Revenge to the Alpha Mate - Chapter 244

Chapter 244: Chapter 244
Lily’s Perspective

The tension visibly drained from Ethan’s shoulders, and from my brother Keith’s, whose usual “the sky can fall, someone taller will catch it” demeanor masks the fact he worries more than anyone. Even the stubborn stress pimples on Keith’s jaw had receded. Their patrols became less frequent, shorter, with more responsibility passed to the younger cubs to learn the borders and hone their senses. As Keith put it: “We can’t rely on our old noses forever. New blood needs to learn how to mark its own territory.”

We all knew why. It wasn’t that the Hunters had suddenly found peace. The chaos Jacob and Celena had stumbled into was like a bleeding chunk of fresh meat, holding the rapt attention of every hyena and vulture that had caught the scent.

It was a relief, but a heavy, damp piece of wood seemed lodged in the pit of my stomach.

Sometimes, in the dead quiet before dawn, I’d have nightmares about them. Not specific scenes, but a feeling—a cold, clinging darkness chasing them. Jacob shielding Celena, wounded, looking back with a desperate finality. I’d jolt awake, heart hammering, palms slick, needing minutes to convince myself I was safe in my cabin, listening to familiar crickets outside.

So, I’d taken to calling them. Not every call connected, the signal was fickle. But hearing a voice halved the weight on my heart. I’d chatter about pack nonsense: Nate’s latest baking experiment that nearly torched the kitchen, Xavier’s discovery of a new perfect lookout spot, Adrian losing a bet and being forced to wear pink socks for three days… Anything and everything, except the direct “Are you okay? Are you safe?” Some questions just make things heavier.

Then, last time, the signal was freakishly clear. Jacob’s voice sounded closer to “normal” than it had in weeks, carrying a trace—so faint I might have imagined it—of relief.

“…Yeah. On the road. Heading home.”

Those simple words nearly made me crush the comms device. *On the road? Home?*

Finally, he’d said it almost like a promise: “We’re already on our way home.”

*Home.*

I hung up, standing by the comms room window, watching the forest turn gold and crimson in the sunset, a grin spreading across my face unbidden. That sodden log on my chest was finally gone, letting in warm, actual sunlight.

I was overjoyed. It was the best damn news in ages.

It spread through our inner circle like wildfire. Even Ethan’s stern face broke into a rare, genuine smile. A pure, uncomplicated joy—not for victory, just for family returning safely—filled the air.

We agreed on a small welcome. Nothing grand, but it had to be lively, had to feel like *home*. The night they crossed into our territory, we’d light a bonfire in the clearing before the main lodge.

I was on dessert duty. Jacob has a secret, decidedly un-hardman soft spot for sweets, especially cream cake. I used the best cream and fresh eggs from the farm, baking a solid, fluffy golden sponge, then lavishly slathering it with thick vanilla frosting. The sweet smell from the oven made even the days seem sweeter.

Nate declared she was making nut-butter cookies from her grandmother’s secret recipe, “guaranteed to chew your worries up and swallow them.” Ethan and Xavier were the most enthusiastic, disappearing into the woods and returning at dusk with a fresh beef shoulder and a beautiful cut of venison. Xavier proudly declared the buck the most agile he’d seen all year, “worthy of welcoming our little wolves back.” Ethan just grunted and got to work on the meat, prepping his secret rubs and the grill. The air began to mix with the scent of searing meat, the crackle of burning wood, and the soft hum of laughter and anticipation.

When Jacob’s beat-up Ford Explorer, coated in road dust and catching the last of the sunset, rumbled up the dirt track to the lodge and let out its raspy honk—

The twins shot out first. Like two cannonballs, they practically crashed into Jacob the moment his boots hit the ground. Xavier and Adrian followed, strides steadier but already throwing playful punches at his shoulder.

Jacob was surrounded, wearing that long-absent expression of exasperated fondness. His solid arms wrapped around Xavier and the twins in turn, thumping their backs. Then he turned, carefully helping Celena out of the car.

Celena looked… thinner. Pale, with shadows under her eyes. But when she saw the crowd gathering, a light flickered in her green eyes, like a crack in ice revealing warmer water beneath. She even managed a small, tired, but real smile.

The twins didn’t hesitate, whooping and pulling her into the group hug. Celena staggered slightly but didn’t pull away, letting their furry heads nuzzle in. She lifted a hand, laughing softly as she patted Jim’s messy hair and ruffled Dave’s. The sight made my own eyes prickle.

Ethan stood on the periphery, giving Jacob and Celena a firm nod. Aurora clumsily looped a bracelet of wildflowers around Celena’s wrist.

The taste of family reunion was sweet. Like finding the last missing puzzle piece and snapping it perfectly into place. The bonfire crackled, lighting up every familiar face. The air was thick with the smell of food, the tang of ale, and that warm, utterly relaxed feeling you only get with your own pack.

So we gathered around the leaping flames, passing mugs of beer. To hell with prohibitions and rules. This was our land, our home! The pack runs free!

Someone started it—probably Xavier, bellowing an old, corny hunting chant. Adrian joined in, then Ethan’s low rumble, followed by Nate’s sharp clapping. Soon, everyone was singing. It wasn’t pretty, often wildly off-key, but it was loud, reckless, and full of raw life. Someone started stomping, slapping knees, the rhythm building.

The fireside became a dance floor. Xavier spun Ren until they both nearly toppled into the flames, drawing whoops and shrieks. Adrian tried to teach Aurora a complicated tap step and tripped over his own feet first. Even my brother Keith showed up, leaning against a tree with a drink, a rare, loose smile on his face.

Jacob and Celena sat on a log a little apart, side by side. Jacob’s arm rested loosely around her shoulders; she leaned into him, holding a small bowl of my cake, taking tiny bites. The firelight danced over their faces. They weren’t joining the wild dancing, just watching quietly, occasionally murmuring to each other. But the feeling around them… like two trees leaning together for warmth after a storm. Quiet, but roots intertwined.

That sight smoothed away the last wrinkle of worry in my heart. They were back. They were together.

The revelry went on. Aurora was the first to succumb, falling asleep against my shoulder and being carried inside. The younger cubs followed, sprawling here and there. But the rest of us, fueled by drink and high spirits, kept going.

I found myself back by the fire, accepting a refilled wooden cup from Adrian and taking a deep swallow. The flames wavered in my vision, friends’ faces blurring and overlapping, laughter sounding muffled. Xavier was telling a terrible joke, and Nate was laughing so hard she sagged against me. Ethan was clinking cups with Jacob, discussing some patrol schedule.

Warmth. Safety. Family. Home.

All the tension, the long worry, the lurking fear… it all evaporated in that moment, burned away by the hot flames and sharp liquor. I felt a total, reckless lightness, as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted.

I laughed. I drank. I listened. I watched.

Until the fire blurred into warm, gold-red smudges in my eyes, and the sounds around me grew distant, as if I were sinking into warm water.

My head lolled, finding a similarly soft and slumping shoulder beside me.

My last coherent thought: *Totally worth the epic headache tomorrow.*