Luna. Chapter 112

(Kael's POV)

I watched her sleep for a long time.

Her dark hair spread across my chest. Her breathing deep and even. Her body curled against mine like she belonged there.

Which she did.

She'd always belonged there.

I thought about all the nights I'd lain awake missing her. Missing this.

The way she felt in my arms. The way she smelled. The way she made everything in my world make sense.

Four years.

Four years of pretending I was fine without her. Four years of throwing myself into work and pack responsibilities and anything else that might distract me from the aching hole she'd left in my life.

Four years of lying to myself that I could be happy without her.

I'd been an idiot.

This was happiness. This moment. This woman. This life we were going to build together.

She stirred slightly, making a soft sound in her sleep.

"Shh," I whispered, stroking her hair. "Sleep, love."

She settled again, but her hand found mine on her hip. Held tight even in sleep.

Like she was afraid I might disappear.

I understood that fear.

"I'm not going anywhere," I promised quietly. "Not ever again."

The moonlight streaming through the window painted silver patterns on her skin. She looked ethereal. Magical.

My celestial wolf.

My mate.

My everything.

"I wasted so much time being angry," I whispered to the darkness. "So much time being proud and stubborn."

She'd needed space. I understood that now.

Becoming a single mother at nineteen couldn't have been easy. Having to rebuild her entire life while raising a child alone.

I should have been more patient. Should have fought harder to stay in her life instead of walking away when she asked me to.

But we were here now. That had to count for something.

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you," I promised. "Making up for all the time we lost."

She shifted again, this time blinking sleepily up at me.

"Hey," she murmured.

"Hey yourself. Did I wake you?"

"No. I just... wanted to make sure you were real."

I smiled, brushing her hair back from her face. "I'm real. This is real."

"Good." She pressed a kiss to my chest. Right over my heart. "I don't want to wake up and find out this was all a dream."

"Not a dream. I promise."

She was quiet for a moment. Then: "What happens now?"

"Now we figure it out. Together."

"Asher will be thrilled."

"What about your father?"

She laughed softly. "I think Dad's coming around. Besides, after tonight, I don't think he'll have much choice but to accept that you're part of this family."

"Is that what I am? Part of the family?"

She looked up at me with those green eyes that had haunted my dreams for four years.

"You're the most important part," she said simply.

My throat tightened with emotion.

"I love you, Lyra. More than I've ever loved anything. More than I thought it was possible to love someone."

"I love you too. I'm sorry it took me so long to say it."

"We have time now. All the time in the world."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She smiled and settled back against my chest.

"Kael?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For waiting for me. For not giving up. For coming back."

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Thank you for letting me come home."

Because that's what this was. What she was.

Home.

After four years in the wilderness, I was finally home.

A home has Lyra.