It had only been a month since the war on Lunar Ridge and yet so much had changed. Kit officially stepped down as Gamma, putting forward Nathan as his replacement. Kit had been excelling in training the children at the school, his two young daughters among them and he had come to the realisation himself that it was time for him to step aside. No one opposed Nathan for the position and Alex was delighted for both men and for the advancement of the pack.

Alex offered her support to Nathan, Laura and the other trainers and loved seeing fresh eyes looking over warrior training and battle strategies. But she made sure to stand back a little from direct decision making. They were more than capable without her and she wanted to make sure they knew it.

Aidan was busy finalising the details for the mating ceremony with Alex. He wanted to have a huge celebration after all the hardship and uproar over the last couple of months. He also wanted to stand in front of his pack and everyone he knew and tell them how much he loved Alex Fury and how lucky he was to have her as his Luna. He had watched her over the last month, meeting with the community, supporting families and leading with such grace and humility. Everyday he was more in awe of her and more thankful than ever to spend his life with her.

In the early afternoon, Alex strolled into Aidan's office. He took in every part of her body as she walked towards him, finally landing on her light green eyes. She raised her eyebrows and smiled ruefully, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Two members of the Council were due at Lunar Ridge to meet them in an hour's time. So they had just short of an hour to enjoy each other's bodies. The previous evening, Aidan had described one of his fantasies where Alex would turn up to his office in a short summer dress, straddle him in his huge office chair where he would be delighted to find that she was not wearing any panties. Then they would move strategically around his office, while he pleasured her on and against every surface.

'Is that dress from your summer collection Luna?' Aidan asked with a smirk as Alex strutted around the desk.

'Mmmmm..' Alex hummed, 'Maybe Alpha.'

The next hour flew by as each tasted and pleasured the other over and over. The pair had just enough time to dress themselves before Aidan's secretary called him to let him know their guests had arrived.

'I'm not sure we can bring the Council in here,' Aidan smiled, as he looked around the dishevelled office.

'Probably best to bring them to my office,' Alex laughed as she too took in the upturned chairs and cushions, as well as the many papers that now littered the floor having previously being homed on Aidan's desk or the boardroom table.

Aidan sent word to his secretary to meet them in Alex's office. They walked hand in had down the hallway, giggling like children and exchanging a quick kiss before entering.

Jacob and Ethan were standing at Alex's window looking out on the pack lands and they turned to greet the Alpha and Luna when they heard them at the door. To Alex, Council members always looked as though they were dressed as priests mixed with a secret service agent. The suits were always dark but expensive looking; the hair was almost always short and the expression always serious. They exchanged handshakes and pleasantries before each taking a seat at the couch area of Alex's office.

'Congratulations on your recent win over Dax Stevens,' Jacob began as Ethan started pulling documentation from his briefcase. 'It is truly a highlight for the history books. You should know that your achievements have been noted by the Palace also.'

Alex and Aidan looked quickly at each other and smiled.

'Thank you,' they both nodded respectfully.

'Is that why you have come to visit today?' Aidan asked. There had been no agenda forwarded for the meeting today but he had assumed it had something to do with Dax.

It was Jacob and Ethan's turn to exchange a look this time.

'No. We're here on slightly different business,' Ethan said, starting to open some of the files on his lap.

'As you know,' Jacob began, 'a few weeks ago, the Council sent someone to speak to you about your Lycan transformation.'

Alex stiffened in her chair. She had presumed that since they had heard nothing, that there was nothing to talk about.

'We sent your blood for analysis and set about checking back on your family ancestries to assess whether anyone in any of the generations had mated with a Lycan,' Jacob said, looking over at Ethan.

'We had to re-check our results several times as the genetic make-up in Alex's blood, revealed some startling information', Ethan was looking from the report in front of him to Alex and back again. Alex held her breath, confusion and intrigue rife within her.

'I don't know if you know much about your mother's family Alex?' Ethan queried.

'My mother?' Alex asked, her eyebrows furrowed. Jacob and Ethan waited for her to answer. 'Just what I told you I suppose. She was found by some of the warriors in the forest of Black Mountain when she was about seventeen. She had escaped from her own pack who were trying to marry her off to an older man from another pack. She ran away. My grandfather let her stay and a year later, my dad and her found out that they were fated mates.'

'Yes. Well as it turns out, there was slightly more to the story than that. Your mother was a Lycan, one of the daughters of the King and Queen,' Ethan shared.

'What?' shouted Alex and Aidan simultaneously.

'Yes,' Jacob took over now. 'She was the first born of the family but she was much smaller than Lycans tend to be at birth. The King and Queen were assured by the Healers that she would grow in size and strength, but she never did. She had five brothers and sisters and none stayed small like her. She was always closer in looks and in endurance to a werewolf than a Lycan.'

'And so', Ethan came in again cutting through the shock in the room, 'The King and Queen determined that she should be paired with a strong Lycan mate to ensure her safety and the bloodline. Your mother, as you know, did not wish that for her life and so ran away from home.'

Alex's head filled with hundreds of questions. This couldn't be true. Surely her father would have known? Surely the Council or someone from the palace was sent looking for her? Aidan took one of Alex's hands in hers and squeezed it lightly. She shook her head, unable to form words or think clearly.

'But wouldn't someone have known or wouldn't she have a scent that would have been picked up?' Alex was so thankful that Aidan had started asking some of the questions in her own head.

'Apparently, like you Alex, your mother could mask her scent. So no, no-one ever knew. And if she shared any of her history with your father, he never revealed anything.'

'Have you told Hank yet?' Aidan questioned.

'You were our first port of call. We will go back to him with the information to see if he can add anything but as it stands, the important piece in all of this is that Alex is a Lycan descended directly from the throne; directly from the first born of the King and Queen.' Ethan was speaking and leaning forward towards a still-stunned Alex.

'So what does that mean?' Alex stammered.

Jacob and Ethan both slipped from their seats now, kneeling before her. 'It means,' Jacob said, raising his head to look at her, 'that you, Alex Fury, are the next in line for the throne. And the King and Queen are on the way to meet you.'

THE END