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My heart raced in my chest as I reflected on how far we had come. From being afraid of going with him and angry that he had accepted Sam's offer to devastated when we found out about our bond. At that moment, I felt proud and grateful to have him as my mate. Knowing that despite who he used to be and how he once treated me, he had grown exponentially since then. He was forced to realize what was important to him and to mature into the man and alpha he wanted to be.
He promised to work hard to make our mate bond work and kept his word. He became everything I needed and wanted, and there was no way in hell I'd let him go.
As if that conviction and strength had transferred to him, Levi pushed back against Sam, no longer pulling his attacks. Instead, he leaned into him, using every bit of his power.
His teeth sank into his closest shoulder, eliciting a sharp yelp from Sam, followed by another to the base of his neck in quick succession.
Pinned to the ground, Sam stopped kicking as the shock surely overcame him. He whined in his place and showed no further interest in fighting.
The tide had changed, and Levi won.
That beaten wolf lay there for another moment before he shifted back, leaving behind a broken Sam as he slowly heeled.
"I yield," he croaked, cradling himself as he remained in the fetal position. Trembling, his healing capabilities kicked into high gear just to keep him alive. "You win. Please, just don't kill me."
To my surprise, Levi respected his wishes and backed off, shaking out his fur in victory.
Watching Sam writhe in pain as he healed made it hard to believe he had been feared once. That he had ruled through force and made everyone's life a living hell.
Relief flooded my system as I watched Levi shift back, standing before everyone. He won fair and square and was rewarded with the pack he should've had all along.
"In accordance with our deal, Sam Richards is hereby exiled from these grounds. He is prohibited from showing his face here again, and if he attempts to do so, immediate action will be taken," Levi announced with a proud yet humble air. "I promise everyone here that things will be different. Nobody will be ridiculed or outcasted for things they cannot change, and needless harassment will not earn you a place in this pack. We value trust, compassion, and actions that support the community as a whole, not one individual. If you do not value those things, then you can find your way with Sam. Anyone who wishes to follow him may do so, but know that the aforementioned warning applies to you as well."
As the offer was given, silence fell over the pack. Nobody moved. Not even Sam's most committed followers.
Everyone stayed in their places as Sam weakly pushed himself to his feet and limped off, unable to show anyone his face out of shame. He moved through the brush, not bothering to say a word or plead his innocence.
He simply left, and nobody was interested in facing the same fate as him.
As Levi took in a deep breath and looked around at the many eyes on him, anticipating his next words, I could sense his relief. At last, he had been liberated from that ceaseless need to correct what Sam had done to him. He didn't need to carry that burden with him any longer.
As quiet as a whisper, someone appeared from their porch carrying a robe in their arms. They tentatively slipped it over his shoulders. Levi nodded to the older woman as she returned to her place.
"Ever since the day I was exiled from this place, I promise to not give up on everyone. Even as I started my own pack and cultivated the culture I wanted, I never forgot about all of you. I know there were lies spread about me, but I'm here to assure you all of them are false," Levi explained, finally able to let go of that deeply rooted anger. "I will not be the alpha Sam was. With my Luna, I am here to protect and serve everyone in this pack. If you choose to follow me, I will never stop striving to accomplish exactly that. We are many individuals apart of one body, and to be healthy, we each need to do our part, and I know we will. That is my promise to you."
As his words sank in and the others nodded their heads, looking more hopeful than they had before, it took only one wolf to kneel for the others to follow.
One by one, they lowered themselves to a knee and bowed their heads out of respect. Those who still shifted from our pack did the same to the best of their ability.
I took the sight in with awe, catching Levi's attention. When his eyes met mine, they were filled with so many emotions that I could only pick out a few. Relief. Triumph. Gratitude.
Offering him a smile, I approached him as the others continued to bow their heads, and when I was a step away, I kneeled too.
My mate had won, and he carried out the Goddess' judgment himself.
Chapter 29 - Jane
After everything I had endured and everything we went through together, I had never felt more relief and solace.
There was no missing as emotions ran high after the confrontation, full of mutual reassurance and excitement for what was to come.
In the following days, the wolves from the other pack were integrated in as they swore their loyalty to Levi and me, and the two territories merged. Some decided to stay on the old pack grounds, while others decided they wanted to try something new and made plans to move into one of the empty houses.
While the new members swore to take care of the grounds, Levi promised he would get to work and return the old property to its former glory—when pride had gone into maintaining the land and structures.
In welcoming, Nati and the others organized a bonfire big enough to host everyone with food, drinks, and kind words.
The others seemed to be calm and quiet as they adjusted to the change, but with time, they began loosening up. They weren’t on edge like they had been before since they had been given the chance to see the community for themselves. It didn’t take long for them to realize just how different life was for us, and as far as I could tell, they were going to be more than happy once they fully settled in.
