Vayne's POV
"Vayne, are you... Are you okay?"
While I was drowning in inexplicable sadness, Zed stood behind me and silently handed over a tissue.
"Well, Alpha, I don't know why, but seeing Talon leave made my heart... ache."
"You don't have to tell me; I know what's going through your mind."
I tried to control my emotions and hold back my tears while looking up at Zed's handsome face.
"Come on, think less about other things. Look at these members of the pack you are guarding. They look at you with gratitude and respect. It is your existence that keeps them from falling into misery because of the war. You are their guardian god."
Zed patted me on the shoulder, signaling me to look at the members standing below the dais. Although their faces were more or less tired, their eyes were filled with the light of hope, and they would nod their heads every now and then when they looked at me.
It was only at this moment that I realized the weight of what I was carrying, and I renewed my pride in the honor I was guarding.
"Alpha, I know what I have to do."
I dried the tear tracks at the corners of my eyes with the back of my hand and nodded solemnly toward Zed before slowly walking off the stage.
"Ms. Vayne, I will become as strong as you in the future!"
Just at this time, a little girl with a somewhat dirty face squeezed out from the crowd. She raised her head and looked at me with reverence and somewhat timidly shouted towards me.
"Nonsense, it's Gamma that should be called!"
A woman next to me picked up the little girl somewhat nervously and corrected her name.
"It's okay, what's your name?"
I walked up to her with a smile on my face and slowly took the little girl in my arms, lowering my head to inquire softly.
"Katarina."
The little girl looked up at me and then twisted her face aside a little shyly. Katarina's actions caused laughter from the people next to her, and a harmonious atmosphere soon settled in around us.
"Thank you, Vayne."
As I followed the sound, a path slowly opened up in the crowd, and Azir walked in front of us on his crutches. With a smile on his face, he nodded at me.
"What are you talking about? These are the things I should be doing."
I had never seen Azir so serious before, and I could tell by his reaction that he probably hadn't truly accepted me as the Gamma from the bottom of his heart until this moment.
"It seems I'm the one who's really getting old. I was a bit prejudiced at first when Alpha brought you back, but now it seems you're even better than your mother."
Azir looked up at me with a smile thick with relief.
"My mother?"
I frowned in confusion, a vague figure slowly emerging in my mind.
Azir mentioned my mother and slowly narrowed his eyes, seeming to go back to those great years. But when he shook his head, it was with a bit of a forlorn expression.
"Azir, don't worry. I'll definitely work hard too and recast Fullmoon Pack's past glory!"
I didn't know why, but hearing Azir speak like this made my heart surge, and the words in my heart couldn't help but come out.
"Good! Alpha really didn't choose the wrong person. It seems that our pack can truly be revived this time!"
Azir burst into tears as he said this. The declaration I had just made caused a hot debate among the crowd. A stone stirred up a thousand waves, and soon everyone fell into great excitement.
"Vayne! Vayne!"
They chanted my name, all with wild smiles on their faces.
"It's so good. It's been too long since I've seen the our members like this. Vayne, even though I've repeated this many times, it's really from the bottom of my heart—thank you."
Looking at the smiles spreading across the faces of the crowd, Zed slowly walked over to me.
"You don't have to say that."
I couldn't help but freeze a little when I heard Zed speak like that, a strange feeling welling up inside me for some reason.
"Alright, everyone be quiet. Let me make an announcement."
At that moment, Azir slowly ascended the high stage, cleared his throat, and gestured towards the crowd below the stage who were still immersed in the joy of victory. Observing Azir's solemn demeanor, I turned my gaze to him and the crowd, and the high-pitched crowd gradually quieted down.
"As you can see, Vayne deserves a lot of credit for quelling this incident."
Azir mentioned my name once again, and the clan gave me approving glances.
"I also believe that under Vayne and Alpha's leadership, our pack will return to its once supreme glory. It is the destiny of our pack and a gift from fate."
Azir raised his volume, his resonant voice echoing across the empty platform. I felt like a drowning man hearing a call from the shore, yet for some reason, I became a little apprehensive as I watched Azir grow increasingly agitated.
"So, I declare that Alpha and Vayne are bonded as Mates, and Vayne is the new Luna of our Fullmoon pack!"
Boom!
Immediately after Azir's announcement, my mind went blank. The entire pack erupted into an uncontrollable frenzy, with everyone shouting in excitement, their high-pitched cheers almost piercing the sky.
I instinctively turned my head to look at Zed, who also appeared shocked at the moment, seemingly at a loss for how Azir could suddenly make such an announcement.
"Guys..."
He was about to interject loudly, but his voice was instantly drowned out by the ecstatic clamor of the crowd.