The Lunar Queen Chapter 9

Mason POV

The entire time I was watching them fight, I was on edge, every hit landing heavier than it should, like my body was reacting before my mind could catch up. When she swiped Lyric’s side and she dropped, I had to bite my tongue to keep Kane under control, the urge to step in almost stronger than the command to stay put.

I glanced over at Summer after the first time she dropped and saw the most sick smile on her face, as if she was getting what she wanted.

That smile doesn’t sit right. Not at all.

“Hey Hunter, do you think Summer would hurt Lyric?” I ask him.

“I’m not sure, but with the number of she-wolves she scared away from you, I wouldn’t be surprised,” he says.

“Why?” he asks.

“Winter told me yesterday somebody stabbed Lyric with a silver knife at school. I think Summer had something to do with it,” I link him so nobody hears what I say.

He growls low and menacing.

The sound matches exactly how I feel.

“Calm yourself, bet. Whoever did this will pay, and if Summer is involved in any way, she will suffer for hurting my Luna,” I growl over the link.

The words come out possessive without hesitation—and I don’t even question it.

When Lyric drops the second time after Savannah hits her in the same spot, my suspicions are confirmed—only someone who knew about the wound would know to attack her there.

This isn’t coincidence. It’s planned.

When Lyric gets back up and flips her on her back, the pride that swells through me and Kane is like no other.

“Our mate is strong,” he says.

Stronger than she should have to be.

The moment she drops to her knees and I smell her blood, I’m on her.

No hesitation. No thought. Just movement.

I scoop her up and head straight for the pack hospital.

“Mason, put me down. I can walk,” she says weakly.

“No, you are hurt. I will carry you,” I say, kissing her forehead, the contact automatic, instinctive, like I’ve done it before.

She lays her head on my chest and passes out from blood loss.

The second she goes limp, something inside me tightens hard.

“Doc, heading there with Lyric. Her wound opened,” I link Dr. Grant.

“Got it, alpha. We are ready for her,” she links back.

When we arrive, they already have a stretcher waiting for her. They roll her into a room, and a nurse stops me at the door as I try to follow them in.

I growl at her.

The sound isn’t controlled this time—it’s sharp, dangerous.

“She is my mate. I am going in there with her,” I snarl in her face.

She bows her head in submission as I release my aura.

It pushes out harder than I intended—but I don’t pull it back.

“We are sorry, alpha. Please come and sit with your mate. Your being close is good for her, but please release us so we can help her,” Dr. Grant grits out.

I Pull my aura back in so they can help Lyric.

Reluctantly. Barely.

I stroke her hair while they cut open her shirt to look at her side, forcing myself to stay still while they work on her.

I link Hunter. “Where are you?”

“In the waiting room, Alpha. They won’t let us in the room,” he links back.

“I will be right back,” I tell the doctor and step outside to talk to Hunter.

Winter runs up to me when she sees me, tears in her eyes.

“Is she okay? What did they say?” she asks, grabbing my shirt.

“They are stitching her back up now,” I say softly to her.

She jerks out of my arms.

“This is all your fault. If you weren’t dating that evil bitch, none of this would have happened,” she yells, walking outside the hospital.

The words hit—but I don’t argue. Because I don’t know if she’s wrong.

Lucas follows her outside.

Our parents run in shortly after.

“Mason, is Hunter? Is Lyric okay?” Beta Elizabeth asks.

“Yes, she is getting her wound restitched,” I say.

“What wound? What are you talking about?” her mom asks.

“Lyric was stabbed at school with a silver knife, and she told Winter she didn’t know who did it,” I growl out.

“Why didn’t Dr. Grant say anything to us?” Beta Donovan asks.

“I’m not sure, Beta,” I say.

When Dr. Grant finally steps out, Lyric’s mom is on her.

“Why didn’t you tell us our daughter was stabbed with a silver knife?” she growls, eyes flashing to her wolf.

“She asked me not,” the doc says.

“She is a pup,” Beta Donovan snarls.

“Alpha, if I may?” she asks my dad.

“With all due respect, Beta, Lyric has been coming in here for years with different injuries that she kept telling me were from falls around the packhouse. You two never knew about any of them, so please forgive me if the sudden concern doesn’t move me. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go check on Lyric,” she says, walking away and leaving us all stunned.

Years of injuries.

The words don’t process right away—they just sit there, heavy and wrong.

What has she been going through all these years, and how did we all miss it?

How did I miss it?

Her mother breaks down crying.

And for the first time, anger isn’t just there—it’s focused.

Lyric POV

I wake up to the sound of beeping.

“Ugh, what happened?” I say, grabbing my head.

“Hey, try not to move,” Mason says, and I freeze.

That voice—too close. Too familiar.

What is he doing here?

As everything floods back to me, I realize he carried me here, in front of the entire pack.

Oh no.

What did he do?

“Mason, what are you doing here?” I ask weakly.

“I just needed to make sure you were okay; you passed out in my arms, Lyric,” he says, his voice cracking.

The crack in his voice makes something in my chest tighten—and I hate that it does.

“Who did this to you? Who’s been hurting you all these years?” he asks.

My head snaps to him at the last question.

“What did you just say?” I ask slowly.

“Who’s been hurting you all these years?” he repeats, slowly, through clenched teeth.

There’s something different in his tone now—something darker.

“Who told you I’ve been hurt?” I ask.

“Lyric, don’t play dumb with me,” he snarls, causing me to jump.

That tone—alpha, commanding—too much. Too fast.

I turn away from him.

“I’m sorry, my sunflower. I didn’t mean to yell at you,” he says, coming closer.

My sunflower—he actually remembers his nickname for me.

And that hurts more than it should.

“Our mate loves us,” Nova whispers.

“That’s the mate bond making him feel that way. Two days ago, he couldn’t even be bothered with me,” I tell her.

“Mason, I’d like for you to leave,” I say almost in a whisper.

“Lyric, baby, please. I just want to help,” he pleads, grabbing my hands.

His touch burns in a way that has nothing to do with pain.

“If you want to help, please leave me alone,” I tell him.

“Winter, where are you?” I link Winter.

“Outside your room,” she responds.

“Can you find out when I can leave?” I ask her via link.

“Mason, please, GET THE F* OUT!”** I yell, and he flinches.

The flinch hits me harder than anything else.

But the look on his face breaks me to my core, and I have to look away to stop myself from telling him to come back in and apologizing.

Nova whimpers inside my mind.

“I’m sorry, Nova. It’s either him or us,” I tell her.

“I know, but it still hurts. I want our mate,” she whines.

“So do I, but being around him right now isn’t safe,” I reply.

And that’s the truth I can’t ignore.

Winter enters.

“The doc said you’re good to go. No training for the next three days. Take it easy,” she says, glancing at Mason.

“Please,” she adds.

He looks at me one last time before turning and walking out of the room.

And something in me wants to call him back. I don’t.

“Ready to go?” she asks.

“Very much so,” I reply, and we head out of the pack hospital, returning to the pack house.

Because now he knows something’s been happening to me all these years…

and Mason isn’t the type to let something like that go.

Which means staying away from him just went from hard… to impossible.