Luna. Chapter 210

(Kael's POV)

The next morning, despite my restless night, I was determined to act normal for Lyra and the kids.

"What should we do first today?" I asked over breakfast, bouncing Nova on my knee while Asher demolished a stack of pancakes.

"I want to see the pack school," Lyra said. "If we're going to live here, I need to know what Asher's education will look like."

"Can I see the horses?" Asher asked through a mouthful of pancakes.

"After school tour," Lyra negotiated. "Education first, fun later."

I loved watching her slide into mother mode so naturally. She'd always been nurturing, but motherhood had given her a quiet authority that was incredibly attractive.

"You're staring," she said with a smile.

"Can you blame me?"

"Not really. I'm pretty irresistible."

"Extremely irresistible."

Nova grabbed a handful of my hair and tugged, making me wince.

"She's getting strong," I said.

"Wait until she starts crawling. Then you'll really be in trouble."

"I look forward to the challenge."

We were interrupted by Elena knocking on the kitchen door.

"Come in," I called.

Elena entered with a slight frown on her face. "Sorry to interrupt, but there's something I need to discuss with you privately."

"Can't it wait until after breakfast?"

"It really can't."

Lyra immediately picked up on the tension. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm sure it's fine," Elena said, but her expression suggested otherwise. "Kael, can I see you in your office for a moment?"

"Of course." I handed Nova to Lyra. "I'll be right back."

"Take your time," Lyra said, though I could see curiosity in her eyes.

I followed Elena to my office, wondering what could be so urgent that it couldn't wait an hour.

"What's going on?" I asked, closing the door behind us.

"We've received some intelligence reports that I think you should know about immediately."

"About what?"

"About Cassius and Seraphina."

My stomach dropped. "What about them?"

Elena handed me a folder. "Our scouts have been tracking their movements since the failed attack on Lyra. They're not operating independently."

I opened the folder and found surveillance photos, written reports, and what looked like intercepted communications.

"They're working together," I said, reading over the documents.

"More than that. They've formed some kind of alliance with other displaced Alphas and rejected wolves. They're building an army."

"An army for what?"

"Best guess? They want to overthrow the existing pack structures and establish their own territory."

"That's ambitious."

"That's insane. But they seem to have convinced others that it's possible."

I studied the photos more carefully. Cassius and Seraphina together at various locations, meeting with people I didn't recognize.

"Any idea what their timeline is?"

"Not yet. But Kael, there's something else."

"What?"

"We think they might have inside information about pack leadership transitions."

"What kind of inside information?"

"They know about your father stepping down. They know about the Alpha ceremony scheduled for next month."

"How could they possibly know that?"

"Someone's feeding them information."

The implications hit me like a punch to the gut. "We have a spy."

"It looks that way."

"Any idea who?"

"Not yet. But we're working on it."

I sat down heavily in my desk chair. "This complicates everything."

"It doesn't have to. We just need to be extra careful about security and maybe adjust some of our plans."

"What if they're planning to attack during the Alpha ceremony? Public event, lots of important people gathered in one place..."

"Then we'll be ready for them."

"With my family here? With Lyra and the kids?"

"We'll keep them safe."

"You can't guarantee that."

"No, but we can minimize the risks."

I thought about the nightmare I'd been having. The voice warning me about threats to my family. The transformation that supposedly would give me power to protect them.

"Elena, can I ask you something confidential?"

"Of course."

"Has my father ever mentioned anything unusual about Alpha transformations? About changes that happen when you take leadership?"

Elena's expression shifted slightly. "What kind of changes?"

"I don't know. Physical changes. Mental changes. Anything out of the ordinary."

"Your father has always been very private about the specifics of Alpha abilities."

"That's not really an answer."

Elena was quiet for a moment, clearly debating how much to tell me.

"There are some aspects of Alpha power that aren't discussed openly," she said finally. "Abilities that develop over time, especially in bloodlines with strong leadership heritage."

"What kind of abilities?"

"Enhanced intuition. Stronger physical capabilities. Sometimes... other things."

"What other things?"

"Kael, these are conversations you should be having with your father."

"My father isn't having nightmares about turning into some kind of monster."

Elena's eyes widened. "You're having nightmares?"

"Vivid ones. Every night since Lyra came back."

"What happens in these nightmares?"

I described the dreams, the transformation, the voice promising power in exchange for something I couldn't quite understand.

"That's... concerning," Elena said when I finished.

"Concerning how?"

"I think you need to talk to your father immediately."

"Why? What do you know that you're not telling me?"

"It's not my place to explain pack bloodline histories. But this isn't something you should be dealing with alone."

"Elena."

"Talk to your father, Kael. Today. Before these nightmares get worse."

"Worse how?"

"Just talk to him."

She left me alone in my office with the intelligence reports about Cassius and Seraphina, and a growing certainty that my nightmares were connected to something much larger than stress about becoming Alpha.

I needed answers.

And I needed them before whatever was happening to me started affecting my family.