Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 1389 - 144 : The Pack’s New Alpha and Luna

*Noah*

After we settled in, we were visited by more members of our family, who were overjoyed to see us. First in the room was Angelica, who rushed over to me and took me into a huge hug.

I returned it, chuckling. “Missed you too, sis.”

“Don’t you ever worry us like that again, Noah!” she exclaimed, gently cuffing me on the ear and causing me to laugh.

“When the world is against you, it is not my fault, Angelica,” I said, snickering. My eyes fell upon Aaron, who wore a wide grin at this exchange.

“I guess I can admit fatherhood seemed to toughen you up a bit, bro,” Aaron said. “But we missed you. Even a tough guy like me can admit that.” He seemed at ease and relieved to see me back.

I exchanged a hug with him, smiling at his comment. Brandon approached next, looking more confident than when I last saw him, which was a relief.

He’d learned a lot from that experience we had a year ago, or rather, it was a few months ago for him. He wasn’t going to forever be changed, just humbled in a good way.

“Glad to have you back,” Brandon said softly. “We need you here, Noah. The pack’s in disarray, and we all missed you.”

“You want me back so you can talk about planning and how to fix this mess,” I teased him, causing him to roll his eyes. While I was occupied with greeting my siblings, Luna Estella came into the room and grinned brightly.

She wanted to come say hello to me, but since I was busy, she walked up to Zara and Briella first, gasping. “Our granddaughter Briella has grown so much,” she said, her tone dripping with surprise.

Zara chuckled and held out the baby to her. Estella gratefully accepted the child. Briella let out several keeling giggles. She was beyond happy to be there with her grandmother.

“She’s right,” Angelica said, staring at her niece and tilting her head. “She looks way older than I thought she would, given how long it’s been.”

I said, “In that odd realm, time passed differently. Every month here seems to be two months there. We’ve been gone for over a year on our end.”

My siblings widened their eyes and exchanged glances at this news. Estella was surprised as well, her eyes blinking several times as she held the baby close to her chest.

I grinned awkwardly and said, “Let me start from the beginning.”

Once I caught everyone up, my father stepped forward. “Luna Estella and I will be stepping down immediately and declaring Noah and Zara the pack’s leaders.”

The shock that entered Aaron’s and Brandon’s expressions was chased away by a combination of determination and excitement.

Aaron said, “Well, well, our older brother’s gonna finally be the leader, huh? I’ll be the most loyal of all to him.”

“Not if I usurp your loyalty to the alpha,” Brandon said in a light teasing tone. Both of them fixed their eyes upon me. I grinned, feeling my heart surge with happiness at my brothers’ support.

I looked toward Angelica, who pretended to think a bit. “Hm, your skull may be thick, Noah, but yes, I think you’re the alpha for the job.”

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. “Thank you. So are you loyal too, then?” I asked my tone equally as teasing.

“I guess,” she said with a wink, clapping her hands. “But in all seriousness, yes. I can’t wait to see how you and Zara lead the pack. You’d better let me visit my niece a lot.”

“You’ll be in competition with Father and Estella,” I said, causing the two elders to snicker, exchange glances, and nod.

The friendly banter died down as the seriousness of the situation settled in. It was time for my father to announce his plans to the rest of the pack.

We gathered in the main hall, with plenty of seats for all the pack to sit in, eagerly awaiting the news from the pack’s current alpha.

Zara and I were present and behind a curtain, waiting for his huge announcement with anticipation. My stomach clenched nervously, wondering if there would be many dissenting voices for his decision.

“Thank you all for gathering here today, my beloved Drogomor pack,” he began. “I know things have been difficult, and unease has settled. I would like that to end today.”

Whispers began to flow through the crowd as the pack wondered what he could mean. I could feel my heart racing within my chest as he dropped the news.

“My son and heir has returned from a long journey with his Luna. Alpha Noah is my official successor to lead Drogomor forward in this difficult era alongside his Luna, Zara.”

From then, the curtains parted. Zara and I emerged, standing strong there and staring out at a stunned crowd. My father stepped aside to give me the chance to speak with them.

“Drogomor Pack,” I began, giving a huge grin, “regardless of how our strife has been a pain in the rear of everyone here, we are back and ready to move forward for a brighter future.”

I took Zara’s hand and squeezed it. She smiled confidently, glancing from me to the Drogomor people. I could tell she was somewhat nervous, but that didn’t stop her strength or overwhelming positive emotions either.

The pack remained silent as I carried on with my speech.

“I will lead our pack as an alpha of the people. I care deeply about protecting my family and my pack. I will handle matters with grace, unifying us for a prosperous future.”

The pack members exchanged glances. I noticed the shocked expressions slowly melt into light smiles. More confidence brimmed from me as my own smile widened.

“I intend on negotiating peace with Egoren rather than fueling tensions toward war over the Damascus allegations. I will be handling this problem head-on. It has been a long journey to resolve the matter, but rest assured, my Luna and I worked very hard to ensure our safety and can continue to do the same for the pack.”

The silence stretched a bit further before someone started to clap. This escalated into a standing ovation, with many cheers and happy calls of confidence from the pack.

I felt my heart leap with pride and relief and noted the faces of the Drogomor pack lit up with the same confidence I shared for us all.

When the full scope of what I said settled in with the pack, they began to call out their thoughts, after getting permission from me to do so, of course.

“I knew you’d be back, Alpha Noah! I never lost faith in you!”

“Things were difficult, and some of us wondered why you left for hiding, but now that you’re back, things can move forward.”

“Drogomor’s new era can begin with a very strong alpha and his caring Luna! We’ve seen the hardships you’ve overcome!”

“Hey, Alpha Issac and Luna Estella can now take a well-deserved break!”

“Your work has just begun, but you can handle it! We’ve seen how you handle the pack business! It’s remarkable!”

“No war! Thank goddess, no war. We don’t need another one on our shoulders, not with Drogomor nearly shattering to pieces.”

“Well, now things can finally start to stabilize! Thank the goddess for our alpha!”

The chatter continued. I took a few questions from the pack regarding my plans for stabilization. This lasted about a half hour before they dispersed to give attention to Zara as well.

Some of the matriarchs of the pack approached her and gave her their blessings, which was something that made me grin from ear to ear.

My father stepped up again and raised his hands. “There will be a grand celebratory feast and reception to honor this. I hope to see many of you there.”

More cheers rang out. Who didn’t love a good feast?

The ballroom was set up by the servants. Excited and more hopeful chatter rushed through Drogomor. I kept feeling wave after wave of relief seeing the mood shift as my beloved pack knew they had a good future ahead.

The feast was delicious, with rich foods such as lamb and well-seasoned potatoes. Fresh garden vegetables joined the plate, making for a very filling and luxurious meal.

Plenty of Drogomor members had their fun on the dance floor. The mood was light and festive, and I couldn’t help but feel a burst of pride as Zara and I took our spots to dance.

As we twirled, her in my arms and laughing, I leaned down to give her a tender kiss on the lips. “Thank you for being by my side, Luna Zara.”

She blushed and nodded. “Always, Alpha Noah. I’m so happy the pack is excited about us taking over.”

“Of course, they are. They know you and I will be fair and wonderful people, and ensure everyone has a voice. Despite the trouble we’ve gone through, they know we’re here for them.”

“I am so, so happy to hear that,” she sighed.

The dance carried on, turning more slow as we practically glided along together, lost in each other’s gazes. I didn’t want the moment to ever end, but eventually, the reception came to a close.

My father wanted to meet privately with me while Zara went to put Briella to bed. The baby was adjusting well to our return, and Zara wanted to spend time with her.

I would catch her up with what happened after the meeting. My shoulders hung as I realized just how tired I was from all the journeys and the stress of seeing the state of my pack.

I had not gotten enough sleep lately, which I hoped would resolve itself now that I was home.

I sat down in my father’s office as Estella took a seat next to him. Aaron and Brandon were there too, remaining silent as my father dipped his head in greeting.

“We need to prepare to support Alpha Noah on the formidable challenge ahead,” he said, looking at each person sitting at the table in turn.

“You have my fighting spirit and the knowledge that I will not back down unless the situation is dire,” Aaron said in a serious tone.

Brandon nodded in agreement, his eyes glinting. “You have my tactical planning on my side should you need it. Hopefully, I can provide advice on diplomacy as well. I’ve been researching.”

I gave them both a serious nod. “Thank you both.”

My father continued, “We need to brace for the potential war with Egoren. There is no guarantee we’ll see eye to eye with diplomacy, though that is the favored outcome.”

“It is,” I said firmly. “It will be hard work to build the fractured alliance through diplomacy, but I’m confident we can do it now that we will be able to do it.”

Those around the table radiated confidence, which was emphasized further by their expressions following my words.

“However, if it comes down to it, I will protect the pack and ensure we all are safe. I want to avoid war, but I will face them with full tactical planning and fury if needed.”

The grave expressions on everyone’s faces told me they didn’t favor that outcome, which was a feeling I mutually shared.

I smiled. “So let’s stand united and make sure it doesn’t come to that. Who’s with me?”

Hope glinted in their eyes, and they all sounded out in agreement.

More than ever, I was confident the future of Drogomor was bright.