His Abandoned Luna Chapter 88

The morning sun streamed through the tall windows of the royal dining room, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floor. The air was thick with tension, the kind that made it hard to breathe. Kael stood silently near the fireplace, his arms crossed, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might shatter. His usually confident demeanor was replaced by a simmering rage, barely contained beneath the surface.

Darius, the Alpha King, paced the room like a caged predator, his footsteps echoing ominously. His face was flushed with anger, his silver hair disheveled as though he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly. He stopped abruptly and threw the morning newspaper onto the coffee table with such force that it slid off and landed at Kael’s feet. The headline was impossible to miss.

“Royal Scandal: Kael Caught in Compromising Position with Omega.” Beneath it was a grainy but unmistakable photo of Kael, naked and furious, being swarmed by reporters.

Luna Cassandra sat on the sofa, her posture regal but her face pale. She held a hand to her throbbing temple, her other hand gripping the armrest so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her usually composed demeanor was fraying at the edges, and her eyes flickered between her husband and her son, a storm of emotions brewing beneath her calm exterior.

“What the fuck do you think you were doing?” Darius’s voice boomed through the room, shaking the very walls. His tone was laced with a fury that made even the servants in the hallway flinch and hurry away.

Kael didn’t respond. He simply stared at the newspaper, his mind racing. How had it come to this? His plan had been flawless— or so he thought. He’d seen Lilac drink the wine. He’d made sure the omega smelled like her, like pure lavender. How had it all gone so wrong? Someone had set him up, but who? Lilac wasn’t capable of something like this. Was it another alpha? One of his rivals? His thoughts were a whirlwind of suspicion and anger.

“Look at him, Cassandra,” Darius snarled, turning to his wife. “This is your son. The heir to the throne. The future Alpha King. And this is how he represents us?”

Cassandra’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Kael. “The last thing I needed was to see my son naked on the front page of every newspaper,” she said, her voice cold and cutting. “What were you thinking, Kael?”

“I asked you to make a public statement, an apology. That’s all. Is that how you apologize? By showing your naked ass to the entire kingdom?” Darius roared, his voice reverberating through the room.

Kael remained silent, his fists clenched at his sides. There was no point in defending himself. The damage was done, and no amount of explanation would undo it. But the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that this was a setup. Someone had outmaneuvered him, and he needed to find out who.

“Believe me, Mom, this was a trap,” Kael finally said, his voice low and strained. “I made sure Lilac drank the wine. And that omega— she smelled exactly like her. Like pure lavender. Someone orchestrated this.”

“A trap?” Cassandra’s eyebrows shot up, her voice dripping with skepticism. “And who, pray tell, would go to such lengths to humiliate you?”

“I don’t know,” Kael admitted, his frustration boiling over. “But it wasn’t an accident. Someone wanted this to happen.”

“You don’t fuck in another alpha’s territory, Kael,” Darius snapped, his patience wearing thin. “It’s as simple as that. You don’t give them ammunition to use against you.”

“That’s right,” Cassandra chimed in, her tone sharp. “If this was part of your plan, you should have told us. We could have arranged it better— in our territory, where we control the narrative. But now? Look at this mess.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Kael said, his voice firm, though his confidence wavered.

“No, you won’t,” Darius growled, his eyes blazing. “You’ve done enough damage. Your mother and I will handle this. Meanwhile, you will stay in the castle. You’re not to leave under any circumstances.”

Kael’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with disbelief. “What? Are you putting me under house arrest?”

“You should be thankful that’s all your father is doing,” Cassandra said, her voice icy. “If it were any other alpha king candidate, we would have disqualified them by now.”

“Is that a threat?” Kael asked, his voice dangerously low.

“You have no idea what a real threat looks like,” Darius shot back, his tone equally cold. “And that’s our fault. We’ve pampered you way too much.”

"And keep that little mate of yours in check. I don't want her wondering off to other Alpha’s territory, asking for asylum." Cassandra added.

"Asher was furious. It was his son's party. He even found his Luna. A perfect event turned into complete chaos by you," Darius yelled.

"You better prepare an apology speech while we clean up your fucking ass," he added.

Kael didn’t wait for another word. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the dining room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Darius and Cassandra in a heavy silence.

“What do we do, Darius?” Cassandra asked, her voice trembling slightly as she looked at her husband.

“What we always do,” Darius replied, his tone grim. “We give them something else to talk about.”

“I understand,” Cassandra said, though her heart wasn’t in it. She was more than disappointed— she was devastated. It felt like a dark cloud had settled over their lives, unraveling everything she had worked so hard to build. She had sacrificed so much to secure Kael’s future, to make him the favored son. She had even gone so far as to tarnish Alaric’s name, to ensure Kael would inherit the throne. But now, it was all falling apart.

“Cassandra,” Darius said, his voice cutting through her thoughts. “This is the last chance I’m giving Kael.”

Her head snapped up, her eyes wide with alarm. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve had enough,” Darius said, his tone final. “He has made too many mistakes in the last few months. If this continues, even if he becomes king, the Alpha Council may vote for a reelection.”

Cassandra’s heart sank. She knew the politics of the council all too well. “And we already look biased,” she said quietly. “We haven’t disqualified him after the Ezra incident. If it were anyone else, they’d be in jail by now.”

“Exactly,” Darius said, his voice heavy with frustration. “Benson might have let it slide for the sake of our relationship, but the other alphas haven’t forgotten. And now, Alpha Asher is furious with Kael. That mate of his— Coco— tried to slander Lilac. Even if Kael claims he has no connection to her, the fact that he hasn’t rejected her is a problem. If he plans to take her as his Luna in the future, it will only make things worse.”

“I know,” Cassandra admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. She knew the politics, the alliances, the delicate balance of power. But she also knew her son. And she knew that Kael was slipping through her fingers.

“The election is close,” Darius continued. “The candidates will be revealed soon. For now, I’ve asked a few alphas to stand in the election— for show. They’re loyal to me, so they won’t betray us.”

“What if they do?” Cassandra asked, her voice trembling. “Given how things are, one of them might even get more votes than Kael.”

“It’s a possibility,” Darius admitted. “But I have dirt on all of them. They won’t dare betray me. Even if they win, they’ll step aside.”

Cassandra nodded, though her heart wasn’t convinced. “Alright then,” she said, her voice hollow.

“But if I see Kael step out of line again,” Darius said, his tone leaving no room for argument, “I won’t back him anymore. I’m the Alpha King, Cassandra. When I took you as my Luna, I made it clear that I wouldn’t be biased toward anyone who’s up to no good. And clearly, Kael might not hold up his title as king the way we’ve envisioned.”

“Darius, he’s your son,” Cassandra said, her voice breaking.

“And he’s not the only one,” Darius replied, his words cutting through her like a knife.

Cassandra’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you out of your mind? Alaric has so many rumors swirling around him. He was even banished from the castle.”

“Yet none of those rumors involve him showing his naked ass on television,” Darius shot back. “And his pack has flourished under his leadership. He’s a good alpha, Cassandra. He might even end up being a better king than Kael.”

Darius turned and left the room, leaving Cassandra alone with her thoughts. Her heart was a storm of anger and despair. This wasn’t how she had envisioned Kael’s future. All her plans were crumbling, and she couldn’t help but feel that Alaric was at the center of it all. She should have killed him when she had the chance. Even after all these years, all the rumors, Darius still took Alaric’s side. And she knew why. It was because of her. Aria. That woman had been dead for years, but her ghost still haunted the castle— and Darius’s heart.

Cassandra’s hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She wouldn’t let this happen. She wouldn’t let Alaric win. Not now. Not ever.