Page 2 of A Reign of Malice (Wolves of Lunara #3)

CHAPTER TWO

SLOANE

I ’ve barely started picking at my breakfast in the formal dining room when we’re interrupted.

Clara and I exchange a glance as Dasha, Aeson’s top advisor, steps into the room.

She hesitates, standing across the table from us, her brown eyes downcast and her fingers fidgeting in front of her waist. Her demeanor is the complete opposite of Clara’s brash confidence.

“I apologize for interrupting, Queen Sloane,” Dasha says softly, her voice almost as fragile as the unease now coiling in my chest. “But an urgent call has come through from your castle.” She hesitates, glancing between me and Clara, before adding, “There’s an issue with your water supply.

Easton is requesting to speak with you immediately. ”

Clara stiffens beside me, her gaze snapping to mine. We don’t need to ask what that means. We already know because there’s only one problem there could be at this point.

The well has officially run dry.

The last thread of hope that Alcaris might revive itself has finally snapped.

The weight of that reality settles over me like a suffocating blanket, but I push back from my chair, refusing to let it pin me down.

Clara rises with me, her comforting presence grounding.

“Thank you for delivering the message, Dasha. I’ll return Easton’s call promptly,” I manage, my voice steadier than I feel.

Before I can take a step forward, the door bursts open, and King Aeson strides into the room with his signature flair, his dark blue eyes scanning the space until they land on me.

A sliver of warmth pools in my chest, but it isn’t attraction. It’s something softer, something that feels like a reminder—an unspoken assurance that, no matter what, I can rely on this man to help.

“I came to find you as soon as I heard,” Aeson says, closing the distance between us with purpose. He reaches for my hands, taking both in his. His touch is firm, his concern palpable. “I’m so sorry, Sloane. What do you want me to do?”

His kindness is overwhelming. Almost too eager, too generous. Unrelenting.

“I need to return the call to my pack and speak with my advisor,” I say, stepping back.

But he doesn’t let go.

“Tell them all to come here,” he insists, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Your people can’t survive long without fresh water. I know we’ve yet to make things official, but my kingdom is open to them regardless of what happens.”

His offer sounds perfect, but doubts simmer beneath the surface. Why does he want my pack here so badly? Yet, my wolf stirs, bristling at my hesitation. She trusts him without question, her belief in his sincerity unshakable, thanks to this strange connection between us.

Still, I’m not so easily convinced.

I nod and offer a polite smile. “I’ll let my other advisors know and see what they think. ”

“Good,” he replies, his smile growing wider.

There’s something unsettling about it, as though I’ve just handed him exactly what he wanted.

“I’ll send carriages across the bridge to help your people begin moving,” he adds as if it’s already been decided.

His tone is deceptively light, but the words slam into me with the force of a final blow.

My stomach churns. I want to be furious, but I also know my people need security.

I glance at Clara, using our pack connection to speak privately. “What do I do?”

“Let him send the carriages,” she says firmly. “The people decide for themselves. We’ll make sure they know you’re doing the best you can, and this option is for them to accept or not.”

Gods, is this really happening?

Is my kingdom really going to be deserted already?

I’m not ready to admit defeat—not yet. But it’s impossible to ignore the truth: I’m out of options.

The reserve water supply we painstakingly saved for emergencies like this will barely last the pack a week.

I could go home, try to rally, to find some miracle solution.

But deep down, I know it’d be a waste of time.

If there were still other avenues to pursue, I wouldn’t be standing in the Venaris castle, wouldn’t have left Alcaris in the first place.

Clara and I exchange another look. She might’ve spoken with confidence, but the agony in her eyes mirrors my own.

“I’m going to have to sign the treaty.”

She nods ever so subtly. “I know.”

But knowing and accepting are two very different things.

And I’m not ready to tell Aeson yet. Not until I’m absolutely certain this is the best path forward.

A voice in the back of my mind, faint but persistent, keeps whispering alternatives—spreading my pack out across the other islands, seeking aid from allies like Isla and Estee.

But those options come with their own sacrifices.

By choosing Aeson, I can remain queen. I can still lead them.

Anything else would strip me of my alpha power, and while I’ll endure anything to save my people, that just might be worse than death.

“It will be okay,” Clara says, though I’m not sure if it’s for my sake or hers. “We’re going to figure this out. This is why we’re here.”

Definitely hers.

Aeson and Dasha quickly leave the room, presumably to go ‘save the day.’ Their absence gives me the moment I need to steady myself.

I step forward, holding Clara’s shoulders tightly. My voice comes out firmer than I feel. “This is why we’re here.”

Clara’s breath stutters. For a moment, she closes her eyes. When they open again, the strength I’ve always relied on shines through once more, steady and unwavering in the depths of her green gaze. “You’re right. I just needed a moment to remember.”

I smirk. “It’s nice to see you not so composed, even if it only lasted a couple of seconds.”

She rolls her eyes, but her lips twitch into the smallest of smiles. “Says you.” She pulls away, shaking off the moment with a flick of her blonde hair. “What now?”

“Now we call Easton back,” I say, the words bitter on my tongue.

My hands fall to my sides, my fingers curling into fists.

“Make sure he and the other advisors have already begun enacting the emergency plans. And…” I hesitate, hating what I’m about to say.

“Make sure the pack is prepared for what’s coming.

They might need time to decide and everyone should know they don’t need to leave today if they don’t choose to. ”

Clara nods, her respect evident in the quiet determination that returns to her stance. “Of course. ”

We leave the dining room, the remains of our untouched breakfast sitting cold behind us. As we walk, the gravity of it all presses down on me. Every step feels heavier, every breath harder to draw. But there’s no room for weakness now.

The moment I close the door to my room behind us, I square my shoulders and lift my chin.

It’s time to be a queen again.

The sky is an endless stretch of black velvet, dotted with faint stars, and a chill wraps around me like a second skin. I shiver, but it isn’t from the cold. It’s something deeper, something I can’t name.

Aeson emerges from the darkness, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that burns straight through me.

Those piercing azure eyes see only me, and the way they light up the shadows leaves me breathless.

His light brown hair is longer than usual, falling across his forehead, and his powerful frame moves with purpose.

Each step sends a ripple of anticipation coursing through my veins.

He’s bare-chested, the moonlight carving shadows into the sharp angles of his muscles. His shoulders are taut, tension coiled in every fiber of his body. I can feel it—his need, his desire. It pulls at something primal inside me, something I can’t resist.

“Mate.” The word falls from his lips, deep and possessive, and it unravels me completely.

A moan escapes my throat before I can stop it.

Gods, I want this man.

No, I need him.

I grab his biceps, my nails digging into the firm flesh beneath my fingers. “Love me,” I plead, my voice raw with desperation .

“Always,” he answers, his voice like thunder, low and commanding.

He pulls me into his arms, his lips trailing a path down my neck, and when his teeth graze the sensitive curve of my throat, I melt. The connection is intoxicating, all-consuming. It’s as if every nerve in my body is tuned to him, to the promise of what we could be.

How is this possible? I can feel him—every inch, every emotion—as though the mate bond has already tethered us together. Happiness swells in my chest, unlike anything I’ve ever known.

He starts to strip me of my clothes, and I reach for him, my movements frantic, desperate to touch more. But just as his fingers brush my skin, the dream begins to dissolve.

Aeson pulls back, his eyes darkening. “Don’t leave me,” he pleads with vulnerability.

“Never,” I vow. But it’s too late.

The scene shatters, splintering like glass, and I wake with a gasp, the sheets twisted around me. My heart pounds as my eyes dart around the room, searching for anything to root me back in the present.

I’m in my suite. Alone.

My chest heaves as I struggle to pull myself together. That wasn’t real. It couldn’t have been. It was just a dream.

But gods, it didn’t feel like one. The connection was so vivid, so raw, it was almost tangible. Like a fated-mate bond.

I press a hand to my racing heart, trying to steady the tumultuous emotions swirling within me. Could this be what’s waiting for me if I accept Aeson as my chosen mate? Could it really be better than I’ve allowed myself to believe?

My wolf paces in my mind, restless and alert. The fog of sleep fades, and with it comes a pull—deep, magnetic, undeniable. I feel it in my bones, in the very core of my being .

We need to find him.

The sun hasn’t risen yet, but through the window, the faint glow of dawn edges across the horizon. I don’t care how early it is. I throw on pants and a sweater, not bothering with my hair or even glancing in the mirror before I slip out the door.