I Am His Wolfless Luna Chapter 187

Aria's POV

Sunlight spilled through the window, warming the papers scattered across our table. Ethan sat across from me, his dark hair falling over his forehead as he bent over the reports. The scar on his shoulder had faded to a thin line - the only reminder of Victor's poisoned blade.

I caught him looking up at me, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "What's that look for?"

"Just thinking how lucky I am," I said, reaching across to brush his hair back.

Ethan caught my hand and kissed my palm, sending warmth shooting up my arm. "I prefer us like this."

His phone buzzed. Without looking, he silenced it and kept his eyes on me. "David can wait five minutes."

I laughed. "Such a rebel Alpha."

"Only for you." The heat in his gaze made my cheeks flush. Even after everything, he could still make me feel like a teenager with a crush.

A tiny wail from the baby monitor broke our moment. Olivia's cry, soon joined by Cassie's softer one.

"I've got them," Ethan said, already standing up.

I shook my head, pushing back my chair. "No, you have that council meeting. I'll handle the twins."

The twins were waiting, faces scrunched and red. I scooped them both up, one in each arm, marveling at their tiny perfection. Olivia, always the louder one, settled immediately against my chest while Cassie watched me with those knowing eyes.

"Hello, my little angels," I whispered, breathing in their sweet baby scent.

Inside me, Cassandra stirred with contentment. *Our cubs grow strong,* her voice purred in my mind.

After feeding and changing the twins, I found Ethan and Lucas hunched over a map of our territories, dark head and light one close together.

"See this river?" Ethan was saying. "That used to be where our packs were divided. But someday, when you're Alpha, it will all be one big territory."

"All mine to protect?" Lucas asked, his small finger tracing the boundary line.

"All yours," Ethan confirmed, looking up as I entered. His expression softened, eyes filling with love at the sight of me with our daughters.

When Lucas ran to get his shoes, Ethan crossed the room and gathered all three of us in his arms. He kissed each twin's head before finding my lips, lingering there with a tenderness that made my heart ache.

"I love seeing you like this," he murmured against my mouth.

"Sleep-deprived and covered in baby drool?" I teased.

"Perfect," he corrected, his eyes serious. "Mother. Alpha. Mine."

The possessive word sent a shiver down my spine. "Always yours."

"Don't forget," I called as they headed for the door, "we need to talk about wedding plans tonight."

Ethan's grin was boyish and eager. "Full moon ceremony, just like I promised. Though I still vote for a honeymoon somewhere with beaches. Just you and me and very little clothing..."

"With three kids?" I laughed, shooing him out. "Go before you're late!"

The house felt quieter after they left. I settled on the couch with a stack of reports, the baby monitor beside me. Running two packs while raising three children wasn't easy, but the rhythm of it felt right, like I'd finally found where I belonged.

The sound of tires on gravel made me look up. Through the window, I spotted Leo's truck and my heart lifted. I hadn't seen my oldest friend in days.

I met him at the door, flinging my arms around him in a tight hug that betrayed my relief at seeing a friendly face. "Leo! What a surprise! I thought you were stuck up north this week?"

His arms returned my embrace, but there was something mechanical in the gesture. When he pulled back, the light in his eyes was missing.

My stomach tightened. "What is it?" I asked, keeping my voice light even as worry crept up my spine. I led him to the living room.

Leo sank onto the couch with a heaviness I'd rarely seen in him. He ran his hand through his hair. "I need to tell you something, Aria."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. I perched on the edge of the coffee table across from him, our knees almost touching. "You're scaring me. Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone's fine," he said quickly, meeting my eyes at last. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. "I'm leaving."

Two simple words, yet they hit me with the force of a physical blow. My lungs forgot how to work for a moment. "Leaving? What do you mean, leaving?"

"I'm going back to the Northern pack." His voice was soft but certain.

The declaration hung between us, awful in its finality. I felt a sharp ache spread through my chest as if something vital was being torn away. "But... why? We need you here. I need you here."

Leo's smile was tinged with a sadness that made my throat tighten. He reached for my hands, his warm fingers wrapping around mine. "No, you don't. Not anymore. Look at everything you've built, Aria. You have Ethan, the kids, both packs working together... you've found exactly where you belong."

"But you're family," I protested, hating how my voice cracked on the last word. "After everything we've been through—" I couldn't finish, memories flooding back of all the times.

His eyes softened, and I caught a glimpse of the struggle behind them. "And I'll always be your family," he promised, squeezing my hands. "That won't change. But watching you find your place, build this incredible life... it's made me realize I need to find my own path too."

I opened my mouth to argue, ready to list all the reasons he should stay, but the quiet determination in his expression stopped me. This wasn't a hasty decision; it was something he'd thought through completely.

"When?" I asked simply, the question barely audible.

"End of the month," he said.

The front door burst open before I could respond, the sound of familiar footsteps bringing both relief and complication. Lucas's excited voice echoed down the hallway, followed by Ethan's deeper tones.

"Uncle Leo!" Lucas appeared in the doorway, his face lighting up with pure joy as he launched himself across the room. He collided with Leo in a tangle of small limbs and unrestrained enthusiasm. Leo caught him with practiced ease, his first genuine laugh of the day breaking through the tension.

"Hey, little Alpha! Did you get taller since last week?" Leo ruffled Lucas's hair.

Ethan crossed the room silently and settled beside me on the couch. His warm hand found mine immediately, fingers intertwining with instinctive precision.

His eyes searched my face, reading the devastation I couldn't hide. "What's wrong?" he murmured, his voice too low for the others to hear.

I leaned into his solid presence, drawing strength from his warmth. "Leo's leaving," I whispered, the words still feeling like broken glass in my throat.

"We'll miss you," Ethan said, his voice carrying across the room. There was no accusation in his tone, only understanding. "But I get it. Everyone needs to find their own way sometimes."

His hand tightened around mine in silent support. Then he leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. "Before you make any final plans, though, there's something I'd like you to consider."

Leo looked up, curiosity replacing some of the tension in his features. "What's that?"

"Our wedding," Ethan said simply. "The full moon ceremony. We want you there."

Leo's shoulders slumped slightly. "I was planning to leave before—"

"No." The fierceness in my own voice surprised me. "You have to be there, Leo. After everything we've been through together..." I swallowed hard against the lump forming in my throat. "I need you at my wedding."

Ethan's thumb stroked the inside of my wrist, his touch grounding me. "Actually," he added, his voice gentling, "we were hoping you'd take on a special role in the ceremony."

Leo's brow furrowed, genuine confusion crossing his face. "What role?"

"We want you to walk Aria down the aisle," Ethan said, the simple statement filling the room with its significance. "In place of Marcus."