The Lunar Queen Chapter 49

Serena POV

The next morning I walk into the dark witch’s shop , the air thick and suffocating, like something in here is always watching even when it’s quiet.

“You’re early,” she says without looking up, like she already knew I was coming.

“He found his mate,” I growl out , the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

Her head snaps up so fast it almost looks unnatural, “She’s been reborn?” she whispers , fear flashing across her face before she can hide it.

“Who are you talking about?” I snap at her , irritation spiking at the way she’s acting like she knows more than me.

“Eloise, you idiot—but this one is worse, stronger. The prophecy is coming to pass. What is her name?” she says.

“Lyric,” I say.

She pricks her finger and drops it into a bowl. The bowl releases smoke that curls and twists unnaturally, like it’s alive, it turns a bright white, then red , the color deepening like blood spreading through water, and then it explodes.

“No,” she says low , her voice suddenly tight with something dangerously close to panic.

“Look, I don’t know what you just did, but I need a spell to get rid of her,” I say, annoyed , even though something about her reaction doesn’t sit right with me.

“Is she pregnant?” she finally says , her eyes locking onto mine like she already knows the answer.

“What? No, she isn’t pregnant,” I say quickly , my stomach tightening at the question.

“She has to be. I felt it. That power isn’t just hers,” she says, her voice dropping lower. “I need you to bring me her blood, and I will give you a spell that will kill her.”

“Good, because Daddy promised my cousin the throne and me Cole,” I say.

“David wants more than the throne, you silly girl,” she says , a slow smile creeping across her face that makes my skin crawl. “Now go bring me her blood, and you will get your spell.”

She dismisses me.

Great. Now I need to find a way to get that stupid bitch’s blood , and after seeing what she did in that chamber… it’s not going to be as easy as I thought.

“Serena, you saw her power. She doesn’t feel like a normal she-wolf. I don’t think this is a good idea,” Greta, my wolf, says , unease threading through her voice.

“Yes, it is. Our mate rejected us. Cole was supposed to be ours—he has to be,” I snap at her.

She whimpers in my mind , the pain of rejection echoing through me whether I want to feel it or not.

Cole will be ours, and this whore will die, and if she is pregnant, so will her bastards.

This isn’t over, Lyric.

I will become Queen , no matter how much blood it takes to get there.

Lyric POV

The next morning I wake up to little hands wrapped around my body , warm and small against me, grounding me in a way I didn’t know I needed.

I smile down at the little girl wrapped around me.

“She really loves you already,” Mira says, looking at us from the bed that was brought in last night.

“I love her too, she is adorable,” I say , brushing my fingers lightly through Elise’s hair as she shifts closer to me in her sleep.

“How are you feeling about becoming a Queen?” Iris asks, coming out of the bathroom.

“Honestly, it hasn’t really sunk in. We had a small run-in with the council that put us in a tough spot because now they know their thoughts aren’t safe, so it probably was the wrong card to play so early, but they tried to make it seem like I was too weak for Cole, so I aired some dirty laundry,” I say, shrugging my shoulders even though I can still feel the tension from that room lingering under my skin.

“Oh, you are going to be the best Queen ever,” Winter says.

We all laugh at that.

“Well, now they know they have to change their approach if they want to try to get you out,” Mira says.

“Yeah, there’s a she-wolf that the council has been trying to get Cole to take as a chosen mate. She is going to be a problem,” I say , Serena’s face flashing through my mind for a split second.

“Oh great, another Summer,” Winter says.

“Yeah, she might be worse because her father is on the council and David is also her cousin. I read everybody,” I say, smirking.

“They are all working together, but something is missing, and something isn’t adding up,” I say , the unease settling heavier the more I think about it.

“What do you mean?” Winter asks.

“Not sure. Just everyone keep your heads on a swivel. We can only trust each other,” I say , my tone more serious now.

“We can trust Juliet also, that is the Gamma’s mate,” Mira says.

“I’m hungry,” Elise says next to me , completely unaware of the tension in the room.

“Good morning, pretty girl, and okay, let’s go get some breakfast,” I say, smiling at her.

“My love, where can we get some food?” I link Cole.

“Good morning, my Queen. Tell Elise to bring you to the royal family private dining room,” he links back.

“See you soon, my king,” I say, closing the link.

“Elise, your brother said you can take us to the private family dining room,” I say, stroking her hair.

She smiles up at me. “Okay.”

We all get up, brush our teeth, shower, and get dressed. I put on a light pink, long-sleeve, floor-length satin dress—simple but elegant.

We follow Elise to the dining hall, and Cole is on me the moment we walk in , like he needs to touch me to make sure I’m actually here.

He sticks his head in the crook of my neck, calming Zeus and himself.

“Hello, my love,” I say to him.

“Please, no more sleepovers. I can’t sleep without you anymore,” I say.

We sit down as everyone files in for breakfast. All the guys do the same as Cole the moment they see their mates, and all of us ladies laugh , the tension easing for just a second.

A guy walks in that I haven’t seen—he must be the Gamma. Then his mate walks in, and we both recognize each other and scream, as does Winter.

“How fucking small is this world, Juliet? We didn’t know it was you,” Winter says.

“The Moon Goddess is very clever for this,” I say, smiling.

“What did I miss?” the Gamma says.

“Well, Juliet is actually from our pack. She’s our Gamma’s daughter. She went to her mom’s home pack when she was younger after an accident at the waterfall, and she never came back. Aside from that, all of you are mated to someone related to me in some kind of way…” I explain.

“That is insane,” the Gamma says.

“Lyric, this is my mate Caleb,” Juliet says.

“Nice to meet you, Caleb,” I say.

“Nice to meet you too, Luna,” he says.

“Not here—in here, we all family,” I say, smiling at him.

“Let’s eat,” I say.

As the servants begin bringing out the plates, we all start small conversations among each other , the room filling with a warmth that almost makes me forget everything from yesterday.

As a servant goes to put a plate in front of me, she nicks me with a knife.

I hiss , the sting sharp and immediate, and my hand starts bleeding.

I reach for a napkin, but Nova heals it before I can use it.

“Oh my goddess, I am so sorry, my Queen. It’s only my second day serving the royal family,” she says.

“She’s lying,” Nova says instantly , her voice sharp in my head.

“I know… it was deliberate. Someone sent her. I know it was Serena,” I say to her , my gaze locking onto the girl just a second longer than necessary.

Cole growls, but I grab his hand.

“It’s okay, my love. She is new, and it was an accident. Besides, I’m all healed,” I say to him , even though every instinct in me is screaming otherwise.

“It’s okay. What is your name?” I ask her.

“Parker, my Queen,” she says, bowing.

“No worries, I am okay. Please remove this knife, as it has my blood on it, and bring me new cutlery, please,” I say.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” she says, bowing and running out , a little too fast.

“I will say this one thing, and then we need a private place to talk,” I say low.

“They are plotting… they’re escalating,” I say , the weight of it settling over the room like a storm about to break.

The room goes silent , conversations dying mid-sentence, chairs going still, every single person suddenly on edge.

And as I stare at the doorway Parker disappeared through, something in my chest tightens—because whatever they’re planning… this was just the beginning.