Luna. Chapter 163

I was still staring at the phone when I heard the soft knock on the back door. Three quick taps, then two long ones. The signal Kael and I had agreed on years ago.

My heart jumped into my throat. He was supposed to be gathering intelligence, staying away from the house. If he was here, something must be wrong.

I opened the door to find him standing in the shadows, his dark clothes helping him blend into the night. He looked exhausted. Thinner than when I'd last seen him.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered, pulling him inside quickly.

"I had to see you." His voice was rough. "I heard about the call."

"How did you—"

"Cordelia told me. She's been monitoring communications."

I locked the door behind him, checking the windows to make sure no one had seen him arrive. "Kael, if someone spots you here—"

"I know the risks." He stepped closer. "But we need to talk about what's happening. The coalition, the Ashwalkers, everything."

I wanted to be angry at him for taking such a chance. Instead, I felt relief flooding through me. Having him here felt right. Safe.

"Alpha Nova wants me to lead the coalition," I said.

"I know. And you should."

"I'm not even technically an alpha."

"You're more of a leader than half the alphas I know." He reached out to touch my face. "You always have been."

His fingers were warm against my skin. I'd missed his touch more than I wanted to admit.

"The Ashwalkers are moving faster than we expected," he said. "Three more packs have been hit in the last week."

"Where?"

"Northern territories mostly. But they're spreading south."

"How much time do we have?"

"Not much. Maybe days."

I felt the baby kick hard, as if she could sense the tension in the room. "What about the king? Any news from court?"

"Adrian's getting desperate. His control is slipping and he knows it." Kael's jaw tightened. "He's planning something big. Something that will either cement his power or destroy everything."

"What kind of something?"

"Cordelia's still trying to find out. But whatever it is, it involves you specifically."

My blood went cold. "Me?"

"He knows about the celestial wolf genetics. He thinks if he can control you, he can control that power."

"Over my dead body."

"That might be his backup plan."

We stood there looking at each other, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between us. Finally, Kael stepped closer.

"There's something else," he said softly. "Something I need to tell you."

"What?"

Instead of answering, he leaned down and kissed me. It was gentle at first, then deeper as I responded despite myself. I'd forgotten how perfectly we fit together.

When we broke apart, I felt something strange. A tingling sensation on my arm where the curse mark had been.

I pulled back my sleeve and gasped. The dark mark that had twisted around my forearm for months was gone. Not faded. Gone.

"How is that possible?" I whispered.

Kael smiled, the first real smile I'd seen from him in ages. "True love. It's the only thing powerful enough to break a blood curse."

"That's not how magic works."

"Isn't it? You've seen stranger things lately."

I touched my arm where the mark had been. The skin was smooth, unmarked. "I don't understand."

"You don't have to understand everything. Sometimes you just have to accept that some things are bigger than logic."

"The curse was tied to my family line. It shouldn't be possible to break it with—"

"With love?" He cupped my face in his hands. "Lyra, you're not giving yourself enough credit. Your power, your strength, your heart. You're capable of things that would amaze you if you let yourself believe it."

I wanted to argue with him, to demand a scientific explanation. But looking down at my unmarked arm, feeling the lightness in my chest where the curse's weight had been, I couldn't deny what had happened.

"The baby," I said suddenly. "What if breaking the curse affected—"

"She's fine." Kael placed his hand on my belly. "Can't you feel her? She's stronger than ever."

He was right. The baby was moving more actively than usual, as if celebrating her mother's freedom.

"How long can you stay?" I asked.

"Not long. I have to be back before dawn."

"Then we better make the most of it."

He pulled me closer. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too." And I had. Even when I was angry at him, even when I didn't trust him, I'd missed the feeling of being complete that only came when we were together.

"Tell me about the coalition," he said. "What's Alpha Nova's plan?"

We sat down at the kitchen table, and I filled him in on everything the alpha had told me. The missing pack members, the transformations, the growing alliance against the king.

"Four committed packs," Kael mused. "That's a start, but it's not enough to take on Adrian directly."

"What would be enough?"

"Double that number. Maybe more."

"Do you think I can convince them?"

"If anyone can, it's you." He squeezed my hand. "But Lyra, leading this coalition will make you a target. The king will come after you with everything he has."

"He's already coming after me."

"This would be different. Open warfare instead of subtle attacks."

"I know." I looked down at our joined hands. "But what choice do I have? If we don't fight back, he'll pick us off one by one until there's no one left to resist."

"You're right. I just wish there was another way."

"There isn't. There never was."

We talked for another hour about strategies, allies, and contingency plans. Every few minutes, Kael would check his watch, knowing he couldn't stay much longer.

"I should go," he finally said.

"I know."

But neither of us moved. Being apart had become almost physically painful.

"Promise me you'll be careful," I said.

"Promise me you'll accept help from the coalition. Don't try to handle everything yourself."

"I promise."

He stood up reluctantly. "I love you. Both of you."

"We love you too."

He kissed me one more time, quick and fierce, then headed for the back door.

"Kael?"

He turned back.

"When this is over, we're going to have a long talk about the future."

"I'm counting on it."

After he left, I sat alone in the dark kitchen, touching my arm where the curse mark had been. The curse that had plagued my family for generations was gone. Broken by love.

Maybe there was more magic in the world than I'd been willing to admit.

Maybe that magic was exactly what we needed to win this war.