Luna. Chapter 195

（Lyra's POV）

Elena stood in our kitchen, cradling Nova like she was the most precious thing in the world. Which she was. Nova looked tiny in the pink onesie Elena had bought her. All soft curves and baby smell.

"She's getting so big," Elena murmured, kissing Nova's forehead. "Look at those cheeks."

Asher was practically bouncing beside her. "Aunt Elena, watch this!" He did a little dance move, spinning around with his arms out.

"Very impressive," Elena laughed. "You'll have to show that to your dad when he gets home."

"I will! And we made cookies. Wanna see?"

He dragged Elena over to the cooling racks on the counter. Two dozen sugar cookies shaped like Christmas trees and stars. Some were perfectly decorated. Others looked like abstract art. Asher had insisted on doing most of them himself.

"These are beautiful," Elena said seriously. "Your dad's going to love them."

"This one's special for Daddy." Asher pointed to a slightly lopsided star covered in green sprinkles. "I made it extra sparkly."

My heart melted. Again. It happened about fifty times a day with this kid.

"He's going to treasure it," I promised.

Nova started fussing in Elena's arms, making those little hungry sounds. "Someone's ready for dinner," Elena observed.

"I'll feed her." I reached for Nova, but Elena shook her head.

"Let me. You finish getting ready. Kael will be here soon."

I glanced down at myself. Flour-dusted sweater, yoga pants, hair in a messy bun. Not exactly the homecoming look I'd planned.

"Maybe I should change."

"Go," Elena shooed me away. "We'll be fine."

I headed upstairs, but before I could reach the bedroom, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Asher yelled, racing toward the front door.

"Wait!" I called after him. "Let me check first."

But Asher was already at the door, jumping up to reach the peephole. "There's a man with a big box!"

I looked through the peephole myself. Delivery driver. Big cardboard box with a bow on top.

"Delivery for the Henderson family," the driver said when I opened the door.

Henderson. Kael's last name. The name I'd been thinking about taking officially. We'd talked about it a few times, but between the war and the babies, we'd never made it official.

"Thank you." I signed for the package and brought it inside.

"What is it?" Asher asked, circling the box like a shark.

"I don't know. There's no return address."

Elena came over, still holding Nova. "Maybe it's from Kael?"

I turned the box over, looking for clues. Nothing. Just our address written in neat handwriting.

"Can we open it?" Asher was practically vibrating with excitement.

"I suppose. But carefully."

I got scissors from the kitchen and cut through the tape. Inside was another box, this one wrapped in silver paper with a gold ribbon.

And a card.

I opened the envelope with shaking fingers. The handwriting was definitely Kael's.

For my family. Merry Christmas. - K

"It's from Daddy," I told Asher.

"Open it! Open it!"

I carefully unwrapped the silver paper. Inside was a wooden box, beautifully carved with intricate designs. Wolves running through a forest. A full moon overhead.

"It's gorgeous," Elena breathed.

I lifted the lid. Inside, nestled in black velvet, were four items.

A silver bracelet with tiny wolf charms. For me.

A small wooden toy car, perfectly detailed. For Asher.

A tiny silver rattle shaped like a crescent moon. For Nova.

And at the bottom, something that made my breath catch. A small velvet jewelry box.

"Mama, what's that?" Asher pointed at the jewelry box.

My hands were shaking as I picked it up. I knew what it was. I'd been hoping for this for so long.

But I couldn't open it. Not without Kael here.

"It's something special," I managed to say. "Something to wait for Daddy for."

"But what is it?"

Elena caught my eye over Asher's head. She knew too. Her smile was knowing and excited.

"It's a surprise, sweetheart," Elena said gently. "Sometimes the best surprises are worth waiting for."

Asher pouted but didn't argue. He was too distracted by his wooden car anyway, rolling it across the coffee table with engine sound effects.

I held the small velvet box in my palm. It felt warm. Or maybe my hands were warm. Or maybe I was imagining things because my heart was beating so fast.

"Lyra." Elena's voice was soft. "Are you okay?"

"I think so. I mean, yes. I'm fine. I'm good. I'm..." I realized I was babbling and stopped.

Nova made a happy gurgling sound, reaching out toward the shiny silver rattle. Elena held it just out of her reach, making her laugh as she tried to grab it.

"She likes it," Elena observed.

"Kael chose perfectly." I looked at my bracelet. The wolf charms caught the light from the Christmas tree. "He always does."

The doorbell rang again.

This time, we all froze.

"Pizza?" Elena asked.

I shook my head. "I didn't order pizza."

Asher was already running toward the door again, but this time I caught him.

"Let me look first," I said.

I peered through the peephole. A figure stood on the porch, but the angle was wrong. I couldn't see a face. Just a tall shadow.

"Hello?" I called through the door.

"Special delivery," a voice called back. Male voice. Familiar somehow.

I looked at Elena. She shrugged and shifted Nova to her hip.

"Who's it from?" I asked.

"Someone who loves you very much."

My heart stopped. I knew that voice.

With trembling fingers, I unlocked the door and pulled it open.

There, holding a huge bouquet of red roses, stood the most important delivery man in the world.

But it wasn't Kael.

It was Marcus, one of Kael's pack brothers. He was grinning like he had the best secret in the world.

"Marcus!" I stepped back, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Like I said. Special delivery." He winked at me. "These are for you. With compliments of a certain someone who should be arriving very soon."

He handed me the roses. They were beautiful. Perfect. And they smelled like home.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Close," Marcus said mysteriously. "Very close."

As if on cue, I heard a car door slam outside.

Then footsteps on the walkway.

Then a familiar voice calling out, "Is anyone going to help an old man with his luggage?"

Asher shrieked with joy and bolted past me, past Marcus, straight into the arms of someone walking up our front path.

Someone I couldn't see yet from where I stood in the doorway.

Someone who laughed that warm, rich laugh I'd been missing for three weeks.

Someone who was finally, finally home.