Eudaimonia
(n.) The contented state we feel when we travel.

At the last minute, I had decided to bail on my ride and run the whole journey north. Being stuck in a car for several hours was not appealing to my hyper and jittery self so I decided a good workout would help calm me down.

And it did.

I ran as fast as I could, pushing my legs to reach impossible speeds as the trees blurred by me. The racing thoughts in my head had quietened and all I could hear was the thumping of my heart and feet.

Romeo was the most understanding out of all of them. When I told my old pack mates about my decision to return to the Phantom Pack, they couldn't grasp why I was so willing to go back to my past tormentors. However, my cousin had supported my decision because he too was in a position of power and knew that responsibilities could not be abandoned.

I could not have appointed a better alpha for the Silverclaw Guardians.

The landscape quickly blurred by me, the air turning cooler and more crisp. With my constant speed, I was bound to reach the pack before everyone else would so I slowed down to a stroll, suddenly filled with a sense of deja vu.

The few days Conan and I had spent together were one of my happier moments. I was blissfully unaware of what loomed before us and didn't have anything to worry about.

I was free.

Being a spirit wolf was a privilege and an honour from the moon goddess but it came with a price. I had a lot of work to do. I was in charge of handling all pack disputes in the Northern American territories.

As if that wasn't enough, I was also an ambassador of the werewolves of Northern America to other creatures. Vampires, witches and werewolves were known to have the most disputes due to them being the three most powerful creatures. I would no doubt be pulled into an inter-species controversy very soon.

I shook away my thoughts, trying to enjoy these few moments I would have alone before I would dive into my work. The snow under my paws felt strange after being used to the heat for the last couple of months.

All too soon, I sensed the border of the Phantom Pack and I chuckled to myself. Not sensing the invisible line marked by the scent of pack wolves is what got me here in the first place.
Nevertheless, I stepped onto the pack lands and felt multiple wolves on patrol approach me.

Thankfully, they didn't attack like last time so I continued walking further into the lands, noticing several people stare at me as I walked by. Some scurried away in fear while others gaped blatantly.

"My Lady!" I turned at the voice, noticing a flushed Quin scurry towards me. She bowed slightly before me, holding out clothes in her arms.

Thank you. Can you put them behind those bushes? I mindlinked her.

Yes ma'am, she replied.

I quickly hid behind the bush to shift. I slipped on the long white robe and tied it before placing my head crown on. Quin followed me silently as I walked out into the open towards the pack house.

Aurelius and Apollo stood at the entrance waiting for me. A crowd had gathered in front of the pack house, all watching me. They parted as I walked through the crowd until I stood besides my mate.

"Thank you everyone for gathering on such short notice," Apollo spoke out, his authoritative voice silencing everyone.

"Today marks a special day," he paused, watching everyone. "Our Luna has returned!" He shouted. He was met with a chorus of cheers and howls which honestly surprised me.

I wondered how bad things had gotten without me considering Aurelius wasn't even addressing his own pack and letting his beta do all the speaking.

"Tonight, we shall all feast in her honour," at that Apollo turned to me with a small smile. "Thank you for giving us all a second chance," he murmured quietly. Aurelius tensed besides me but I ignored him and gave Apollo a small smile back.

Apollo ordered everyone to begin preparing for the feast later so I took that chance to slip away. Quin followed me as I headed to the bedroom I had been given last time.

Old memories resurfaced as I gazed around the familiar space, almost all of them bitter. I tossed my crown onto the bed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. It was at times like these that I missed Diana terribly. She would always have something snarky to say that would make me laugh.

I wasn't as strong without her.

And now that I had to deal with being back in the place where I was treated poorly, I was a lot more emotional than I wanted to admit.

"My Lady, are you alright?" Quin asked timidly. She sat besides me in the bed, watching me worriedly. I took a moment to assess the young girl besides me, her large grey eyes, her short blond hair and her innocent face.

She was assigned to me as my lady-in-waiting before I left. She was hardly a lady, just a young girl, barely sixteen, but she had been raised in the Elder's mansion so she knew all there was to know about werewolves.

"I don't know if I can do this," I admitted, breaking out of my thoughts. She didn't ask me what I meant but she ran her fingers through my hair gently, comforting me.

"Well I know you can do it My Lady," she spoke.

"Please, just call me Artemis," I corrected. She nodded and continued comforting me. After a moment, I found myself more relaxed and a lot calmer. She must have sensed the change in my emotions because she got up, turning to the walk in closet.

"We have a dinner to attend in a few hours, I suggest you get some rest," I nodded at her suggestion, laying down on the soft bed.

I didn't even manage to get under the covers before I promptly fell asleep.