Betrayed Heiress: My Second Chance Mate is A Lycan King

Aira’s POV

We really must have terrible luck.

It feels like we have been running from one enemy to another. First my sister and ex-boyfriend, then my family, and now Alex’s best friend? Who is going to be next? The spirit of our great-grandmothers?

I am so tired of all of this. Why can’t we just have a happy ending? When will all this torment end?

Right now, as I stared at my unconscious mate, my heart ached terribly. The doctor said he had lost a lot of blood and that it was a miracle that he was still alive. Those rogues bit right through him like he were some piece of meat served on a platter.

They are all savages. I wish their deaths weren’t so quick. I wish I could make them suffer just as much as he is. But it doesn’t matter. What matters now is Alex. His injuries were so deep that I could even see some bones when Alex and the others rushed him to the infirmary.

I could not help but wonder what I would do if Alex were to die again. Could I really bring him back? What if I couldn’t? What would I do then?

The tears that slipped past my eyes could not be helped. I wish we could go somewhere far from all this madness once and for all. I am tired of constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering who is going to be holding the next knife that would stab me in the back.

“Stop it, Luna.”

My eyes snap to Arnold. He has been standing by the door, acting as a guard, even though we had three on the other side of the door. If I am being honest, I felt comfort knowing that he was here. He was the only soldier whose strength I trusted.

It was only for a moment, but I saw his fighting skills. They were incredible, almost as terrifying as Jared’s.

Arnold walks up to me; his features are stoic, but there is something swimming in his eyes that I cannot describe. He stops right in front of me and says, “When the king is down, it is the queen’s duty to stand in his stead. You can’t be weak, especially at a time like this. Your people need you,” he pauses, his eyes falling on Alex. “He needs you too. I am sure he wouldn’t want to wake up and see you in tears.”

“Damn right, I don’t.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

A gasp leaves my lips as our heads snap to Alex. He is still lying on the bed, unmoving, but his eyes are slightly open. Quickly, I wipe my tears away and plaster a smile on my face when his eyes lock with mine. He watched me for a moment, probably to be sure that it wasn’t fake.

It wasn’t.

This smile was a grateful one. I am glad he is awake. I have always been scared that one day, after one of these attacks, he would shut his eyes and never open them again.

I am glad today is not the day.

A groan leaves his lips as he tries to sit. Arnold and I appear by his sides and help him sit up. I place some pillows on the headboard so he can lay on it.

“How bad is the damage?” Alex asks Arnold.

“Um, not so bad; we lost about ten soldiers, but the majority are terribly wounded,” Arnold reports, and a frustrated sigh escapes Alex’s mouth. His head falls back on the pillows, and the fatigue is evident in his eyes.

“We need to stop these attacks from happening. We can’t be sitting here waiting for them to come for us again; I don’t think this kingdom can handle more attacks like this,” I tell them, and Alex brings his hands to his face, rubbing them furiously.

“It’s him, isn’t it? Jared?” Arnold asks, and my eyebrows shoot to the top of my head.

“You know him?” I ask, shocked that he does.

“We all grew up together; the three of us were the best of friends as kids.” Arnold trails off.

“Well, now the bastard is back for revenge. He is back to destroy this kingdom and take Aira from me,” Alex says the last three words with a growl. It was clear what part of Jared’s vengeance angered him more.

Arnold strokes his chin slowly. “When Jared left this kingdom, He had no one, and he is a lycan. These rogues… they are wolves; he has most likely partnered with some elite rogue group or pack.”

My eyes lock with Alex’s, the both of us sharing a single thought.

His ally must most likely be from the alpha council.

“I knew I should have killed all those bastards when I had the chance,” Alex mutters beneath his breath, and I look at him with horror.

“No, Alex. That would only lead to a bloody war, one that I am sure you do not want to go into. It will cost way too many lives,” I caution him, and his fiery eyes meet mine.

“And what is happening now, Aira? Is this war? Isn’t it costing lives? You were there; you saw the horror in those children’s eyes; you saw just how many of them have become orphans,” he states, and an ache struck my heart.

“It still doesn’t feel right to accuse all of them when it could be just one or none of them responsible,” I say quietly, and Arnold nods in agreement.

“She is right, Alpha. Pointing fingers at a time like this will only do more harm than good,” Arnold says, and Alex’s annoyance only increased.

“Then what are we going to do? Fuck! I wish we had some kind of warning,” Alex curses into his hand, and that is when something pops into my mind.

“Actually, we did.” I trail off, and both men look at me.

“What are you talking about?”

A nervous smile lifts my lips, and I say, “A spirit kind of warned me that something like this would happen.”

The anger in Alex’s eyes makes me flinch. He notices and shuts those furious eyes. He takes in a few calming breaths and says, “And why did you not tell me?”

I shrug. “You always make my encounter with the spirits seem like child’s play, like I was just making it up or something. I didn’t see a point in telling you.”

My words have clearly offended him, judging by the change in his expression.

“What did the spirit say? Did he give you any hint on who could be helping Jared?” Arnold asks.

“Actually, it was a she,” I correct, and their brows nearly touch their hairlines.

“A woman?” Alex asks, and I nod. His eyes met Arnold’s, and it was almost as though they were having a silent conversation. Alex’s attention returns to me, and he asks, “What did the woman say? Describe everything. What did she look like?”

His sudden interest in my trips to the spirit world frightens me, to say the least. But I do as he asks. “Well, it was about three days ago. I just woke up at a playground and saw two boys playing with a ball. They were happy, and I remember one of them with dark hair called the other Jared, although I didn’t exactly see the face of the other.” I pause and try to remember the woman’s face.

“And the woman? What did she look like? And what did she say?” Alex asks, and I do not think I have ever seen him this eager and curious.

“That spirit… that woman… she was absolutely breathtaking. She appeared to be in her early forties, but at the same time, she looked so young. She aged gracefully. Her eyes were darker than night, but her smile was brighter than the sun itself. She was about my height with dark hair too. She told me to choose a path. The good filled with hate, or the bad filled with love.”

Silence.

My gaze falls on Alex, and I am surprised by what I find. He has his lips sucked into his mouth, and if I didn’t know any better, I would think that he was on the verge of tears.

But just as soon as I notice them, he blinks them away and rises to his feet. He clears his throat and says, “I think I know who can help us put an end to this.”

And with that said, he walks out of the room. I look at Arnold in complete and utter confusion, but he too appears lost in thought.

“Arnold, what is going on?”

“That woman you saw was no random woman. That was Alex’s mother. Luna Elizandra.”