Luna. Chapter 150

(Kael's POV)

After leaving Asher at the children's center, I couldn't go straight home. I needed time to process what had just happened, what I'd learned.

Lyra was pregnant. We were having another child. In the middle of the most dangerous situation our family had ever faced, we were bringing another life into the world.

I drove to the overlook outside town, the same place where Lyra and I used to go when we were first dating. Where we'd talked about our future, our dreams, our plans for the family we wanted to build.

I sat in my truck and tried to figure out how I felt about becoming a father again under these circumstances.

Terrified. That was the overwhelming emotion. The idea of another child to protect, another target for the royal family to threaten, another innocent life at stake in this political nightmare.

But underneath the fear was something else. Joy. Pure, uncomplicated joy at the thought of another child with Lyra. Another chance to be the father I'd learned to be with Asher.

Another chance to build the family we'd dreamed of.

My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. Derek's name on the screen.

"How did Asher handle the visit?" he asked.

"Better than I expected. He's scared, but he's handling it."

"And how are you handling the pregnancy news?"

"You knew?"

"Lyra told me yesterday. She's been carrying that secret for weeks, not wanting to add another complication to the situation."

"Another complication," I repeated. "Is that what this is?"

"Is that what you think it is?"

I was quiet for a moment, watching the sun set over the mountains. "I think it's the best news I've gotten in months. And the most terrifying."

"Because now you have even more to lose."

"Because now I have even more reason to make sure we win this fight."

"Good. Because I just got some intelligence about the royal family's next move."

"What kind of intelligence?"

"The kind that suggests they're planning to move against Asher within the next seventy-two hours."

Ice ran through my veins. "What do you mean move against him?"

"I mean permanent relocation to a secure facility. Beyond the reach of any legal challenges or rescue attempts."

"They're going to disappear him."

"That's the working theory."

"Then we move first."

"Kael, we're not ready. The evidence gathering, the Council presentation, the public campaign—"

"None of that matters if Asher's gone."

"If we move too early, if we don't have enough support—"

"Then we improvise. But we don't let them take our son."

Derek was quiet for a moment. "There's something else."

"What?"

"The intelligence suggests they're also planning to move against Lyra. And the pregnancy makes her a higher priority target."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning they view an unborn celestial wolf hybrid as potentially more dangerous than a toddler who's already demonstrating controlled abilities."

"They want to take the baby."

"Or eliminate the pregnancy entirely."

The rage that built in my chest was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. The idea of them threatening my unborn child, of hurting Lyra to get to our baby...

"Where is she now?" I asked.

"Safe house. Under protection. But Kael, if they're planning to move this fast, we need to accelerate our timeline."

"How much can we accelerate?"

"Instead of two weeks, we're talking about two days. Maybe less."

"Can we be ready in two days?"

"We'll have to be."

I started the truck and headed back toward town. "Derek, I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"I need you to promise me something. If this goes wrong, if they get to me before we can implement the plan..."

"Kael—"

"Promise me you'll get Lyra and the children out of the country. Set them up somewhere safe, somewhere the royal family can't reach them."

"It won't come to that."

"Promise me anyway."

Derek was quiet for a long moment. "I promise. But only if you promise me something in return."

"What?"

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid or heroic that gets you killed before we have a chance to fight this properly."

"Define stupid and heroic."

"Taking on the entire royal family by yourself to buy the rest of us time to escape."

"That's oddly specific."

"Because I know you, Kael. I know how your mind works when your family is threatened."

He was right. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to find the nearest royal facility and tear it apart until I found the people responsible for threatening my children.

"I'll try to be smart about this," I said finally.

"Try harder. Because if you get yourself killed, Lyra and the kids lose their best protection."

"Their best protection is getting away from all of this."

"Their best protection is having a father and mate who's alive to fight for them."

I pulled into the parking lot of the safe house where Lyra was staying. "Derek, I'm going to tell her about the intelligence. About the seventy-two hour timeline."

"Good. She needs to know."

"And I'm going to tell her how I feel about the pregnancy."

"Also good."

"And then we're going to figure out how to save our family without getting everyone we care about killed in the process."

"That's the plan."

I got out of the truck and looked up at the window where I could see Lyra's silhouette. My mate. The mother of my children. The woman who'd been carrying the stress of this pregnancy alone while dealing with threats and attacks and political manipulation.

"Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"When this is over, when our family is safe, I'm going to marry her properly. With the whole pack there, with celebrations and traditions and all the things we missed the first time around."

"She'd like that."

"And I'm going to be the kind of father this new baby deserves. Present, protective, but not so focused on keeping them safe that I forget to let them live."

"That sounds like a good plan too."

I hung up and headed toward the safe house, toward the woman carrying my child and the future we were fighting to protect.

Whatever came next, we'd face it together.