Chapter 166: Four Years Later

Four years of peace. Real peace. Actual peace.

No wars. No threats. No enemies. Just life. Normal. Beautiful. Simple.

I was forty six now. Still Luna. Still strong. But showing my age. Gray hair. Lines on my face. Slower movements.

Cole was forty eight. Still Alpha. Still my mate. Still my everything.

Sarah and Maya were forty two. Both retired from active fighting. Both focused on family. Both happy.

Luna was twelve years old. Looked thirty. Led her pack in Portland. Over two hundred wolves now. Strongest pack in America.

Thomas was nine years old. Looked twenty five. Worked as Guardian apprentice. Training with his grandfather and Aria. Learning everything.

My father. Thomas Crane senior. Still alive. One year left of his five years. Dying slowly. But peacefully. Surrounded by family.

My mother. Margaret. Still a revenant. Still powerful. Still teaching. Still loving. Still here.

Life was good. Really good. Better than I'd ever dreamed.

"Mama. I have news." Luna called. Excited. Happy. Glowing.

"What news?" I smiled. Knowing that tone. Knowing that look.

"I'm pregnant. Again. Baby number two. Due in seven months." Luna beamed.

"Another grandbaby! That's wonderful!" I hugged her. Tight. Happy. Grateful.

"Derek is terrified. Says one child was hard enough. Two might kill him." Luna laughed. "But he's excited. Really excited."

"He's a good father. Good husband. Good man. You're lucky." I meant it.

"I know. I am. Thank you for raising me right. For teaching me right. For being you." Luna looked emotional. Hormones probably.

Thomas had news too. Different news. Important news.

"I'm being promoted. Full Guardian status. Youngest ever. I start official duty next month." Thomas was proud. Nervous. Ready.

"That's amazing! But you're nine years old. Are you sure you're ready?" I worried. Always worried. Mother's curse.

"I'm nine but I've lived more than most thirty year olds. I've fought wars. Saved lives. Stopped genocides. I'm ready." Thomas was confident. Mature. Capable.

"Then I'm proud. So proud. You're everything I hoped you'd be." I hugged him. My grandson. My warrior. My hero.

The pack thrived. Three hundred wolves now. Integrated with the city. Working with police. Helping communities. Making a difference.

Supernatural and human relations were excellent. Integration working. Acceptance growing. Peace spreading.

The Council expanded. More voices. More representation. More democracy.

I was offered Council leadership. Elder position. Top authority.

"Thank you. But no. I'm tired. I'm done. I want to retire. Want to be grandmother. Want to be wife. Want to rest." I declined respectfully.

They understood. Accepted. Chose someone else. A young vampire named Marcus. Good choice. Strong leader. Bright future.

I stepped back. Let others lead. Let the next generation take over.

It felt good. Right. Peaceful.

"You okay? You seem quiet lately." Cole asked one evening. We sat together. Watching sunset. Just us.

"I'm thinking. About life. About everything. About how far we've come." I leaned on him. Comfortable. Content.

"We have come far. From that gym. From Brian. From Claire. From Richard. From everything." Cole kissed my head. "We survived. We built something. We made a difference."

"We did. And now we rest. We enjoy. We live." I smiled.

Through the bond Sarah and Maya sent love. Peace. Happiness. They felt it too. The contentment. The completion. The satisfaction.

Life continued. Days passed. Weeks. Months.

My father grew weaker. The five years ending. Death approaching.

"I'm ready. I've had my time. Met my family. Made my peace. Fixed my mistakes. I can go peacefully." Thomas senior looked at me. At Luna. At young Thomas. At his family. "Thank you. For giving me this chance. These five years. This love."

"Thank you for coming back. For being honest. For being here." I held his hand. "I forgive you. For leaving. For hiding. For everything."

"That means everything. Truly. Thank you." Thomas closed his eyes. Smiled. Let go.

He died peacefully. Surrounded by family. Loved. Forgiven. Complete.

We buried him beside my mother's first grave. Family plot. Together. Forever.

Aria attended the funeral. She'd become family over the years. Visiting often. Teaching Thomas. Helping the pack. Being present.

"He was a good man. Good Guardian. Good father. Eventually." Aria spoke at the service. "He made mistakes. But he fixed them. That's what matters."

Young Thomas cried. Lost his grandfather. His mentor. His friend.

"He's not gone. Not really. Guardians never truly die. Their energy returns to the source. Becomes part of the next Guardian. Part of you." Aria explained. "He lives through you. Through your power. Through your legacy."

That comforted Thomas. A little. Enough.

Life moved on. Healing. Growing. Continuing.

Luna gave birth. A girl. Named her Margaret. After her great grandmother. Beautiful. Healthy. Perfect.

But this baby was different. Normal growth. Regular development. No rapid aging.

"Maybe the prophecy ended. Maybe the bloodline normalized. Maybe she's just a regular supernatural child." The pack doctor examined her. "She's healthy. Just normal."

"Normal. I like normal. Normal is good." Luna held her daughter. Relieved. Happy.

Six months after my father died. Six months of peace and quiet.

Then the message came. From Aria. Urgent. Scared. Desperate.

"Lita. We have a problem. A new threat. Bigger than Erasers. Worse than Covenant. More dangerous than anything. The Guardians are calling emergency council. All remaining Guardians. All supernatural leaders. Everyone. You need to come. To Geneva. Tomorrow. This is serious. This is everything. This might be the end."

I read the message. Felt cold. Felt fear. Felt dread.

Four years of peace. Over. Just like that.

New threat. New war. New battle.

Always something. Always danger. Always fighting.

Would it ever truly end? Would we ever have permanent peace? Would we ever be free?

I didn't know. But I'd find out. Tomorrow. In Geneva. At the emergency council.

Whatever was coming. We'd face it. Together. Like always.

Because I was Luna Triad. Even at forty six. Even tired. Even wanting rest.

I was a protector. A fighter. A leader.

And when the world called. I answered.

Always. Forever. No matter what.

The journey continued. The story wasn't over. The legacy lived on.

And I'd see it through. To the very end. Whatever that end might be.