Alpha Maximus：The last lycan

　　Hope

　　I try my best to smile as we eat and celebrate, during the banquet, but it’s too much for me. I stand, kiss my father on the cheek, and Maximus on the lips.

　　‘Please excuse me while I freshen up,’ I say, forcing a smile. I run quickly to the nearest bathroom. I’m not feeling very well at all, but I don't want anyone to think of me as weak, or unwell.

　　Feeling better, I rejoin everyone at the table. I’m so caught up in conversation with my father about my life, I don't realise how late it becomes.

　　‘I think it's time we finish up here and go to bed, before we travel home tomorrow,’ Maximus says, smiling; I nod stand, and take his hand.

　　‘Before I wish you a good night, I want to know what you want. Do you want to live with Alpha Maximus and I, or do you want to reclaim your position here, as Alpha?’ I ask.

　　My Dad is taken back by my question.

　　‘What do you want me to do?’ He asks.

　　‘I want you to be happy,’ I answer, and he pulls me into his chest and wraps his arms around me, lovingly.

　　‘I’m so proud of you. Your mother would be so proud of you as well,’ he whispers. We cry in each other's arms.

　　‘You don't have to decide right now. We’re not leaving until tomorrow.’ He nods, lets me go, and wipes away his tears. I take Maximus's hand and follow him upstairs, to sleep.

　　The next morning, we wake up in each other's arms smiling.

　　‘Let's go have breakfast and see what your father has decided,’ Maximus says, climbing out of bed.

　　We’re the only ones at breakfast, and Alex and Nathan come down just as we are finished.

　　‘Have you seen my father?’ I ask them.

　　‘He was wandering around outside earlier,’ Nathan says.

him and talk to him,’ I say, kissing

　I wander out the front

Dad is sitting on the grass,

　‘It must have been awful spending eighteen years in a dungeon, never seeing the sky nor even a flower,’

to the Moon Goddess to let me die

I say, sweetly placing my head on his shoulder. ‘Have you decided what you want to do?’

Moon pack. I would love to be reinstated as Alpha, but I would also like to spend some time with you. Perhaps the

　　I wrap my

kissing him on the cheek. ‘You’ll love it at Blood Moon. The

she found out Anna had been sentenced to death, they hid her in their castle. The castle staff didn't even know Anna was hidden there, in a

fled the castle. She was due to give birth any moment. She made it as far as Black Wood territory, where my father caught her. You were probably a day old when you were found. My heart shattered and sank when my father told me he had caught her and burnt her at the stake. I

from my chest, and I pull the heart pendant out, and hold it in the palm of

did you find this?’ My father asks, in

this,’ I say, handing him

for her. Part of my heart is

you manage to do that?’ I

chanted over us and coloured mist swirled in the air and formed the ruby heart. It was such a magical experience. Your mother and I knew the love we had for

the romantic, aren't you?’

to your mother, I would have done anything for her,’ he says, pondering something, while looking up at the sky,

placing the heart and chain in his hand. He gives me a

you, Hope. So you will always have a part of your mother

　　‘Are you sure?’ I ask,

but I'm keeping the note!’ He laughs, pressing it against his heart,

he nods, stands, takes my hand, and helps me up. We approach

　I run and jump into Max’s arms, he

the pack house here for a few months, so he can spend some time with us. Then he will return here as Alpha,’ I explain.

speak with the Beta. Get yourselves ready to go home,’ he smiles, before