Dangerous Lycan: Claim Betrayed Luna’s Second Chance Mate

“She is not a monster. She saved the lives of those children,” he argued.

“You need to do the needful Kieran. Do as the werewolf council has said. Take her to a place where her powers would be closely watched. Before she kills us all.”

“Clara is no monster.”

“Why don’t you ask the people? Ask your people what they really think about their queen.”

“What do you mean?” Kieran asked.

“You are the King and your people’s welfare should be your priority, right? Then ask them. Whatever they say we will stand by it.”

“In case you all have forgotten. I am king and I don’t take orders from anyone.”

“That’s no word for a good king.”

“I’ll see to that. But Clara is not going away,” he said.

But his words did little to stop their fears. The people spent the rest of the day arguing, their voices echoing through the grand hall. Finally, they stormed out.

As the last of them departed, Kieran turned to me. He forced a smile.

“They’re afraid.”

“Afraid of me,” I said.

“Afraid of the unknown, afraid of your power,” he admitted.

“And for good reason,” I mumbled, tears welling in my eyes. “Maybe… maybe they’re right. Maybe I am a monster.”

Kieran cupped my face in his hands.

“No, Clara,” he said, “you’re the chosen one. You are the protector. And we will find a way to make them understand.”

His words echoed in the silence. But I wasn’t sure about anything at the moment.

Dread grew in my stomach. Days had passed since the tense meeting and the whispers about me being a monster had grown. As I walked into the room, I found Kieran brooding in his study.

“Kieran, we need to address the people.”

He slammed the book shut, the sound echoing in the silence. “They’ve already made up their minds,” he said, “What good would it do?”

“They deserve to be heard. You’re the king, Kieran. You can’t deny them of that.”

Kieran stopped pacing and turned to me.

“They’re scared, Clara. Having a meeting will only fan the flames of fear.”

“But ignoring it won’t make it go away. They need answers, Kieran. They need to know you’re in control.”

He sighed a deep breath that seemed to carry the weight of the kingdom.

“Why do you want this? When you know very well that they’ll want you gone,” he muttered.

“Maybe, maybe not. Right now, I really don’t care about that.”

“Alright, we’ll have a meeting. But I can’t promise it will change anything.”

“At least, you’ll give them an explanation.

Kieran met my gaze.

“And what explanation can I offer that they haven’t already twisted into something else?”

“The truth. They need to hear the truth, not the fearmongering rumors spreading through the streets.”

“Are you sure about this, Clara? It could be… dangerous.”

“It will be more dangerous if we do nothing.”

The following days were a blur of frantic activity. Announcements about the king’s address spread through the city, replacing the whispers of fear with cautious anticipation. As for me, I spent hours indoors thinking of how I’d cope in whatever situation I would be left to cope with. People gathered in the central square.

Kieran stood by my side on the platform, his hand warm and reassuring on my hand. He gave me a small nod. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, I could feel the weight of a thousand eyes on me.

Kieran cleared his throat, his voice ringing out in the silence. “People of this great Kingdom,” he began, his voice firm and steady. “I stand before you today to address the concerns that have plagued our kingdom.”

He spoke of the attack at the school, the danger Darrick posed, and his attempt to harm the children. He spoke of my actions, not as a monster, but as a protector, someone who used her unique abilities to defend the innocent.

With each word he spoke, I could feel the tension in the crowd shift. Some faces remained unyielding. But others softened a bit.

Then, came the dreaded part. Kieran turned to me.

“Now, I want to hear from you, the people,” he declared. “Clara, the chosen one, is here. Speak your mind. Let her know what troubles you.”

The crowd became silent and then a voice rose above the murmurs, a woman.

“She killed a man, your majesty. Is this the protector you promised us?”

There was an uproar amongst the crowd. My stomach churned.

Kieran held up a hand, silencing the crowd. “I understand your fear. But understand this she acted to save lives. Would you prefer she had done nothing while an Alpha attacked innocent children?”

No one responded.

Another voice, a weathered man with a steely gaze, spoke up. “We don’t need a monster as our protector,” he argued. “We need someone who can fight like a warrior, not… not drain the life force out of someone.”

I felt a sting of tears prick my eyes.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

“But she stopped him, right?” a young boy, no older than eight, spoke up. He looked at me, his eyes wide and curious, not with fear like the rest of the people.

“She protected us from the bad man,” he added. The murmur continued a louder now as most of the people faced him. Some agreed with the boy while others shushed him.

Kieran seized the opportunity. “Exactly, she may not be a warrior, but her abilities are unique, powerful enough to defend us against threats.”

He gestured towards me, “She’s not a monster. She’s a protector, one who possesses a power that can save this kingdom. But she can’t do it alone. She needs your trust and understanding.”

The crowd was quiet again as they listened to their king. I tried to read them through their eyes but there were too many eyes staring back. I didn’t know which to begin with.

I held my breath awaiting the next words to be thrown at me. But none came immediately.

Finally, a woman stepped forward.

“I… I understand your point, Your Majesty. And we are good people known for caring and unity but I think that the members of the werewolf council are right. She might not be a witch but she surely possesses powers that we have not seen before. And we are terrified of these powers. What she can do with them in just a second is beyond our imagination. So, I would suggest that she goes with the people so that they would help her better understand her powers, my King,” she bowed and stepped back inside the crowd and the murmur continued.

Hearing those words, I knew that it was almost cause. The people needed me out. My heart skipped a bit as Kieran grip on my hand tightened. I turned and faced him but he still kept his eyes on the people.

“You have spoken well,” he said as the murmurs died down, “indeed, this kingdom is known for its hospitality but not anymore,” he paused as everyone watched. Then he continued, “Now I see you all as selfish. You have no care nor unity in your heart. If you did, you would not think of casting away your queen in the hands of the people who would use her as lab rats in a place that we have no idea about. She is our queen, did you forget?” The murmurs continued for a bit before finally dying off.

“So, what is it going to be?” Kieran asked.