The Wolf God's Unwanted Luna

Chapter 145: Outwitting Death

I blinked as a strange ache bloomed in my chest, heavy and tight, making my eyes sting with unspoken emotion. Algebra was hurting I could feel it long before I even saw it reflected in his eyes.

"Want to talk about it?" I asked gently, settling beside him on the plush couch.

He let out a slow, deliberate breath and glanced at me. His face was completely unreadable, serious in a way that vividly reminded me of the dangerous Beta who had once kidnapped me. That hard, ruthless edge in his expression was back the exact same one he wore the very first time we met. If I didn’t already sense the deep sorrow tangled beneath his calm surface, I might have backed off entirely.

"I’m fine. Really, Luna," he said, brushing off the heavy tension in his voice with a weak shoulder shrug.

That was a lie. A terrible one.

"What’s her name?" I asked quietly.

I couldn’t just sit there pretending I didn’t notice his agony. The pain rolling off him in heavy waves felt like it was bleeding directly into my own soul. There was a part of me, deeply instinctive and fiercely protective as his Luna, that wanted to help carry that weight for him.

He didn’t answer right away. He just stared silently at the ceiling with a distant look that made my heart clench for him. After a long moment, his shoulders sagged, and the playful mask completely fell away. He leaned back, letting his head thump heavily against the couch cushion, and I mirrored his position, watching him from the corner of my eye.

"Aurora," he murmured softly.

Just the name came out soft and full of agonizing ache. My throat tightened instantly. I stayed quiet, giving him all the space he needed. I didn’t want to push or pry not unless he genuinely wanted to share it with me.

"We met about seventy years ago," he said finally, his voice coming out much quieter now. "Zaliver used to send me out on constant errands off the island back when he refused to leave it himself. That day, I was on one of those routine runs. It wasn’t planned or anything special... we just crossed paths. Literally. If she hadn’t stepped onto the street at that exact moment, I never would’ve noticed her. The road was packed with people. But somehow... my eyes landed on her right away."