Chapter 176: Three Years of Peace

Three years passed. Real retirement. Actual peace. True rest.

I was fifty one now. Completely gray. Deep wrinkles. Slower movements. But content.

Cole was fifty three. Retired Alpha. Enjoying quiet life. Loving husband. Perfect partner.

We lived simply. Small house by the lake. Garden. Books. Tea. Nothing dramatic.

Sarah and Maya lived nearby. Both fifty. Both retired. Both visiting daily. Best friends. Forever sisters.

"Remember when we climbed Mount Blanc? When Aria died?" Sarah sat on my porch. Remembering.

"I think about her often. About her sacrifice. About her bravery." Maya looked sad. "She was good."

"She was. And she changed everything. Guardian laws. Guardian lives. Guardian futures." I meant it.

Young Thomas thrived. Fourteen years old. Looked thirty five. Full Guardian. Changed the rules like Aria asked.

"Guardians can marry now. Can have children. Can be normal." Thomas visited monthly. Happy. Proud. "Three Guardians got married this year. Two have babies. Everything's different."

"Aria would be proud. You honored her legacy." I hugged him. Tight.

Luna's pack grew. Four hundred wolves. Biggest in history. She was an incredible Alpha.

Thomas, her son, worked alongside her. Strong. Capable. Good leader.

Margaret was eleven now. Still growing normally. Beautiful. Smart. Showing strong Luna power. Controlled. Gentle.

"She's special. Different from Thomas. Different from me. But special in her own way." Luna beamed. Proud mother.

Life was simple. Beautiful. Perfect.

Then one morning Cole didn't wake up. Heart attack. Peaceful. No pain. Just gone.

My mate. My love. My everything. Dead.

I screamed. Broke. Shattered.

Sarah and Maya came. Held me. Cried with me.

"He's gone. Really gone. I'm alone." I couldn't breathe.

"You're not alone. Never alone. We're here. Always." Sarah held me tight.

Through the bond I felt their pain. Their love. Their support. Combined with mine.

We buried Cole beside my mother Margaret. Family plot. Together in death.

The pack attended. Hundreds. Mourning their former Alpha. Honoring his memory.

"He was strong. He was loyal. He was good." Jackson spoke. Current Alpha. "He built this pack. We honor him."

Luna spoke too. Crying. Remembering.

"He raised me. Loved me. Accepted me as his daughter. I'm here because of him." Luna broke down. Derek held her.

After the funeral I was lost. Empty. Hollow.

"What do I do now? Who am I without him?" I asked Sarah and Maya.

"You're Lita. You're our sister. You're a mother. A grandmother. A hero. You're everything." Maya was firm.

"But I don't want to be alone." I was honest. Scared.

"Then don't. Move in with us. Three sisters together." Sarah offered.

I moved in with them. Three retired warriors. Three old women. Three sisters.

We cooked together. Gardened together. Lived together.

It helped. Not completely. But enough.

Six months after Cole's death Luna called. Excited but worried.

"Mama. Margaret had a vision. A real one. A prophecy." Luna sounded nervous.

"What kind of vision?" That old dread returned.

"She saw the future. Something terrible coming. In five years. A threat worse than anything we've faced." Luna paused. "And she saw you. Fighting. Leading. Saving everyone. One last time."

"No. I'm retired. I'm done. I'm fifty one years old." I refused.

"I know. But prophecies in our family come true. Always." Luna was scared. "What if it's real?"

"Then the next generation handles it. Thomas. The Guardians. Young leaders." I was firm.

"Margaret said it specifically needs you. Luna Triad. The original three." Luna insisted.

"Five years away. We'll worry about it then. Not now." I dismissed it. Refused to think about it.

But that night I couldn't sleep. Margaret's vision haunted me.

Something terrible coming. In five years. Needing me. Needing Luna Triad.

At fifty one. Old. Tired. Widowed. Broken.

Could I fight again? Could I save the world again? Could I be hero again?

I didn't know. Didn't want to know.

For now I'd live. I'd grieve. I'd heal.

Five years was a long time. Anything could happen. Prophecies could be wrong. Futures could change.

Maybe. Hopefully.

But deep down I knew. Prophecies in our family never lied. Never failed. Never changed.

In five years something was coming. Something terrible. Something requiring Luna Triad.

And I'd face it. Because that's who I was. Who I'd always been.

A protector. A fighter. A Luna.

Until the very end. Whatever that end might be.

But not today. Not now. Not yet.

Today I'd grieve my husband. Today I'd be with my sisters. Today I'd rest.

Tomorrow could wait. The future could wait. The prophecy could wait.

For now. Just for now.

I'd live.