A Luna for the Lycan King


    Darren


    I had Allissa taken to the fairy infirmary just to be safe. A petite fairy with iridescent wings, a healer, tested her blood. Her hand glowed with a soft white light as she waved it over Ally''s body. She confirmed there was mistletoe in her blood but that her blood was attacking it. Little by little, it was removing it from her body. The healer also did a special check on our pup.


    I didn''t know much about fairies before, but they''re amazing. She was able to see our pup. She said the pup was strong, very healthy, and growing rapidly. Our pups tended to do that. Our * gestation was anywhere from four to six months, depending on


    the pup and mother.


    "You already have a little bump starting to show," the fairy healer said, motioning over Ally''s stomach. I watched as Ally shed her beautiful smile up at me. Gods, was it like this for everyone? My heart beat faster just because she smiled at me. I remembered the mistletoe in her system then. "Remarkably advanced for the short time... maybe you were pregnant before the knotting you told me about?” she mused.


    "Will the mistletoe affect the baby?" I swallowed hard, thinking about Ally and our unborn pup.


    "Your mate''s blood is strong, and it flows through your pup. It is unaffected by the poison. Most likely it will receive the same


    Chapter 71 blessing."


    I was so close to losing her. If she wasn''t blessed, she would be gone. They both would be. The idea that she might never have looked at me and smiled again brought me so much pain.


    I was deep in the battle when I caught a whiff of her blood. I went into a frenzy, fighting off dozens of vampires, trying to create a path to her. My heart caught in my throat and I couldn''t breathe when I saw the blood on her. But when I saw the dagger, my blood froze inside of me. I ran to her, and Ivan confirmed my fear. Mistletoe ... a deadly poison to lycans. Sure, lycans had survived it, but it was rare. It was one of the reasons the royal guard started training their bodies to tolerate it early. They introduced it to their systems in miniscule amounts. It isn''t pleasant, but the idea is that your body learns the substance. It builds up a tolerance to it so it won''t kill you. A tolerance Ally never had.


    "Would you two like to feel it?" the fairy asked, bringing my focus back to the present.


    "Can we?" Ally chirped, looking at me in excitement.


    "Give me your hands." With a gentle smile, the healer guided our hands over Ally''s stomach. A warmth spread through my palm, and suddenly, I could sense it. A tiny, pulsing force, vibrant and strong.


    "That''s our pup," Ally whispered, her voice filled with emotion. It felt even more real. Not that it wasn''t before, but now the proof was there. I felt myself bing more protective. I leaned


    down and kissed the top of her head as the fairy left to give us privacy.


    I closed my eyes, the memory of the battleing back to me. The cacophony of shing steel and snarling wolves filled my ears. I was back on that blood- soaked field, my heart pounding as I caught the unmistakable scent of Allissa''s blood on the wind.


    "Darren?" Her voice pulled me back to the present. "Where did you go just now?"


    I shook my head, trying to banish the images. "The battle," I admitted. "When I sensed your blood I couldn''t focus on anything else. It was pure chaos. Vampires and demons were everywhere. The demons... we don''t know if they''re hired mercenaries or if there is an alliance. But we didn''t anticipate them. Our warriors were fighting them off, but once I caught your scent, my focus was getting to you."


    Her grip on my hand tightened. "I understand. I did the same thing when I smelled your blood."


    "I tore through their lines like a man possessed. I don''t even remember how many I killed. All I could think was that I had to reach you, to protect you. And when I saw that dagger in you ..." I trailed off, my hands clenching involuntarily. Her hand covered mine, her touch as light as a butterfly''s wing.


    "My body is changing faster than I thought," she admitted quietly. "I didn''t even realize I was starting to show. And we both were reckless when we thought the other was in danger." I


    watched her intently as she blinked at me. "I''m not saying I''m leaving already, but


    I am weighing my options. If I fight, you''ll ce Ivan with me, but normally he


    would be by your side." I could tell this was hard for her. “Feeling our pup ... I know I have to protect it. If something happens to me.....”


    "Ally, I already said-"


    you think


    "Dare, don''t you know that I think about you like about me? Of course it''s important to me. Lifting your curse is important to me because I want what is best for you. I love you, and I love our growing pup. I-I feel conflicted. I want to help fight. I want to protect you, but I now know that we lose focus when we think the other is in danger, and at the rate our pup is growing, I may be slower in the next fight."


    I understood what she was saying. I wanted her safe, but I felt like she was safest next to me. I didn''t even trust my own kingdom ... my own home. But we both put ourselves at risk trying to get to the other. That is normal for mates to do, though. I wanted her safe, and I wanted her close. I didn''t want to miss her, but I wanted her far from the battle. Selfishly, I wanted to take her somece private and hidden until this war was over. "I know, Ally. I know this is tough for you it is for me, too. If you want to fight, I swear I''ll protect you with everything I have


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    "And that right there is the problem, because your focus shouldn''t be on protecting me."


    "That''s where you''re wrong. Youe first. Our pupes first. And everything and everyone else is an afterthought."


    She reached up, cupping my cheek. "And that''s why I think I need to step back from the front lines for a while." Her voice was sad, and I could feel how painful that was for her. I turned my lips to her palm and kissed her skin.


    "Come on, let''s get out of here." I reached up, grabbing her hand andcing her fingers with mine. I wasn''t sure if she was going to stay back at base camp or go back to the kingdom. We would have to talk more about it.


    As we stepped out of the infirmary tent, hand in hand, the crisp night air and burning scent hit us. Cheers andughter rang out from groups of warriors in the distance. Bonfires dotted thendscape, casting long shadows across the battlefield. In their flickering light, I saw the piles of enemy bodies being thrown onto the mes. Healers moved swiftly between the wounded, their gentle magic creating small glows in the dark.


    "This is just the beginning," Ally whispered, squeezing my hand. The war was far from over, but this victory was a start.


    "We''re creating a better future. That is what we have to keep telling ourselves. A better world for you and our family." I knew the war ahead was not going to be easy. We had a strong alliance but we didn''t anticipate the demons. If there was really an alliance there, then there was something the demons wanted.


    "No sign of Alfred or Ivy?" Ally pursed her lips as I shook my head.


    "No, but if they are involved with the vampires, then it''s only a


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    matter of time before we cross paths, and that will mark the end of their lives. I''ll make sure they pay for what they''ve done," I growled, the darkness in my tone reflecting, the storm within me.


    “There''s Ivan and Finn." Ally motioned to a group that had gathered. It looked like the leaders were gathering, I drew her closer, my arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders as we walked toward them. They were already nning for our next attack point. This was war, there was no rest or reprieve. One battle down... on to the next.


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