A Luna for the Lycan King

Chapter 8

As soon as we stepped outside, I felt Darren change. He walked straighter, his powerful aura rising to make everyone aware of his presence. I saw Lyle and Tim barking orders in front of us as big vehicles began to pull up. I was being corralled gently by Darren’s hand, but I stopped abruptly, glancing over at my pack. They were all standing there watching from a distance. They looked apprehensive and a bit lost. It was painful to see them like this. Bastian was standing slightly in front of them, trying to put on a brave face.

“What’s wrong?” Darren asked as he followed my gaze.

“They’re worried.”

“They’ll be taken care of. I have top advisors staying behind and someone to help the new alpha learn his role.” He didn’t seem concerned at all. As if packs lost their leaders all the time and they were fine. I know for a fact this wasn’t true. My pack fell apart without my father, even though my mother was still there. Without strong leadership, the pack can become unsettled. It can cause chaos and mistrust. “I promise they’re in better hands then they were before—” he looked at me with wide eyes and then shook his head. “I don’t mean you, I mean him. I didn’t—”

“I know what you meant.” I watched as he exhaled slowly. He must have been holding his breath, thinking he upset me. “Shouldn’t I address them?”

“No, that will only add to the confusion. They have a new leader already. They can’t have a connection with you anymore. Trust me, this is how it has to be.”

I nodded my head, though I still didn’t feel so sure. I would have thought hearing me tell them to trust Bastian would have been for the best. But he was the king, and I was sure he knew what he was doing.

“Clear the path and scout ahead!” Lyle ordered, back to being the terrifying man who I first met. The one who put the chain on my neck. How was he so different? Was this what it meant to be part of the royal family? They seemed to always be on guard, as if they couldn’t trust anyone. It seemed like it could be a lonely existence.

Tim opened the door to a black stretch SUV and then looked at me. “This one’s for you. The next one is for—”

“I’m riding with her,” Darren said simply, and I felt him guide me forward to the door.

“But protocol—”

“I’m not asking for permission!” he growled, glaring at Tim.

“Good, I‘m not asking for permission either,” a voice from inside the SUV said.

I glanced in to see Lyle sitting there with a big grin on his face. He held his hand out to me, waiting to help me get in.

“Lyle,” Darren growled.

“Sorry, but I don’t trust you not to force yourself on our new luna and future queen.” He took my hand and effortlessly tugged me inside. I had never been inside a vehicle like this. There were seats on all sides of the vehicle. A black glass separated us from the driver. I moved to sit on the side as Darren forced his way in to sit next to me, a scowl resting on his face. I glanced over at Lyle, who was sitting on the other side with a crooked grin on his face. “No cookie for you,” he beamed.

“I’m going to be the one yelled at for this.” Tim let out a frustrated grumble as he slammed the car door shut. I could hear the engine revving as he patted it on the side, and with a low hum, the vehicle shifted into drive. The tires slowly rolled over the gravel driveway, creating a soft crunching sound under their weight.

I fidgeted with my fingers slightly as silence filled the air. I wasn’t sure what to talk about. I felt Darren’s heat next to me. He was holding his phone and scrolling through the contents. Lyle was leaning back, resting his head against the soft padding.

“So how did you become the beta? Is it normal for a sibling to take this role?” It wasn’t like this with regular packs. Usually your beta comes from the beta. Just like the alpha is born from the alpha.

“Yes, when there are two siblings in the royal family, the youngest becomes the beta.” Lyle smiled at me, leaning up so he was fully engaged in our conversation.

“What if there are three children? Would the youngest be the gamma? Then delta? But what if there are five?” I asked what I thought was an innocent question. Lyle’s grin grew wider as he leaned his elbows on his knees, resting his head in his hands.

“You planning to have five children?”

“I—” I felt warmth spread over my cheeks as I glanced down at my fingers. That wasn’t why I was asking. “I was just curious what was set up. It’s different from regular packs,” I whispered the last part.

“Quit teasing her,” Darren growled, sliding his arm around my back. “We have had up to a Gamma from the royal family, but no one has ever had more children than three. So there is nothing set up for such a situation. Tim is related to the royal family. So is Rodney. He’s my delta.”

“That isn’t true. There were four royal children once, but the one was a girl.” I snapped my head toward Lyle.

“A woman can’t be an officer?”

“No,” Darren answered. “Not in the royal family, unless they’re barren or choose not to have children. But because of pregnancy, we don’t take female officers. Officers have to always be available and ready to answer the call. And if an officer is pregnant, we wouldn’t want her to go to battle.”

“It’s a sensitive topic but it was one that had a lot of thought put into it. It isn’t because a woman can’t do the job of the officers, but because she may have circumstances that make her unfit to be one.” Lyle was staring at my face, and I felt like he was waiting for my objection.

“So if a daughter is the first born, how does that work?”

“She is given the role of the crowned princess and future queen. She can still rule even if she’s pregnant, but she wouldn’t be expected to fight.” Lyle stretched his arms above his head and yawned.

“If she was able to fight, though, she could?” I was now trying to figure out what the expectations were of me. Was I supposed to be there to have children and warm the king’s bed? Or was there more for my role?

“The queen stays in the castle and keeps the home safe. It’s her job to protect those who are unable to fight,” Darren answered and I scoffed.

“You mean to hide behind the safety of a wall.” I turned my head to look at him.

“See it as you want. But a king can fight much better when they know the one they love is safe.”

“The lunas in the packs fight. They don’t just sit at the packhouse and wait—”

“Some do,” Lyle interrupted me. He looked like he was enjoying the conversation for some reason.

“Not the ones who are fighters. I am not the type to stay behind and knit a sweater.” I sighed, finally saying what I was really thinking. I looked back at Darren. “I’m not just talking about wars and battles, because I know those are few and far between. I’m talking about settling disputes and going from pack to pack. Is the queen expected to stay home then, too?”

“Depending on ... circumstances,” he answered. “I would have no problem bringing you with me to visit the packs. Allissa, I want to keep you by my side as much as possible.”

I stared at him for a moment and nodded my head. “If there ever is a war, I want to fight, too.

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