Dangerous Lycan: Claim Betrayed Luna’s Second Chance Mate

“We can’t accept this!” a burly man with a thick beard roared, his spit flew into the air. “A witch amongst us. We’d rather face our enemies with bare blades than rely on her… sorcery!”

The crowd roared in agreement. A wave of nausea rose in my throat.

Kieran held up his hand, his voice calm but firm. “I understand your fear,” he began, “but Clara is not a witch. She is the chosen one, a guardian with abilities that can protect us.”

Stealing a glance at Kieran, my heart plummeted. He stood tall, but I knew that we’d need to do a lot more than that.

The burly man pushed his way back to the front.

“We’re giving you a choice, Your Majesty. Get rid of her, or face the consequences.”

The crowd roared in unison as some of them nodded in agreement. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. I had tried to hold it in at least until I was back in my own space but it wasn’t working. It was like their words crushed me every time that I heard them. They were asking Kieran to choose between his people and me. And for a terrifying moment, I believed he might just choose them.

Kieran did not say anything. I could feel his eyes on me for a second. I just couldn’t look at him. Not at the time that the people were demanding something like that. I knew that the people had power. Kieran was strong and undeniably a good King but he couldn’t possibly stand against the people. Apart from the obvious consequences, I was just one person against a multitude. There was no way in the world that he was going to choose me over the desires of the people. I didn’t know which was more terrifying, the hate words from the people, the look on their faces, or Kieran’s silence. His silence stretched on, agonizingly long. Each passing second felt like an eternity, and the thought of what his decision might be, pressed down on me.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Say something.

I wished I could whisper the words to him. I wanted to tell me to speak so that I could finally breathe and know my fate. I never knew being left on the fence could be so exhausting. At that moment, I didn’t even know which side of the fence I would choose to be in. No matter what Kieran told the people, they believed that I was a witch sent to the town to cause destruction and maybe, turn their King against them. And I wasn’t quite doing anything to prove them otherwise.

“Send her away and let’s continue to be in peace!” Someone from the crowd spoke.

Finally, Kieran looked up again. I knew it was time to hear the words. I just didn’t want him to let the people take me out. It would be brutal. I was willing to see myself out. In my peaceful way. I shut my eyes for a second and breathed in deeply.

“I refuse,” he declared. I opened my eyes and turned quickly at him. His gaze swept over the hostile crowd.

“Clara is not a monster. She is a vital part of this kingdom, and I will not let her go.”

The crowd completely went mute. Even I didn’t expect it.

I stared at Kieran, my tears drying up in my eyes. He was choosing me. He was standing by me, even in the face of the people.

The burly man recovered first; his face was already contorted in rage.

“You choose a witch over your people?” he bellowed.

Kieran held his gaze steady.

“I choose what’s right,” he said. “Clara is not a threat. She is a protector, and those who threaten her threaten the kingdom.”

The crowd’s uproar erupted again, this time, it was a chaotic mix of anger and confusion.

“I know that you all seek the protection of the Kingdom. But it is not your responsibility. I am your King and so your protector. You don’t have to worry about Clara because she is not a witch. Instead, she seeks for the welfare of the people. And so, you should not be scared instead, you should be grateful. And with that being said, I do not want to hear of this witch accusations again. We are a Kingdom and therefore we should live as one. We should look out for each other and not against each other because Clara is one of us now. She is my mate and your queen. She had come to stay. This meeting is over!” Kieran declared. He took a glance at me before facing the crowd again.

As usual, the people did not seem to take it. As the crowd dispersed, a mixture of relief and exhaustion came over me. It wasn’t over yet but the meeting was and I was still standing there and being dragged out by an angry mob. Kieran turned to me, a weary smile gracing his lips.

“It wasn’t easy,” he admitted, “But we got through it.”

“Why did you do that?” I asked.

“Do what?”

“Choose me,” I said.

“Because you are not a witch. You might be stubborn and a bit shitty sometimes but you don’t deserve what the people want for you. What you did at the school wasn’t your fault. You were only trying to protect the kids. That’s the kind of people we need in this Kingdom. So, you aren’t going anywhere.”

“So, what about the people?”

“The people don’t understand it yet. But trust me, they will.”

I smiled and threw my arms around him, burying my face in his chest.

“Thank you,” I whispered, “Thank you for believing in me, even when I doubted myself.”

Kieran held me tight, “It’s okay,” he whispered.

The path wouldn’t be easy, but with Kieran by my side, I knew I could face it all. I knew the day would be a lot better when the bright rays of sunlight streamed through the training room windows. It cast long shadows across the floor. The echo of our clashing wooden swords faded, as I withdrew from Kieran. My muscles ached as sweat glued to my skin like its second layer. But the physical tiredness was nothing compared to what I felt inside.

Yesterday’s meeting with the people still replayed in my head. The anger and fear in the crowd was still a fresh wound. They didn’t want me. They saw my abilities not as a harbinger of doom. Kieran had done the unthinkable. Amidst the feelings I got from being protected by him, I felt scared. Even without Kieran’s word about a pending war, I knew that I still had a lot to do. And I needed to be strong when it all began.

Kieran’s chest heaved slightly as soon as we stopped. He stood across from me. His gaze was unreadable. Like a mask that hid whatever emotions he might be feeling. But I knew there was concern beneath the surface, the one that mirrored mine.

“Are you okay?” He asked still watching me.

“Yes,” I said and walked back taking off sweat from my forehead.

“You just stopped what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing I can’t handle. Just tired.”

“Then we should rest.”

“Oh no, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it?” He asked again.

“I’m just a bit emotionally drained. That’s just it.”

“It’s alright. I understand. I won’t say that I am perfectly fine emotionally. But we’ve started this fight. I chose you for a reason.”

“And what would that be?” I looked at him but he turned away quickly.

“We need to keep training, Clara. The people may be apprehensive, but war is coming. We need to be prepared,” he said.

I nodded, forcing my doubts down. Now wasn’t the time to crumble. I knew that but I still needed to constantly remind myself. It helped put me in place.