Luna Aurora (Alpha Fenrir)

Chapter

204

tension they often carried during the day.

The cabin was quiet, save for the crackle of the fire and the soft rustle of pages as Matthew flipped through an old, dog-eared book. Elyra and Dain were asleep, curled up under thick woolen blankets on the couch. Their peaceful expressions contrasted starkly with the Matthew leaned back in his chair, staring into the flames. His thoughts wandered, tugged back to the life he'd left behind.

Years ago, he had been a civil engineer with a bright future. His days were filled with plans and blueprints, his nights with laughter and warmth. His wife, Emily, had been his anchor, a vibrant woman with an infectious laugh that lit up every room. Then came the accident.

the familiar ache in his chest surfacing as he recalled the screech of tires, the twisted metal, and the

at his edges until there was nothing left but guilt and despair. He abandoned his career, his friends, and the bustling city that had once been his

years, he had lived alone, his days a monotonous cycle of hunting, fishing, and tending to his cabin. The isolation was a

had disrupted that fragile equilibrium. Their presence stirred something within him, a

had failed Emily. The thought of failing these children, of being unable to

sleeping children, their small forms bathed in the fire's

response, the only sound in the