Chapter 137: THE JOURNEY TO LUNAVILLE

THE WOLF Garret sighed, rubbing his temples as if a headache was forming. 'You bring much confusion with you, Aaron. But..." He paused, looking at the council members who remained silent, still processing the sudden turn of events. 'You are back, and that is what matters most." Miriam opened her mouth to protest, but Garret raised his hand, silencing her. 'Enough, Miriam. Let the boy speak." Aaron glanced at Helena before addressing the council. 'I'm here to reclaim my position. As Alpha." Garret exchanged a glance with Miriam, who still looked displeased but kept her thoughts to herself. 'Very well," Garret finally said, his voice calmer. 'We will reconvene later to discuss the details. For now, you and your companions may rest." The wolves standing near the door exchanged glances, clearly relieved that they would not be further punished for their earlier failure. Garret's mood had clearly shifted with Aaron's arrival. Just as Aaron turned to leave, Garret called out once more. 'Aaron." Aaron stopped, looking over his shoulder. 'Yes?" Garret's expression softened slightly. 'It's good to have you back." Aaron didn't respond immediately, but after a brief pause, he nodded. 'Thank you." With that, Aaron, Luna, and Helena turned and walked out of the hall, leaving behind the stunned elders and the wolves who had once tried to capture them. The heavy wooden doors closed behind them with a loud thud, and the council was left in silence. Miriam finally spoke up, her voice low. 'He's changed." Garret nodded, his eyes still on the door. 'Yes. He has." They could only hope it was for the better. AARON. When I woke up, the memory of the wolves from the night before was the first thing on my mind. I should probably get it off my mind. Being that paranoid never helped. I sighed and sat up, glancing over at Luna, who was still asleep beside me. Her face was peaceful. At least, one less thing to be paranoid about. We had made it through the night, and today we were heading to LunaVille. I tried to push the thoughts of the attack aside. We had bigger things to deal with. As I got up and stretched, the soft sounds of the morning filled the air. Birds chirped outside, and the sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tent. I took a deep breath. We were so close to LunaVille now. This was what our entire journey had been based on. Luna stirred beside me, opening her eyes. She blinked a few times before sitting up, giving me a grouchy smile. 'Morning." 'Morning. Do you think we'll make it to LunaVille today?" I said, getting up. She yawned, stretching her arms over her head. 'Yeah, we should. We're not far now. A few more hours on foot, and we'll be there." That was good news, though I couldn't help but feel a little anxious. I glanced over to where Helena was still sleeping across the yard. She had been through a lot the past few days, and I knew this trip hadn't been easy on her. After all, she was human, and walking into a town full of werewolves was probably the last thing she had ever imagined doing. Luna must have noticed my expression because she placed a hand on my shoulder. 'Don't worry. We're almost there, and everything's going to be fine." I nodded, though the weight of what was to come still pressed on my chest. It wasn't just about reaching LunaVille…it was about proving myself as Alpha again. And after everything that had happened, I wasn't sure how the council would react. Helena began to stir, and I watched as she slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. She gave us a small smile, though it was clear she hadn't slept well. 'Morning." I walked over to her, pulling her close. 'Morning, Helena," I said, trying to sound normal. 'How are you feeling?" She shrugged, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. 'Nervous, I guess. I keep thinking the attack could happen again." I understood how she felt. 'We'll be fine," I said, trying to sound reassuring. 'LunaVille is close, and once we're there, you'll be safe." Luna nodded in agreement. 'Aaron's right. No one will dare touch you in LunaVille. You're with us." Helena gave a small nod, but I could see the doubt in her eyes. She was strong, but this was all new territory for her. I couldn't blame her for being scared. After a quick breakfast, we packed up and hit the trail. The forest around us was calm, but my head wasn't. I couldn't stop thinking. Every noise made me twitch..rustling leaves, snapping branches, even birds taking off from the trees. The paranoia was killing me, and I basically had no control over it. Luna elbowed me. 'You're making me dizzy, Aaron. Could you stop spinning your head around?" I grunted but forced myself to relax a little. 'Can't help it. I'm not a fan of being ambushed in the middle of the night." Luna smirked. 'Relax. If anyone tries it again, you'll just have to take them down... again." Helena, trailing behind, chimed in. 'For the record, I vote no more ambushes. Once was more than enough." I glanced over my shoulder at her. 'Don't worry, Helena. I've got your back." She tried to smile but didn't quite pull it off. 'Thanks. But can we just skip the whole ‘being attacked by wolves' thing altogether?" 'Where's the fun in that?" I teased. Helena gave me a withering look. 'I think I've had enough excitement for a lifetime." 'Don't let him fool you, Helena," Luna added with a grin. 'He acts all protective, but the truth is, Aaron loves drama. If things were too quiet, he'd be bored out of his mind." 'Hey." I shot Luna a look. 'I do not love drama." Luna gave me a sly smile. 'You're a born Alpha, Aaron. Drama's in your blood." I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help laughing. It felt good to lighten the mood a bit, especially after everything. The morning passed without any sign of trouble, which helped to ease my nerves. The forest was thick with towering trees and the sunlight broke through in patches, casting golden light across the path. Birds sang from the branches above, and the occasional rustle in the underbrush was just a deer or squirrel darting by—not wolves lying in wait, thankfully. After a while, we came to a small stream. The water flowed gently over smooth rocks, clear enough to see the bottom. Helena stepped onto one of the stones, and for a second, everything seemed fine. Then, her foot slipped, and she wobbled, arms flailing. 'Helena!" Luna grabbed her arm just in time, pulling her back before she could fall into the stream. Helena's face turned bright red. 'Maybe I should just stay in the human world. Less slipping, less almost-drowning." Luna chuckled. 'You'll get used to it. Plus, that's why we're here..to make sure you don't end up as wolf bait." 'I don't think falling into streams is part of that plan," Helena muttered, shaking the water off her boots. I grinned. 'It's all part of the adventure. Besides, if you had fallen in, I would've fished you out. No harm done." 'Oh, great," she said dryly. 'That's a real comfort."