The Lunar Queen Chapter 16

Hunter POV

Since the moment we found her, I haven’t left her side, like if I step away for even a second something will happen and I won’t be there this time either.

When we walked into the hospital, I wasn’t prepared for the cries of my mom and aunt when we arrived, the kind of cries that don’t even sound human, like something is being ripped out of them.

My dad is broken; I can feel it through our bond, not just pain—something deeper, heavier, like guilt sitting where pride used to be. He feels like he failed as a father and a Beta.

Winter affected me the most. When she saw her, it was as if her entire world had shattered; none of us are hurting more than she is, and seeing her like that makes something in me twist because she’s always the strong one.

I haven’t left her room since we got here.

They had to place her on her stomach because of the cuts on her back, and even like that she looks too still, too quiet, like she’s not really here with us.

“she is no longer our sister,” Lars growls in my mind.

I still can’t wrap my mind around Summer doing this to her. I can’t comprehend any of it, no matter how many times I replay everything in my head trying to make it make sense.

All of this because of Mason.

I love him like a brother, but this is obsessive, and now I’m realizing just how dangerous that obsession became without any of us seeing it.

I never really spoke to Lyric, as crazy as that sounds, but Mason has always been around her, even as kids, like she was always somewhere in the background of everything and we just… let her stay there.

Our parents thought it was because she would be his mate, which turned out to be true.

To Mason, it was as if Summer didn’t exist; it was only Lyric. Then one day, it wasn’t, and it was Summer, and now I understand why, and the realization doesn’t sit right in my chest at all.

“we will protect her at all costs, nobody will ever hurt her again,” Lars growls.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t a good big brother to you, baby sis, but all of that changes. I’m sorry we were all so blind. No more,” I say, kissing her forehead, my lips lingering there for a second longer because I don’t know if she can feel it and I need her to.

Donovan POV

When my mate and I found out about Lyric being in the hospital yesterday and being stabbed by silver on Monday, we knew we had failed her, and the word failed doesn’t even feel strong enough for what this is.

When Sheila told us she has been treating Lyric for years for multiple injuries, my heart broke, not all at once—but in pieces with every new thing she said.

My heart is breaking for my mate.

I haven’t been able to bring myself to go into her room, because I don’t know how to look at her and not see everything we missed.

“Come to my office, Don,” Liam calls to me.

My wolf, Canon, has been whimpering in my head since we found her, a low, constant sound that I can’t shut out no matter how hard I try.

I can’t believe someone in this pack did that to my pup.

“We never paid attention to her,” Canon says.

“She was always so independent, and Mason followed her everywhere. She was the only pup we never had to worry about,” I reply.

“Or so we thought,” he adds before retreating, leaving that thought sitting heavier than anything else.

When I reach Liam’s office, I knock.

“Come in,” he responds.

Inside, the King, his Beta, his brothers, Mason, and Hunter are all gathered, and the room feels tight, like everyone is holding onto something they’re trying not to lose control of.

“Are we having a meeting?” I ask, taking a seat.

“We are, but this is mainly so we can decompress. Tonight was a lot, and the boys have some information that may help us catch who did this,” he says, his eyes flashing to Havoc, his wolf.

He hands us all a glass and pours each of us a splash of scotch—it won’t get us drunk as wolves, but it helps take the edge off, even if just barely.

“I will say, when I picked her up, she said something before she passed out,” the King says.

“What did she say, Your Highness?” I ask, feeling anxious, my grip tightening around the glass without me realizing it.

“Please just call me Cole,” he replies.

“She said, ‘I tried to stay away,’” he adds.

Mason and Hunter freeze at those words, not moving, not reacting, just going completely still like something just confirmed what they already knew.

Before I can say anything, Liam speaks first.

“I assume you guys know what she meant by that,” he asks, gripping his glass tightly.

“Yes,” Hunter replies quietly.

“Care to tell the room?” I prompt.

“Dad,” Hunter says.

“NO,” I growl, the word coming out harsher than I intended, but I don’t take it back.

“Just tell me,” I say, my voice cracking, because I already know I’m not going to like what comes next.

I open a link to my mate.

“You need to hear this too, mate,” I say.

“Okay, my love,” she responds, her voice already unsteady through the bond.

Hunter looks at Mason.

“You do it, I’m barely holding Kane together,” Mason says, his voice rough, like he’s already at his limit.

“Okay, well, this morning we decided to pay Dr. Grant a visit to see what Lyric has been hiding from us. She said the first time Lyric came, she was 7 that was the day Mason promised Lyric he would buy her whatever she wanted every year for her birthday because she was his sunflower,” he explains.

“I remember that. Emily asked her what happened,” Liam says.

“She said she fell off the swings,” Mason growls.

“Exactly,” Liam replies.

“Well, that’s also what she told Doc, but she said a few weeks later she came back with a bruise around her neck from a necklace. She told her that if she wanted her to keep her secret and help her, she would have to be honest about what was happening,” he says, pausing to gather himself, his breathing uneven like each word is getting harder to say.

“She told her that Summer broke her pinky finger after the announcement Mason made, and the bruise around her neck was from Summer attempting to strangle her with a sunflower necklace Mason bought her after she broke her pinky,” he continues.

The king, his brothers, and Beta growl after hearing that, low, dangerous sounds that fill the room without anyone trying to stop them.

Liam tries not to lose it, and I’m trying to hold on to control while my mate whimpers in my head.

“Should I stop?” Hunter asks, seeing all of our reactions.

“No, we need to know everything,” Liam replies, his voice tight, controlled, but barely.

“On her 9th birthday,” he begins.

“The horse,” Liam growls.

“Yeah, she said on her 9th birthday she came in holding her side. When she examined her, she said her ribs were badly bruised, and Lyric said Summer beat her after she saw the horse Mason got her,” he says softly.

“Wait a minute— so basically, she was jealous that the future alpha was only giving her twin sister attention and not her?” Prince Xavier asks.

“Yes, pretty much,” Hunter confirms.

“Is that it?” I ask hopefully, even though something in me already knows it isn’t.

“No, dad, it isn’t. She said after that she didn’t see her for a while until her 12th birthday, when Mason spent the whole day with her and Winter and didn’t even say happy birthday to her. So she branded her with a fire poker to the back. After that, Lyric told Mason she didn’t want to be his friend anymore,” he explains.

“After that, she didn’t see her until two months ago, when she came in with a broken arm because she overheard Mason giving Lyric a compliment to Lucas, and then last month a broken rib because Mason helped her at training,” he says, tears streaming down his face.

As I look around, we all have tears running down our faces, no one bothering to hide it anymore.

“What about Monday?” I ask.

“Well, after Mason scented her, it was kind of hard for him to stay away from her. And even though she tried to keep her distance, he wouldn’t, and he kind of alpha commanded a warrior never to speak to her again. Summer was there, so yeah,” he says.

“How did we miss all of this happening?” I ask, the question coming out quieter than everything else, but hitting harder.

“Lyric is a very quiet person, and aside from Winter, she sticks to herself—give or take a few omegas,” Liam explains.

“We need to find out who is helping her,” he adds.

“How do you know she has help?” Beta Dominic asks.

“Because summer, although of Beta blood, does not train. Lyric has been training since she was six. She is our best warrior in the pack. There’s no way Summer could overpower her, which is why all the serious injuries happened when they were teens,” Liam answers.

“The best?” the king asks.

“Yes, her and my daughter Winter are our two most skilled warriors in everything involving combat and weapons,” he says proudly.

“Wow, I didn’t even know that. Why didn’t you tell me, Liam?” I ask.

“She didn’t want you or Liz to know. Said you wouldn’t approve, that you’d just tell her she should be more like Summer,” he replies softly.

“We didn’t want her to be like Summer. We thought she was so quiet by choice. She was always so independent, and she always had Mason and Winter, so we thought we didn’t have to worry about her,” I say, voice cracking, because now every single one of those assumptions feels like a mistake.

And the more everything starts to make sense… the worse it feels.

Because this wasn’t random. It wasn’t one bad day.

This has been happening right in front of us for years…and we let it.