The Lunar Queen Chapter 74

Jonathan POV

I knew today he would try to take her, she said he’s tried twice already and I know he’s been getting impatient and Ivana isn’t enough anymore.

And that impatience? That’s what’s going to get her hurt if I don’t move first.

I needed something to get him out of there with her. I heard about what happened to her in her old pack and if I want Cole to accept me I need to protect her and his pups.

Not just for him—for me. Because if I fail here, there’s no coming back from it.

I had Seraphina go wait for Cole again. He has to come back one of these days.

I killed 3 of our own. Three that were working closely with him and left them at the border.

Their blood is still on my hands. Still under my nails. I didn’t even bother cleaning it properly.

I had Seraphina use magic to make it seem like it was Agora. Then I called him to the border.

Push them into each other. Let monsters deal with monsters.

If we can put both of them on her, one of them will take her out.

And if I’m wrong… Lyric pays for it.

If Seraphina was able to talk to Cole then we can get her out sooner. The pups are getting closer and our window to get her out is closing.

David hasn’t left since he got her. He hasn’t even left to deal with the attacks he sent me.

That’s not strategy anymore. That’s obsession. Dangerous obsession.

Two more packs were destroyed, I managed to get the alphas and betas of both packs out, but it’s getting harder to play both sides, eventually I will have to pick a side.

I know what side I am picking but it’s hard to sneak around with David, he’s more paranoid now that we know Agora is plotting against him.

He watches everything now. Every movement. Every silence.

Getting him to even leave anymore is hard to do. He’s becoming obsessed with having her and I’m afraid he might hurt her to get it.

No—I know he will. It’s not a maybe anymore.

We need to get the spell removed or have it be down temporarily that way Cole can find this place.

She’s running out of time and David is still trying to find a way to get to the runes, now that the council is all dead and the gamma was likely captured because we haven’t heard from him.

We have no eyes in Hidden Moon so the only way in is to fight and I don’t think he wants that, but if he can’t get the runes then he can’t start a war because he will lose.

And a losing David is the most dangerous version of him.

I slip into Lyric’s room after I have been away from David for at least an hour.

I pause at the door for half a second—listening—making sure he’s nowhere near before I step in.

“hey have you seen Seraphina yet?” I ask her but she doesn’t respond.

That silence hits wrong immediately. Too heavy. Too still.

“Lyric we are going to get you out of here, I promise” I say softly to her as I hear her soft sobs.

“I’m alone now, he took my wolf, he took my magic and my mate and he’s going to take something else from me. I don’t want to ever go through that again, I don’t want to keep being the victim” she cries chest heaving.

Her words don’t just land—they stick. Because I helped put her here.

“He tied me to a bed Jonathan, I was helpless and when I give birth I will be helpless again, those she-wolves did whatever he told them to” she says.

My jaw tightens so hard it aches. I look away for a second—because I can’t let her see what that just did to me.

I need to get her out of here. Where is Seraphina.

“Lyric I know it may not seem like it right now but you will get out of here and you will get back to your mate” I say firmly to her.

I make it sound certain. Even though I don’t have certainty to give.

She looks at me green eyes sparkling with fresh tears.

“can you promise me it will be before he touches me again, before he continues to take things I did not give him, things that are only for my mate?, can you promise me that my pups and I will survive this, promise me that I won’t lose myself being held captive in a room that was designed to bring me comfort but only brings me pain. I hated being in that pack, I was abused most of my life in that pack and this room is a constant reminder” she chokes out.

There it is. The part I can’t answer. The part that makes me hesitate—and she notices.

“I just want my mate, I just want my parents, why me?, why does so much bad shit happen to me?” she screams and her screams makes my chest tighten.

Because I didn’t stop it. Because I played both sides too long.

I want to comfort her and tell her yes I promise all of that, but I can’t, I can’t even promise her tomorrow.

And that makes me just as useless as everyone who hurt her.

At that moment Seraphina runs in frantic.

She stops short when she sees Lyric’s face.

“what happened, why are you crying?” she asks.

“I want to go home” Lyric cries.

Seraphina smiles “I saw your mate, he knows you are here” she says.

Lyric’s head shoots up and she tries to stand too quickly and falls.

Too fast—her body can’t keep up—and it reminds me how fragile this situation really is.

I run to grab her.

“hey sit, you need to slow down” I say to her.

“you saw him?, how does he look?, is he okay?” she asks

“yes my queen I did, and he looks bad, these two weeks have been hard on him I can see it in his eyes, he carries guilt and pain. He told me to tell you that he said he would always find you” Seraphina says

Lyric begins to cry harder.

Not breaking—just… releasing something she’s been holding in for days.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry” Seraphina says.

Lyric shakes her head

“he found me when my sister had someone slice the word freak into my back, he found me after searching and waiting years to find me just from seeing my eyes. He found me again, did you bring him here?” she asks Seraphina.

She shakes her head

“he came here when David first took you, your pups drew him here, I just made the pull stronger briefly so he knew his wolf was right to bring him here” she says to her.

“thank you” Lyric says.

“he is working on breaking my mother’s spell, it may take some time which we don’t really have, we need a backup to get you out on our own without your mate’s help” Seraphina says.

I look at my watch,

time moving too fast—and not fast enough at the same time.

“we have to go patrols will be changing soon” I say.

“we will try to check on you tomorrow Lyric hang in there, it’s almost over” I say before we both walk out.

I don’t look back at her when I leave. Because if I do, I might not walk out at all.

The clock is already ticking in this plan and one way or another we need to be able to get her and the pups out safely.

Because if we don’t—

there won’t be anything left of her to save.