Page 21 of His Found Lycan Luna

“She refused?” I growl, anger flaring again. “She should be grateful I let her live, yet she refuses what we provide.” I snarl, seeing that her refusal has upset Clarice, too. I get up from my chair.

But Clarice blocks the door, her eyes hard. “I used to think you were a good man, but now I am not so sure anymore. You hurt her...” her words trail off unfinished, but I hear the threat loud and clear.

“You’ll what, Ma? Quit?” I ask her, and her bottom lip quivers, and she glances away. I instantly feel bad for the words and wish I could take them back.

“Do you not remember? Have you forgotten already?” I ask her, and her gaze hardens as it turns to me.

“No one has forgotten, though I wish I could... I wish I could, Kyson, I’ve lived through hell and back, but nothing broke me more than losing her. I won’t live through losing you, too. This kingdom won’t survive losing their queen. We’ve lost too many,” she snaps.

“She is not queen!” I yell.

“But your kingdom won’t accept anyone other than her. She is your true mate, our true queen. You need to realize that because if you lose her, you lose all of us!” she says before walking away.

I stare at her. They barely know her! I punch the wall in frustration,feeling more furious than ever. Snatching my bottle, I drink every drop, yet it still doesn’t help, doesn’t numb the bond.

Stumbling down to the stables, a fresh liquor bottle in hand, I find Ivy curled in a ball, surrounded by shredded clothes, and the scent of her tears fills the air. It’s freezing inside, and my guilt intensifies as the draft rushes over me. Leaving her, I step outside to gather wood, hearing a noise in the forest, but I dismiss it as one of the guards when they don’t come closer.

Returning with the wood, I find Ivy awake, struggling to light a fire with one hand. “Finally, Damian, can you please light?—”

She stops mid-sentence when she notices me. “Sorry, sir,” she murmurs, fear evident in her voice as she quickly stands.

I notice the tremble in her words; she is scared of me. No, that is not an accurate word. She is petrified of me. I take a step toward her, and she takes one back and the way her heart rate picks up doesn’t go unnoticed by me; it bothers me for some reason. Perhaps because I spent so long trying to get her out of her shell, only to see her reverting back to the way she was when she first came here, maybe that bothers me.

I study her, seeing her straighten her spine, and stare past me. Despite the pain it causes her, she clutches her hands behind her back, just like Mrs. Daley taught her. I know because I feel it. Pain shoots up my hand, and I drop the wood.

Ivy gasps and moves to pick it up. “It’s fine, My King; I can wait for Gannon,” she tells me, then freezes.

“I mean,” she pauses. “Do you need me to send someone up with wood?” she asks yet won’t meet my gaze. Now she is questioning whether I got the wood for her or for myself.

“Leave it,” I tell her, not trusting myself with more than those words. She rises, and I snatch the piece of wood out of her hand. She bows her head, moving back to her makeshift den of torn blankets, when I notice a few of my shirts. I shake my head, and she tries to cover them, realizing what I am staring at.

Ivy’s face turns pink with her embarrassment while I load thewood in the furnace. I can feel her eyes watching me, smell her fear. I start the fire, and once I am satisfied, it will remain going, I close the little hatch and get to my feet, leaving out but not before glancing back to see her rush toward the warmth.

As I walk back to the castle, the weight of my actions, my guilt, and my loneliness press down on me, heavier with each step. My own bitterness and anger are turning everyone against me, and I can’t seem to stop the spiral. The night air does nothing to ease the turmoil inside me. When I hear a noise, I pause for a second, staring out at the tree line across the small lake. When I notice nothing, I keep walking.

Chapter Fifteen

Iwatch Kyson leave, and once I am sure he has left, I rush toward the fire, trying to warm myself, my bones ache from the cold, and my teeth chatter uncontrollably when an unexpected noise outside startles me. My first thought is it might be Kyson, and I immediately worry he’s angry with me. The fire crackles in front of me, providing little comfort against the chill that has nothing to do with the cold night air. As I glance around, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. There is a strange scent in the air, familiar, but I can’t place it. The stables are deathly quiet, too quiet, and the horses all stand with their eyes trained on the stable doors. I strain my ears to catch any sound that might tell me more. Rising to my feet, I go to see if someone is outside… perhaps one of the guards.

I see a large, dark shape come into view in the stables. At first, I wonder if it’s Kyson in his Lycan form. Only, just then, the horses start to go wild. My heart stops for a moment before racing uncontrollably. It’s a bear. And a large one by the looks of it. I can tell by its hunched shape and slow prowl.

I stay rooted, frozen in place, watching the bear sniff the ground,raise its head, and turn its attention to me. I’ve never seen a bear before, but I do recall you weren’t supposed to run from them. It’s massive, with dark fur and eyes that reflect a wild hunger. My feet feel rooted to the ground, and I stagger as I take a step back. It growls and I slowly take another step back.

As the bear stalks toward me, a deep, paralyzing fear grips me.I’m dead,I think to myself, not seeing a way out of this. As I scramble backward, a bit faster this time, my hand shoots out, pulling a burning stick from the fire without thinking, burning my hands painfully. The bear lunges when I hiss and drop it. My scream is blood-curdling as I quickly move out of its way, adrenaline pumping, I don’t feel the burning stick as I grab it. I wave it frantically, hoping to scare the bear away, but it only seems to anger it more. I scream for help, my voice shrill and desperate in the quiet night.

The bear lunges at me, and at that moment, I prepare for death. But then, out of nowhere, another huge, black shape tackles the bear. At first, I think it’s another bear before realizing it’s a Lycan. It’s Kyson, his form massive and intimidating as he collides with the savage bear, it turns on him quickly, and he’s thrown back, crashing into a stall with a loud thud. My heart is in my throat, helpless, as I watch the bear turn to finish him off. Acting on instinct, I rip a piece of wood from the stall and hit the bear with all my strength.

Pain explodes across my face as the bear turns and slices me with its claws down my face. Blood blinds me, hot and sticky, trickling down my skin as I stagger back clutching my face. I’m sure this is the end, as I swipe my face frantically, trying to clear my vision, but then I hear the sounds of a fierce struggle. Kyson, in his Lycan form, is attacking the bear, driving it back with powerful blows. He punches the bear, makes it sniff and paw at its nose before Kyson plunges his own claws into its side. With a final injury to the face from Kyson, the bear retreats, fleeing into the night.

Shouts echo outside from the castle. The noise has alerted the guards, who rush into the stables. They burst inside but instantly back up when they’re faced with the king in this form. I don’t recognizea single one of them and Kyson, still feral in his Lycan form, moves to attack them. Heart hammering in my chest, I move, grabbing his fur knowing he won’t forgive himself if he attacks his men. He freezes when I grab his fur. He whirls around, snarling at me, and I drop to my knees in submission, my hands shaking as I clutch at the fur on his thick thighs. His eyes blaze with a wild light, and I brace myself, certain he’s going to attack.

But then, to my surprise, Kyson’s Lycan demeanor changes, recognizing me. He lowers his head, his rough tongue licking my arm, healing the gash the bear left. His attention moves to my burnt fingers, and he gently licks them, soothing the pain when his licking becomes frantic on my face.

The guards hesitate, watching us warily. Kyson’s Lycan side seems to sense their presence and growls, his protective instincts kicking in. He drags me around like a prized possession, pulling me into one of the stalls. The guards back away, unsure of how to approach the situation. It’s clear his Lycan is not hurting me, but rather protecting me in his own way, even if it is from his own guard.

“I’m fine, he won’t hurt me,” I murmur to them, hoping it’s true, even though his Lycan is unpredictable. I peer up at him, and he growls, tucking me closer. I shriek when his long claws nick me. The guards hesitate, staring at me worriedly.

“Get Damian,” I stutter. They rush off immediately.

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