The Luna Queen's Rebirth (Ellie and Dominic) novel Chapter 520

Chapter 520

Ellie’s POV

Snow was falling by the time we walked up the hill to my father’s house three evenings later.

The door opened before we could knock, and warmth and noise spilled out onto the porch, along with a tiny bundle with flour on his cheeks and a grin that took me by surprise. Eli grabbed my hand and dragged me inside, announcing to the whole house that we had arrived, as if the whole house couldn’t already see us standing in the doorway.

My father was in the kitchen with his sleeves rolled up, directing the chaos from a stool by the counter. He was in surprisingly good spirits, even laughing. But I caught the shine in his eyes te moment he looked at me, and I could tell that he was one wrong word away from tears all evening. He held them back. So did I.

Her apron still hung on its hook by the stove. Nobody mentioned it.

We cooked together, all six of us crammed into the kitchen together. Bastian manned the roast with military precision, barking orders about basting and temperatures. Eli hovered at his elbow, copying the way he chopped, flour up to his elbows and one smear across his forehead. Dominic got assigned to peeling duty and didn’t complain at all, which surprised me just as much as everything else did tonight.

At some point before dinner was served, I caught my father’s eye and tipped my head toward the back porch. He followed me out with his cane, pulling the door shut behind us.

“I want you to hear it from me before anything gets announced,” I said. “I’m saying no to the heirship. Formally. I already told Bastian the other night.”

He was quiet, watching the snow come down.

“You already have a son who spent his whole life preparing for this, Dad,” I said. “He’s wonderful. Proud, responsible, and he loves this place. He arrested his own mother in front of the entire pack because it was right.” I put my hand over his on the cane. “Appreciate what’s standing right in front of you.”

My father let out a long breath, and it hung in the cold air between us.

“You’re right,” he said. “Goddess help me, you’re right. I’ve always let my emotions get the best of me. Your mother used to say the same thing.” He laughed a little, wetly. “When you walked into this village, Ellie, all I could see was her. The Goddess had handed me back a piece of my late wife, and I wanted to give you the world in return. The heirship was the biggest thing I had to give.” He shook his head slowly. “I never stopped to think about what it would do to Bastian. He’s been preparing for that role since he could walk. He’ll make an excellent Alpha. He deserves to hear me say it.”

“I was thinking of hosting an event in the spring,” he said. “It’ll be the end of the campaign. The perfect time to give Monroe a run for his money.” He glanced at Bastian, who knew the plan already. He’d been there for most of the discussions, late at night in my kitchen, the three of us crammed around my tiny table.

“The restoration crews could have the main routes cleared by then,” Bastian said, looking at Terence. “I’ve already made the orders to install lighting, and the museum owner plans on hiring more guides. We’ll keep the deeper labyrinth sealed off for now, obviously.”

“Will there be dinosaurs?” Eli asked.

“Wrong kind of old, buddy,” Nico said, ruffling his little brother’s hair.

My father was silent for a few moments before he said, “So. Spring is when you kids plan to put Lycan civilization back on the map.”

“For Goldenveil,” Bastian clarified, looking at me with a small, tentative smile. “Our little village could become a historical hub. The tourism, the discoveries, the museum owner even mentioned applying for more grants to help fund everything-” He let out a little sigh, like he was relieved. “This could be huge for Goldenveil, Dad. I plan to go visit Dominic and Ellie in the spring and unveil the project at their event, tell everyone what we really are, and finally show the world what we have to offer.”