His Shadow Luna

Chapter 3. On Fire

"This is not funny!" Elene commented dryly, pressing her lips together.

"Of course, it’s not!” Devoss agreed sternly. “Morgan, that was my favourite vase!”

Elene’s eyes shifted back to the girl in front of them.

A child.

Barely a teenager, she seemed scared and lost more than she was angry. Her intense emerald gaze fixed on the Eastern King as she swept her fingers through rebellious auburn locks that cascaded to her shoulders. Her chest rose and fell quickly , and Elene could swear she had seen a flash of a wolf inside her. This one was a fighter.

Still, this must be a joke!

“Good! I’m glad I broke it!” the child screamed and picked up a chair, ready to throw it at the King. "Let me go! You can't keep me here!"

"Oh, sweetie," Devoss sighed, masterfully finding a safe place for himself behind a marble column, "it's not as tempting to keep you here as you may think. I'd be happy to pass that torch and share the burden. Speaking of which, here is the nice Northern princess who is going to take you home."

"Wh-what?" Elene's eyes widened in shock.

"Is this true?" Now, the child was looking at her, a glimpse of hope in her eyes. How could she say no to that? Not to mention that she still did not know what was going on in the first place.

"Wait a minute," Morgan furrowed her red brows. "I know that princess! Elene Finn-something! From the North!"

"Elene Fionnlagh," Devoss nodded, "the one and only Princess of the Northern Lycan Kin—"

"The b*tch who tried to rig The Luna Trials!" the teen spouted, immediately unimpressed by the royal presence before her.

Elene swore inwardly. Was she for real?

Undoubtedly, The Luna Trials she hosted for her brother almost two years ago wasn't her best moment. Initially, Elene tried to save Kai from an unwanted marriage with Gideon's sister, and when the latter decided to take part in the event instead of being insulted and leaving as Elene had hoped, the Northerner did her best to lessen Savannah's chances of becoming victorious. Little did she know that her brother and Savvy would fall in love and reduce all her efforts to be an exercise in futility.

Had she possessed such foresight, she wouldn't have wasted her energy attempting to sabotage Savvy. Back then, Elene was under the mistaken impression that she was aiding her brother. Despite some remorse over her past actions, she knew her intentions came from a place of love. She was the kind of person ready to do anything for people she cared about, whether it was a good thing or a questionable one. Regrettably, few could understand that.

She hated the way the kid looked at her now. She couldn't possibly comprehend the full situation and was too young to be the judge of her actions or motivations.

Yet it did not stop the fiery teenager.

"Yeah, I am not taking her anywhere." Elene folded her arms over her chest. "Whoever that is."

"You sure?" Devoss gave her a sinister smirk, causing a shiver to run down her spine. She immediately knew it was a bad sign. "Princess Elene, meet Morgan Pierce, also known as Morgan Lothgar. The only surviving heir of Alpha Lothgar, the former High Chancellor of the Southern Lycan Republic."

Elene gulped, returning her gaze to the kid, who threw the chair back to the ground and lifted her sharp chin with a cute dimple in the middle.

"Impossible!" the princess muttered.

Elene had studied Alpha Randall Lothgar's dossier many times, trying to find something, anything, that could help her country. She knew the Alpha's only son had died in an unfortunate accident, followed soon by the Alpha himself. In a matter of weeks after the tragedy, a man appeared and claimed to be an illegitimate son of Alpha Lothgar, thus assuming the position of his heir and started causing trouble.

Following the explosion, he levelled accusations against Elene's country, citing the projected Northern flag and the substantial portion of the Northern military amassed at the Southern frontier. As a result, he swiftly ascended to the role of High Chancellor, exploiting his authority to derail the peace talks between their nations, edging them nearer to conflict as if it was his primal goal.

Yet most importantly, just as abruptly as he emerged, he vanished without a trace, never to be seen again.

Kai was searching for him, or at least for any information about his whereabouts, but found nothing. And of course, as usual, the North was accused of taking him down despite the lack of any proof. Just the rumours and the fact that the Northern Kingdom gained the most after Vincent's disappearance were enough to further tarnish their reputation.

Yet, amidst all of this, there was never a single mention of a Lothgar daughter. Elene would have remembered that.

"I believe the words you are looking for now are thank you," Devoss grinned at her, and once again, she questioned whether she could trust him at all. That King was — odd to say the least.

"Randall Lothgar did not have a daughter. His brothers died young, so he had no nieces either. What in the—"

"I am his daughter!" the girl interjected, gritting her teeth.

Elene noticed how she pursed her lips nervously, realising she tried to hide the fact they were trembling. Morgan must have been scared to death, but just the way she clenched her fists as if she was ready to fight them both earned her some respect in the eyes of the princess. She was a warrior indeed.

"Why haven't we heard about you?" Elene asked. "Can you prove your claim?"

"I—" Morgan cast her eyes down, hugging herself.

"She was born from an Omega mistress," Devoss added, his hands in his pockets as he observed the child. "Naturally, the Alpha never admitted who she was out loud, and she wasn't brought up as a part of his family, but he kept her and her mother close. They probably meant something to him after all."

Elene's gaze softened. The girl had been through a lot.

"I see," the princess sighed. "What I don't see, though, is why you keep her here locked and what any of it has to do with me."

"She is the game-changer, just as I promised," Devoss repeated his earlier words. "You see, something odd is happening in the South, and Morgan is the only one who can help clear the mess."

"She is literally just a kid!" Elene reasoned, pinching the bridge of her nose. So far, all this was just disappointing. It looked like she wasted her time in the East, but maybe she could, at least, rescue the child and take her to the North with her. She had enough money and power to give her a good life there.

"A kid who witnessed the murder of her father and brother," Devoss said in a grim tone. "The murder that no one else in the pack remembers. Not even people who witnessed it firsthand."

That on her attention back. Elene glanced at the girl again. Morgan still looked at the ground, trying to blink away the tears that formed in her eyes.

Sadly, Elene knew exactly how that felt. She remembered how many times the death of her parents was discussed in front of her, and she had to remain strong, not letting any signs of weakness show. Morgan was older than she was back then, but still not old enough to go through all this.

"Are you okay?" She took a step, and the girl shivered, taking one back away from her.

"I am fine!" Morgan had her brows knitted, the corners of her lips twisting downwards. She clearly had no idea whom she could trust. "I knew you wouldn't believe me. No one would! But I am telling the truth."

Elene turned her attention back to Devoss, searching for some response from the monarch.

"Someone clearly believes you, or you wouldn't be here," she said. "But I would like to know more."

She gestured to the chair, and Morgan walked all the way to the tall arched window behind it, taking a seat on the windowsill as the rebel she was.

Elene would never admit it out loud, but she liked this kid.

"It's true, my father never admitted I was his child because of who my mother was, but they were still — together from time to time. Even after he married his Luna. She really hated us and tried to make our lives miserable. However, that torment did not last long because she died when she gave birth to my brother Damien."

Morgan swallowed, and Elene went to a little table in the corner and poured her a glass of water, handing it to her without saying anything.

"Damien was my father's favourite and his future heir. He never knew who I was to him, but Dad liked it when we played together. I was often asked to spend time with him, and one day, I was told that if I trained well and behaved, I would be allowed to become Damien's Beta or Gamma when he was older. Mum told me this was the best a bastard like me could count on, so I began my training and spent the rest of my time with my brother. I was supposed to protect him—"

She stopped talking and took a gulp of water before continuing.

"One day we were playing hide and seek in the forest next to the pack house." Morgan's voice trembled. "It was my turn to hide, and I chose an old empty tree trunk next to the lake. Damien was on the opposite bank when I saw him, and then — a man walked out from behind the bushes. Everything happened so fast—"

Elene had a feeling she knew how that encounter went.

"He barely touched Damien, and he fell into the water." Morgan swallowed a sob as tears now ran freely down her cheeks against her will. "I tried to get out of the tree, and I swear it has been just seconds, but when I finally did, the man was nowhere to be found. And Damy — He was a decent swimmer, but — My mom arrived first, and when she saw Damien's body floating motionless, she dragged me away. I told her everything, but she told me to be quiet. She said that no one would believe me, that if I told what happened, our enemies would accuse me of killing my brother out of jealousy."

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and went on, "So I said nothing of what I saw, but then one day, that man was back. He walked into my father's office while I was helping Mom clean in the adjacent room. I felt his presence in my bones and took a peek, recognising his face at once."

The girl sniffed, trying her best not to burst out crying.

"You've been very brave," Elene said, trying to reassure her.

"No," Morgan shook her locks, "I wasn't. I told Mom, and she covered my mouth as we watched that man slaughter my father in his office in front of his trusted advisors. They tried to stop him, but he — did something to them, froze them somehow — I don't know what it was or — what he was, but he wasn't a regular shifter. What happened there — it was not normal."

The girl looked Elene straight in the eyes, and the princess nodded, demonstrating that she believed her. No one could lie that well. At least not at that age.

"My mom pulled me to the bookshelves and pressed a button, opening a secret passage," Morgan continued with her story. "We managed to escape, but then my father's Beta and Gamma remembered nothing of what happened in that room the next day. They all were talking about an unfortunate accident with just vague details, and my mother prohibited me from mentioning what we had witnessed. Now, I was supposed to live a simple Omega life with her and hope for the best. However, soon, that man was back again! He said that he was Vincent Lothgar, my father's long-lost son from one of his mistresses, and everyone accepted him willingly. Too willingly. As if by—"

"Magic," Devoss finished for her, and Elene exchanged understanding glances with him. Now she was getting a better picture of what was happening.

"When my mother saw him, she told me to pack lightly." Morgan stood up and turned away from everyone to peer out of the window. "She said it wasn't safe for us there anymore. I begged her to stay. I begged her to fight for what was right and to punish the murderer, but she said we both were too weak for that. Instead, she told me of Solace, a city in the East where anyone was welcome and safe as long as they had good intentions. We started our journey, but when we were at the border with the Eastern Kingdom, we realised they were after us."

"They?" Elene's brows rose.

"Creatures." Morgan visibly shivered and fiddled with the hem of her shirt, her head sinking into her shoulders. "I don't know what they were — I have never seen anything like them, but—" her voice filled with pain, "but they killed my mom. I was barely able to escape until Kara found me in the desert and brought me here. To this prick who promised to help me but locked me here for months instead!"

The girl darted a withering glance at Devoss.

"For your safety!" The King rolled his eyes. He clearly wasn't hearing all this for the first time.

"Kara?" Elene glanced at the Easterner.

"My right hand," he admitted, "you saw her earlier today."

Elene nodded again. The little mechanisms in her brain started ticking. This was changing everything, indeed, yet it also made everything so much more complicated.

Vincent Lothgar was a man of mystery, but if it was possible to prove he was an imposter, that would clear the North's name for sure. The South could deal with this from there and hopefully choose someone new, sane and reliable for the High Chancellor at the next Alpha Convocation. If the cards were played right, they would be able to avoid the looming war.

And all that was in the hands of a little girl. Elene trembled as the realisation dawned on her.

"Okay," she exhaled with determination, "I can take you to the North. We will arrange a press conference and—"

"If it was that easy, I would have done it myself here." Devoss shook his head. "Think about it. The Kingdom accused of terrorism suddenly has the only witness who can clear their name. That's not suspicious at all."

She had to admit it – He had a point. Just as it would be suspicious if the new king of a country, built mainly of rogues and outcasts, had said witness in their arms. That wouldn't look good.

"So, what are you suggesting, exactly?" Elene arched her brow.

"She needs to go home," Devoss replied at once, and Morgan breathed out in relief. "To the South. She needs to be presented there and tell her story at the Alpha Convocation in front of everyone."

"That's risky, to say the least." Elene folded her arms over her chest. "Besides, how do we do that?"

"Well, to be honest, I hoped that you could take her there," Devoss let out a little chuckle. "If you deliver the girl in person and pass her to trustworthy Southern hands, then you could prove the North's innocence."

"How do we know whose hands are trustworthy?" the princess asked.

"Believe it or not, but there are good people everywhere," the King smirked at her. "Besides, I have a few of my people there already. They were checking who can and cannot be trusted. So far, I have one name that suits us. Alpha Broderick."

"He is barely mentioned anywhere," Elene remembered the name vaguely.

"He is very old, and it's his last year before retirement. He has no surviving children of his own, and will pass his pack to his Beta's son. All his life, he was helping to build the Republic and the democracy they kinda have there. Right now, he is the only one who has no personal interests anywhere. He only strives to make the country better, and he is all for peace. I believe if we present Morgan and her story to him, he will support her at the Convocation."

That sounded… like a mediocre plan.

Unfortunately, she didn't have any better plans to offer.

"Fine," Elene agreed. "I will deliver her and stay as long as she needs me there."

Morgan's lips parted in shock, and the princess winked at her.

"I think it would be best if you went there incognito," Devoss suggested. "Too many enemies are lurking around, and I doubt that they want Morgan alive. There is a reason I’ve held her here for so long."

"It's not our decision, though," Elene stepped closer to the girl. "Morgan, the decision should be yours. You don't have anyone to speak on your behalf, and we are not your legal guardians to make these kinds of decisions for you. It's a dangerous mission, and if you don't want to go back, then I can take you to the North, and we will go with Plan B, whatever happens."

Morgan looked at her through her red lashes.

"I want to go home," she said, clenching her fists tighter. "I want everyone to hear what happened to my father, brother and mother! And I want to ensure the people behind their deaths do not get to rule the South!"

"Are you sure?" Elene asked once again, giving the girl another chance to reconsider. "Your family were all killed by these people, so they won’t hesitate to hurt you to protect their interests.”

"I am ready!" Morgan assured her, and the princess nodded.

"Fine. Then we go to the South."

***

Elene's head was buzzing after hours of discussions with King Devoss about how to proceed. Although it seemed like they had considered everything that could happen when they reached the Southern Lycan Republic, she still felt uneasy. Waves of uncertainty rippled through her because it was rare for Elene to act completely on her own.

"I don't like it, El," Kai told her when she called him from her room after ensuring the connection was safe and no one could intercept it. "It's too dangerous. I think someone else could do it. Not you."

"Truthfully, I'd feel more at ease if I were the one"," Elene admitted to her brother. "Everything is so complicated, and we don't know whom to trust once she is there. Besides, that girl has gone through too much to be introduced to someone new again. I can help her, and I want to help her."

"I know, but—" Kai wanted to argue. She knew him too well.

"Imagine if it was our Callista,” she found herself saying, her voice trembling with the weight of her words. She knew invoking the name of her baby niece was a low blow, but she had to make him understand. “You’d want someone to be there for her. Someone who cares.”

“True,” Kai sighed painfully, admitting his defeat. Fatherhood definitely made him softer. “But Elene, promise me that you’ll stay safe.”

“I promise to do my best,” she teased, crossing her fingers.

“Not good enough,” her brother changed his tone to that of a warning. “Claire must perform the duties she was hired for.”

“Understood.” Elene had to agree. This time, it was an order from her king and not a request from her brother. "We will swap places as usual."

Her delegation's helicopters were ready early in the morning. Devoss came out to say goodbye, as was required from a good host, together with Kara and a few of his soldiers, all of whom wore strange, revealing and probably not very practical and/or appropriate leather outfits. Not that anyone would object, given their striking appearance. As long as they were capable of performing their duties, of course. Which judging by their sizes they were…

What are you thinking about exactly? Bia chuckled in her mind and Elene's cheeks flushed. When Morgan appeared, dressed as a northern maid, her hair covered by a blue hood, Elene did her best not to pay her much attention.

"Princess," Devoss bowed and took her hand for a kiss, "it was a real pleasure getting to know you."

"Likewise, Your Majesty." She smiled gratefully, wishing for the show to end soon. They had to play their roles for the many witnesses who peered from their windows and balconies, but it was getting unbearably hot.

To pay respects to both cultures, Elene had to wear a long-waisted kaftan in northern blue with Eastern traditional embroidery in gold. It looked beautiful but did not help her problem.

"All is ready," Claire announced at her side, her black attire, dark glasses, and military cap concealing her remarkable resemblance to the princess.

"Good," Elene gestured for her to go first, taking a quick glance and noticing that Morgan was already inside. "Thank you," she said to the King and added quietly, "for everything."

"Don't mention it," Devoss let go of her hand. "Have a safe journey."

They exchanged glances that said more than words, and Elene marched to the helicopter, taking her rightful place in the safest seat in accordance to the protocol.

The pilot set the engine into motion, the rotors slicing through the air with a commanding whir as two eastern omegas closed the doors for them.

"Finally," Elene muttered and offered nervous Morgan a reassuring smile.

They were in the air in seconds, and Elene undid her seatbelt, quickly working on the buttons of her kaftan.

"What are you doing?" Morgan asked, startled.

"It's my King's order," the princess rolled her eyes. "My bodyguard Claire has to pretend to be me during such movements. And I pretend to be just another soldier."

This was another reason for the outfit. Elene had everything she needed already on and only had to braid her hair now and pull on a hood to hide her identity from prying eyes before they reached their destination. Four other helicopters flew in a formation with them, changing places from time to time to hide the precious cargo the way a magician would hide a winning ball under his paper cups.

Devoss watched the aircraft disappearing in the horizon when Forrest Romero appeared at his side, his shirt barely tucked in his pants. He obviously just woke up now.

"Who was this?" the lycan growled.

"Ah, morning, General," the fox grinned at him, ignoring the question. "Will you keep me company at breakfast?"

"Who. Was. This?" Forrest snarled louder, and the Eastern guards stepped closer to their king. Devoss, however, waved them off easily, tapping the General's shoulder.

"Oh, that?" He chuckled softly. "The Northern Princess got bored and left. And I say, more fun for us! Right?"

He tried to fix the Southerner's crinkled shirt when one of his momentarily elongated and retracted claws accidentally tore something off Forrest's neck. The little shiny trinket was almost on the ground when the King caught it.

"My apologies!" he said, playing with the intricate golden circle amulet in his hand. "I hope it's not too special. I am sure we can find a jeweller to fix that chain here."

"It's nothing!" Forrest grabbed the talisman and shoved it into his pocket, his eyes still on the dots in the sky. "It's just a lucky charm from a friend."

"Lucky indeed!" Devoss hummed. "So— breakfast?"

"Apologies, Your Majesty," Forrest's jaw ticked. "I got some urgent news from the Republic. I am afraid I will have to leave you today as well."

"Shame," Devoss smirked, tilting his head respectfully. "This was so much fun!"

They crossed the border between East and South as evening approached and were on the verge of arriving at the site where the vehicles organised by Devoss awaited them.

Morgan was constantly fidgeting with the maid's uniform, and Elene couldn't blame her. All this was too much for an adult, let alone for a child.

"Listen," she lowered herself closer to the girl, "it's all going to be fi—"

She heard a sound before anyone else in the helicopter —the ear-piercing, unmistakable sound of a weapon flying directly at them.

"Everyone out!" Elene shouted, opening the door and grabbing Morgan with her free hand. She wanted to add that they should shift while they jumped, but it was already too late.

A huge wave of fire pushed them both out of the exploding helicopter, devouring everyone else inside.