I Am His Wolfless Luna Chapter 186

Ethan's POV

The sickening thud of Emma's lifeless body hitting the floor still echoed in my ears as I watched Aria step back, her magnificent silver-white form towering over our fallen enemy.

Aria's transformation reversed with fluid grace, her human form emerging from the wolf as Cassandra receded beneath her skin. Her amber eyes still blazed with primal satisfaction as she met my gaze.

"It's done," she said simply, her voice steady despite the violence we'd just enacted. "All of it."

I nodded, suddenly aware of a growing heaviness in my limbs. The cut on my shoulder from Victor's blade throbbed with unexpected intensity, a burning sensation spreading outward from the wound like tendrils of fire beneath my skin.

"We should get back to the children," I said, fighting to keep my voice normal as sweat beaded on my forehead. "Make sure they're safe with our own eyes."

Aria's expression shifted, concern replacing the cold determination of moments before. "Ethan? Your face... you're pale."

I tried to wave off her concern, taking a step toward the door only to find the room tilting suddenly beneath me. My vision blurred at the edges, dark spots dancing across my sight as I reached out to steady myself against the wall.

"It's nothing," I insisted, though my words came out slurred. "Just need to... get home..."

The burning in my shoulder intensified, spreading rapidly across my chest and down my arm. Each heartbeat seemed to pump the fire further through my veins, making it increasingly difficult to focus. I vaguely registered Aria rushing toward me, her face contorted with alarm as my knees buckled.

"Ethan!" Her voice sounded distant, muffled, as if coming from underwater. "The blade—it must have been poisoned!"

I tried to respond, but my tongue felt heavy and uncooperative in my mouth. The room spun violently around me as I collapsed forward, Aria's arms catching me before I hit the floor. The last thing I remembered was her frantic voice calling my name and the distant sound of her phone as she desperately called for help.

Then darkness claimed me.

The world came back to me in disjointed fragments. Beeping machines. The sterile smell of antiseptic. Pain—dull but persistent—radiating from my shoulder.

My eyelids felt impossibly heavy as I forced them open. White ceiling tiles came into focus, then the muted colors of a hospital room. I tried to sit up, but my body refused to cooperate fully, a wave of dizziness forcing me back against the pillows.

"Easy there," came Aria's voice from beside me. "The poison needs time to work its way out of your system completely."

"Poison?" My voice emerged as a rasp, my throat dry and raw.

Aria's face appeared above me, her amber eyes filled with equal parts relief and lingering worry. Her hand brushed against my cheek, cool and comforting.

"Victor's blade was coated with a powerful neurotoxin," she explained, her jaw tightening at the memory. "You collapsed right after we... dealt with Emma. The doctors said if it had been a deeper cut..."

With effort, I managed to raise my hand to cover hers where it rested against my face. "What happened? How long have I been unconscious?"

"Almost two days," she replied, her thumb gently stroking my cheekbone. "You're stubborn even when poisoned. The doctors said most wolves would have been out for a week with that toxin level."

I made another attempt to sit up, this time more successful as Aria slipped her arm behind my shoulders for support. The room tilted briefly before settling into place. An IV line trailed from my arm to a bag of clear fluid, and bandages wrapped tightly around my left shoulder and across my chest.

Questions crowded my mind, fighting for priority. "The children? Are they—"

"Safe," Aria interrupted, knowing exactly what I needed to hear first. "Your mother and the guards protected them. The rogues never even made it past the outer perimeter."

Relief washed through me so intensely that I sagged against her supporting arm. "And the pack?"

"Recovering," she said, helping me settle against the raised bed. "We lost three warriors in the battle. Eight more were injured, but none critically. The rogues suffered much heavier casualties."

I nodded, processing this information as my thoughts cleared further. "Victor's followers? The surviving rogues?"

Something shifted in Aria's expression then—a subtle hardening of her features, a straightening of her spine. In that moment, she looked every inch the Alpha she had become, confident and commanding.

"I've handled it," she said, her voice taking on that resonant quality that came with her newfound authority. "While you were recovering, I organized a cleanup operation with David and my Silver Moon lieutenants.“

My eyebrows rose in question, prompting her to continue.

"We secured Victor's compound and rounded up all remaining rogues," she explained. "Those who fought against us and survived were given a choice: accept our authority and live under strict probation, or face exile in the far territories."

"And?" I asked, genuinely curious about how many would choose loyalty over exile.

"Most chose to submit," she said, a hint of satisfaction coloring her voice. "The rest were escorted to the boundary yesterday. They won't be a threat again—not without Victor to unite them."

I found myself staring at her with undisguised admiration. While I'd been unconscious, she had handled the aftermath of our victory with the efficiency and wisdom of a born leader.

"You're remarkable," I said simply.

Her cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment, though she tried to hide it with a casual shrug. "I did what needed to be done. The packs needed leadership while you were recovering."

"The Silver Moon Alpha stepping in to command Shadow Fang warriors," I mused, the implications of this unprecedented cooperation not lost on me. "How did they respond to that?"

A small smile played at the corners of her lips. "Better than you might expect. David was... surprisingly supportive. Once the initial shock wore off, your warriors took my orders without question." Her expression grew more serious. "It helps that Cassandra has fully returned. The warriors respect her strength."

"And the rogues who submitted?" I asked, shifting slightly to find a more comfortable position. "Where are they now?"

"Under guard at the training facility," she replied. "I've started integration protocols—assigning each one a Shadow Fang mentor and scheduling evaluations."

I reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. "You've thought of everything."

"I had to," she said simply. "Our children deserve to grow up in a world without constantly looking over their shoulders for threats. With Victor gone and Emma..." Her voice hardened momentarily.

"The children," I said suddenly, a wave of longing washing through me. "Are they here? Can I see them?"

Aria's expression softened. "They're with your mother in the waiting area. I wanted to make sure you were stable before bringing them in. Lucas has been asking about you every five minutes." She brushed her fingers through my hair, smoothing it away from my forehead. "Olivia and Cassie probably won't remember their first hospital visit, but Lucas has been very concerned about his 'superhero dad' fighting bad wolves."

I couldn't help but smile at that. "Superhero dad, huh? I like the sound of that."

"Don't let it go to your head," she teased, though her eyes remained warm with affection. "You're still on bedrest for at least another day, according to the doctors."

I groaned at this news, already feeling restless despite my weakened state. "A day? Aria, there's too much to do. The pack needs—"

"The pack needs its Alpha healthy and fully recovered," she interrupted firmly. "Not stumbling around and reopening wounds because he's too stubborn to follow medical advice."

"Fine," I conceded with a dramatic sigh. I pulled her closer, ignoring the twinge of pain from my shoulder. "Come here," I murmured, guiding her to sit on the edge of the bed.

She complied, her weight settling comfortably beside me. I rested my head against her lap, feeling the tension drain from my body as her fingers threaded gently through my hair. For a moment, we simply existed together in comfortable silence, the steady rhythm of her breathing syncing with mine.

"With my warrior Alpha wife in charge," I said softly, looking up at her face haloed by the overhead lights, "I find I don't have much to worry about anymore."