A Luna For The Lycan King

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e with each passing hour. At night, I would lie awake, staring at the ceiling, the moonlight slipping through the cracks in the stone. The pull toward King Cassian never stopped-it was an unde

-the thought of Dorian, the betrayal, and the shattered remnants of my past life would break thro

is place, and that visit had been cold and distant. He'd made it clear that

ble. My entire world had been built on loy

the small table by the window. I hadn't spoken to anyone other than King Cassian, a

My gaze was more like a dagger than a glance these days. He

t hunger that gnawed at me. It was the crushing weight of the situation. I was alone

King Cassian standing in the doorway. His dark, piercing eyes met mine, and for the first time since I'd been

ow and commanding. He took a step inside, his presence filling the roo

I did. The air between us was thick with tension, but

th anger, but I held my ground. "You bring me here, loc

assed through his eyes. "Yes. You will follow them, whether you like i

. The hurt swirled inside me, but I refused to let it show. My mind raced, my thoughts tangled. What had I expected? I wasn't in some

teady despite the storm inside me. "Why am I re

e distance between us with slow, deliberate steps. His gaze never wavered

"That's why you're here. I can't allow a threat to my kingdom to go una

ut them in danger, but I'd done it anyway. I'd chosen to protect them at al

voice rising. "Do you think I wanted to be d

brief, almost imperceptible, but it was there. For a moment, I thought I saw something softer

his tone softening slightly. "But this

frustration and disbelief. "You want me to accept

ian stood there, staring at me, his presence overwhelming. I could feel the bond, that pull, tugging

is real. Whether you like it or not, we are tied together. Our fates are lin

nd. I've lost everything. I can't just pretend this bond mea

e words seemed to strike him harder than I expected, but

ou trusted. But Ivy, we are not the same. You may not understand now, but you will. The pain of b

I could feel the weight of his words, but I wasn't

ngers brushing lightly against my cheek. It wasn't rough or demanding-just a simple touch, as if testing the water

," he murmured. "But I am asking you t

t nothing about this felt right. But instead, I stood frozen, the

e. Then, with a resigned sigh, Cassia

voice barely above a whisper. "

ight. I needed time. Time to sort through the wreckage o

s cage of stone and shadows, with no wa

ian'

between us was undeniable, and no amount of anger or resentment would change that. But I couldn't expect her to just fall in line. Sh

mixture of anger, pain, and confusion. I could feel the weight of her distrust pressing down on me, b

she couldn't keep run

his, Ivy-your loyalty to your pack will only go so far. This king

r silence spoke loude

he door, but before I left,

ne," I said soft