Chapter 0436

It's obvious Oberon and Natalia have completed their mating bond. Nothing else could make a fae king radiate such joy that the very landscape transforms around him. I want to be annoyed, but how can I? If I'd had that power when I claimed Isolde, the entire continent would have shifted.

Alpha Alistair emerges from the woods looking thoroughly disheveled. His silver-streaked hair sticks out in wild directions, leaves tangled in the strands. His clothes are rumpled like he's been wrestling his wolf in the dirt. Given what I know about sylvan fae magic, I'm probably not wrong.

"Isolde gasps. "Alpha Alistair! Are you alright?"

"By the moon," he rasps, running a hand through his messy hair. He turns as Titania appears at the treeline, waving coyly. When he faces us again, his eyes are glazed. "I've been alone since my mate died birthing Natalia. Swore I'd never take another. But that fae..." He shudders. "I'm an Alpha. Centuries of control, obliterated in an afternoon."

My mate tactfully suggests, "Perhaps you'd like to clean up before dinner? We're serving in thirty minutes."

Sebastian isn't so diplomatic. "You look like you got mauled by a horny bear. Go shower before you scare the pups."

Alistair blinks, finally noticing his state. "Right. Luna Isolde, would you show me to my room?"

I bite my lip watching Isolde lead him away, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Does your pack always operate like a supernatural soap opera?" Adrian asks dryly.

"Without fail," I deadpan. The resulting laughter is infectious. Chaotic? Absolutely. But it's our chaos.

Oberon and Natalia remain conspicuously absent all evening. Alistair barely manages to ask about his daughter before Titania arrives seeking the fae king. When we explain he's... occupied, Isolde invites her to stay. Neither Alistair nor Titania reappear after dinner.

"Training's clearly canceled," Isolde muses. "We could practice alone tomorrow."

Adrian shrugs. "Let's see what morning brings. At minimum, I'll mind-link with Blackthorn to check in."

Morning confirms no training. Oberon paces impatiently, waiting for the vanished Alpha. The fresh mating mark on his neck glows faintly—no doubt Natalia bears a matching sigil.

When Alistair finally returns, he announces Titania's agreed to return to Obsidian Moon with him. The now-humanoid fae woman smirks as Alistair confesses, "My wolf may have... licked her."

"I did warn you," I remind him.

His sheepish grin says it all. "Worth it."

Oberon secures Alistair's blessing for Natalia to relocate to Eldermere. They'll return in two weeks to resume Guardian training. The farewells are bittersweet—Natalia hugging her father, Titania embracing Finnian and the other fae.

"I'm ready to retire," Alistair admits afterward. "If my Beta's son assumes leadership, we'd like to settle here. Titania wants to be near her kin."

"You'll always have a home with us," I promise. "Pick any spot—we'll build to your liking."

By Monday, routine mercifully returns. Between pack duties and renovating the compound, Isolde arranges a meeting with Reginald. After consulting Rosalind, she's drafted plans for his potential integration into our pack.

The night before our trip, Isolde enters my office cradling files. "Proof," she declares, perching on my lap, "that your mate is always right."

I chuckle, accepting the folder labeled 'Blackwood.' The family lineage inside makes my breath catch. Six generations of Alpha-descended warriors. Even my mother carried Alpha blood.

Isolde turns, cupping my face. "Told you you're more Alpha than Beta, my love."