Luna. Chapter 199

（Lyra's POV）

The afternoon sun streamed through our living room windows, casting everything in golden light. We'd spent the whole day together. Just the four of us. No missions, no emergencies, no outside world.

Perfect.

Elena had come over around lunchtime with her camera, insisting we needed new family photos while Kael was home. She'd been taking pictures for the past hour, capturing every moment.

"One more," she said, adjusting the lens. "Everyone look at me."

I sat on the couch with Nova in my lap. Kael had his arm around us both, and Asher was perched on the arm of the couch, grinning widely.

"Say cheese!"

"Cheese!" Asher shouted.

Nova clapped her hands and babbled something that sounded like "cheese" too.

The camera flashed, and Elena smiled. "Perfect. That one's going on the mantle."

"Let me see," I said, reaching for the camera.

The photo was beautiful. We all looked happy. Relaxed. Like a real family.

But when I looked closer at Kael's face, I saw something that made my heart skip. He was smiling, but his eyes looked... sad. Distant. Like he was already somewhere else.

"You okay?" I asked quietly.

"Fine. Just tired."

But I knew him better than that. Something was bothering him. Something he wasn't telling me.

Elena took a few more shots, then started packing up her equipment. "I'll get these developed and bring them by next week."

"Thank you," Kael said. "For everything. For being here for them while I was away."

"You don't need to thank me. They're family." Elena hugged him goodbye. "Just don't stay away so long next time."

"I won't."

After Elena left, we settled in for a quiet evening. Asher built elaborate structures with his blocks while Nova practiced sitting up on a blanket on the floor. Kael and I sat together on the couch, watching them play.

"They're so good together," I observed. "Asher's going to be such a protective big brother."

"He already is. Did you see how he helped her with the ornament yesterday?"

"He's growing up so fast."

"Too fast," Kael agreed.

I studied his profile. The sad look was back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Kael."

He sighed. "It's just... looking at them. Seeing how much they've grown. I keep thinking about everything I've missed."

"You've been home as much as you can be."

"Have I? Because sometimes it feels like I'm always leaving. Always choosing the mission over being here."

"You're choosing to protect us. To protect everyone."

"Am I?" He turned to look at me. "Or am I just running away from normal life because it's easier than dealing with everyday problems?"

I felt my heart crack. "You really think that?"

"I don't know what to think anymore." Kael ran his hands through his hair. "I see other fathers at the playground when I drop Asher off. They know all the kids' names. They talk about soccer schedules and school projects. Normal dad stuff."

"You're not a normal dad. You're a protector. A leader."

"Maybe I don't want to be anymore."

The words hung in the air between us. Heavy and significant.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying maybe it's time to step back. Focus on being a father instead of being a warrior."

I looked at our children, playing peacefully on the floor. "Is that what you really want?"

"I want to be here for Nova's first words. For Asher's first day of school. I want to be the dad who coaches little league and helps with homework."

"You can be."

"Not while I'm taking missions that keep me away for weeks at a time."

I reached for his hand. "Then we'll make it work. We'll find a way for you to do both."

Kael squeezed my fingers. "What if we can't?"

"Then we'll figure out what matters most."

He looked at me with so much love in his eyes that it took my breath away. "You matter most. You and Asher and Nova. You're everything."

"Then that's our answer."

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching our children discover the world. Nova had managed to grab one of Asher's blocks and was examining it with intense concentration. Asher was building a tower for her to knock down.

"The photo Elena took," Kael said suddenly. "The one where we all looked happy."

"What about it?"

"I want that to be real. Not just a moment captured in time, but our actual life."

"It can be."

"Even if it means giving up the missions? The pack politics? All of it?"

I thought about his question seriously. "If that's what you want, then yes. We'll make it work."

"And if I decide to take the Alpha position?"

"Then we'll make that work too. Together."

Kael smiled. A real smile this time. Not sad or distant. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Nova started fussing, reaching for me with grabby hands. I picked her up and settled her against my chest. She immediately calmed down, her tiny fist curling in my shirt.

"Story time?" Asher asked, abandoning his blocks.

"Story time," Kael agreed.

We all curled up on the couch together. Kael read from one of Asher's favorite books while Nova dozed in my arms. The perfect end to a perfect day.

Later, after the kids were in bed, Kael and I sat by the Christmas tree, planning our future.

"If we move back to Iron Claw," I said, "I want to know we're moving toward something better. Not running away from what we have here."

"We'd be moving toward family. Toward a place where the kids can grow up knowing their heritage."

"And where you can be Alpha."

"Maybe. If that's what the pack needs."

I looked at the engagement ring on my finger. "Mrs. Alpha Henderson. Has a nice ring to it."

Kael laughed. "You'd be amazing at it."

"I'd be terrified."

"Good. That means you'd take it seriously."

We talked until late, making plans and dreaming about possibilities. The future felt bright and scary and full of potential.

Whatever we decided, we'd face it together.

The four of us.

Our perfect little pack.