The Lunar Queen Chapter 61

Lyric POV

Cole looks at me with a worried expression. His eyes search my face like he already knows he’s not going to like the answer.

“What did you see?” he asks.

I shake my head. “Not here,” I say.

We all continue to the dining room.

When we sit at the table, I rest my hand on my belly as the babies are moving around. Small flutters at first… then stronger, restless movements that don’t quite settle.

Elise runs over. “Hi, Lyric,” she says.

“Hey, bug, how are you today?” I ask her.

“I’m good, I’m happy I get to meet the babies sooner,” she says.

“Yeah, so am I,” I say, smiling at her.

She runs back to her seat just as the servants start bringing out the food.

We talk about the coronation.

“Lyric sweetheart, I had the royal seamstress working on your dress to make space for your newly rounded belly,” Leah says.

“Okay, that is fine, I was worried about fitting in it after this morning.”

After the last plate is served, Cole turns to me.

“What did you see?” he asks.

His voice is lower now. Controlled. But I can feel the tension in him through the bond.

My body is still thinking about all the blood… and the look on his face.

My entire body shivers at the memory.

“I saw you soaked in blood in the throne room… bodies all around you,” I say.

The words feel heavy leaving my mouth, like I’m speaking something I shouldn’t.

“Who were the bodies?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” I reply.

“When is this happening?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did I kill them?” he asks.

That one lands different. Sharper.

“I don’t know, Cole,” I say, anger spiking.

“Well what do you know,” he growls.

I cut my eyes at him.

“I know that you are two seconds away from pissing me off,” I say, and he growls.

“Shut up. You are asking too many questions. You asked what I saw, I told you, so the follow-up questions are redundant,” I say.

My tone is sharp, but underneath it there’s something else—fear I’m trying not to sit in.

I take a bite of the steak on my plate, and before I can chew, the triplets start moving around violently.

Not playful. Not normal.

I spit the steak out.

“What’s wrong with the steak?” Cole asks immediately.

“I don’t know, the moment I put it in my mouth they started going crazy,” I say.

“They stopped when I spit it out.”

He cuts a piece of steak and brings it to his nose on the fork.

He sniffs it deeply.

“It doesn’t smell funny,” he says.

“You smell it,” Nova says.

I lean over and put my nose to the steak and inhale.

The burn from the wolfsbane hits instantly—

sharp, bitter, wrong—

and it causes me to sneeze.

“What is it?” he asks.

“Wolfsbane,” I say.

He roars.

“I didn’t smell that,” he says.

“It’s in the sauce on the steak, I smell it strongly,” I say.

My stomach twists, the babies shifting again like they’re reacting to it.

“Dom, go to the security room and check which servant put her food in front of her,” he growls.

“Can we just go to bed? I’m tired,” I say.

My energy crashes just as fast as the panic came.

“Lyric, baby, you need to eat. You barely ate anything all day today,” he says.

“I can’t eat anything else in here,” I say.

Not after that. Not after knowing they got that close again.

“I will make you something to eat myself, dear,” Leah says.

“I will go to my quarters and make you something with my own ingredients from my fridge,” she says, standing up.

“Go up to your room and I will bring it to you,” she says.

“Okay, thank you so much, Leah,” I say.

“Everyone, tomorrow is going to be a very chaotic day, so let’s make sure we stay on top of everything. Caleb, Elias, make sure security is tripled. Make sure patrols are done every 15 minutes. There should never be a spot on this entire territory that somebody doesn’t have eyes on at all times. Are we clear?” Cole says.

“Yes, Alpha,” they both say.

Cole picks me up and carries me to the room.

“I can walk, Cole,” I say.

“I know, but I need to have you close. Zeus is going wild in my head. This is the second time someone messed with your food and the third time you were targeted since coming here,” he says.

His grip tightens just a little, like he’s reminding himself I’m still here.

I nuzzle my head under his chin.

“I’m fine, my love. We are fine,” I say to him as he walks into the room.

He sets me down on the bed and walks into the closet.

He comes out with a silk nightgown and silk pajama bottoms for himself.

About 30 minutes later, there is a knock at the door.

Cole walks to the door and Leah walks in with a tray in her hands.

“I brought enough for both of you,” she says as she walks in and sets the tray down on the table.

“Thank you, Leah,” I say.

“You are welcome, sweet girl,” she says, kissing my cheek and then Cole’s before walking out and closing the door behind her.

The smell is heavenly.

Warm. Safe. Normal—something I didn’t realize I needed until now.

He lifts the lids on the plates and my mouth salivates at the sight.

Medium-rare steak, potatoes, mixed vegetables, homemade rolls.

I dig in instantly.

Cole watches, amusement in his eyes.

“What,” I growl, glaring at him.

“You look cute when you’re eating savagely,” he says, laughing.

I smack his arm. “Oh shut it, I’m eating for four now and I’ve barely had a bite of anything to eat today,” I say, biting a roll.

It’s still warm.

After we eat, Cole pulls me into his lap and carries me to the bed.

I wrap my legs around him instinctively when he stands.

He sets me on the bed and lays next to me.

I turn into his side and lay my head on his chest.

He runs his fingers through my hair, and before I can even process how good it feels—

sleep takes me.

David POV

Today is the day.

I get my queen today.

My wolf stirs under my skin at the thought—restless, impatient.

And I hope everybody plays their part.

Today is the only chance before she gives birth.

I tap the pocket with the two potions I need.

I grab the memory potion off the desk and walk out the door.

The coronation starts at 5 PM.

I should have her in my arms by 7 PM.

Two hours. That’s all it will take to tear his world apart.

I get downstairs and Jonathan is waiting outside with Agora’s daughter.

He still hasn’t killed her yet.

Interesting. Risky.

I guess he’s waiting until after we are successful.

He needs to do it soon—she is a liability the longer she is around.

My phone rings.

I pull it out of my pocket and look at the screen.

Frances.

“I hope you are not calling to give me bad news,” I say as soon as I answer.

“No, sir, I was just calling to let you know my guards are set to be at the south side of the border between 4:45 and 5 PM. That is your window to get onto the territory. There is a secret passageway in the throne room that leads to a tunnel that leaves you just outside the territory. She will be delivered to you from there, so one of your men should be there to get her. It is about a 20-minute walk through,” he says.

Delivered. Like she’s already his to give.

“I will be there to get her myself. Make sure Serena is ready to do her part because she has the most important role when it comes to tonight—distracting the king. We are heading out soon. Be ready,” I say, ending the call.

“Jonathan, start loading everything up,” I say as I walk to the car.

Tonight I have her.

And then I will be one step closer to taking the throne…

and taking over the supernatural world.

Tonight needs to go perfectly.

Because if it doesn’t—

I won’t just take his queen.

I’ll burn his entire kingdom to the ground until she’s the only thing he has left to lose.