Page 6 of His Lycan Luna Queen

“What punishment did you give him?”

“Not the one I want, but I kept my word. I won’t kill him.”

“And Ester?”

“Alive.”

I let out a breath. I don’t like the woman, but I don’t believe she deserves death for sleeping with my father. Just like I don’t believe Peter deserves death even after everything he did.

“What else?”

“What else?” Kyson echoes, coming to sit beside me on the edge of the bed.

He pulls me across his lap, turning me to face him, so my legs straddle his waist. “We’re finding out some information about your family. I’m sure that Trey will fill you in more. And since I’ve commanded him, you’ll have to listen as well. However, Ester is being quite forthcoming with information.”

“And you commanded her?” I ask, and he nods.

“Yes, of course. She didn’t resist it, so I know she’s telling the truth, or at least her version of it. But I need to ask.”

“Ask what?”

“Do you remember Marrissa ever shifting?” he questions, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. My brows crease in thought as I try to recall any such memory, but those memories are like wisps of smoke, grainy and fragmented.

“No, I don’t think so,” I reply, my words trailing off as the past pulls me back into its grip. That night remains vivid in my mind, etched into my very being. The night I witnessed them murder her. We had been running for hours, our hearts pounding in our chestswhen they surrounded us. We had stumbled into another pack’s territory by then, unaware of the danger we were stepping into.

Abbie and I found refuge inside a hollow tree, our small hands clinging to each other tightly. We tried to remain silent, but the fear coursing through our veins made it nearly impossible. Through the cracks in the tree trunk, we watched as Marrissa stood before them, defiant in her human form. Even then, she didn’t shift.

My father, Jordan, moved with a blur of speed, his wolf instincts taking over. He fought relentlessly, refusing to yield until Marrissa called out to him. Her words always seemed strange to me, whispered with a mix of desperation and determination.

“It’s the only way to keep her safe,” she said, her voice trembling as she fell to her knees. Abbie’s parents continued their savage fight against Alpha Dean and his warriors, their wolves torn apart ruthlessly. The echoes of Abbie’s screams pierced through my ears, blending with Marrissa’s final words. She glanced towards our hiding spot, her eyes filled with love and sacrifice.

“Don’t fight them. Don’t run,” she pleaded, her voice carrying the weight of a mother’s love. “Remember, mummy loves you.” And with those haunting words, she let them slaughter her as if accepting her fate, her lifeblood staining the earth.

Only moments later, Alpha Dean and his warriors tore the tree trunk apart, their eyes filled with a mix of satisfaction and hunger. We were trapped, vulnerable.

“Azalea?” Kyson’s voice jolts me back to reality, breaking the chains of the past. I blink away the remnants of my memories, shaking off their haunting presence.

Chapter

Four

AZALEA

“No, no, I never saw her shift,” I answer him, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and sadness. Memories of my childhood flood my mind, the moments spent with the woman who raised me, the woman I still struggle to reconcile as both a monster and a mother.

Tears burn my eyes as I shake my head again, trying to push down the overwhelming emotions that threaten to consume me. A lump forms in my throat, making it difficult to swallow. How can I still love the person who is responsible for my real mother’s death? Perhaps it’s because I’ve always seen her as a mother, someone who loved and cared for me. Or maybe it’s because she overshadowed any memories I had of my true family, making it difficult to differentiate between the two.

Kyson’s voice breaks through my thoughts, his concern evident as he calls my name. It’s only then that I realize I’m shaking uncontrollably. His hands slide up my arms, a gentle touch meant to soothe me. My whole body trembles, but I allow myself to lean into his presence, finding solace in the familiarsound of his calling as it washes over me, calming my frayed nerves.

“Why do you ask?” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. Deep down, I know that he must have a reason for bringing up these painful memories.

“Ester told us that Marrissa was your father’s mate and a Lycan, just like Trey was your mother’s,” Kyson says, his words hitting me like a sudden gust of wind. Confusion swirls within me, making it hard to make sense of everything that has been revealed.

“What?” I manage to utter, feeling overwhelmed by this newfound knowledge. The world of titles and bloodlines and kingdoms is still so foreign to me. I was never taught how to navigate this realm or understand its rules, yet now I’m expected to bear the weight of it all.

I know nothing of this world, or any world for that matter. Mate bonds and alliances are concepts that elude my understanding. And the thought of watching from the sidelines as my mate is with someone else, it’s almost unbearable. How would that affect my soul? My heart? To have four broken souls and four broken hearts, all forced to witness each other’s attempts at finding happiness with another. The torment of such a bond is unimaginable.

There is so much to figure out, but for now, I need to focus on the punishment that has been bestowed upon Peter and Ester.

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