A Luna for the Lycan King novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86

“The watch is hot, but it was cold when it was first given to me. The heat from the watch is a type of energy, but what does it mean?!” Fury was trying to help me. She was giving me tiny hints the best way she could. I needed to think about everything she had told me. Every word could be a tip.

“Gujin is a messenger. Was that his way of telling you the watch is a message?”

It made sense. Maybe even Gujin was trying to leave me a clue. I guess neither one was able to tell me anything, which was frustrating, especially when they may have been involved. That would mean that Gujin knew what happened to my father. I know I’m meant to figure it out on my own, because it seems like this is the type of game the gods enjoy.

“You know what? One mystery at a time.” I sighed and brushed my hair behind my car. “So the guards have found some evidence of brainwashing?”

“Evidence of … manipulation. Mind games. Enough that it has convinced my father. He’s with mom now. He decided to talk with her and to keep visiting her. If she was brainwashed, then he’ll have to find a way to forgive her.”

“That goes for you, too.” His gaze flipped away from me. It told me everything I’d already suspected. Lyle was having a hard time entertaining the idea of forgiving her. “Lyle-”

Chapter 86

2/5

“I don’t know, Issy… I just don’t know. Do I even know her? How much of growing up was her and how much was brainwashing? Is there a relationship to salvage? I don’t know this woman to even forgive her.”

“The woman who loved and raised you was-”

“Was raising the future princes, not her sons.” Lyle looked at me with wounded eyes, and I understood his pain. Both Lyle and Darren would have been assets for her to protect. If she was brainwashed to do everything to protect the kingdom, then they might have never met the real Winifred. “What if she didn’t even love my father? What if everything we know about her is a lie? She went for my dad because he was the king and it was her turn to be the queen. There might not be real feelings there at all.”

“I think you’re borrowing trouble from tomorrow. The truth is … we don’t know. But Lyle, she is a victim here. Your whole family may have been involved and swept up in it, but she is the real victim. She doesn’t deserve your ill will. She needs your understanding and compassion. She was planning to kill me.” I laughed, seeing his annoyed face. “But I can forgive her. I’m not saying it’ll happen overnight, but once the brainwashing has been removed, then you need to learn who she is. With an open heart and mind. And I insist on the four of you going to family counseling together. You all have things you’ll need to talk about, but all of this is getting ahead of ourselves. We still don’t know enough, and we’ll need some magical help to undo the brainwashing. This isn’t a quick fix.” The truth wa needed to figure out who were the masterminds behind the brainwashing. Were the victims willing, or were they forced?

e still

Chapter 86

Maybe they didn’t even know what was happening. They still needed a lot of answers to get a bigger piece of the puzzle.

3/5

His gaze met mine, the vulnerability giving him the appearance of a child looking for support. “How can I forgive her, even if it’s true? How can I even look at her? How do I build a new relationship with someone who is my mother?”

“Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting, Lyle. It’s about acknowledging the pain and choosing to heal, to move forward. And remembering that the pain she caused wasn’t her fault.”

“And what if your ex was manipulated? What if he didn’t know what he was doing? What if even now he’s being controlled?”

His eyes were now attacking mine, and Fealized this conversation wasn’t just about Winifred. He was curious about what it would mean to me if there was real evidence of Alfred being controlled. I thought we had been over this, but there was something sharp in his gaze.

“Holding onto anger only poisons yourself. I want to work on healing, too. You’re suggesting that him sleeping with Ivy could have been from manipulation, and all those events that happened after were because of it.” I watched as he nodded his head. “Then I guess Alfred would also be a victim.” I had to be fair with the comparison. If I was telling him he had to forgive Winifred, then I would need to forgive Alfred. “The loss of our pup would also be his loss, and maybe even more painful for him. Especially since the loss was a consequence of his actions. If he was really brainwashed… then I would make sure Darren spared his life.”

4/5

“And what of your relationship with Alfred? It wouldn’t be hist fault.”

This time I looked at him as if he were crazy. But then it clicked, and I understood. The things that happened ‘couldn’t be undone, and he was back to relating it to his mother. “I can forgive and understand, but… I could never be Alfred’s mate now. I could never be parted from Darren. His actions caused a domino effect that led me into the arms of the most amazing man I’ve ever known. Going back to him would be torture… not being with Darren would be like killing myself. The line is drawn when it comes to my own self care and my own needs. I can forgive Alfred and have a friendly relationship with him, but it can’t go back to the way it was. I’ve changed, and I can’t unring that bell.” And that was the point Lyle was trying to make. He nodded his head, a small smile on his face

“Exactly, Issy. Exactly. I’m not a child and can’t be a child again to experience my mother. Moving forward, I don’t think I can be her son…

but I can be her friend. I think that’s the best I can offer.” And after the comparison he made with Alfred, I could only nod my head. He was right. Things couldn’t just go back to the way they were, because time was involved. You couldn’t rewind the clock … you couldn’t find lost time.

“We can’t undo the past, Lyle, but we can confront it and find a way forward. Even if it is very different from before.”