not take that long, and everything would go smoothly so long as Serena acted accordingly... according to the unspoken plan he had for her in his mind.

"Did you receive the speech I wrote for you?"

A pause stretched between them before she answered. "I did not."

Darius looked down for a beat, his expression was composed, but within him a silent storm brewed. He had given Anthony direct instructions. A small muscle ticked in his jaw as he cast a sidelong glance at Serena. Her gaze was fixed on the bun at the top of Nana’s head, as if she were studying its construction.

"It never came, or you did away with it?"

Serena turned her head toward him, her brows tugging into a soft frown. There was a quiet sort of confusion in her expression. She did not understand what the issue was now, where had this frustration been, and why was it jumping at her now?

"It never came," she said slowly.

Darius exhaled and shifted in his seat slightly, tapping slowly and then increasing the pace.

"I see," came the reply.

Serena kept her eyes on Evelyn, who had placed her hand to her chest. She opened her mouth, and out flowed a sweet voice. The blind woman was taken aback by Elder Evelyn’s voice.

To the side, the trumpet and lute joined in, played by musicians with eyes closed, as if lost in a dream of their own making. The gentle harmony washed over the crowd, heads beginning to sway in quiet rhythm.

The woman went on for a few minutes, and when she dropped her hands, in that moment, Elder Evelyn looked like an angelic being. A burst of applause erupted around Serena, and she joined in, her palms echoing in time with the others. She smiled, eyes still on the old woman.

The elder gave a modest wave, her wrinkles deepening with her grin. "It is my pleasure once again to sing in front of you. I hope to do so for many moons to come."

"She has such a sweet voice," Serena commented in a low voice.

"Yes, she does," Darius replied.

Serena hummed and let her gaze drift across the room. On the other side, Livia sat with her hands clasped over her lap, her posture composed, her gaze turned deliberately away. The grey dress she wore shimmered faintly under the lantern light, its embroidery catching threads of gold. She had her auburn hair cascading down her back. She looked beautiful.

Elder Cedar walked up to the podium with a kind smile on his face and began to speak, nearly everyone’s attention on the older man’s face.

"My fellow wolves, my sisters and brothers.

Tonight, we gather not just to welcome a guest, but to mark the quiet turning of seasons within our own walls. A sunrise does not begin with light, but with the long, dark stillness before it. And I believe, truly, that we are standing at the edge of that new light.

In the past moons, we’ve seen growth. We rebuilt the southern barracks after last winter’s storms. The nurseries have been repainted, twice, thanks to the pups. And just last week, two young wolves from our lower rings passed their first iron trials with marks of excellence.

Now, we are not people who often open our doors. Through history, our strength has always been found in knowing when to listen, and we open ourselves to strangers on a similar path to ours, not carved in stone, but in snow.

So, with that, I ask that you lend your ears, and perhaps, in time, your respect, to our guest. Whatever the reasons that brought her here, she stands in our hall tonight. And that means she stands under our roof, and under our law.

Let this be a night of beginnings. Ironshade rises, as it always has, and always will.

Thank you."

The room responded with soft applause, Cedar’s words left Serena oddly breathless. A slow realization sank in: he had meant her. She was the next one to go up. She had thought Darius would introduce her more directly, but instead, it seemed she’d been folded into the ceremony like she already belonged.

"Serena," Darius said, rising to his feet.

As a response, every other person in the hall rose. A hush fell over the hall as all eyes were on them. Darius stretched his hand forward, waiting for her to take it.

Serena stood up from the chair, scanning the area briefly before she took Darius’ hand. He led her to the place which Cedar had just left.

Darius gave her a small bow and returned to the designated area for him. Serena looked forward at the crowd who had gathered all just to see her. She placed her hand on the podium and looked at the front row, and there she saw Annamarie, Jack, and Emmett.

Slowly, her apprehension melted away, and she was left with a warm feeling in her heart. They had come early enough to get front-row seats.

She stepped forward and laid her hand on the podium, fingertips brushing its cool edge. She gave a small nod, lifting her hand in greeting, just as she’d seen Elder Evelyn do. One by one, the wolves took their seats again, their attention still fixed on her.

Serena glanced to her sides. Darius and his elders were watching keenly too. This was like those debut balls she’d heard the vampires, and sometimes humans, have. A ceremony done to usher young men and women into their high society.

She patted the side of her pocket. The paper remained, but she did not bring it out; she already knew the words by heart.

"To Alpha Darius Hawthorne, the honored Elders, and the wolves of Ironshade," she began, her voice steady despite the tightness that lingered in her chest.

"I offer my thanks, not only for your welcome, but for the caution with which it was extended. In Crimsonclaw, trust is not given freely, and I know the same is true here.

I do not take your acceptance lightly. Hospitality, in a time of uneasy alliances and colder winters, is a weapon just as sharp as any blade. You have shown it to me with dignity, and I will answer it with the same.

Ironshade’s reputation echoes far beyond the mountains. In Crimsonclaw, we know you as builders of iron, but also of resilience, wolves who find joy in their various arts. And we respect that.

As ambassador, I come not with demands, but with an outstretched hand. To witness how another great pack thrives. To stand between our territories not as a wall, but, perhaps, one day, a bridge.

You may find me strange. You may doubt what I represent. That is fair. Time will do what words cannot. But know this: I do not take this duty lightly. I am here in good faith, and I will honor the trust your Alpha has shown by letting me walk among you.

Thank you. May your steel never dull."

Serena held her breath as she looked out at the wolves. It was as if they had splashed cold water onto them. She watched them silently with bated breath,had her speech been poor?

She stood frozen in the quiet until, from the front row, Jack rose to his feet and began to clap. The sound was slow at first, deliberate. Annamarie followed without hesitation, then Emmett, his hands louder than the others. The applause began to spread like fire catching dry leaves. Within moments, the entire hall was on its feet, clapping and cheering, the sound rising in waves.

Serena’s shoulders relaxed; the tension in her neck gave way to joy. The speech was a success,her D-Day had not eaten her alive.

"Thank you," she murmured, barely audible over the crowd. But she said it anyway, to them, to herself, to the universe for not letting her fall flat.

Serena looked over to Darius, who had a small smile on his face. He nodded to her. To her other side, the Elders had risen, all clapping along with the crowd.

Livia had a thin line set on her lips, but her eyes were not as harsh as they always looked. Elder Evelyn smiled like it would have been her last day doing so. Elder Cedar put his fingers to his lips and let out a shrill whistle. Elder Iris had an approving look on her face. And finally, the oldest man, Elder Julian, was scribbling away in his book like he was in a world of his own.

Serena turned back to face the hall. The applause still rang in her ears, but now it felt like music.