CHAPTER 213: HER STORY.

*~Hazel’s POV~*

I stepped down from the High House in utter shock. Leon stood proudly before the entire pack, his voice booming over the trembling crowd of wolves.

"LONG LIVE OUR ALPHA!" he shouted, and the whole pack echoed in wild unison.

Beside me, Cayden scoffed, folding his arms. "Is this idiot’s way of welcoming me?"

Klaus leaned in behind him and whispered, "I don’t think he’s talking about you."

Cayden frowned, confused. "What? But I’m the Alpha—"

Leon’s voice cut through the air again, louder this time, commanding the hearts of everyone present.

"LONG LIVE!" he cried.

"LONG LIVE OUR ALPHA!"

"LONG LIFE!"

"LONG LIVE HAZEL!"

My breath hitched. Wait—me?

It took a moment to realize they were actually chanting my name. Every wolf—every voice—was hailing me.

Klaus turned toward me with a proud smile. "You led this pack. You brought back my triplet sons. You orchestrated everything that saved us. Long live, Alpha." He bowed deeply, his respect radiating through the silence that followed.

The triplets were stunned. Then Cyrius walked over, his lips curving in a soft smile as he gently placed his hand on my head. "Oh, look at you," he murmured, voice thick with pride. "My baby girl is now leading. My baby girl is now a good Alpha"

That broke me. Tears welled up instantly, burning behind my eyes. I tried to blink them away, to hold myself together, but emotion rolled through me like thunder.

As I moved forward, Leon and the entire pack bowed low, heads bent in reverence. My chest ached. I turned and saw Aurora, Alice, and my mother stepping down from the carriage. Aurora and Alice smiled warmly at me, and my mother though still teary—forced a fragile, loving smile that nearly shattered my heart.

Then, as if the world itself bowed, everyone went down on one knee—even the triplets. Even Cayden, the so-called "real Alpha."

Their voices united in one powerful roar:

"LONG LIVE ALPHA HAZEL! LONG LIVE!"

The sound trembled through the earth itself.

Cayden slowly rose, his voice steady but full of emotion. "It has been an honor to be mated to such a powerful Crescent," he said.

A murmur spread instantly through the pack—Crescent, Crescent,—they whispered to each other, shocked. They had never known.

They thought I was human at the beginning. And when I fought with my emotions shut off, they assumed I was something else entirely.

But now the truth was out. "Yes," Cayden continued, his tone commanding. "She is a Crescent. And from this day forward, there will be no more discrimination between Wolves and Crescents. The wars end now. We will unite—as one. Just as I and my brothers have come together as one...with our Hazel."

He turned toward me, and my heart thudded painfully against my ribs.

"Today," he announced, "I step down as Alpha."

The entire pack gasped. A ripple of disbelief echoed across the courtyard. Cayden lifted his chin, unwavering.

"I hereby appoint my brothers—and Alpha Hazel—to lead. Together, the three of them will rule this new pack. A bond of Wolves and Crescents alike. I grant them a successful reign."

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Caspian’s eyes met mine, both of us stunned beyond words. Cyrius just stood there—silent, unreadable.

"Come on," Cayden urged. "Step forward."

Caspian and I moved forward, but Cyrius remained behind.

"What are you doing?" I asked softly. "Come—you’re an Alpha too."

He smiled, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "I already am," he said quietly. "Or rather, I will be. I have a pack back in France. Alexander is dead. The father of Aliyah. The Alpha of that pack." He looked directly at me, his tone solemn. "They need an Alpha—and I’ve chosen to be theirs."

"What?" I said in disbelief, staring at Cyrius. "You’re... going to France? To lead them?"

He nodded, his gaze soft but steady. "Alexander doesn’t have an heir to take the pack," he said, scratching the back of his head. "And his daughter..." His eyes flicked to me knowingly, and I swallowed hard, remembering the night I ended her life—the night she trapped me in that cursed room full of wolves. It had been deserved."

"They need an Alpha," Cyrius continued. "That pack was loyal once, but without leadership, they’ll go rogue. Alexander was a good friend, and his people deserve better." He sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "The information reached me even before I came back here. My goal was to find you—to make sure you and our babies were safe. I planned to return to France after that."

He looked at me with that maddening, tender smile. "But it seems you belong here, Hazel. This is your home now—your kingdom. And I want you here, raising your children, leading your people."

My throat tightened. "Are you... are you really going to go?" I stammered.

Cyrius stepped closer until he was right in front of me. His fingers brushed against my face, tracing my jaw as if memorizing me. "I’m not leaving you," he whispered. "Not truly. I’ll go to lead them, yes...but I’ll always come back to you." His breath ghosted against my lips. "You are my Luna. You’ve always been my Luna. I don’t even need to make you one. You already are."

My heart swelled painfully as he smiled and added with a playful smirk, "And one day, we’ll have our babies. Not Cayden’s."

Cayden chuckled behind him. "I heard that, brother."

"Heather and Christian will always be my first Babies." Cyrius just laughed, turning to clasp Cayden’s shoulder. "Go on, Alpha," he said. "Crown her properly."

Cayden nodded, stepping forward to the center of the crowd. The entire pack fell silent, eyes shining with pride and awe. Cyrius reached for my hand and kissed it, his eyes never leaving mine. "It will be an honor ruling beside you, my love."

I smiled, blinking back tears as Cayden lifted his voice for all to hear.

"Today," he declared, "I announce Beta Caspian Salvatore and Alpha Hazel—the leaders of our united pack, formed of Wolves and Crescents alike. The Blue Crescents. May the Moon Goddess bless their reign!"

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

"All hail our new Alphas!"

"All hail!"

"All hail!"

And in that moment, I knew—this was where my story truly began.

The First female Alpha in the history of new Orleans