The Luna Queen's Rebirth (Ellie and Dominic) novel Chapter 411

Terence’s jaw ticked. “Stephanie,” he said in a farming tone.

“What? I’m being welcoming.” She laid a hand on his arm and tilted her head up at him, smiling coyly. “We’re all thrilled she’s here, darling. Truly.”

She drifted off toward the head table before he could answer, calling for Elil to come sit. Once she was gone, I exhaled.

“I’m sorry,” Terence said quietly. “It’s complicated, but she’ll come around.”

I doubted that. But he looked like he needed me to believe it, so I nodded. “I think I just need a minute. It’s a lot of people.”

He let me slip toward the wall while he went to settle the boys. I found a cup of the spiced wine and tucked myself near the side of the room, the way I had at the Alpha meeting, where I could see everything and nobody was looking at me. The wine was hot and tasted like cloves. It helped a little.

I was halfway through it when Amelia appeared at my elbow with a tray of empty glasses balanced against her hip.

“You’re hiding,” she said.

“Observing.”

She snorted. The main doors opened again, letting in a gust of cold that guttered the nearest candles, and a new group came through-warriors first, then an older couple the whole room turned to greet.

“The Beta and his wife,” Amelia murmured, following my gaze. “They’re good people. They lost their daughter years back, when I was a kid. They took it hard.” A young woman came through behind them, shaking snow from a dark fur coat. “That’s the girl they took in. She showed up a while back half-starved, and they say she’s the spitting image of the daughter they buried.”

Amelia continued to speak, but I barely heard it.

Because the girl had lifted her head, and I knew her face.

Vivian.

The cup nearly slipped out of my hand. She’d been exiled, sent hundreds of miles in the other direction, made a rogue with nothing to her name. And here she was, wrapped in fur and walking in on the arm of the Beta’s wife like none of it had ever happened.

“Thank you all for coming,” Terence said once everyone had quieted down. “Most of you know why we’re here. Some of you heard the rumors and came to see for yourselves.” A pause. His face turned somber. “Eighteen years ago, I lost my daughter. I made my peace with never seeing her again. And then, by the grace of the Goddess, she walked back into my life.”

He turned and looked at me, and the whole room turned with him.

“So I’ll say it plainly, in front of all of you, so there’s no confusion later.” He lifted the glass an inch higher. “It is my intention to name Ellie my heir. The one and only rightful heir to Goldenveil.”

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