Luna. Chapter 22

(Lyra's POV)

After Kael left, I stood by the window for a long time, watching his truck disappear down the mountain road. My hands were shaking. My heart was racing. But underneath it all, I felt something I hadn't expected.

Relief.

Not because I forgave him. Not because his explanations made everything okay. But because finally, finally, I knew the truth. I hadn't been crazy. I hadn't been paranoid or jealous or imagining things.

Seraphina really had destroyed my life on purpose.

"Lyra?" Magnus's voice came from behind me. "How are you feeling?"

"Angry," I said without turning around. "Sad. Confused. But also... vindicated, I guess."

"That's understandable."

I turned to face him. Magnus stood in the doorway, giving me space but ready to offer support if I needed it. He'd been nothing but kind to me since the moment he'd claimed the Right of Second Chance.

"Thank you," I said. "For everything. For protecting me, for giving me a home here, for becoming my mate when you barely knew me."

"You don't need to thank me."

"Yes, I do." I moved closer to him. "Magnus, I need you to know something. I may never be able to love you the way you deserve. My heart is still too broken, too confused."

"I know." His dark eyes were gentle. "I didn't expect love, Lyra. I expected partnership, mutual respect, maybe friendship over time. Love would be a bonus, not a requirement."

"But what if Kael is serious? What if he really has changed?"

"Then you'll have to decide what's best for you and your child." Magnus moved to the window, looking out at the lake. "But Lyra, be careful. Don't let his explanations erase what he actually did to you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that being manipulated doesn't excuse everything. Yes, Seraphina lied and schemed and corrupted people around him. But Kael still chose to believe the worst about you instead of investigating. He still chose to prioritize another woman's needs over his pregnant wife's wellbeing."

Magnus was right. The manipulation explained Kael's actions, but it didn't excuse them.

"I need to think," I said finally.

"Take all the time you need. You're safe here."

The next morning, I made a decision. I couldn't spend all day in my room thinking about Kael and Seraphina and everything that had gone wrong. I needed to build a life here, regardless of what the future held.

"Sarah," I said, finding the older woman in the kitchen, "I'd like to help with pack duties. I need to stay busy."

Sarah looked up from the bread dough she was kneading. "Of course, Luna. What would you like to do?"

"Whatever needs doing. I'm good in the kitchen, I can help with meal prep or serving or cleanup."

"Are you sure? You're Luna now. You don't need to—"

"I want to," I interrupted. "I need to feel useful."

So that's how I found myself in the Mountain Cross kitchen at six AM, wearing an apron over my maternity clothes and helping prepare breakfast for sixty pack members.

It felt good to have something to focus on besides my complicated feelings about Kael.

"You don't look like Luna material," one of the kitchen workers muttered as I chopped vegetables.

I glanced up. The woman was maybe forty, with graying hair and suspicious eyes. "I'm sorry?"

"I said you don't look like Luna material. Young, pregnant with another man's baby, rejected by your first pack." She shrugged. "Makes people wonder what our Alpha was thinking."

A wave of shame washed over me. "I see."

"Nothing personal," the woman continued, not looking sorry at all. "Just seems like a lot of drama for one person to bring to a peaceful pack."

"Maria," Sarah's voice with warning. "That's enough."

"I'm just saying what everyone's thinking."

I set down my knife carefully. "What's your name?"

"Maria."

"Well, Maria, you're right about a few things. I am young. I am pregnant with another man's baby. And I was rejected by my first pack." I met her suspicious gaze directly. "But I'm also Luna here now, whether you think I deserve it or not. So you can either treat me with respect, or you can find another kitchen to work in."

Maria's eyes widened. Apparently she hadn't expected me to stand up for myself.

"Luna," she said stiffly. "My apologies."

"Accepted."

The rest of the morning passed in tense silence. I could feel Maria and a few other pack members watching me, waiting for me to mess up or prove their suspicions right.

I didn't give them the satisfaction.

By lunch time, I'd helped prepare three meals, organized the pantry, and cleaned more dishes than I could count. My back ached and my feet were swollen, but I felt accomplished.

"You don't have to prove yourself to them," Sarah said as we finished the lunch cleanup.

"Don't I?"

"Magnus chose you. That should be enough."

"But it's not, is it?" I dried my hands on a dish towel. "Half the pack thinks I'm here under false pretenses. They think I'm using Magnus for protection while carrying another man's baby."

"And what do you think?"

I thought about it. "I think they're not entirely wrong. I am using Magnus for protection. But I'm also trying to be a good Luna, to contribute to this pack, to earn my place here."

"That's all anyone can ask."

But as the days passed, I realized earning my place wouldn't be easy. Some pack members were welcoming and kind. Others were polite but distant. And a few, like Maria, made their disapproval clear.

"She's bringing trouble," I heard someone whisper as I passed.

"Drama follows her around."

"What happens when her ex-mate comes back for her?"

The whispers hurt more than I wanted to admit. I'd hoped that leaving Iron Claw Pack would mean leaving the judgment and suspicion behind. But apparently, being a rejected pregnant woman made me an object of curiosity and concern wherever I went.

"Ignore them," Magnus said when I mentioned the gossip during dinner. "They'll warm up to you once they see what kind of Luna you are."

"And what kind of Luna am I?"

"The kind who works in the kitchen with the staff instead of sitting in an office giving orders. The kind who helps with pack duties even though you're pregnant and dealing with emotional trauma." Magnus reached across the table to squeeze my hand. "The kind who puts others' needs ahead of your own comfort."

"Thank you."

"It's the truth."

But that night, lying alone in the guest suite that was slowly becoming my permanent home, I wondered if I was fooling myself. Was I really building a new life here? Or was I just hiding from the mess I'd left behind?

My phone buzzed with a text message. For a moment, my heart jumped, thinking it might be Kael.

Instead, it was from my father: "How are you settling in? Do you need anything?"

I typed back: "I'm fine. Working in the kitchen, getting to know the pack. Baby is healthy."

"Good. Call if you need anything. Love you."

"Love you too."

I set the phone aside and placed both hands on my belly. The baby was active tonight, rolling and kicking like he or she was trying to get comfortable.

"I know, little one," I whispered. "This is all confusing for me too. But we're safe here. We're wanted here. That has to be enough for now."