The Wolf God's Unwanted Luna

Albericus’ POV

She had just started to walk away when her step suddenly faltered. Her hands flew up to her head like something heavy had struck her from within. That was the exact second I felt the tight grip of her dark magic waver just enough for me to break free.

I dropped hard to the ground, but I shifted mid-air, twisting my upper torso so I hit the dirt in a smooth roll instead of a messy crash. Without a second thought, I was back on my feet and sprinting over to her.

"What is wrong?" I asked, taking her face gently in my hands.

She was not looking at me. Her eyes were clamped shut tight, and her fingers were tangled deep in her hair. Her breathing was fast and uneven, and her whole body felt rigid.

"Ughhh," she groaned through clenched teeth.

"Hey, hey, look at me," I whispered, my voice low and laced with a sudden panic I could not hide.

Her eyes opened slowly, flickering back and forth between a deep brown and a glowing amber. Something inside her was fighting a fierce tug-of-war between two opposing forces.

"Aurora?" I breathed out, hope curling up in my chest like warm firelight in a dark room.

Sch grimaced through the sharp pain, but I saw it that familiar, wonderful glint in her eyes.

"Hey, Berry," she rasped out weakly.

I let out a shaky exhale and wrapped my arms firmly around her, pulling her against my chest like I was terrified she might vanish into thin air again. Her arms circled my waist and clung tight. That one simple touch nearly undid all my self-control.

"I do not know how much time I have," she said, her breathing still heavy, "but I think whenever it uses dark magic, it weakens its hold. That is what loosened the grip just now."

I brushed a gentle hand through her hair, trying hard to steady the storm raging inside me. "So... what? Do we just let it get angry enough to lash out magically, and that will break its control over you?"

She gave a weak nod against my shoulder. "Mmhmm."

"I missed you," I whispered, my voice catching roughly in my throat. "I still do."

Her eyes fluttered open again, glossy with emotion. "I am so sorry, Berry..." Her voice broke completely. "I left you all alone. I am sorry. I did not want to, I just " Her tears spilled fast, trailing hot down her pale cheeks.

"Do not say that," I murmured, cupping her face again. "I know why you did it. You did what you thought you had to do. All that matters now is getting you back safely. We will talk about everything else after that. Just hold on and fight this, alright?"

I pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, cradling her close against me.

"I am sorry," she kept repeating over and over, her voice barely above a breath.

"Shhh. It is okay," I said, my eyes shutting as I tried to memorize the feel of her in my arms once more. "It is okay."

If I could have stopped time right in that exact moment, I would have done it without hesitation.

Later on, after helping Aurora safely back into her room and watching over her until she finally fell into something close to real sleep, I dragged myself off to work. I already knew what the rest of the day held. And I certainly was not looking forward to it.

The day after a brutal battle always tastes like cold iron and heavy grief.

As Beta, it was my official job to handle the headcount. Count the dead. Notify the grieving families. Bury them with honor, even when it felt like the weight of it would bury me too.

When I finally stepped into Zahliver’s office, I was not surprised to find him already sitting there, hunched over messy piles of paperwork. Hogan was standing nearby, his eyes flicking up from his laptop screen before dropping down fast again.

I narrowed my eyes at Hogan for a brief moment but did not say a word to him. I just walked past his desk and took a seat right across from Zahliver.

Without even looking up, Zahliver handed me a thick stack of reports. I took them wordlessly and got straight to work.

Two long hours passed in total silence before he finally spoke.

"You smell like dirt and dark magic," he said casually, still not looking up from his papers.

"Long story," I muttered back.

"Hmm."

I did not miss the slight lift of his brow, but I decided to let it go for now.

"How is the brother?" I asked after a beat, feeling genuinely curious. It still felt rather strange that Zahliver suddenly had a brother. The whole idea had not quite settled in my mind yet.

"He is good. Out shopping with Vivian right now," he replied slowly, sounding like the foreign words tasted strange in his own mouth.

I blinked at him in shock. "Sorry, what did you just say?"

He glanced up briefly from his desk.

"I am going to need you to say that part again," I said, leaning back in my office chair. "Because I am pretty sure I did not hear you right the first time."

"Well, I mean... I just find it rather strange," I began, trying hard to choose my words carefully. "You are letting your brother the exact same one you literally killed just roam freely around the island with your mate. I figured you would be a bit more... I do not know, careful?"

The room went completely still.

Zahliver stared hard at me, his gaze sharp and unreadable. For a split second, I seriously considered bolting out of my chair and diving right through the damn glass window. But then he just gave his head a slow, tired shake, like I was simply not worth the wasted energy.

"We have already talked it over," he said gruffly. "It is handled."

"You are... you are actually alright with it?" I blinked at him, completely stunned. "Shit, if it were me in your shoes, I would hold a lifelong grudge."

His eyes flashed a chilling, glacial blue and locked onto me with that heavy predator stillness he wore so well.

"Do you want me to kill you right now?" he asked, his voice completely flat and threatening in a way that was not even trying to be subtle.

I raised both hands up in immediate surrender, quickly shaking my head. "Nope. Nope. Just making conversation."

I busied myself by gathering the messy pile of files we had just gone through and handed the heavy stack over to Hogan. He was dressed sharply again a bright red shirt and a black tie, looking like some model straight out of a funeral director catalog, only a lot more smug.

"Get every single address and name organized onto one clean list," I instructed him, clearing my throat. "We are going to need it for the family visits. Contact the pack funeral services as well. Have them prep the coffins we will need, and double-check with the families for any specific burial arrangements or traditions."

"Yes, Beta. Right away," Hogan nodded, already on his feet and heading for the door.

Once he was finally gone, I dropped back down into my chair with a heavy sigh, already dreading the massive pile of paperwork still left on the desk.

Gods above, how I truly hated paperwork.

I was just reaching out to grab the next form when Zahliver’s phone beeped loudly. The sharp sound cut through the quiet room like a slap. He glanced down at it, picked it up, read something on the screen, then tapped it and locked the device with a heavy sigh.

He stared at the phone in his hand for a beat longer before abruptly closing his laptop, brushing aside the files, and standing up from his chair.

I blinked up at him, thoroughly confused. "Wait are you leaving? Dude, no! You cannot just abandon me here with all this shit. You know how much I hate this stuff."

He rolled his eyes dramatically and started making his way around the desk toward the door.

"I have to go pick something up. I will be back later."

I narrowed my eyes, feeling a sudden wave of betrayal rise up in my chest. "Pick up what, exactly? You better not be ditching me just to grab lunch. Because if you are, I will track you down and eat your food myself."

He paused right at the doorway, half-turned so I could not see his full expression, but I heard the low, unmistakable smirk in his voice.

"A ring."

Silence fell over the room.

My brain went entirely blank. Just... completely short-circuited.

And then bam the realization finally slammed into my thick skull. I shot straight up from my chair like someone had set fire to the cushion.

"Wait what?!" I gasped out loud.

Zahliver turned fully around now, and sure enough, he was grinning an actual, real grin wider and brighter than I had ever seen on that cold bastard’s face before.

"Dude!" I shouted, my voice bursting with pure shock and sudden excitement. "Are you seriously telling the truth right now?!"

I practically launched myself across the room and clapped him hard on the back in a one-armed bro-hug, laughing like an idiot. I could not stop shaking my head in disbelief.

"I cannot believe it! Man, this is huge!"

His broad grin did not falter, not even for a fraction of a second.

"I am going to do it," he said simply, like it was the easiest and most natural thing in the world. "I am going to ask Vivian to marry me."

And just like that, I knew this decision was not just some political power move or a strategic bond requirement.

He truly meant it.

Zahliver Lupus the feared Lupus Deus was finally ready to commit his entire forever to someone.

And I honestly could not have been happier for him.