Page 26

Chapter

Twenty-Five

A ZALEA

Larkin seems to relax a little once everyone is seated, though Damian lingers behind him and remains standing, keeping himself between Larkin and Tandi.

I move to sit beside Larkin in the spare chair when Kyson growls, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes but move to sit in a chair off the other side of his desk by the bookcases.

Kyson reaches over and drags it beside him, and I sigh.

At least he didn’t want me sitting on his lap.

That always feels awkward in the presence of other people.

Larkin smooths his suit out best he can and undoes his cufflinks.

“So, you’re from the Credence Kingdom?” I ask him, taking my seat. Kyson drapes his arm over the back of it, his fingers fiddling with my hair.

“Yes, elders used to comprise a member of every Kingdom, except the human one, of course. They are long dead,” Larkin answers.

“My mother’s Kingdom?” I ask when the door opens, and Liam and Cedric walk in. Cedric, with an arm full of old leather-bound books, takes in the scene in front of him, moving into the room while glaring at Larkin, sensing the obvious tension in the room.

Trey and Liam walk back out when they see there are no chairs, dragging in two from the corridor before closing the door behind them. Thank god Kyson’s office is huge because there are so many of us here.

“No. Queen Tatiana was from Azure,” Larkin says, and I nod.

“I meant my other mother, Marissa,” I tell him as Cedric drags a chair from beside Larkin and sits down, placing the books on the edge of the desk.

“Marissa, I’m not sure. I know she was part of the hunters,” Larkin answers, turning his head to look at Kyson.

“She was King Garret’s mate. We found out recently, and Garret kept her on the side like Tatiana kept Trey, who was the Queen’s mate. Garret turned Marissa,” Kyson clarifies for him, and Larkin genuinely looks confused by that information.

He glances at Trey, who neither agrees nor denies. He just glares daggers at Larkin.

“I didn’t know any of that. Queen Tatiana and King Garret were very secretive people and paranoid. The only person allowed in from the Council was Crux since he was Garret’s nephew.” Larkin states.

“That is true, and half the Kingdom didn’t even know of your existence, my Queen. Only those inside the castle walls did,” Cedric says. I cast a sidelong look at Cedric, who nods.

“Not even my twin knew you existed. It was kept secret. He didn’t know until I raced back to get to you and Tatty,” Trey says. My head perks up, recognizing the same nickname I heard in my dream.

“Tatty?” I whisper. Cedric chuckles.

“Yes, it was her nickname. Garret used to call her it, and she hated it until most referred to her by it, and she got used to it,” Cedric laughs. Trey smiles sadly and looks away, but we are getting off-topic, so I turn back to Larkin.

“Tandi said you held council meetings at the brothel? That you drank blood at these meetings?” I ask him when I feel a nudge through the bond. Kyson’s aura slips over me, and I blink, shocked at the sensation rippling through me.

‘Don’t fight it. I am your mate. I can push your aura just as you can push and pull on mine if you let me ,’ Kyson mindlinks me, and I sigh, letting him use it. Larkin suddenly grits his teeth, and the veins in his neck bulge when his body tenses. He gives me a pained look.

‘You’ll learn to do it yourself, but our bond is strengthening.

I can feel it, can’t you?’ Kyson mindlinks, and I look at him, nodding slightly.

I can feel him with every fiber of my being, like he is a part of me, attached and running through my blood just as strongly as my blood is flowing through my veins.

Maybe it is because we are no longer in a battle with each other, accepting and trusting each other.

And I do trust him, trusting him not to control or fight me unless he deems something unsafe.

He drops my aura, but I know why he did it, to show me how to handle it, how much to use.

Kyson’s finger strokes the back of my neck softly, and I fight the urge to shiver as tingles spread over me.

“I won’t lie to you, my Queen. It isn’t necessary,” Larkin breathes, catching his breath. Which makes me realize he has no idea it was Kyson’s doing, not me.

“Regardless, I want to be sure, and you will accept it or accept never seeing your son again,” I tell him, and he swallows nervously. “Now answer the question,” I tell him, forcing my aura out.

“Yes, annually,” Larkin grits out when Kyson yanks my aura back when I use too much, and Larkin’s nose starts bleeding. I gasp and look at Kyson and Cedric, who are smirking next to him. I have so many questions for him and Trey, but it will have to wait. Clearly, this is no shock to them.

‘Help me. I don’t want to kill him,’ I mindlink Kyson, who I feel tugging on our bond. It is a weird sensation almost like a psychic connection or frequency, and I wonder why he had never done it before, or maybe he wants me to learn myself.

“Sorry, I am still learning how to use it,” I tell Larkin as he wipes his nose on the back of his hand. His eyes widen, and he gapes at me before turning to Kyson.

“Can you do it? I would like to live,” Larkin says, horrified. Kyson waves his hand at him from behind the back of my head, making me glance over at it, only for his fingers to go back to the nape of my neck.

“It only works if he is touching you. And only if your bond feels safe in his hands,” Cedric answers the question I am thinking.

“You were drinking Kyson’s blood?” I ask, allowing Kyson to hold control of my aura. It will be safest that way. It would suck if I killed him before we got answers, plus, I really don’t want anyone’s blood on my hands.

“Yes, this is the only Lycan Kingdom left,” Larkin answers. My brows furrow at his words.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“The Council is supposed to be unbiased. One from each Kingdom but never our own. We would share blood, so we couldn’t be commanded. Except for Landeena royalty, Landeena was like the wild card. They pulled rank even over the Council. Which is why you have immunity.”

“What about Crux?”

“Crux is a bastard child, an illegitimate, he has some immunity to an extent, but he never inherited the Landeena traits. Only the firstborn child of each generation holds Landeena rein. Your father was the first born and now you are.”

“I still don’t get how he isn’t part of it.”

“Think of it like, your mother and father were the Adam and Eve of Lycans, Moon blessed and cursed,” Cedric answers.

“Cursed how?”

“Because power like that puts a target on your back. Azures and Landeena hated each other for centuries, the two oldest rival kingdoms, which is why your father demanded his biggest contender’s hand in marriage for the treaty between kingdoms, a treaty that created you, a moon child,” Cedric explains.

“Not that it did much once the hunters got into the kingdoms,” Trey adds.

But I was caught up on what Cedric said. “Moon Child?” I ask, and I can see Kyson listening beside me intently.