Dimitri POV
I found Rose in the gazebo again. Whenever she was overwhelmed or wanted to be alone with her thoughts, Rose went there. It was the second time since she woke that I found her there.
When she first woke, I swore my heart stopped when I caught her scent, and then I saw the front door open. I sent Alberta to check our room while I looked outside. Seeing Rose awake and in the sunlight had taken my breath away.
Sometimes when I closed my eyes, I would see her battered, bloodied body lying still in my arms—at those moments, I cherished seeing her awake and moving.
Summer had started and brought with it a sweltering heat; thankfully, living in the mountains gave us a cool breeze. The leaves swayed above us and made spots of sunlight dance as it shined through. Rose sat on the steps, head tilted back, and eyes closed. The coloured sunlight that came through the stained glass window gave her a halo.
Eddie had left a few minutes before; his cheeks were tear-stained, just like Rose's. I can't imagine it was an easy conversation.
"You're staring at me." Rose broke the silence, not opening her eyes, but she shifted over to make space on the step. It was invitation enough for me to sit beside her.
"I'm not staring," I replied, covering her hand with mine, "I'm admiring."
The corner of her lips quirked up; it wasn't a full smile, but I would take it. Rose wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, sniffling occasionally. When her eyes opened, they were red from crying, but there was less of a haunted look.
"Eddie said it wasn't my fault."
"That's because it wasn't," I agreed.
Rose carried the blame for the attack, even if it wasn't hers. Mason's death weighed on her more than anything, and I hated to see her suffer. She spent the last three years being told that she wasn't worth anything and didn't see the value in her life—she didn't understand why people would go so far to keep her safe.
It wasn't just because she was Luna—it was because of who she was as a person. Rose would sacrifice herself to save so many people but couldn't believe that others would do the same. She couldn't accept that she was a victim of Isaiah and James' plans. Instead, she saw herself as complacent.
It left a bitter taste in my mouth that she would think herself capable of hurting others. I had no doubt in my mind that she did everything she could—I knew she did everything she could. Rose defied the odds and proved to everyone the strength of omegas when she shifted and killed Isaiah and three other wolves.
It was such raw power. All of it had been made dormant by the drugs the academy fed her, and now it was steadily returning. Rose would be a powerful Luna, and I looked forward to the day she realised that.
"Dimitri?" I turned to face her. Rose chewed her lower lip, eyes staring ahead as she took a deep breath. "I think I want to see Mason's grave."
I squeezed her hand again. "Okay. I'll take you."
The sun was setting behind the mountain, casting an orange glow on the cemetery. The grounds had been there for over two centuries; the headstones spread up the side of the mountain. It was built above the town so those that passed could always look over us.
I had only buried one pack member outside of it, and it was my father. His body was placed in an unmarked grave at the bottom of the foothills.
There were new graves for the people we lost in the attack; my heart sank when I saw them. I had been close with them all, training with them since I took over the pack. Stan had even taught me how to fight when I was younger—losing them felt like losing part of myself.
They died protecting the pack. Isaiah played dirty and used tricks that left us vulnerable. I knew I would have to improve the protection of my pack to keep them safe.
Rose carried a handful of flowers; she appeared awkward picking them from the garden at the pack house. She didn't know what to do but didn't want to come empty-handed. I took half of them and joined her as she placed a flower on each grave.
I kept some distance—close enough that if Rose needed me, I would be there, but I didn't want to crowd her. It was her chance to say goodbye.
Once we reached Mason's, I stepped back and allowed her space.
Rose sat beside the gravestone, brushing the grass and fallen leaves away from it, and placed the last flower on top of it. It was a rose.
I tried to give her privacy, but the breeze carried her words. For a long time, she didn't talk, but then I heard her grumble, "I'm not going to have anyone to easily beat at the gym now. Guess I'll have to get stronger and beat Eddie. I bet you'd like that."
Rose sighed, pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. "I keep thinking about what-ifs, wondering if I could have saved you. Like, what if I ran faster? Or if I had shifted sooner? It's hard to admit it, but I don't think anything would have helped."
I couldn't see her tears but I knew she was crying again.
"I wasn't strong enough to save you, and I'm so sorry, Mason. It might not have been my fault, but there was nothing I could have done to save you. I don't want that to happen to anyone else." Rose sucked in a shaky breath, touching her fingers to his name, "I promise I will do everything I can, so next time I can save them. Maybe that way I can honour what you did for me? I'm going to become a great Luna because you gave your life to protect me."
Rose became silent, leaning beside the grave with her head bowed, shoulders shaking. It was difficult to stay back when all I wanted to do was comfort her, but I knew she needed to be alone. When she was ready, she would come to me.
"I won't let you down, Mason," Rose promised. I heard her take a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. Slowly, she stood, still staring at the stone. "I'll visit soon," she whispered; and turned towards me with tear-filled eyes.
I lifted my arms, and Rose crossed the distance to be in them, burying her face in my shirt as she cried. I held her, whispering to her in Russian. I promised that soon her grief wouldn't hurt as much. I promised we would honour Mason and everyone else who lost their lives that day. I promised that one day, she would be able to think of him and smile.
The sun was disappearing behind the mountain when Rose stood back from me, a wobbly smile on her face. There wasn't the same weight in her eyes; it seems some of the guilt had finally eased.
"I'm ready to go now," she told me, her voice rough from crying. Our fingers interlocked.
"Let's go home. I'll make you some food," I smiled back at her.
Her eyes became brighter, some more of her fire returning. "Perfect idea, comrade. And maybe tomorrow we can eat lunch at Jay's. I want one of his burgers."
xXx
Rose POV
I should have known the trouble at Court would follow me. It was too good to be true that Abe managed to smooth everything over. He took care of any Council members angered by Dimitri killing James and also spread the information about James' pack attacking ours.
With Roberto and Nathan giving the details about their plans, I assumed that meant I wouldn't have to worry about the Council anymore.
I wished.
I crossed my arms and scowled, staring out the window of our office and waiting for the cars to arrive. "Last time I had tea with the Queen, she threatened me."
"It's a good thing we aren't having tea, then," Ivan quipped but became silent when I shifted my glare to him.
"That won't happen," Dimitri assured with a gentle smile. He was always a voice of reason, believing that Tatiana really just wanted to talk, but I could tell he was on edge. While Dimitri was assuming the best, he prepared for the worst.
Originally, we expected Abe to return from Court in a couple of days, but then Abe called and informed us that he was ten minutes away and Tatiana was with him.
Once Dimitri knew what was happening, he muttered about a backup plan. I didn't know what it was exactly, but based on how deflated Ivan became at the mention of it, I guessed it was our escape plan. Dimitri said he would give up his pack to keep me safe—if things went south, I knew he would get us out of there before Tatiana could do anything.
I was agitated, pacing back and forth as I peered out each time I passed the window. The hem of my dress swished around my thighs; it was heating up quickly during the day, and I chose to wear a sundress for the first time in years.
After showing my scars at Court, I didn't feel the need to hide them from the pack anymore.
"Your father said she just wants to talk," Dimitri reminded me, gesturing to the seat beside him.
While technically I was still resting, I had started going with Dimitri to City Hall to gain some semblance of structure to my days again. Who would have thought I enjoyed working? It might come off as co-dependent to others, but I just wanted to be by Dimitri's side as much as possible, and he was the same. Dimitri was the one that moved my desk chair next to his.
I wanted to turn down Dimitri's offer, but he gave me a look that was basically puppy dog eyes, and I couldn't say no. His hand rested on my thigh as soon as I took my seat, fiddling with the hem of my dress. "Behave," I warned with a smirk, but all it achieved was making his eyes darken with desire.
I was seconds away from leaning in for a kiss when Alberta mind-linked us. "They are here."
"Fuck," I hissed, standing up again and smoothing my dress. "Let's get this over with."
"It'll be okay," Dimitri soothed as his hand slipped into mine.
We reached the front of City Hall by the time their cars pulled up. I had expected more warriors to be travelling with Tatiana, but it was only Hans and three other Court Warriors. Janine climbed out of the car with Abe, and I was momentarily surprised by the scars on her face. Dimitri had warned me, but I didn't expect them to still be healing.
From what Alberta told me, Janine had lost her eye and almost bled out from how deeply Isaiah slashed her face and throat. It was pure luck that she was found when she was. Janine wore dark glasses and stood back with Abe while Tatiana glided towards us with a polite smile.
"Alpha Belikov, well done on protecting your pack and retrieving your Luna," she complimented with a voice that was clearly for show; her eyes slid to me, and her smile became more forced. "We have a lot to discuss."
"What is it we have to discuss exactly?" I asked with little care for how I was meant to talk to her. Tatiana knew about the Mazur family history and did nothing. I didn't like her, and I didn't trust her.
"I believe it would be best alone."
I pursed my lips, and Dimitri stepped in before I could argue anymore. "Let's go to the conference room," he gestured towards the building and led the way. "We would have prepared something more substantial if we knew you were coming."
I didn't miss Dimitri's irritated tone and I doubted Tatiana did. The Queen visiting a pack was usually a big event; even the one time she visited the academy required days to prepare. I missed it because it was the same week I was locked in the cells with silver on my wrists.
The fact she showed up at Haven with no announcement and no parade of people with her meant that this wasn't a visit for pleasantries.
"I won't be here long," Tatiana replied, confirming my suspicions. She was quiet as we walked through the building. When we entered the conference room, she held a hand up to keep the others out—once the door closed, it was just Tatiana, Dimitri and me.
I was on edge, feeling restless. Since the attack, my wolf was closer to the surface; I had accidentally commanded a few people. It was even when my emotions weren't heightened. I accidentally commanded Viktoria to pass the salt at the table; that led to a long conversation about the Mazur line.
I highly doubted I could command the Queen to do anything, but it was taboo to do so. And I didn't need any more issues with Tatiana and the Royal Council.
"I'm glad to see you both survived the attack," Tatiana started, wandering around the room instead of sitting. "But now that's dealt with—we have unfinished business."
Dimitri stood beside me; I saw his body tense out of the corner of my eye. "We gave you plenty of evidence to prove that Rose was within her right to kill Jesse Zelkos; just as I was with James."
"Oh yes, the Council ruled in your favour, and we are all glad to move on from there." She waved Dimitri off without even looking at him. "Exposing corruption within the Royal Council and even preventing a plot to have me step down." Tataian finally took a seat at the head of the long table and arranged herself in it like it was her throne. Her eyes met mine, and she smiled, "There are some that believe that I owe you thanks."
I unfolded my arms and took a seat, reclining back. "What if I don't want your thanks?"
The corner of her lips twitched. "Shall we talk about omegas?"
"What about them?"
"Well, there is an abandoned school full of them," Tatiana replied. "I do wonder what they are doing now that Tasha is no longer there to protect them."
The blood drained from my face, and my stomach twisted in knots. "What the hell do you want?"
"I would like to make a deal."
Dimitri shifted to stand behind me, one hand on my shoulder to show his support. "What kind of deal?"
"There's no denying that recent events would give you enough to cause a movement in our world and bring the Royal Council down. Your father has more than enough power to be sure the Council fell to their knees. And while I am happy to begin a change, I don't want to lose my place. I would like you to work with me—I want you to lead the change."
I stilled at her offer, blinking in surprise. "What does this have to do with omegas?"
Tatiana crossed her legs and leaned back in the leather chair with a sigh. "I might be Queen, but my hands are tied by certain members of the Royal Council stuck in their old ways. Getting rid of Nathan eased that hold, but not enough for me to pass anything I want. What I need is the outrage of the people, and that's exactly what you started the moment you stepped foot in Court. I want you to use that and what Tasha had already started."
My mind was spinning—and suddenly, everything clicked. "This whole time," I growled. "You planned this. You knew I was part of the Mazur line, and you knew what Nathan and James were planning!" I stood and slammed my hands on the table, "You used me!"
Her expression didn't shift. "Of course, I knew about Nathan and James. I might be getting older, but I'm not blind. But, as I said, my hands were tied. I needed someone who would expose them, and though I regret what you went through, it worked out in the end. The day Kirova arranged for you to mate with Dimitri set everything in motion, and now I want to offer you the payoff."
"What could you possibly offer that makes it worth being your pawn? People died because of James' greed—people I care about were killed!"
There was a flicker of emotion in Tatian's eyes, the first I had seen since she arrived.
"I am sorry about that. I wasn't aware they were working with rogues; I wouldn't have allowed it to play out the way it did if I had known." Tatiana looked guilty. "The Royal Council is locked in its ways, and at times, that costs people an unfair price. But I would like to help rather than harm—I would like to repay you. I want to make omegas equal. I want to stop the discrimination and the abuse. I would like to have your help with this, Rose."
My heart pounded in my chest, hearing my blood rush in my ears. I glanced at Dimitri, and he appeared as thrown as I was—everything was planned and led by Tatiana in hopes of achieving her goal. And now, she was promising to deliver the very thing I'd always wanted.
I was angry—no, I was pissed off. We had been played. But when I thought of the omegas that Tasha had been helping, I felt conflicted.
"Do we trust her?" I asked Dimitri.
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "Whatever you decide, I'll follow."
I took a deep breath and retook my seat. "Fine. What do you have in mind?"
xXx
Two Months Later
"The shipment should arrive by Friday. I've been assured that they will actually have everything this time," Viktoria muttered, chewing on the lid of her pen. "I'm sure I can make Eddie drive with me, and he can stare them down."
"Please, don't threaten the people we're ordering our building supplies from," I returned with a roll of my eyes. I didn't look up from the budget in front of me, it was tight, but Abe offered to cover more if I needed. I wasn't too happy about taking his money, but I had to admit it was useful to have.
My relationship with my parents was stable, though still distant. Abe offered help with setting up the omegas and their families in our pack, and I think it was his way of trying to make amends still. Janine's solution was to not force her way into my life, and I was grateful for it. The times I had seen her in the past two months were less tense than they used to be.
Planning housing for fifty new families was stressful, especially when we were still building homes to fit them all. Tatiana had been serious about helping omegas; the academies were no longer the dumping ground for omegas, and their curriculum had been overhauled. Omegas were to be taught and treated the same as alphas and betas.
It was still a work in progress, but I trusted Lissa to oversee it, along with another Council member. Tatiana had been showing Lissa more favour since she mated Christian and officially joined the Royal Council.
New laws were being drafted, and packs were contacting us to ask how to best set up a safe space for an omega during their heat. It was amazing how quickly change happened after the truth of what went on at the academies was released. It was Nathan's job to oversee them, and he took the fall for it during the trial.
Dimitri was right that Nathan would be the only one to escape the death sentence; and now he sat in a cell, locked away with silver cuffs on his wrists.
"Are you ordering something or just sitting there all day?"
I looked up at Jay; he leaned on his elbows on the counter and waited for my order. I had forgotten that I came there for food. "Fries. And a really sugary drink. I need energy, Jay."
He laughed as he moved to Viktoria, asking her the same question. She shook her head, "I have to teach the beginners. I'll see you at the gym later, Luna."
"Don't call me that," I scowled.
"If I didn't, Dimitri would glare at me, and I'm not putting up with his mood," she laughed, gathering her things and hurrying out of the diner. I rolled my eyes and waved.
With so many new members joining the pack, Dimitri was even more adamant that I was referred to by my title. I was fighting a losing battle but wasn't ready to throw in the towel. Yet.
I couldn't wait until everything for the housing had arrived and things could calm down again. It was hard enough moving on after the attack, but having the omegas to focus on helped. Each day I was able to keep them safe, it was a day that I was living up to my promise to Mason.
I heard the stool pull out beside me, and someone new sat down; my eyebrows rose when I realised it was Emanual. A lot of things changed after we returned from Court, but Emanual's grumpy personality did not.
That same scowl was on his face, his large eyebrows drawn together as he stared at his hands clasped together on the counter. "Luna," he greeted gruffly. The most acknowledgement I had gained from him.
I eyed the old man and wondered why he had approached me. He had spoken to Dimitri a few times after the attack but never to me. "What's up, Emanual?" I asked; the man had yet to treat me with any respect, so I wasn't going to give him any.
He grumbled under his breath, eyes flicking to me and then back to his hands. "I tried to speak to the Alpha, but he told me I needed to talk to you in regard to this matter."
Again I was surprised, wondering why Dimitri hadn't warned me he had sent Emanual my way. "I'll do my best to help. What's the matter?"
He pulled a face. "I would like for my grandson to move to the pack."
"How old is your grandson?"
"He's fifteen and presented a couple of weeks ago. My daughter wants to send him to the academy, but I would prefer he come here."
I was bewildered that Dimitri sent him to me to decide. I furrowed my brows, "Do you want him to train as a warrior or–"
Emanual turned to face me, an uneasy look on his face. "My grandson has presented as an omega."
I clamped my mouth shut so that my jaw didn't drop. Male omegas were rare; only one at the academy when I was there. While they couldn't carry children, they had strong instincts for caring for children and were smaller than alphas and betas. I was considered low to people in Court, and male omegas were even lower. We could draft new laws, but it would still take time to change people.
I understood why Dimitri sent him to me.
"Huh." I blinked. "He's more than welcome to move here," I told him after a second. I made a mental note to find the proper heat suppressants for him.
Emanual grumbled under his breath, clenching his fist. "This isn't… I don't know much about these things, but I've heard talk that those academies hurt the omegas. I don't know if it's true, but I want to protect my family."
"It's true," I told him with a frown and glanced at my wrist; his eyes followed.
He didn't say anything for a moment, just stared at my scars. His lips twitched, and then he gave me a sharp nod. "Thank you, Luna. I'll talk to his mother." Emanual stood from the chair and pushed away from the counter quickly. If I didn't know better, I would assume he was trying to get away from me. But he surprised me again when he paused.
I turned and raised an eyebrow, "Is there something else?"
His lips twitched, fingers tensed on the edge of the counter. "I'm sorry that I didn't mention anything to you sooner. I knew that Roberto was angry, but I never thought he would go as far as he did."
My eyes widened. "Oh."
"I'm sorry, Luna. And thank you," he muttered again and then stalked off.
I stared after him until Jay placed my drink in front of me—it was a heart attack in a cup with a paper umbrella on top, and it was perfect.
"You look confused," he commented, glancing behind me with an eyebrow quirked.
"Just another day being Luna, I guess," I shrugged and pulled the drink close. I would have to contact Abe for more heat suppressants. I wasn't even surprised when he offered his connection to a company that would be able to make them for me.
I looked over the budget again and sighed. I really couldn't wait until things settled down for us.
My eyes hurt from reading for so long that I welcomed the break, strolling into the gym in my workout clothes. I rolled my shoulders to ease the tension in them and joined Viktoria on the mat to start to stretch.
She grinned at me, exclaiming, "Today's the day!"
I laughed, "Stop saying that. If I don't do it, I'll be disappointed."
"That's why I'm saying today is the day."
"What's today?" I looked up at Meredith; she stood with her arms crossed and a smirk on her lips. Mia lingered behind her. She had changed since I first saw her, slowly, Meredith was bringing her back to her former self.
"It's the end of the month," Viktoria sing-songed, "she gets to fight the top fighter."
"The top fighter? Who's that?"
I swallowed, locking eyes with my mate across the gym, I could see how excited he was, and shook my head. "It's Dimitri."
Meredith scoffed, disbelief in her eyes, "You're going to fight Alpha Belikov? There's no way you're going to win."
"Thanks," I scowled. I had been training non-stop for weeks, asking Ivan and Alberta to help me. While I didn't think I would actually win, I wanted to make sure I made Dimitri work for it. I stood up and stretched my arms while staring at Dimitri; he grinned.
"I promise to go easy on you, Roza."
I laughed at Dimitri's words, feeling a fire spark of determination. "I promise I'll make fun of you when you lose, comrade."
Viktoria was way too excited. "This is going to be the best. Please, take Dimitri down a peg."
More people gathered in the gym, sitting on the stands arranged around the mats in the middle of the room. The fights became a bidding match, everyone making an event of it, and the winner would lead the pack run afterwards. No one had beaten Dimitri in years, and everyone was eager to see if that was about to change.
Alberta stood in the middle of the mats once we were ready to start, calling us both to her. Dimitri had tied his hair up and even stripped his shirt so he was just in sweatpants. I wondered if it was an attempt to distract me.
If it was, I was playing just as dirty. I put my hair up in a bun and stripped my jacket so I was just in a pair of tight black shorts and a sports bra. I didn't miss the flair of desire in Dimitri's eyes.
"Okay," Alberta started, "you two know the rules. The first one to tap the centre of your opponent's chest wins. If your opponent taps out, you also win. Keep it clean. Are you ready, Alpha?"
Dimitri smirked, closing the distance between us and kissing me sweetly before he stood back and nodded, "I'm ready."
Alberta rolled her eyes, muttering about keeping it PG. "Are you ready, Luna?"
I rolled my shoulders again and widened my stance. I winked at Dimitri and blew a kiss. "I'm ready."
"Good."
The gym fell silent. Dimitri's eyes locked on mine, and I knew things were about to get interesting.
"Start!"
Dimitri laid on the bed, a pillow over his eyes and a pout on his lips. He was in the same spot as when I went for a shower—turns out Dimitri was a sore loser. I chuckled softly, "My poor Alpha."
"Ivan will never let me forget it," he mumbled.
I dropped on the bed beside him, lifting the pillow off his face, "Ivan is the least of your worries. You have Alberta and Viktoria. Oh, and me," I finished sweetly.
His pout deepened, and he reminded me of Paul when I told him he couldn't have a second dessert. No one was more surprised than me when I managed to get the winning hit on Dimitri. The fight ended with Dimitri on his back and me straddling his waist. While he was grumpy now at the time, his eyes had filled with pride. If we weren't in the gym surrounded by people, he would have shown me just how proud he was.
But a night of being picked on by Ivan and Viktoria left Dimitri deflated.
I dropped my towel on the ground and climbed onto my knees, throwing one leg over his waist. I settled on top of him in the same position that I won in. Dimitri opened his eyes as I trailed my hands down his chest; his pout morphed into a smile.
"You know, four months ago, I would never have been able to land a punch on you," I stated, "I would have laughed in your face if you said I could do half of the shit I can do now."
His fingers interlocked with mine, studying my knuckles before kissing them. "I always believed you would be an amazing fighter. Guess it's me that needs to practice more now."
"I can train you," I offered, unable to keep the smile off my face. "I had a great teacher."
Dimitri's smile was brilliant, his low mood forgotten. He pulled me closer, burying a hand in my hair as he angled his head up. Our lips were inches apart. "My warrior," Dimitri whispered, "my amazing Luna. I love you, Roza."
"I love you too, Dimitri."
Ahhh! That's the last of the main story chapter!
OMFG I'm losing my mind at how long this story ended up being. *brb sobbing*
So the next two chapters are kind of combo of bonus chapter/epilogue. One is going to be smut filled :3 and the other will be a *peek into the future* one.
I'm still in disbelief that it's almost over despite saying that so many times lately. I'm probably going to keep saying it for a while, ngl.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter my lovelies!
