Luna. Chapter 153

Kael's POV

I held Lyra closer, feeling her heartbeat against my chest. The weight of everything we'd just discussed settled between us, but there was something else I needed to say. Something I'd been putting off for too long.

"Lyra."

She pulled back to look at me, her eyes still wet with tears.

"There's something else." I took her hands in mine. "I know this isn't the most romantic setting. I know we're in the middle of a war and everything's falling apart around us."

Her breath caught. "Kael..."

"But I can't wait anymore." I dropped to one knee right there in our living room, still holding her hands. "I should have done this months ago. Hell, I should have done it years ago."

Tears started flowing down her cheeks again, but these were different. These were happy tears.

"Lyra Blackwood, will you marry me?"

She was crying too hard to speak at first. She just nodded frantically.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes." Her voice came out as a whisper. "Yes, of course yes."

I stood up and kissed her, tasting the salt of her tears.

"I don't have a ring," I said against her lips.

"I don't care about a ring."

"But you deserve one. You deserve everything."

She laughed through her tears. "I have everything. I have you and Asher and this little one." She placed her hand on her belly. "That's all I need."

"After all this is over," I said, "we're going to have the biggest wedding you've ever seen. I'm talking about the whole pack there. Flowers everywhere. That ridiculous white dress that costs way too much money."

"You hate big parties."

"I hate big parties. But I love you. And if you want a big wedding, you're getting a big wedding."

She smiled. "Actually, I think I'd prefer something small. Just us and the people who matter most."

"Whatever you want. As long as you're my wife at the end of it."

"I already feel like your wife."

"I know. But I want it to be official. I want everyone to know you're mine and I'm yours."

She kissed me again. "When do you think we can do it?"

"As soon as we deal with the king. As soon as we make sure our family is safe."

"That could take months."

"Then we wait months. I'm not going anywhere."

She rested her forehead against mine. "I love you so much it scares me sometimes."

"Why does it scare you?"

"Because I never thought I could feel this way about someone. And now I can't imagine my life without you."

"You don't have to imagine it. I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise me."

"I promise. No matter what happens with the royal family, no matter how dangerous things get, I'm coming back to you."

"And I'll be here waiting."

We stood there holding each other, and for a few minutes, everything else faded away. There was no war. No king trying to destroy us. No curse threatening our family.

There was just us, planning our future together.