Luna. Chapter 21

(Kael's POV)

The drive to Mountain Cross territory felt like the longest two hours of my life. Every mile brought me closer to facing the woman I'd wronged, and I still had no idea what I was going to say to her.

"I'm sorry" wasn't enough. "I was manipulated" sounded like an excuse. "Please forgive me" felt selfish when I'd caused her so much pain.

But I had to try. For her, for our child, for the chance to maybe—maybe—repair the damage I'd done.

The Mountain Cross guards at the border recognized me, but their expressions were distinctly unfriendly.

"Alpha Blackwood," one of them said formally. "State your business."

"I need to speak with Luna Lyra. It's urgent."

"I'll need to call ahead for permission."

Of course they would. I was probably the last person Lyra wanted to see.

Twenty minutes later, I was escorted to the Mountain Cross packhouse by guards who clearly would have preferred to escort me off the territory entirely. The building was impressive—built into the mountainside itself, with large windows overlooking a pristine lake.

Magnus met me in his study, his expression carefully neutral but his posture radiating authority and barely contained hostility.

"Kael," he said without offering to shake hands. "This is unexpected."

"I need to see Lyra. I have information she needs to know."

"Information about what?"

"About what really happened. About how I was manipulated into rejecting her." I met his dark eyes steadily. "I know the truth now, Magnus. All of it."

Magnus studied me for a long moment. "And you expect that to fix what you did?"

"No. I expect it to give her the full picture so she can make informed decisions about her future." I paused. "How is she?"

"Pregnant. Healthy. Stronger than when she arrived here, despite everything you put her through."

The words hit like a punch to the gut. "And the baby?"

"Growing normally. Due in about five months."

Five months. I'd missed so much already. Doctor's appointments, the first signs of her showing, probably feeling the baby move for the first time.

"Magnus, I know I have no right to ask, but please. Let me explain what I discovered. Let her hear the truth about Seraphina's manipulation."

"And then what? You expect her to come running back to the man who publicly humiliated her?"

"I expect her to make whatever decision is best for her and our child. But she deserves to know the full truth first."

Magnus was quiet for several minutes, clearly weighing his options. Finally, he stood up.

"Wait here. I'll ask if she's willing to see you."

The twenty minutes I spent alone in that study were the longest of my life. I stared out at the lake, trying to prepare for every possible scenario. Lyra screaming at me. Lyra crying. Lyra refusing to see me at all.

When Magnus returned, his expression was unreadable.

"She'll see you. But I'll be nearby, and if she asks you to leave, you go immediately."

"Understood."

He led me through corridors lined with family photos and artwork, to a comfortable sitting room that overlooked the lake. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through large windows, casting everything in gold.

And there she was.

Lyra sat in a chair by the window, and the first thing I noticed was how different she looked. Not just the obvious pregnancy curve that I'd been too blind to see before, but something in her posture. She held herself with quiet confidence, like someone who'd found her strength.

She was beautiful. She'd always been beautiful, but now she glowed with health and purpose and something I'd never seen in her before: complete self-possession.

"Hello, Kael," she said quietly, not standing.

"Lyra." My voice came out hoarse. "Thank you for seeing me."

"Magnus said you have information about what happened."

Straight to business. No warmth, no invitation to sit, no acknowledgment of our shared history. I supposed I deserved that.

"I do." I moved closer but stayed standing, not presuming to make myself comfortable. "I know what Seraphina did. I know how she manipulated the situation to make you look like a liar."

"Tell me."

So I did. I laid out everything we'd discovered—the deleted medical records, the threats against Dr. Williams, the payments to pack members who'd supported false accusations. I showed her documents, played her audio recordings Felix had recovered, gave her every piece of proof we'd gathered.

Through it all, Lyra listened without interruption, her face carefully neutral. When I finished, she was quiet for a long moment.

"So you were manipulated," she said finally.

"Completely. Seraphina played me like a puppet."

"And now you know the truth."

"Yes."

Lyra nodded slowly. "Thank you for telling me. It's... illuminating to know that my husband didn't reject me because he genuinely believed I was a lying, manipulative woman. Just because he was too distracted by his ex-mate to use basic critical thinking."

The words hit like slaps, but I deserved every one.

"Lyra, I know I failed you. I know I should have trusted you, should have investigated before acting, should have protected you instead of doubting you."

"Yes, you should have."

"I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry. I don't know how to begin to make this right."

"You can't." Lyra stood up, one hand resting on her belly. "Kael, you didn't just hurt me. You destroyed me. In front of our entire pack, you called me a liar. You accused me of faking a pregnancy for attention. You rejected me and exiled me like I was some kind of criminal."

"I know."

"Do you? Because I spent four months trying to tell you about this baby. Four months watching my husband choose another woman over me every single day. Four months feeling invisible in my own home."

Each word was like a knife to the chest. "I was wrong. About all of it."

"You were. And now I'm Luna of Mountain Cross Pack. I have a home here, respect here, protection here. Things I apparently couldn't get from my own husband."

"Have you... have you bonded with Magnus?"

Lyra's expression shifted slightly. "Why does that matter?"

"Because I love you. Because this is my child you're carrying. Because I want to fix this if there's any way possible."

"Love me?" Lyra laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You love me so much that the moment another woman crooked her finger, you forgot I existed."

"That's not what happened."

"Isn't it?" Lyra moved to the window, looking out at the lake. "Kael, even if I believe that you were manipulated, even if I accept that Seraphina engineered everything, that doesn't change the fundamental problem."

"Which is?"

"You didn't trust me. When it mattered most, when I needed you to believe in me, you chose to believe the worst instead." She turned back to me, and I could see tears in her eyes. "That's not something manipulation can explain away. That's a character issue."

"I can change."

"Can you? Because this isn't the first time you've prioritized other people's needs over mine. It's just the first time it had such devastating consequences."

She was right. Even before Seraphina's return, I'd been taking Lyra for granted. Assuming she'd always be there, always be understanding, always be willing to accept whatever scraps of attention I could spare.

"You're right," I said quietly. "I've been a poor husband to you. Even before Seraphina came back, I wasn't giving you what you deserved."

"No, you weren't."

"But I want to try. If you'll let me, I want to learn how to be the husband you deserve. The father this baby deserves."

Lyra was quiet for a long moment, studying my face. "And what about the next time someone needs your attention? What about the next crisis or emergency or person who needs rescuing? Will you remember that your wife and child come first?"

"Yes."

"How can I believe that? How can I trust you again after this?"

It was the question I'd been dreading, because I didn't have a good answer. How do you rebuild trust after destroying it so completely?

"I don't know," I admitted. "I don't know how to prove to you that I've learned from this. All I can do is promise to spend every day showing you that you and our child are my top priority."

"Promises are easy to make."

"Then don't listen to my promises. Watch my actions."

Lyra turned back to the window. "I need time to think about this."

"Of course. Take all the time you need."

"I mean real time, Kael. Weeks, maybe months. This isn't something I can decide in one conversation."

"I understand."

"And I need you to understand something else." She faced me again, her expression firm. "Even if I decide to give you another chance, things will never go back to the way they were. Too much has happened. Too much trust has been broken."

"I know."

"Good." She moved toward the door. "You can see yourself out."

As she reached the doorway, I called her name softly. "Lyra?"

She paused but didn't turn around.

"For what it's worth, I really am sorry. And I really do love you. Both of you."

"I know you do," she said quietly. "That's what makes this so much worse."