Somehow I had managed to push through the pain to get up and dressed in comfortable clothes. Rafe had already looked so comfortable with our son in his hands, and Emeric couldn't have possibly been in better ones. 

It gave me the strength to walk out and face the pack, Rafe saying nothing even though I could see it in his eyes that he wished I wouldn't do this, especially right now. But it was now or never. 

With each step the pain began to subside as my body healed itself. I had missed the strength and wholeness that came with having my wolf back. 

The majority of the pack still lingered outside, waiting for an update on me and the baby, but judging by the surprise on their faces, they were not expecting the update to come directly from me. Who could blame them? I should have been as good as dead in there, and I probably looked like the seventh circle of Hell at the moment. 

"I want Aphrodite," I said to those standing around. 

They exchanged glances with one another. It was no secret the animosity that had been building between the two of us. 

"I said, I want Aphrodite." Louder this time in case they were hard of hearing. 

There was movement off to my right, people moving as Aphrodite stepped forward looking perfectly flawless as always. Her long blonde hair perfectly straight, not a strand out of place. Her long silver dress clinging to every dip and curve of her frame. And that confident smirk that always tugged at the corner of her mouth when she saw me. 

I was done with this bitch who thought she was a gift from the goddess. Her time here had come to an end. 

"Aphrodite," I began, locking eyes with her. I refused to break the contact. "I'm going to give you the chance to walk away now. Go to your room, pack up your things, and leave."

She tipped her head back slightly letting out a chuckle. "I'm not going anywhere, Luna," she sneered. 

"Yes, yes you are. You will be leaving tonight, but how you do it depends on you; of your own free will, with some force, or in a body bag. It doesn't matter to me."

Murmurs trickled throughout the crowd, but I didn't care. I was tired of Aphrodite thinking she was better than me, and I was done letting her think she could push me around, especially in front of the pack. 

"Who do you think you are, Katarina? The Alpha?"

The murmurs got louder, and Aphrodite looked to her fellow pack members, her smirk growing. 

"No, I know I'm the Luna, and I know that just pisses you off. You think this should be you. You standing in front of the pack, you embracing Rafe, and you with a baby boy who is destined to be the next great leader of the most feared pack, but it's not supposed to be you. It's me. It has always been me, and it will always be me, because the Moon Goddess chose me. Because you are weak, and I'm not. Because I am, and always will be, better than you."

Aphrodite's smirk turned into a glare. 

"Bitch. You think you are stronger than me? You have no idea what it takes to run a pack like this. You have no idea how to please Rafe the way he needs, and you have no idea what it takes to raise a leader."

Silence had fallen over the pack. No one dared to move an inch.

"You have no idea what I am," I whispered, and I felt the change come on. 

By widening of Aphrodite's eyes, I knew mine had gone red again. I felt her come on, and I welcomed her after the long separation. I let Kali take over, and I shed my skin and let the fur break free. 

Aphrodite shifted just as quickly, taking on the offensive immediately by launching herself at me, teeth and claws slicing and snapping in the air. 

Kali's reflexes kicked in as she came to life. 

"I've missed you so much, Kali"

I've missed you too, she replied as she ducked Aphrodite's attack and rolled back, clamping teeth down onto Aphrodite's tail.

I felt her paw hit before the growl even left her throat, and I went rolling to the side. 

Weak, huh? Not so weak now, am I? Aphrodite said to me.

I remained still, drawing her in close. When her shadow loomed over me, I made my move, launching myself up to knock her over. I pinned her down to the ground and wrapped my jaws around her throat. 

I could feel Rafe's presence just before his voice pushed inside.

Katarina...

"Rafe, I need you to trust me, not second guess me. If you let her walk away from this and stay, then you tell everyone it is okay not to respect me."

I turned my attention back to the writhing wolf beneath me. 

"Agree to leave now, and I'll let you go."

Never.

My jaws tightened around Aphrodite's throat and her wolf yelped. A trickle of blood fell to my tongue

"Of your own will, or in a bag. Your choice." I bit down harder, more blood flowing from her neck. 

She yelped again. Fine!

I released her from my hold and backed up slightly before taking my paw across her face, leaving four lines from her forehead, over her eye, and down to her jaw. I opened up to the pack as a whole. 

"I hereby banish you from this pack. If you step foot across pack lines ever again, the orders will be to kill on sight. Your hostile and volatile actions have warranted you the mark of the rogue to warn packs of your behavior before granting you sanctuary within their lines. You will forever be on your own, unable to stand in the position you so badly crave. You will rule no one, because you will never have a pack again."

Aphrodite's wolf growled once, snapping at the air before taking off into the night, disappearing. 

I shifted back, facing the rest of the pack. 

"Let it be known that actions like hers will not be tolerated," Rafe said loudly, his voice demanding the pack's attention with Emeric swaddled in his arms. 

I looked back to him, barely containing my surprise.

"Aphrodite overstepped, and that will not be allowed moving forward. I demand as much respect for Katarina as you would pay to me. She is my mate, she is my wife, she is your Luna, and she is the mother to the pack's heir."

One by one, the pack members took to their knee in a sign of respect and loyalty to their Alpha, and to me. 

Rafe stepped forward and laced his fingers between mine, that sweet fire from his touch lighting me up in ways I had missed. 

I knew the pack was waiting for the formal announcement of our child, but I had nothing left in me to go through 

"We're going to bed now," I said. I was all out of eloquent speeches. "We'll have a pack meeting tomorrow."

I pulled Rafe toward the house.