Luna. Chapter 18

(Kael's POV)

The investigation took three days. Three days of careful digging, quiet conversations, and mounting evidence that made me sick to my stomach.

Felix had been thorough. He'd tracked Seraphina's real whereabouts for the past three years - not captivity, but a comfortable life in a distant pack where she'd been the Alpha's mistress. He'd found records of her planning her return, timing it perfectly for maximum disruption of my marriage.

But the most damning evidence came from an unexpected source.

"Alpha?" Petra, the medical center's receptionist, stood in my office doorway looking nervous and guilty. "Could I speak with you privately?"

"Of course. Come in."

Petra closed the door behind her and twisted her hands anxiously. "I need to tell you something about Luna Lyra's medical records."

My heart stopped. "What about them?"

"She did have an appointment. Three days before... before the ceremony." Petra's voice was barely a whisper. "Dr. Williams did see her. The pregnancy is real. Four and a half months along, healthy baby, everything normal."

"Then why did Dr. Williams say she had no record?"

"Because someone came to me the night before you called. Someone who offered me a lot of money to delete the appointment from the system and convince Dr. Williams that no such appointment had occurred."

"Who?" Though I already knew.

"Seraphina. She said it was for Luna Lyra's own good, that the stress of the pregnancy announcement might hurt the baby. She said you already knew and wanted it kept quiet for a while longer." Petra was crying now. "I'm so sorry, Alpha. I thought I was helping."

The final piece of the puzzle clicked into place. Seraphina hadn't just deleted records - she'd corrupted my entire pack's support system, turning them into unwitting accomplices in her scheme.

"Petra," I said gently, "I need you to prepare a full written statement of everything Seraphina asked you to do. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Alpha. But what about Luna Lyra? Is she... is she okay?"

"I hope so." I stood up, feeling the weight of every mistake I'd made. "But I'm going to find out."

An hour later, I had a stack of evidence that would have made any prosecutor happy. Financial records showing payments to pack members who'd supported Seraphina's story. Communication logs proving she'd been in contact with outside parties while claiming to be traumatized and isolated. Medical evidence confirming Lyra's pregnancy and the deliberate deletion of her records.

And most damning of all, a recording Felix had found on Seraphina's phone - a conversation with an unknown male discussing the "Lyra problem" and how to "get rid of her permanently."

"It's enough," Adrian said, reviewing the evidence. "More than enough to prove that Luna Lyra was the victim of an elaborate frame job."

"Good." I stood up, grabbing my jacket. "I'm going to Mountain Cross."

"Kael, wait." Adrian caught my arm. "What about Seraphina? She's still here, still claiming Luna status."

"Deal with her." My voice was cold. "Arrest her, banish her, I don't care. Just make sure she's gone by the time I get back."

"And if Lyra won't see you?"

"Then I'll wait until she will. However long it takes."

The drive to Mountain Cross territory felt both endless and too short. Every mile brought me closer to facing the woman I'd wronged, to admitting the depth of my failure as a husband and Alpha.

What if she'd already bonded with Magnus? What if she never wanted to see me again? What if the damage I'd done was irreparable?

But as I reached the border of Mountain Cross territory, I forced myself to focus on one simple truth: Lyra deserved to know what really happened. She deserved to know that her husband had been deceived, not that he'd genuinely doubted her.

Whether she forgave me or not was up to her. But she would know the truth.

The Mountain Cross guards recognized me at the border but looked wary. "Alpha Blackwood. Are you expected?"

"No. But I need to speak with Alpha Magnus and Luna Lyra. It's urgent."

"I'll need to call ahead."

"Of course."

Twenty minutes later, I was escorted to the Mountain Cross packhouse by guards who treated me like a potential threat rather than a visiting Alpha. I couldn't blame them. From their perspective, I was the man who'd publicly humiliated their new Luna.

Magnus met me in his study, his expression carefully neutral. "Kael. This is unexpected."

"I need to see Lyra. Please."

"That's not my decision to make. She's resting, and after everything she's been through, I'm not about to force unwanted confrontations on her."

"Magnus, I have evidence. Proof that she was telling the truth about everything. Proof that I was manipulated into rejecting her."

Something flickered in Magnus's dark eyes. "What kind of proof?"

I handed him the file Adrian had prepared. "Medical records confirming her pregnancy. Evidence that someone deleted her appointment records and bribed pack members to support false accusations. Financial trails, communication logs, everything."

Magnus read through the documents, his expression growing darker with each page. When he finished, he looked up at me with something like disgust.

"This is what you base a rejection on? Accusations with no investigation?"

"I know. I failed her completely." I met his gaze steadily. "But she deserves to know the truth. Whether she ever forgives me or not, she deserves to know that I was deceived, not that I genuinely doubted her word."

Magnus was quiet for a long moment. Then he stood up. "Wait here. I'll ask if she's willing to see you."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. If she says no, you leave immediately and don't come back without an invitation."

"Understood."

As Magnus left, I remained standing by the window that overlooked the mountain lake. Somewhere in this house was the woman I'd thrown away. The mother of my child. The Luna I'd failed to protect.

In a few minutes, I'd know if there was any chance of redemption, or if I'd lost her forever.