Page 37 of Lycan Prince's Secret Baby

Chapter 20

Leah

For the first few days, the Blood Moons moved cautiously around Kyle, their eyes flitting between him and their everyday tasks, the wariness like a fog throughout the house. Despite the lingering suspicion, whenever I saw Kyle, his emerald eyes were alive with purpose, and he always seemed knee-deep in projects transforming our communal spaces.

One week into his stay, I peered out from the greenhouse, where the air was infused with the sweet scent of damp earth and blooming herbs. I watched Kyle labor beneath the pale morning sun, his hands deftly assembling a rainwater collection system just outside the window. The metal tanks glinted, each rivet he tightened a promise of cleaner, safer drinking water. The clang of tools punctuated his conversation with Todd, one of the Blood Moons, wafting in on the still air.

“The UV filters will purify the water,” Kyle explained, his voice rich with enthusiasm.

His passion for learning, honed through years of university studies, revealed itself in his eagerness to implement changes wherever he went. Each improvement he brought forth turned tentative looks into thoughtful nods, and I knew he was earningmy community’s trust little by little. Another Blood Moon, Kade, made his way out from the greenhouse, joining Kyle and Todd outside.

“Will you come to the caverns tonight, Kyle?” Kade asked.

Kade was one of our best warriors. Judging from the whispers about the place, he wasn’t the only one captivated by Kyle’s skill in the ring. I’d heard that Kyle frequented our training ring with the same enthusiasm to share his skills as he had for improving the infrastructure in our pack. Our pack used the subterranean cavern under the house for training.

“Sure thing,” Kyle replied, the ease with which he chatted to my packmates, making my brow knit in frustration.

I thought of how Kyle frequently came to the treatments we did daily for Lina’s healing, with his skin flushed and his scent musky from working out. Clearly, he was spending a lot of time training with the warriors of the pack if he was working out during the day and in the evening.

As I stood among the swaying stalks of the garden, my arms prickled with goosebumps, not from the breeze through the window but from the way Kyle’s presence was shifting the dynamic of our pack. He was sowing improvements into the soil of our lives, nurturing change that made my heart somersault. But he’d done the same back in our pack lands. Yet, when Itrulyneeded him, he’d been absent. The thought stung like the ache of an old battle wound, one that would never entirely heal. Irritation moved through me. In just a week, it felt as if I were the only one within my pack unwilling to be charmed by Kyle’s effortless charisma.

Just then, Roman’s warmth enveloped me. His hands rested on my waist, grounding me as he leaned down, burying his head into the crook of my neck. “How are you, love?” he asked.

A giggle escaped me as I wriggled away from his nuzzle, a shriek wanting to follow, though I forced a playful laugh instead. “Better now,” I replied, turning to plant a chaste kiss on his lips.

We grasped at these little moments as armor, a way to reaffirm our bond whenever we spotted Kyle nearby. But I felt the tension brewing beneath Roman’s expression. In fact, Roman looked more pained than pleased, and I quickly pulled him over to the trays of lettuce. “Look at how much they’ve sprung up,” I enthused, as if wanting him to admire my handiwork rather thanneedingto get him away from the window that Kyle was likely looking through.

It had become apparent Roman was aterribleactor. The mischievous spark in his eyes often faded when we needed to solidify our façade. Just the other evening at dinner, when the table was packed with everyone, including Kyle, he’d almost called meNuka. He’d masked his blunder with a violent coughing fit. We’d set aside our pet names of brother and sister from then on, settling on calling each other love.

Roman clasped my hand as I led him through the greenhouse, where fragrant sprouts and resilient chili plants thrived late into the fall, thanks to Lyvia’s heat enchantments. Sunlight danced upon the rare minerals scattered throughout, each crystal shimmering with its own unique brilliance. Among these treasures were the tiritich stones from the Silver Moon lands, their scale-like patterns glimmering with an inner fire that radiated warmth like a log burner when paired with the right incantation. There were also precious ores from the NightwingPack lands, such as the sikin deposits, silvery rocks that glowed like fairy lights in the night, casting a gentle radiance that nurtured the plants during the coldest hours.

My back was to the door of the greenhouse, but I knew Kyle had entered as soon as Roman’s hand tightened on mine. Roman frequently challenged Kyle, flaunting our closeness, driven by a protective instinct as deep as any older brother felt toward his sister. Since I had arrived at our sanctuary here a year ago, haunted by what I had suffered in the Moonlight Pack and from Kyle, he’d taken on a new fierceness to shield me from further pain.

“It looks great in here,” Kyle said as he and the two Blood Moons came in from the garden. The admiration in his voice caused a whirl of confusion to wash through me. Frowning, I dropped Roman’s hand and went back to my job of watering the plants.

“The fresh rainwater system should really help all your hard work in here shine,” Kyle continued, obviously trying to draw me into conversation.

“You know, it isn’t just about systems, right?” Roman said, his voice simmering with intensity. “These plants are flourishing because they’ve had time and love poured into them.”

My heart hammered in my chest as if I were running, not simply gardening.

“I’m only trying to help,” Kyle said. “Efficiency will give everyone more time.”

He was right. It took a good deal of time for our pack to collect river water, and relying on filters and chlorine tablets was far from a foolproof system. When we’d first arrived in the valley,Lyvia had had lots of salum—a potent cleansing herb we had used to purify the water, sparing us the tedious task of boiling it to make it safe for drinking. Unfortunately, salum could only be found in the Shadow Moon lands, and with supplies only coming into the valley town once a month, we’d long since exhausted our supply. So, where we could, we tried to use ordinary human solutions, too.

“Just remember we worked to keep this place together before you arrived,” Roman shot back. “It isn’t your kingdom to reform.” His words thickened the air around us.

I could feel each syllable rippling between us with unrest. I knew without looking that Kyle’s chiseled jaw was clenched in response to the sting of Roman’s words. Then, Kyle’s footsteps rang as he stalked away. I lost myself in the aroma of herbs, earth, and freshwater but couldn’t help being secretly pleased that Roman hadn’t succumbed to being impressed by Kyle’s fighting skills like all the other warriors of my pack had. At least with Roman, I knew I had someone in my corner.

Later that evening, Roman came to my bedroom, hurling himself down on my bed. Well-practiced at being around Lina, he groaned quietly and, in a hushed voice, complained, “I can’t take much more.”

Lina was sleeping soundly in her bassinet, and I was at my writing desk by the window. Scattered sketches of herbs and flowers rested there, a hobby I hadn’t had much time for lately. But with Lina’s treatments going well this last week and her strength improving, I’d enjoyed a few hours of sketching in the evening light tonight.

With a light step, I came over to sit on the hand-knitted, earthy-toned blanket beside Roman. “What’s wrong?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice.

Roman edged back, sitting up against the bed's headboard. His shoulders were tight, and I could see the strain in his jaw.

“Kyle,” he growled, running a hand through his wavy brown hair in frustration. “He paid me back for that comment about this not being his kingdom.”

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