A Warrior Luna's Awakening (Freya and Caelum) novel Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Riley’s POV

“I’ll head in myself,” I told Lana quietly as we pulled up to the terminal. “You don’t need to see me off.”

+8 Pearls

She shook her head, stubborn as always. “You’ve still got time before the gates open. I’ll stay until you walk through. Don’t tell me you’d deny me the chance to send your parents on their last journey.”

Her words softened me. I lowered my gaze to the urn in my lap, draped in crimson cloth marked with the sigil of honor. Father. Mother. Soon, I would bring them home. Soon, they would rest in the soil of where warriors belonged.

We stepped into the waiting hall. My chest was heavy but steady.

Then a voice cut through the air.

“Freya? Why are you here?”

I looked up sharply. Aurora stood before me, clad in her crisp co–pilot uniform, the Bluemoon crest gleaming at her collar.

Of all wolves, I hadn’t expected to see her here.

“Of course she’s here to fly,” Lana snapped before I could speak. “Or do passengers need your permission to sit in the hall

now?

Aurora’s expression faltered for an instant before it hardened again. “I heard you stood before the Moonstone with Caelum today. Don’t tell me you lost your nerve, Freya. Did you change your mind about rejecting him?”

I rose, my voice colder than the steel beneath my feet. “Caelum Grafton and I are finished. From this night forward, what the two of you do is no concern of mine.”

Her breath left her in a visible sigh, relief flashing in her eyes. That relief soured quickly into something darker when she saw my face–unbothered, resolute, unbroken. Envy curled around her scent like smoke.

And then she played her hand.

“You’ve received the 1.53 million already, haven’t you?” Her lips curved. “That was my ring I pawned so Caelum could give it to you. Perhaps you owe me thanks.”

Lana bristled, fury radiating off her like a storm. “Thanks? For what–playing the leech these last two years? How much have you bled from him already, little mistress?”

Aurora’s eyes flashed. Watch your tongue! I’m no mistress. Accuse me again without proof, and I’ll have your name dragged before the Elders for defamation!”

I let a bitter smile curl my lips. “Proof?” My voice rang through the hall. “I showed the proof to every wolf in the Capital yesterday. Do I need to remind you? While I was still bound to him, Caelum Grafton showered you with jewels worth over fifty million. All behind my back. By law, half of it is mine.”

Her scent soured into sharp panic. Around her, her flight crew had begun whispering, voices low but cutting. They’d all believed she had landed a powerful mate, envied her for catching the Alpha of Silverfang. And now they saw her truth–that she had been nothing more than a thief in another’s bond.

Aurora’s skin flushed red, and her eyes burned with something more dangerous than shame. They slid to the urn cradled in my arms.

“What are you carrying?” she demanded suddenly, her tone sharp with authority. “As a sworn pilot of the Airborne Wing, I have the right to demand inspection. For all I know, you’re carrying contraband.”

My grip tightened around the urn until my knuckles blanched. My wolf rose in my chest, lips curling at the insult. “This urn holds Arthur and Myra Thorne–warriors of the Iron Fang Recon Unit. Their ashes have been cleared and sealed by the authorities of the Capital. No one will disturb them.”

Aurora laughed, the sound brittle. “Your word alone? For all I know, that powder is no different from illicit dust. You say it’s cleared, but I’ve seen no record. As co–pilot of this flight, I demand it.”

Her hand lifted her radio, summoning the airport security pack. My heart thudded, my wolf snarling at the thought of strangers laying hands on what was left of my parents.

Steel–toed boots echoed against the hall floor as the guards approached. Aurora’s voice was quick, venomous.

“She carries a suspicious item. I call for it to be seized and examined.”

The guards turned to me. “Lady

horne, hand the urn to us for inspection. If it is as you claim, it will be returned,”

I stood tall, the weight of my lineage burning through my veins. “No,” I said coldly. “It has already passed the channels of our law. These are the ashes of honored dead. You will not touch them.”

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