Page 51 of His Found Lycan Luna

I furrow my brows at the noise when I hear it again, making me rise to my feet. Peering toward the pier the only thing I see moving is something flapping, so I suspect it is a bird.

I step cautiously onto the wooden pier and nervously glance at the blackened water beneath it as I move to the end. Upon reaching the end, I notice a beautiful swan flapping his wings frantically and squawking in the water as it tries to fly away. It appears to be caught in something, as every time it tries to take flight, it’s pulled under once more. I move to help the poor, helpless creature.

I call out to Peter, but he is nowhere to be found. So I drop to my knees hoping to be able to reach it. Holding firmly onto the wooden pier with one hand, I reach my other hand out to grab the swan by the neck in an attempt to pull it closer. The bird seems to be caught in some netting or something. The creature shrieks and flaps its wings as it tries to free itself, and my fingertips graze the surface of its face and snapping beak. The bird flaps more frantically at my touch, causing its wing to become further stuck. I lean over more, attempting to save it once again before it gets dragged under. “Stop flapping,” I growl at the silly swan.

I am in the process of grabbing the feathers of its back end when my weight and angle overbalance me. I scream, tumbling into the blackened water.

I frantically kick back to the surface, my arms flailing as I try to grip the pier that has quickly become way out of reach. Panicking, I tangle myself in the mesh netting that the swan is trapped in and am pulled under. Water burns my nose as I sputter for air.

When I breach the surface, I choke on the water as the swan flails frantically and takes off.

“Peter!” I rasp, screaming as loud as my burning throat allows.

“Peter!” I try to scream as my legs become more tangled. Desperately, I stretch my arm out to reach for the pier, only to be pulled further down.

I can feel myself being dragged under by the weight of what I am caught on. I choke on the water as it spills into my mouth, filling my lungs, and I know I am drowning. As my effort begins to die out, calm sweeps over me. It is an odd sensation. I know I am dying, yet I feel an overwhelming sensation of peace fall over me and I sink further, the surface darkening when I hear a loud splash.

My gaze flutters as ripples in the water steal my attention and suddenly an arm wraps tightly around my waist and I am dragged toward the surface.

The moment I breach the surface, the pain hits. Hands grip my waist, and I am hauled upright, gasping for breath, only to be ripped back under because my feet are still tangled in the netting. While I attempt to blink through the murky water, my eyes sting while someone untangles the mesh from around my legs. The moment we breach the surface, I panic, sputter, cough, and lock my legs around their waist.

As I shove him under, he coughs and splutters on the water, when a furious growl rips from his throat, and I am turned so I won’t be able to push him beneath the surface again. Kyson wraps his arms across my chest and pulls my back to his chest.

“Calm down before you drown us both,” he snaps at me while I suck in much-needed air. My lungs feel like they have been put through a mincer-like razors slicing through my chest with each agonizing breath.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

As I struggle to catch my breath, I see guards running in our direction down the steep hill leading from the castle. I peer around frantically, still feeling disoriented and unsure if I’m completely out of the water.

“I’m going to turn you around. Don’t push down on me,” Kyson growls, and I can feel the movement of his legs behind me as he treads water. He turns me around, and my legs wrap around him, and he grabs them, pulling me up higher.

He sighs, pressing his head against mine, and my teeth chatter.

“What were you doing in the water when you can’t swim!” he demands angrily.

“I was trying to help the swan!” I retort and he stares at me dumbfounded.

“Why would you risk your life for a fucking swan?” he demands, his grip tightening, a manifestation of his barely contained fury.

“The swan was tangled,” I manage to say, my voice hoarse from coughing.

“You nearly drowned for a swan?” His voice is thick with disbelief and outrage.

“I slipped!” I retort, my fingers digging into his shoulder with a mix of fear and anger. He floats onto his back, effortlessly treading water. The guards on the hill, having halted their approach, still watch us intently until the king dismisses them with a wave. He growls, swimming further out into the lake, his movements fluid and confident.

“How can you not swim?” he mutters, more to himself than to me, shaking his head in disbelief.

As he moves further out, I reluctantly loosen my grip on him. “Just get me out of here if you’re going to berate me! I nearly drowned, you don’t need to be an asshole about it,” I snap, my patience fraying.

He stops abruptly, his piercing gaze locking onto mine. “What did you just call me?” he growls, the dangerous edge in his voice sending a shiver down my spine.

I bite my lip, avoiding his gaze, but he’s insistent, capturing my chin in his hand and forcing me to meet his eyes.

“Ivy,” he says, a warning clear in his tone.

I swallow hard, indignancy replacing my fear. “I called you an asshole,” I admit, my voice small. I sigh, rubbing my face. “Look, I’m sorry, it just slipped out.” His eyes soften slightly but the hard lines don’t disappear completely.

He stares at me for a moment before breaking silence, his voice an angry growl. “You do not speak to me like that, I am your king!” he snarls, his canines slipping out. My own anger rises, I scoff, a maniacal laugh in my tone.

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