A few days had passed since Alisa had learned more about this grand place, and some new things about Ryder too.

But as always, with more answers only came far more questions.

The one that kept bugging her the most was that tonight was Alpha Ryker's ceremony in front of all of the packs - reinstating him as the King of Wolves in time for the looming war.

He never officially lost his title, but tonight he would regain the political responsibilities that were required of him.

It kept nagging at the back of her mind that this meant the Eclipse Dominion would be their new home now and Ryder would once again be officially given his royal title.

Which inadvertently would mean herself if she accepted her destiny but she was still on the fence about it all.

However, the question kept hovering in the forefront of her mind - 'How can I be the next Queen if I am only half a wolf?'

As she stood out on the balcony of her new room, she vaguely wondered if she was truly in over her head.

The palace was grand and the land that surrounded it was even larger than she could've ever anticipated.

Evergreen trees were planted in a perfect rectangle around the back of the palace grounds, indicating just how far the royal castle lands stretched.

There was also a lavish fountain nestled right in the middle, depicting two large wolves.

One was howling towards the sky and the other was standing beside it in a protective stance. Both had water coming from their mouths into the large bowl below.

In the bottom of the fountain laid many various pebbles, one for every wish a wolf had ever made.

On either side of the fountain, the pathways to it were lined in bushes with white roses growing on them in abundance.

There were many pathways that lead to the two ones where the fountain met in the middle.

The entire grounds looked like a paradise in the midst of the desert.

Alisa remembered the desolate roads that lead them from Snake's Canyon to here.

It seemed as if nothing could grow in the dusty landscape but this palace and the pack land that surrounded it all seemed to be untouched by the wasteland beyond.

It was truly incredible to behold.

'I wonder if all the lunar territories are this blessed,' she thought to herself as she noticed the fruit trees in each corner of the lush backyard.

"Hey, there you are." Ryder's voice came from the double glass door that connected the balcony to her quarters.

Alisa turned around and noticed he was standing lazily in the doorway with a smirk on his face. He took her look as a cue to approach.

"Admiring the lands, eh?" He asked rhetorically as he came to stand beside her.

"You know, our lands go as far as the Redemption Hills in the far north there," Ryder commented casually as he pointed ahead at the horizon where the many hills could vaguely be seen.

"Is that what those are?" Alisa asked aloud with her eyebrows furrowed.

She remembered back to three years ago when she trekked the other side of those hills for many moons before stumbling into Snake's Canyon. At the time, she had been unsure if it was a large mountain or something else.

The brunette girl could see the hills almost clearly to the side of her but never imagined a grand palace would be on the other side of it.

"How did the Lunar Eclipse pack get to us so quickly during that last battle?" She asked, turning to face her mate to ask one of her nagging questions.

"They were nearby," Ryder replied with ease, "Often watching us from the shadows. We are the Royal family after all."

"Right, their sole job is to keep you guys alive," she stated as she realised how easily he supplied answers when she asked her questions aloud.

"Well, technically their sworn oath is to protect the heir at all costs. Hence why my dad has so many rules about me participating during battle - I hate it." Ryder commented with a low growl.

"But that's why you have us warriors. Our duty is to protect you too," Alisa chimed in with a gentle smile as her blue eyes sought out his grey ones.

"To me, it's my duty to protect the pack. You guys are family - not the goddamn help. I can keep myself alive." He replied with a shake of his head, turning away from her eyes.

Ryder's hand reached for hers moments later, desperately seeking out the comfort he felt whenever their fingers were entwined.

The seventeen year old girl laced her fingers through his, enjoying the quiet moments of vulnerability he offered to show her.

"You will be a great Alpha one day. King or not," she murmured, "Do not doubt yourself for a second."

"A great Alpha protects his people, not just standing on the sidelines allowing them to die for his chance to rule one day," he responded back as he stepped another inch closer to her.

Alisa could feel the heat radiating off of his body and her body in turn begged to close the remaining gap into his awaiting arms.

'Touch Mate.' Her wolf's voice echoed inside of her skull, making her presence known once more.

Without hesitation now, she let go of his hand and crashed into his chest as she snaked her arms around his waist, allowing herself to completely fall into his comfort.

Ryder froze for a moment, knowing they had never been this close before but he relished it all the more.

A few moments of surprise passed before he wrapped his arms around her neck in return. They stood like that, embracing the other's warmth, for several moments before he broke the silence once more.

"You ready for the ceremony?" He whispered into her ear, allowing his breath to tickle her soft skin.

Alisa simply nodded, too afraid to speak in case reality crashed right back in.

The girl feared she would never be ready for everything it would take to truly be his mate.

"Then come on, they are expecting us," Ryder added as he slowly pulled back against his better judgement.

"You mean you," she snorted back before letting go off him completely.

"Us," he corrected softly with a wink before grabbing her hand and leading her back through to her room.

There was a gorgeous light blue dress laid upon the double bed and blue heels to match on the floor.

The floor was made of brown polished wood and had various designs throughout in a darker brown.

The room was quite modest in itself, one of many similar to those given to each pack warrior. Their quarters were larger than some other ones but vastly smaller to that of the higher ranking wolves.

Alisa feared to learn what Ryder's quarters would look like in comparison.

"Everyone is dressed up, so you should be too," Ryder grinned, feeling pleased with himself.

"What is this? I've never worn a dress before," she commented as she trailed off in uncertainty as she walked slowly to it.

"It's probably about time you do. I think you'd look great in this. You can thank Cora and Maya for their input," he answered gesturing to it.

"Will they be dressed up too?" The brunette asked, still feeling unsure about it all.

"Of course. I would not lead you astray or make you stand out like a sore thumb," the eighteen year old responded with a chuckle.

"I'll be waiting outside for you," he added before slipping out of the door.

Alisa resigned herself to her fate for the night and put the dress on but in her true fashion, she left the heels behind and opted for black boots instead.

As she looked in the full-length vanity mirror, she pulled her hair out of the high ponytail and gentle ruffled it out into its natural wavy state.

Exiting the room with an unsure smile, she waited for Ryder to turn around. It took only a moment before her smell reached his nostrils and he had swiftly turned to see her.

Ryder's eyes widened before a smile settled itself back on his lips.

"Wow," he breathed out, feeling as if he really had won the lottery.

"Thanks. Let's just go," she said as she grabbed his hand and let him lead the way.

It was several minutes before they reached the main hall and once they stood in front of the grand doors, he reluctantly let her hand go.

There would be time for them to announce themselves later but now was not it. Not when she was still so hesitant and unsure of him. Ryder would just have to keep exercising patience.

"Tonight, you meet the Red Haven Pack and the Blood Moon Pack. Together, we will sail into victory." Ryder murmured as he put on a grin as he pushed open the double doors.

All eyes were on them the moment they stepped in.

Ryder outstretched his hand and waved it in an awkward fashion. For he had never met all the eyes that stared back at him. He was but a pup when his mother passed and his father relinquished part of his power.

It had been years since he had lived in the palace, nobody had really called him 'Prince' in that entire time and he was grateful for it.

This luxurious ball would be something new for the both of them.

"Ah, Ryder, my boy! About time!" Alpha Ryker beamed with a toothy grin.

"Fashionably late like his father," commented Landon with a laugh as he stood beside his oldest friend.

Ryder blushed a deep crimson red as he approached them.

"I apologise, I was simply explaining to Alisa what tonight would be like and what to expect," he hurriedly explained.

"Ah, I see you have dressed her well for the occasion," his father continued, ignoring the Delta's goodnatured jabs.

"You can thank the girls for that. I simply handed it to her," Ryder responded with a shrug, trying to will himself not to look back over at her.

Alisa was a couple steps behind them as she came to stand with her friends. It was time Ryder played his part and she was not needed for that.

"Who is she?" Landon suddenly asked, his interests piqued.

"One of our warriors," Alpha Ryker boasted with a grin, "One that could even rival Ryder in strength. She keeps up with him quite well in trainings."

"Got some competition, do you?" Laughed Landon as he looked back at the young girl, something about her aroused his suspicion.

"She is quite talented. We are very lucky," Ryder commented with a nod.

"But who's pup is she? Not the Beta's I am guessing?" The Delta continued with a strange feeling in his chest.

"No, she actually came to us as an orphan at fifteen. She stumbled into our lands and we offered refuge instead of punishment," Alpha Ryker answered without hesitation.

"Oh? So she's a nomad?" Landon asked, unsure.

"Not anymore. She is family." Ryder shot back in defence.

His father stared at him in a strange way but chose not to comment further on it.

"It is time the celebrations begin!" Alpha Ryker suddenly bellowed with a smile.

He came to stand in the middle of the ballroom beside Luna Lylian who was dressed in a gorgeous gold gown.

"To old friends and new ones, we welcome you all back to the Eclipse Dominion," she continued with a warm smile.

"We are here to announce the long awaited return of our beloved King - King Ryker!" She shouted with glee as she watched the many faces around them clap in honour.

Luna Lylian held up the gold crown in her hand before placing it upon Alpha Ryker's head.

The crown had three red rubies on the front, the middle one being the larger of the three. It had intricate designs encompassing the entire crown with deeper gold ribbons that circled the jewels in the middle.

"To the Lunar Eclipse Pack, I value all of the work that was done during my absence. I am forever grateful," Alpha Ryker commented with a smile in Luna Lylian's direction and her nod said it all in return.

"To the Blood Moon Pack and the Red Haven Pack thank you for attending and showing your support. We are going to need all the help in this coming war and we will need to be united."

His speech continued as he named each pack he nodded to their respective Alphas who raised their champagne glasses in response.

"A toast to our rightful King!" Alpha Apollo, of the Red Haven Pack, screamed as he held up his champagne glass.

"May he reign victorious in the next Great War!"

©️©️©️

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Some questions for you all:

➳ What do you all think about the scenery description in this chapter? Is it all right or does it need to be fleshed out more?

➳ Thoughts on their cute interaction towards the start?

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Until next time, my loves,

©️ Elishia C. Xalfa ♡