A Luna for the Lycan King

Chapter 9

“I need you safe,” Darren said softly.

“Safe. What does that word even mean?” I looked away from him and down at my hands. “My dad wanted my mom safe. He left to investigate trespassers and told my mom to stay and look after the pack and me. None of them returned. The pack fell … crumbled and fled in fear. They left us alone. We waited and kept searching, but it was as if they vanished. Not even their scent remained. There was no sign of them. My mother fell apart while trying her best to take care of me. She aged years in a matter of months. It took its toll on her, and a couple years ago, her body gave up. She was so sick.” I balled my hands into fists. “We didn’t have anything. I had no way to take care of her.” I closed my eyes. “We wandered from pack to pack looking for help. That’s when I met Alpha Alfred, and he offered to pay for the care to keep my mother comfortable if I agreed to be his mate.”

“Besides you being beautiful, why would he want you as a mate just like that?” Lyle asked.

“My bloodline.” I looked up at Lyle. “I was the daughter of Alpha James of the Lume Pack.”

“I knew that sounded familiar!” Lyle snapped his fingers together. “We have been investigating the Lume pack incident for a long time. We found a few pack members, but they said they had lost their alpha and luna. We didn’t know you survived.”

“You were never able to find answers either?” I felt disheartened to hear that.

“I’ll put more people on the task. There has to be someone who knows something out there. The pack territory is considered neutral territory now. It should still be largely untouched.” Darren’s voice was gentle. I looked up at him with an appreciative smile.

“What happened to your family’s assets?” Lyle asked.

“I don’t know. My mother said someone drained our accounts. There was nothing left. She sold off our furniture for money.” I listened as Darren growled in response.

“Why didn’t she reach out to the royal family? We would have helped her.”

“I don’t know, but I remember she was leery of the royal family. I think the temper precedes your family.” I pursed my lips as I glanced at Darren.

“Are you saying we’re unapproachable?”

“Yes,” I said, listening to Lyle snicker. I didn’t know anything about the royal family or my own mate for that matter. I still wasn’t sure if I could just casually call him Darren or not. That was his name, but he was the Lycan King. It seemed weird to just call him by his name as if I was ... his mate. I laughed in my mind, though a small smile must have reached my lips as well.

“What’s funny?” he asked, looking over at me.

“I’m not sure what to call you,” I answered honestly and watched him frown slightly.

“What do you mean? You don’t want to refer to me as your mate?”

“I mean ... your name and title and—”

“Darren.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Say it,” he commanded as I stared into his eyes. “Say my name.”

I swallowed, feeling the weight of his eyes on me.

“See, if I wasn’t in the car right now, he would be pulling your hair and telling you to say his name. I prevented an awkward situation.” Lyle laughed but Darren’s eyes never left mine.

“Well?”

“Let’s start with an easy one. Say my name.” Lyle grinned.

“Not before she says mine!” Darren growled, leaning in closer to my face. “Allissa,” he cooed, his breath sizzling my lips. “Please.”

I now wish Lyle would have let us ride alone. My heart raced as my eyes lingered on his soft, inviting lips. The thought of launching myself onto him and giving into his every desire sent a shiver down my spine. As he whispered the word “please” with such urgency, a rush of heat flooded through me, and my legs instinctively tensed in response. Oh, how badly I wanted to surrender to him at this moment, to give myself completely over to his touch and find pure bliss in his embrace.

“I know we’re mates, but what does that officially mean right now? Does being mates alone mean that—”

His lips crashed against mine, biting at my bottom lip and punishing it. He growled, letting go of my lip and I smirked at him.

“Is that a punishment or a reward?” I listened to his growl as his fingers tightened around me.

“I’m still here,” Lyle coughed.

“Darren, what exactly is my position?” I asked, seeing a satisfied smile spread over his lips.

“My future queen. You are my equal, and as such, it would be problematic for you to address me formally. It would look like you don’t accept me.”

“But for the next month, I won’t be marked or—”

“You won’t be marked, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be mated.” I could hear the husky tone of desire in his voice. But I was feeling it, too. Thank the gods we didn’t have to wait, because I didn’t think it would be possible. I had never wanted something so much in such a short amount of time.

I couldn’t understand the mate pull before. How could you, when you’d never experienced it? You could read about it all you wanted, but until you felt it yourself, you couldn’t possibly understand it. Every time our eyes met, it felt like gravity shifted, pulling me towards him with an irresistible force. I couldn’t resist the desire that burned within me every time I was near him. And I didn’t want to.

“So, how old are you?” Lyle asked, and I suddenly became aware I was just aimlessly staring at Darren. How long was I lost in his eyes?

“I am 22.”

“Same as me!” Lyle grinned. “Darren is twenty-five. You know, as the king, he has to take a mate by the age of 30. Another one of those protocol things.”

“Why? We live for a long time, so why so soon?” I asked, glancing between the two brothers.

“I’m not sure.” Lyle laughed. “But I think it’s so the Waiting Ladies can move on.”

“The Waiting Ladies?” I’d never heard this term before and had no idea what it meant.

“The ladies who were selected as mate prospects. The ones he would have to choose from if he didn’t find his mate. There are a few of them who can now finally go and find their own mates. In a sense, they’re engaged to the king until he chooses a mate. None of them are allowed to accept their mates.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize something like that was set up. Why can’t the king just choose anyone he wants if he doesn’t find his mate?” This time I looked at Darren.

“It’s a noble courtesy. A way to reward those who are loyal to the crown. It’s one of their daughters or sons who are chosen for the position. They have a right to refuse, but none ever have. I think most like the idea of becoming a royal.” Darren grabbed his phone as it vibrated and growled. “They boarded connecting flights and they took one into vampire territory.”

“Alfred and Ivy went into vampire territory? Isn’t that dangerous?” I watched his brows knit together as he glanced up at Lyle.

“In theory, yes. But I don’t think they would have gone there unless they felt safe. I’m not sure what this means.” Darren sighed and I could see his eyes glaze over in private communication.

Vampire territory? Of all places, why there? The fairies would have been more accepting of them than the vampires. The only ones who would have been more hostile were the dragons. Did they know someone there? I was sure Alfred didn’t have any connections there, so they must come from Ivy. But then what did this mean? In any case, it looked like it was going to be impossible to go after them now.

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