The Lunar Queen Chapter 87

Cole POV

When we get to the hospital, Dad is pacing in the waiting room. Back and forth, over and over, like standing still isn’t an option right now. When I step inside, he’s on me instantly.

“What happened to him, who would do this to him?” he asks.

“He’s just a pup,” he says softly. The word sits heavier coming from him than it should.

“He is a pup who is the Beta of the rogue king, he knew what he was getting himself into helping her, helping me,” I say. Even as I say it, it doesn’t land clean. Not fully.

“How did he end up with David as a rogue?” he asks.

“Him and Freya joined White Mountain Pack, and when it was attacked she was taken as a breeder for your brother’s Beta, she had to agree to do whatever for him to even take Jonathan with her,” I say to him, locking eyes with him. I don’t look away this time. Not from him. Not from what that means.

“This is all my fault,” he says, voice cracking, and he drops into a chair. Just drops, like something gave out under him.

The doctor and Tabitha walk out of his room.

“How is he?” I ask.

“Thanks to Queen Tabitha removing the silver and stopping the blood, he will be fine,” Doctor Stewart says.

“He’s actually awake, and asking for you, Alpha,” she says.

When we walk into the room, he smiles at me. Too easy. Too normal for everything that just happened to him.

“Hello brother,” he says.

“The word lands heavier this time. Not just something said. Something real now.”

“What happened, Jonathan?” I ask.

“When we got to Howling Moon, the Alpha was ready and waiting for us. When we attacked and stormed the pack, we were losing from the start and then the bears, they started roaring before they ran off in the middle of the fight. We had to retreat but none of the pack’s warriors followed us. They just made sure we crossed the border and when we were running back to the settlement he had two of the rogues grab me,” he says, pausing to catch his breath. Each word takes effort. You can hear it. See it.

“He said nobody knew about the attack besides me and him and Axel and him dying at the same time of the attack wasn’t coincidence,” he says.

He shakes his head. “He said he knew I betrayed him the day before at the clinic but he couldn’t prove it and this failed attack and Axel’s death were proof and he pulled a silver knife from his pocket and stabbed me for every year I claimed to be his brother and then he left me to die,” he says, voice cracking at the end, tears streaming down his face.

That sits in my chest heavier than anything else. Not the attack. Not the betrayal. The years. Counted out like that. Paid back in blood.

“I just wanted to save my mate and Lyric, she is special. My mother used to tell me stories about her. Well the wolf who would be reborn with Eloise’s face and save the wolves,” he says.

“How did you get here?” Tabitha asks her voice rough with emotion.

He looks at her and tilts his head slightly, like he’s trying to focus through the pain instead of answering right away “You really look like her” he says in awe.

“The purple eyes are kind of freaky but wow it’s like staring at her” he says and there’s something off about the way he says it—not fear, not confusion—just quiet recognition, like he’s grounding himself in something familiar so he doesn’t slip

“I ran, Howling Moon isn’t that far from here” he says like it didn’t cost him anything, like his body isn’t barely holding together right now

She gasps “Oh my goddess, how are you even alive” She cries.

He smiles at her and it’s weak but real, like he already made peace with the fact that he shouldn’t be “I guess Selene felt it wasn’t my time” he says before looking at me.

“I’m sorry I got found out before you were able to get to her” he says to me and that hits harder than anything else he said—because even like this he’s thinking about her, about the mission, not himself

A lump forms in my throat, I clear my throat once, twice before speaking and it doesn’t go away, it just sits there heavy, choking everything I actually want to say

“It’s okay, we will get her back tomorrow. We will break the spell and kill the witch tomorrow and I will bring both of our mates home”

The words come out steady, but my chest tightens the second I say it—because tomorrow isn’t soon enough, and we both know it.

He sits up quickly. “I’m going with you tomorrow,” he says.

I shake my head and sigh heavy. “Jonathan you can’t go. David has to think you are dead, he needs to think he was successful in killing you,” I say to him.

He growls at me and Zeus answers immediately. Sharp. Immediate. No hesitation.

He bares his neck. “I’m sorry, I just need to get to my mate. If he finds out she is there he will kill her,” he says urgently.

That urgency hits clean. No hesitation. No second thought. Same place I’ve been sitting in since she was taken.

“I can change his face and then he can go,” Tabitha says lightly.

I turn to her. “Are you sure?” I ask.

She smiles. “Yes Cole I am, that is a beginner spell,” she says.

Jonathan nods his head. “Lyric changed Seraphina’s face when she first got there, so that she can walk around more freely,” he says.

Even here, even now, she’s still moving pieces. Still staying ahead. That steadies something in me. Just enough.

“Okay so we change your face and you go and help us get my mate and pups out as safely as possible,” I say.

“Her plan is to escape the day after tomorrow because that’s when she thinks you are coming to rescue her,” he says.

“Well then she will be excited to see me come early,” I say. The thought settles in sharp. I don’t wait anymore.

“Dominic inform the warriors and Alphas we will be attacking the settlement tomorrow and tell the Alphas to have their enforcers get ready to kill the witch in the morning, we leave first thing. No more waiting it’s time to bring our Queen home,” I say.

“Yes Alpha, it’s getting done as we speak,” he says, eyes glazing over.

“Jonathan get some rest because tomorrow you will be fighting against wolves you stood beside for a long time,” I say, turning to walk out of the room.

“Thank you Cole for believing me and saving my life,” he says.

I turn back before walking out the door. “You’re welcome brother,” I say. This time it sits right. Not forced. Not questioned. Just there.

Everyone leaves behind me except my father and Tabitha. I look back.

“She is asking if he knows what spell the witch used to hide the settlement,” Tobias says.

I nod slowly. Everything is lining up too fast now. No room left to hesitate.

“Let’s all get some rest tomorrow we end this,” I say.

Tomorrow princess. Closer now. Close enough I can feel it.

Tomorrow David pays for touching what is mine. That thought doesn’t spike. It settles. Deep. Certain.

He dies for all the lives that have been lost by his hand.

Tomorrow he loses everything he built.

Everything.