Page 3 of Lycan Prince's Secret Baby

“I needed to cut some pomenta,” I started.

Emily’s dark eyes sparkled with delight, and she exclaimed, “She’sthe thief.”

“So, this is where our missing supplies have been getting to,” Sam agreed as if my fate was already sealed.

I shook my head. I’d only stolen tonight. I’d cut a herb once, out of desperation to save my friend. Within, my wolf bared itsfangs, feeling cornered. Emily had saidthethief, and Sam was accusing me of stealing multipletimes.

I opened my mouth to deny their accusation and set them right, “I only took it…” But the rush of cool air washed over me as a man entered the room, cutting me off again.

“Kyle,” Sam exclaimed. “I didn’t realize you’d be sitting in on the council tonight.”

“What case are we presiding over tonight?” Kyle asked. There was an authority in his tone, but beneath it lay a spark of something else, too. It was curiosity, perhaps. His voice was a low rumble that resonated through the room and seemed to lodge in my chest.

I recognized the man’s name. Kyle was the son of the Moonlight Pack's Alpha. He was the future heir.

Great. This night just keeps getting better.

I’d never met the Moonlight’s heir before, but from what I knew, he’d been away at university for a few years. He was a couple of years older than my twenty-two. Word was, he’d finished his studies and returned to the pack last month. The other word flying around about him was that he despised us Blood Moons.

The atmosphere shifted palpably as Kyle made his way toward the council’s table. His presence was magnetic, commanding the room with a silent authority. He wore a navy shirt, the material taut over his wide shoulders and chest. His slacks emphasized his tall, muscular frame. He moved easy and self-assured, with the confidence of someone who knew his strength. He exuded both power and restraint as he took a seat beside Emily.

Sam explained my “crime,” and I noticed how Kyle’s expression shifted slightly, caution cloaking his face. The light caught the contours of his chiseled jawline. For a moment, I was captivated by the play of shadow across his face.

Then, his eyes cut to me. His electric green stare held me captive more than the grip of the soldier. In that moment, the air itself felt charged. My breath hitched in my throat as I felt Kyle’s regard—deep and assessing, as if he saw right down to my marrow.

Intuition washed over me like moonlight dappling water. The moon goddess, Igaluk, reached out to me. I sensed her spirit wrapping around me. Heat radiated through me as my wolf rose up, drawn to this man, recognizing who he was immediately—

Kyle is our fated mate.

Chapter 2

Kyle

The double doors of the council chamber loomed ahead, and their polished surface gleamed beneath the harsh electric lights. The oppressive aura of the rune-covered walls felt suffocating. It was like walking into a tomb. Anger bristled through me, and the hairs on the back of my arms stood on end. My assistant’s words from minutes ago drummed through my head, echoing with my footfalls: “The Moonlight patrol has apprehended a Blood Moon.”

I hurried toward the meeting hall as my thoughts hurtled back to the past—my mother’s face surfacing. Three years ago, while I’d been away at university, I’d received the devastating news of her death. Even years later, the memory of my mom’s death whipped up a furnace of rage because of the way she’d passed. The Blood Moon Alpha had murdered her.

My beast’s fury mingled with mine. I remembered how lacking in honor that bastard had been. My mother had been engaged in peace talks when the Blood Moon Alpha had brutally cut her life short. I gritted my jaw, feeling how little I wanted to deal with one of these monsters. I wondered what harm the Blood Moon had been up to in the dead of night.

But I forced my anger down. As Alpha heir, it was my duty in my father’s absence from the pack to ensure the moon goddess’s justice was served. Hollowness whispered through me. Ever since my mother’s death, I’d found it difficult to believe in Igaluk’s justice. Yet, my mother’s lessons had seeped through the pages of the human history I’d studied at the University of Washington. Change. Equality. Unity. Her hopes for a better future rang as clearly in my ears now as they had three years ago, and I was determined to lead my pack in a way she would have been proud of.

I pushed through the heavy doors and stepped inside the council hall. The sterile air within smothered my senses, and I caught sight of Elder Sam seated behind the long table, flanked by his daughter, Emily.

“Kyle,” Sam said, his surprise evident. “I didn’t realize you’d be sitting in on the council tonight.” Elder Sam was weathered by age and battle but still solid and hardy. Assigned to guide me through the pack’s affairs since my return, Sam had been a steady presence. While I appreciated his wisdom, a flare of irritation coursed through me. I wasn’t the kind of Alpha heir who deferred his duties to others.

I approached my seat and asked, “What case are we presiding over tonight?”

Sam leaned forward, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood. “We’ve had a number of thefts of herbs over the last few months. And tonight, the patrol caught this Blood Moon with pomenta on her person.”

My gaze snapped to the woman in question. I didn’t know much about herbalism, but I could consult our pack’s healer, Maria, if this Blood Moon wasn’t forthcoming.

One of the soldiers still gripped the woman’s upper arm as if she was a flight risk. As my eyes roved the woman’s figure, I was caught off guard by her beauty. Long, red hair framed her face, cascading over her shoulders like a wild flame in the night. But it was her striking blue eyes that ensnared me—deep and stormy, glimmering with a spirit that threatened to chase away every coherent thought from me.

She wasn’t just a thief; she was a warrior. Her muscular, lithe build spoke of strength, honed not just by labor but, judging by her stance, by fighting as well. The gray overalls she wore, typical of the Moon Blood laborers, hung loosely over her frame. Her fair skin, almost luminescent under the lights, only accentuated the glow of her hair.

Energy collected between us, swelling and building. The council buzzed around us, becoming white noise. Only the magnetic pull between me and this Blood Moon mattered. My heartbeat skyrocketed, rattling in my ribcage, the truth surging up from my wolf’s consciousness—a primal realization.Ours!

She’s our fated mate.

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