A Luna for the Lycan King novel Chapter 40

“I think she deserved worse. Much worse.” Darren growled as he sat his pen down.

“I’m not saying she didn’t, but I felt this was a fitting

punishment. Plus, it also offered an innocent man his freedom. What they decide to do from here on out is up to them. But Cleo will most likely be pregnant now. She will no longer be able to be a Waiting Lady and will be forced to leave. She will have no choice but to either live with her mate or go back to her family. And if her family is anything like her, they will not welcome her with open arms.” I had thought about it a lot, and I decided I would give her the choice. She can now choose to be happy with her mate and embrace her new life, or she can live a miserable life. In either case, it got her out of the castle, and that was all I really cared about.

“It’s clever.” Ivan leaned on Darren’s desk. “This way there isn’t any trouble with the nobles, but it also solves a problem. Honestly, I am very impressed. Well done.”

“Thank you!” Yes, I was beaming for being praised by Ivan. I found out that he was not the crown prince, his older brother and he had decided he could be more helpful outside his kingdom. He had everything and gave it up to make a difference

in the world. I admired him for this.

was,

“Ren has told me that it is your family that is linked to the curse. The werebears have a large library that is archived. I will look into finding more information. Maybe we have information if the curse happened before the species all divided.”

Chapter 40

stack of papers on his desk.

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“Everything is ready. Though I think sending this one is a waste of time.” He lifted up the top paper.

“Which one is that?” I asked.

“Dragons,” he frowned. “They are not going to care about the neutral village being captured. Out of all the species, they will not give a damn. I’m certain of it.”

“Dragons think they’re better than the rest of us. They have power, magic, their skin is like armor and they can fly. So they aren’t far off.” Ivan chuckled. “Send it, but don’t hold your

breath.”

I watched as Darren sealed the letter with the royal insignia, knowing that it would at least be delivered to the dragon council. Several messengers grabbed the letters and quickly left the room. That was as much as we could do. I could see there was doubt in Darren and Ivan’s eyes, but I remained hopeful.

I turned to them, determination etched on my face. “We’ve done all we can for now. Let’s focus on what we can control and hope for the best.”

Darren nodded slowly, his expression grave. “You’re right. We must prepare for the worst while hoping for the best outcome.”

Ivan placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You have a strong spirit, my friend. It will serve you well.” Darren let out a grumbling sound of disapproval, making Ivan laugh. “In either case, you have managed to calm my best friend’s temper. And that is the real miracle I’ve witnessed. Don’t worry pup, I’m not

Chapter 40

Darren let out a rare chuckle, “As if you could steal my angel from me. I trust her as much as I trust you and Lyle.”

Just then, a messenger burst into the room, breathless and wide–eyed. “Your majesty, Ivy was spotted in the captured neutral village.”

Darren stood up, his eyes blazing with fury. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, one of your elite spies positively identified her.”

“You’re dismissed,” Darren growled, slamming his fist on his

table.

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“Ivy is there?!” Ivy, a lycan, was at the village that was captured. “Does that mean she helped them?” I gasped.

Darren’s jaw clenched tightly as he processed the news. “I cannot believe this,” he muttered, his composure slipping for a split second before regaining control. “We need to act fast.”

Ivan’s expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing with determination. “Send more spies to keep an eye on the village. We need to wait for the responses from hopeful allies. This is too big of an opportunity to lose. Darren, do you realize what this could mean? You would be responsible for uniting the species again. Calling up the great alliance of the past.”

“Ally is the one responsible. All the credit should go to her fo having the idea.” Darren reached out and grabbed my hand. “Yes, we will wait, but we will make preparations for war. Regardless, it looks like the Lycan Kingdom will be heading into battle. It is only a matter of time now.”

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I squeezed Darren’s hand in reassurance, my mind racing with thoughts of Ivy and the implications of her involvement in the captured village. But even more … what did this mean about Alfred and his involvement? Did he know about this? Was he making plans with Ivy the entire time? Or was he another pawn in her game? So many questions … and there were no answers right now.

***

It had been a week since we sent the letters, a week since the village was captured, and a week since we learned Ivy was spotted there. Darren had issued orders, rallying the troops and setting up our kingdom’s defenses.

As we sat around the table, strategizing our next move, a sudden commotion outside the room caught our attention. The door burst open, and Lyle hurried in, panting heavily.

“Darren!” he gasped, trying to catch his breath. “We have news from the kingdoms. They are all coming for a council meeting. Everyone has responded. The centaurs have already pledged their support to aid us in reclaiming the neutral village.”

Darren’s eyes lit up at the news. “That is excellent. Have preparations ready for accommodating our guests.”

Ivan leaned in, a calculating look on his face. “What about the dragons? Have they responded?”

Lyle hesitated briefly before responding, “The dragons have acknowledged receiving our message but have decided to stay out of this matter. Instead, they are taking a watch–and–see approach.”