The Moonridge Pack's annual Harvest Festival had always been Luna's favorite community event, but this year she approached it with mixed feelings. The festival marked the end of summer and the beginning of the pack's preparations for winter, featuring traditional foods, games, and the ceremonial blessing of the season's final harvest. More importantly, it was one of the largest social gatherings of the year, meaning Luna couldn't avoid it without raising questions about her commitment to pack life.
Luna stood before her bedroom mirror, adjusting the flowing green dress she had chosen for the evening. The color brought out her eyes and complemented her chestnut hair, which she had left loose in soft waves rather than her usual practical bun. She looked, she had to admit, more like the young woman she used to be and less like the serious doctor she had become.
"You look beautiful," Seraphina said from the doorway, having arrived to escort Luna to the festival. "Very much like the old Luna, but stronger somehow."
"I feel strange," Luna admitted, smoothing the dress one more time. "I've gotten so used to being Dr. Nightwood in scrubs or professional attire. This feels like playing dress-up."
"This is you too," Seraphina reminded her gently. "The healer is important, but she's not the only part of who you are. Tonight, you get to just be Luna."
They walked to the festival grounds together, following the sounds of laughter and music that drifted through the evening air. The pack had transformed the central meadow into a celebration space with string lights, food booths, and a dance floor where couples swayed to traditional folk music.
Luna had barely entered the festival when she was approached by Mrs. Chen, the elderly woman whose difficult pregnancy Luna had helped manage the year before. She was holding a chubby, healthy baby who gurgled happily in her arms.
"Dr. Nightwood!" Mrs. Chen exclaimed warmly. "I was hoping to see you tonight. I wanted you to meet little James properly."
Luna's heart melted as she looked at the baby she had helped bring safely into the world. "He's beautiful, Mrs. Chen. How are you both doing?"
"Wonderfully, thanks to you," Mrs. Chen replied, offering the baby to Luna to hold. "The doctors at the city hospital said it was a miracle that we both came through the delivery so well. But I knew it was your healing touch that made the difference."
As Luna cradled baby James, she felt the familiar warm glow of satisfaction that came from seeing the long-term results of her work. This was why she had become a healer—to be part of these moments of joy and gratitude that rippled out through families and communities.
"Luna!" came another voice, and she turned to see Captain Rodriguez approaching with his wife Maria and their three children. The captain looked completely recovered from his injuries, showing no sign of the near-fatal poisoning that had almost claimed his life.
"Captain," Luna greeted warmly, carefully handing baby James back to his mother. "You look well. How are you feeling?"
"Like a new man," Captain Rodriguez replied, clasping her hand gratefully. "Dr. Nightwood, I owe you my life. We all do." He gestured to his family, who stood beaming at Luna with obvious affection.
Luna found herself surrounded by patients and their families, all eager to thank her and update her on their recovery progress. There was Emma Thompson, showing off her completely healed arm by doing cartwheels on the grass. The Morrison boy, Tommy, ran up to demonstrate that his previously broken bones were stronger than ever. Elderly Mrs. Kingsley moved through the crowd with the grace of someone decades younger, her arthritis completely manageable thanks to Luna's treatments.
"You've become quite the celebrity," David observed, appearing at her elbow with a plate of festival food and a knowing smile.
"It's overwhelming," Luna admitted, accepting a piece of the traditional honey cake. "I'm not used to being the center of attention at social events."
"Get used to it," David advised gently. "Luna, look around. Half the pack is here tonight because of you. You've touched so many lives, helped so many families. People love you for what you've given them."
Luna did look around, and for the first time she really saw the impact her work had made on her community. These weren't just patients—they were neighbors, friends, pack mates whose lives had been improved or saved by her abilities. The realization was both humbling and empowering.
The evening took on a dreamlike quality as Luna moved through the festival, dancing with pack elders, playing games with the children she had treated, and sharing stories with families who considered her an honorary member. For the first time in three years, she felt truly integrated into the social fabric of Moonridge Pack rather than existing on its periphery as the dedicated but distant doctor.
"You're glowing," Seraphina observed during a quiet moment as they watched couples dancing under the string lights. "And I don't mean your healing abilities. You look genuinely happy."
"I am happy," Luna realized with surprise. "I had forgotten what this felt like—being part of a community, being valued for who I am rather than what I can do."
"Is that going to influence your decision about the Northern Territories?" Seraphina asked carefully.
Luna considered the question as she watched the dancers. "I don't know. Tonight makes it harder to imagine leaving all this behind. But it also reminds me how much I value being able to help people. If there are opportunities to help more people, to develop my abilities further..."
She trailed off as she noticed a familiar figure approaching through the crowd. Alpha Marcus walked toward them with obvious purpose, looking uncomfortable but determined. He had clearly dressed carefully for the festival, wearing traditional ceremonial clothes that emphasized his status as pack leader.
"Luna," Marcus said formally, stopping a respectful distance away. "You look lovely tonight. I was wondering if I might have a dance?"
The request surprised Luna, and she could feel the attention of nearby pack members focusing on them with obvious curiosity. A dance between the Alpha and his rejected former fiancée would certainly provide gossip material for weeks.
"I'm not sure that's appropriate, Alpha," Luna replied carefully.
"Please," Marcus said, and there was something almost vulnerable in his expression. "Just one dance. There are things I need to say, and I'd prefer to say them without an audience."
Luna glanced at Seraphina, who shrugged as if to say the decision was entirely Luna's. After a moment's hesitation, Luna nodded and allowed Marcus to lead her onto the dance floor.
As they moved together to the slow, traditional melody, Luna was struck by how different this felt from their dances three years ago. Then, she had felt alive in his arms, full of hope and dreams for their future. Now, she felt nothing but a faint melancholy for the girl she used to be.
"You've become everything I always knew you could be," Marcus said quietly as they swayed together. "Watching you tonight, seeing how much the pack loves and respects you... Luna, I was such a fool."
"Yes, you were," Luna agreed without malice. "But Marcus, we can't change the past. What's done is done."
"I know," Marcus replied, his voice heavy with regret. "I just need you to know that rejecting you wasn't about you not being enough. It was about me being too weak to choose love over politics, too cowardly to fight for what mattered."
Luna studied his face in the soft light from the string lights above them. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I heard about David Chen," Marcus admitted. "I know you've been seeing him, and I wanted you to know that he's a good man. He'll treat you the way you should have been treated from the beginning."
Luna almost stumbled in surprise. "Marcus—"
"I'm not trying to win you back," Marcus said quickly. "I know that ship has sailed, and honestly, I don't deserve another chance even if it hadn't. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry, and that I hope you find the happiness you deserve."
The song ended, and Marcus stepped back with a formal bow that somehow felt like a final goodbye. As he walked away, Luna felt a strange sense of closure settling over her. The conversation she had needed to have with Marcus three years ago had finally happened, even if it was far too late to change anything.
"How do you feel?" David asked, appearing beside her as she stood at the edge of the dance floor.
"Free," Luna replied honestly. "Like I've finally closed a chapter that's been hanging open for too long."
David smiled and extended his hand. "In that case, would you like to dance with someone who's never made you feel like you weren't enough?"
Luna accepted his hand with a genuine smile. "I'd love to."
As they moved together on the dance floor, Luna realized that the festival had given her something unexpected—not just closure with Marcus, but a clear sense of what she had built at Moonridge and what she might be leaving behind if she accepted the Northern Territories position.
The decision was still difficult, but for the first time, Luna felt like she was choosing between two good options rather than running from one bad situation to another. Whether she stayed or left, it would be because she was moving toward something positive, not away from something painful.
And that felt like the healthiest place she had been in years.