Fated to the Werewolf King novel Chapter 40

She knew Jayce meant well, that he just wanted to protect her. To protect their child, but she was done hiding behind him. She was done being the weak woman that Jasper made her become. Maybe it was just her being extremely stubborn, or perhaps it was the pregnancy hormones going awire. No one, especially his father, was going to stop her from getting married to her soul mate.

Lily.

She could vaguely hear Jayce trying to reach out to her as she sped through town. She couldn't answer him. If she did, she would just find herself turning back. She jumped on this impulse without even thinking, her adrenaline motivating her. It won't take him long to catch up, so she had to think fast. Thankfully for her, Penelope left her purse and phone downstairs, so she managed to get ahold of Derek's number. She had to blindside her best friend that she just needed to be away from Jayce, away from them all. To think. Which wasn't entirely a lie, she just needed to think fast. To her surprise, Derek was still in the city, staying at the suite at one of the pricier hotels.

Lily pulled over just a few blocks away from the hotel. It was sheer luck that no cop found her speeding through the streets. She bolted from the car. Jayce would shift, he was faster that way. His senses would be far stronger in that form to.

"Nox." She called out. She felt him stirring in her mind, growling softly.

You're going into a Wolf's den, Lily.

"I know, but I can't stand by and wait." She told him, the hotel in sight. She ran through the front entrance, looking around and made her way over to the front desk.

"I'm looking... for... the penthouse suite." She said as she tried to catch her breath. A young man stood on the other side of the counter, eyeing her with disinterest.

"It's already booked." He quipped, turning his attention away from her. She opened her mouth until a hand rested on her shoulder. When she glanced back, she recognized Alpha Lukas' face. He smiled charmingly at her.

"Luna Lily, soon to be Queen Lily Ryder." The Alpha annunciated. The man behind the desk looked at Lily again, realization settling in.

"My deepest apologies, Luna." He inclined his neck at her. Alpha Lukas waved him off before resting a hand on her back and ushered her toward the elevator.

I don't like this, Lily.

Nox expressed his concerns with a snarl as they stepped into the elevator. Lukas pressed the button for the highest floor and Lily stepped away from him.

"I didn't know you were also visiting." Lily mentioned to him, keeping her eyes on him. He kept his distance, his eyes on the numbers as they changed going up.

"I had a meeting scheduled with Alpha Derek, but I am glad that you came along." He smiled. It looked off. She didn't know much about the Alpha aside from the abusive behavior toward his Luna. She used that information to keep her adrenaline going. He wasn't afraid to harm a woman, no matter who they were.

The bell dinged as they arrived and Lukas escorted her off the elevator. Her eyes widened at the overly large suite that looked out over the entire city. Derek was peering out the window. Was he waiting for Jayce to show up?

"Look, I'm going to cut to the chase." She started, but Lukas put up his finger. He walked over to a table that had a bottle of wine and three glasses waiting. He poured into each one and extended one to her. When she didn't take it, he set it back down.

"The men will talk first." He said, looking over to Derek. He finally turned around, putting something away in his jacket. Lily glared at Lukas.

Nox, I'm going to need you.

You have me, my Queen.

Hearing his support was what she needed. She felt stronger, more confident. She needed to settle this before Jayce got here. If she could convince his pack and the other Alphas, she can take these two on.

"Do you really need me to repeat myself?" Derek asked her as he crossed the room. She held her ground, but he was intimidating. He was just an older version of Jayce. If she can face off against the King himself, she can take on this bastard.

"You may have to, I have bad hearing in my left ear." She said as she rubbed her ear gently. His eyebrow twitched slightly.

"You have no place in our society. No human does." He said to her. He picked up a glass of wine and downed it in one go.

"Is that because your Mate was human?" She asked. He flinched as she said it. It was a random guess, but she was glad that she was right on the mark. "So you're picking a fight against me when you're actually angry at the person that hurt you?" She asked him. He snarled at her, but he didn't seem to disagree.

Lily.

Nox put pressure in her mind, making her squint and furrow her brows together. What was the Wolf up to? She felt Jayce's Mark burn her, sending fire through her veins. If it wasn't for the fact that she was in the same room with two Alphas, especially one of them that tried to kill her, she would have collapsed. She needed to put up a front for now.

Protect the baby.

I'll protect you both.

"The past is the past. We're talking about the future now." Lukas switched the attention to him now. He finished the third glass since she refused it, slamming it down. The glass shattered on impact, scratching his hand up a bit. She watched his hand heal slowly. He wasn't a fast healer like Jayce was, that was good to know. Hopefully she didn't have to resolve to violence if things do go south.

"Of course. The future where your King is happily married. In this case, your son." She emphasized to Derek. His eyes hardened on her.