Page 27 of His Found Lycan Luna

Nope, I decide to keep busy, and everything can go back to how it was. Just me and Abbie against the world, the way it used to be. So, with that, I grab some cleaning supplies, ignoring Clarice’s protests that I’m not a servant, and follow Abbie to help her do her chores, which she’s excited about.

Finally, I’m doing something other than wallowing and hiding away from everyone. Abbie tells me the king returned yesterday morning and spent the day hand digging the graves himself, refusing help when the guards tried to step in and take over. He apparently spent the night destroying his room before Damian dragged him off to train with the guards.

The day passes by quickly as we busy ourselves, and it feels good to move around, using muscles I barely used in days. However, Abbie becomes antsy and jittery toward the end of the day.

“Are you okay?” I ask her, as she’s practically bouncing on her feet.

Suddenly, I hear Gannon growling behind us. He’s been following us around for most of the day; I don’t know if he chose to or if Gannon was ordered to follow us by the king. I’m not sure, and I never ask. If the king is going to pretend I don’t exist, that’s fine, but I’m not waiting around for him to change his mind any longer.

Clarice sighs and looks over at her, where we stand on the other side of the kitchen counter. She then rolls her eyes before speaking. “Go on then,” she says with a dismissive wave. Abbie squeals before grabbing me, pecking my cheek, and rushing off out of the kitchen.

“Wait, where are you going?” I call after her, but she’s already gone and out of earshot. I turn to Clarice, who clicks her tongue and shakes her head.

“You should head up to your room, Ivy. I’ll send someone up with your dinner,” Clarice tells me, and I furrow my brows. What’s going on? I turn to look at Gannon, who’s glaring at the wall above our heads. Clarice clears her throat, which seems to snap him out of the homicidal stare-off he’s having.

“Right, I’ll escort her up,” Gannon says, but I wave him off. Only he insists on following. When I reach the top of the staircase, I notice Damian coming out of the king’s room with a tray.

He starts stalking toward us, but I quickly rush off to find my room before locking myself in with a sigh. Abbie and I fixed the room up and cleaned it earlier today, but I’m met with silence as I sit onthe sofa in front of the fireplace. This room is too big to just sit in by yourself.

The silence surrounding me is deafening, and after a few hours of absolute silence, I go in search of Abbie’s small room, which I know is in Beta Damian’s quarters.

However, when I reach the lower level and find her room, her bed is empty. Abbie’s small room is much like the one I was originally in when I was still the king’s servant. Her scent perfumes the room and brings me comfort, so curling up on her bed, I wait for her to return.

Chapter Twenty

I’m waiting with Clarice for the burial to start. We’re holding a luncheon in the ballroom for the staff, but I won’t be attending. I’ve agreed to meet Kade this afternoon, but still, I help set it up after my altercation with Gannon. I notice Gannon coming down with the king. It saddens me when he looks my way, only to look away. Guilt courses through me, and I turn my attention straight ahead, holding back the emotion that threatens to choke me. In an ideal world, Gannon would have been my mate, but I have a mate and can’t throw him away, either. I’ve never had anything, and Kade is mine, and I will fight for that, even if I don’t know what I’m fighting for exactly.

The ceremony is just beginning as everyone waits on the hill. It’s only moments later when I notice movement at my side and glance in that direction to find Ivy.

My shock must be apparent because she smiles sadly before looking ahead, and I don’t miss how her eyes instantly seek out the king. I grip her fingers, giving them a squeeze. She’s missed so much, and I have so much to tell her, but for now, it’ll have to wait.

Theking is standing at the front where I see thirteen fresh graves dug. He’s staring off vacantly toward the path leading to the surrounding forest. I feel Ivy’s arm brush up against mine, and I can tell she’s trying to figure out what’s going on.

Time seems to stop, and the only noise is the soft breeze and the birds in the trees. I swallow when I see the open graves that have been freshly dug. Glancing around, we see movement in the far corner before a succession of coffins is carried to the grave sites where the king is standing.

Most of the coffins belong to children, making me think of Tyson. What if he’s one of the children? What if Mrs. Daley killed him? It makes my heart clench in my chest. Most of them aren’t large enough to be adults. Four of them, I can tell, are adult-sized coffins, but the other nine belong to children.

The guards carrying them stop by a grave, and they set them down before music starts playing from the violinist who stands by the river. It’s complete silence while we all wait for the coffins to be lowered into each grave. Nobody speaks or even whispers. We merely watch.

When it finishes and the coffins are laid to rest, a horn blares again. After a few minutes, everyone starts climbing the hill and leaving to go back to work. The place is packed with people, but I only pay attention to the most important person to me here, Ivy. I grab Ivy’s arm and tug her up the hill, back toward the castle. Excitement bubbles within me as I try to contain my enthusiasm about having her back in a semi-normal state.

This place was lonely when I was the only werewolf in the castle besides her. Not that she’s shifted yet, but now she’s returned to me; I feel like I can finally breathe again. Finally, I can let go of the pressure building on my shoulders because with her it’s a little bit lighter, and I’ll endure it for her, knowing she’s by my side. We go back in through the laundry, following behind Clarice. The moment Ivy steps inside, I wrap my arms around her and so does Clarice.

“You’re back?” I murmur while squeezing her tighter. Claricecups her face in her hands, her eyes teary, and she lets out a breath that could not be mistaken for anything other than relief. Ivy grips her hands and opens her mouth to say something when the king suddenly enters the room. She stops, staring over her shoulder at him, and I notice Gannon step in behind him.

“Get back to work!” the king snaps at us before stalking past without so much as a backward glance. I press my lips in a line when I see the heartbreak on her face. Is the mate bond not the same for Lycans? How could he treat her so badly?

I swallow and look away as Gannon and Damian follow after him. Gannon doesn’t even look in my direction, just clenches his jaw as if he can’t bear to be near me. I bite the inside of my lip before returning my attention to Ivy.

“He will come around,” Clarice tells her, gripping her shoulders. Ivy shakes her head and looks at me. I smile at her sadly, and I hate how she put on her old maid’s uniform. She’s supposed to be happy! Happy because the king is her mate, but here she is, forced back into a position I wished I had never needed to see her in again. She ignores Clarice’s protests that she isn’t a servant and shouldn’t help me when Ivy insists.

“I want to help Abbie. I am not his mate anymore. He has made that perfectly clear,” Ivy tells her.

“You’ll always be my queen,” Clarice whispers, and I see Ivy swallow. Seeing her sadness just makes the decision to leave with Kade all the more torturous. I can’t leave her with the king while I run off with my mate. Ivy follows me to help me do my chores, which I am excited about. It’s the most time we’ve really spent together since being here.

I tell her about how the king returned yesterday morning and spent the day hand digging the graves himself and half the night, refusing any help when the guards tried to step in and take over. I also tell her about the castle gossip. However, I’m too scared to tell her I found my mate and may be leaving her. Yet as the day goes on and the time to meet Kade draws closer, I’m becoming more excited.That giddy, excited feeling bubbles in me at knowing I’m seeing my mate soon. Only for it to dampen when the guilt returns. It’s like waves of pure happiness, then guilt over Ivy and Gannon, then fear of the unknown and excitement that I’ve found my mate, blissfully painful, a torturous combination.

But when the time comes, I can’t help the spring I have in my step as we come into the kitchen. Clarice sighs and looks over at me, where we stand on the other side of the kitchen counter. She then rolls her eyes before speaking. “Go on then,” she says with a dismissive wave. A little excited squeal escapes me before I grab Ivy, quickly pecking her cheek, before rushing off out of the kitchen.

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