Grayson POV
Grayson returned to Dark Moon and immediately started counting down.
Seven. That was how many days until he could see her again. Seven days was the acceptable interval for border negotiations.
The moment he walked back into Dark Moon territory, Kade was waiting.
"How is the Silverwood female?" Kade asked.
"She exists," Grayson said. Which was true. Luna existed and his entire body knew it even across the distance.
"Then you'll be going back," Kade said.
Grayson didn't bother lying. "Yes."
"Every seven days," Kade continued. "Until what. Until she becomes yours completely. Until you destroy yourself."
"She's my mate," Grayson said simply.
Kade nodded. "Then go. Every seven days. But understand this weakness will eventually cost you everything."
Grayson left and began his countdown.
Visit One happened on day seven exactly.
He arrived at Silverwood with gifts and excuses about border patrol coordination. Marcus welcomed him with less suspicion this time. The pack had grown accustomed to his presence.
Luna tried to maintain distance. It didn't work.
In the library late that night, Grayson found her reading by candlelight. He didn't ask permission. He just pulled her close and kissed her like he'd been starving for a week. Which he had.
She kissed him back for exactly twelve seconds. Then she pulled away.
"This can't keep happening," Luna said.
"It will keep happening," Grayson replied. "Every seven days until you stop fighting this."
Visit Two came exactly on schedule.
This time, Grayson brought weapons from Dark Moon. Gifts meant to show his respect for Silverwood's strength. He spent the day training warriors, showing them combat techniques from his pack. By evening, most of the younger fighters were treating him like he was one of them.
Elena pulled him aside that night and asked him directly.
"Do you love her?" Elena asked.
"More than breathing," Grayson said. There was no point in lying to Luna's best friend.
Elena nodded like that was answer enough.
"She loves you too," Elena said. "She's just terrified. She's been loyal to that pack her entire life. Choosing you means losing everything."
"She won't lose everything," Grayson said. "She'll gain me. And I'm worth more than a pack that would ask her to choose."
Elena smiled like she believed him.
That night, Luna found him in the gardens. She kissed him first. Like she was the one who couldn't wait anymore. Like she was the one who was starving.
They stood there in the dark and held each other like the world wasn't trying to tear them apart.
Visit Three showed real progress.
Marcus actually asked Grayson to help plan the border security routes. It was a test. Grayson knew it. But he passed by giving intelligent suggestions that benefited both packs.
By the end of the day, Marcus was treating him less like an outsider and more like someone worth trusting.
The young wolves had started asking Grayson to tell them stories about Dark Moon Pack. He sat with them by the fire and told them tales. Made them laugh. Made them see him as a warrior worth respecting instead of fearing.
He even sat with Elena and three other female warriors and played a card game that made no sense but somehow made everyone laugh anyway.
But the best moment came when Luna walked past him in the hallway and their hands touched. Just barely. Just enough that she knew it wasn't accidental.
She stopped walking. Just for a second. Just long enough to acknowledge that she felt it too.
Visit Four was different.
Luna didn't try to keep her walls up anymore. They crumbled the moment Grayson arrived.
She sat next to him at dinner. Openly. In front of the entire pack. Marcus noticed. Everyone noticed. But nobody said anything.
That night, they had two hours together in her private quarters. Two hours where she didn't make him leave. Two hours where she let him hold her while she slept. Two hours where the walls didn't just crumble. They shattered completely.
He woke up with his face in her hair and understood that he would do anything to wake up like this for the rest of his life. Would fight anyone. Would lose everything. Would choose her over his own life if that's what it took.
When he left that morning, Luna didn't cry. She just held onto him like she was trying to memorize the feeling of him.
"Next week," Grayson said.
"I know," Luna replied. Like she was counting down the days just like he was.
Visit Five started with tension in the air.
Kade had sent a message with a Dark Moon scout. One message. One threat.
"Return to your Alpha or face consequences for abandonment of pack duty."
The note was meant to be delivered to Grayson the moment he arrived at Silverwood. But Elena intercepted it. She brought it to Grayson privately and asked what he wanted her to do with it.
Grayson read it and felt something shift inside him.
This was real now. This wasn't just defiance. This was choosing. This was putting his face to the threat and saying yes anyway.
"Give it to Luna," he said.
That afternoon, Luna was in the training yard working off the anger and fear that the message had created. She hit the training dummies like they'd personally wronged her.
Grayson watched her for five minutes before moving toward her.
"Luna," he said.
She didn't turn around. Just kept hitting things.
"Luna," he said again. This time he stepped into her space. This time he grabbed her wrist mid-swing and held it.
She tried to pull away. He held firm.
"Stop running," he said. His voice was steady. His voice was final. "Stop pretending that we can keep doing this. Stop acting like there's some future where we go back to normal."
"You got Kade's message," Luna said. Her voice was hollow.
"Yes," Grayson said. "And I'm staying anyway. I'm choosing you. I'm choosing us. And I'm not leaving this pack territory until you make the same choice."
Luna turned to face him. Her eyes were full of tears.
"You can't do that," she whispered. "If you stay, you'll be cast out. You'll lose your pack. You'll lose everything you've built."
"I already lost it the moment I saw you," Grayson said. "Everything that came before you doesn't matter. Everything I had before you was just preparation for having you. And I'm not giving that up because of some threat from Kade."
"I'm not worth it," Luna said. She was shaking now. "Nobody is worth destroying yourself over."
"You are," Grayson said. He reached up and cupped her face in his hands. "You are worth it. You are worth everything. And I'm tired of watching you pretend that you don't feel the same way."
Luna tried to turn away. He made her look at him.
"Tell me you don't love me," Grayson said. "Tell me that everything you feel is a lie. Tell me that the mating bond doesn't matter. Tell me that I'm not your mate and I'll walk away. Right now. I'll never come back."
Luna's entire body was shaking. Tears were streaming down her face.
"I can't," she whispered. "I can't tell you that."
"Then stop running," Grayson said. "Stop making us both suffer. Choose me. Choose us. Choose the life we're supposed to have."
Around them, warriors had stopped training. They were watching. They were witnessing. They were seeing their Beta at the crossroads of her entire life.
Luna looked around at all of them. At Elena standing with her arms crossed and pride in her eyes. At Marcus watching from the distance like he'd been waiting for this moment. At the young warriors looking shocked and awed at a love story playing out in the training yard.
Then she looked back at Grayson.
"If I choose you," Luna said slowly, "I'm leaving Silverwood. I'm abandoning my post as Beta. I'm betraying everything Marcus taught me about loyalty."
"Yes," Grayson said. "You are. And it will hurt. And it will be hard. But you won't be alone. You'll have me. And we'll build something new."
Luna took a shaking breath.
"And if I choose the pack," she continued, "I'm losing you forever. I'm denying the mating bond. I'm choosing duty over my heart."
"Yes," Grayson said. "You are."
Luna closed her eyes. Grayson could feel her wolf clawing at her skin. Demanding to be heard. Demanding that she make the choice that every part of her already knew was right.
When she opened her eyes, they were different. The walls were gone. The control was shattered. The Beta was gone and what remained was a woman who had finally decided to live instead of just exist.
"I choose you," Luna said. Her voice was steady now. Sure. "I choose us. I choose the mating bond."
The training yard erupted. Warriors were cheering. Elena was crying. Marcus was nodding like he'd known this moment was coming all along.
But Grayson only saw Luna.
He pulled her close and kissed her like he was sealing the choice. Like he was marking her as his in front of everyone. Like he was saying that this was real and official and nothing could take it away now.
When they finally broke apart, Luna was breathless.
"We need to leave," she said. "Before Marcus realizes what I've done. Before the pack tries to convince me to stay."
"Not yet," Grayson said. He was still holding her close. Still touching her like she might disappear. "Let them see that we chose each other. Let them see that love won."
Luna looked at Marcus.
Their eyes met across the training yard. The Alpha and his former Beta. The mentor and the student who had finally grown enough to make her own choice.
Marcus nodded once. Like a blessing. Like he understood that sometimes the most loyal thing you could do was walk away and build something new.
Luna turned back to Grayson.
"We're leaving tonight," she said.
"I know," Grayson replied.
And for the first time since their eyes locked across a council room, Grayson knew that they were going to be okay. More than okay. They were going to be free.