Lycan Prince’s Secret Baby (Moonlit Forbidden Love #1)

Chapter 28

Leah

As Kyle stepped forward to challenge his father, the tension crackling in the air felt charged, and then it swooped down to wrap itself around my heart like a vice. Fury radiated from Reginald, the smoldering rage that seared from his ice-hued gaze curdled my blood and sent chills down my spine.

Blood.

He’d threatened to feed the earth my mate’s blood. A fierce defensiveness surged through me, urging me to rush to Kyle’s side, to defend the man I loved with every fiber of my being. But the thundering paws of the gray wolves surrounding us reminded me of the imminent danger, snapping me back to the fact that we had other opponents, those closing in around me and my Blood Moon packmates.

To my far right, the first clash of fangs and fur disrupted the night. Gray and red pelts intertwined in a chaotic dance beneath the brilliant half-moon. Most of the wolves were made up of the seven council members, including Elder Sam. Only two female wolves fought alongside them. I’d recognized Emily and her friend, Kelly, too. We Blood Moons were evenly matched against our opponents, yet the relief at that fact dissolved as the two smaller females came at me. Their snarls sliced through the cacophony of the battle around me as they homed in on me.

In an instant, Emily and Kelly’s wolves descended upon me like shadows in the night. Emily’s malicious dark eyes danced with the taunts they’d contained when I’d been imprisoned. Behind her, Kelly’s powerful form loomed. The two of them moved like a well-rehearsed performance.

The air buzzed with tension as they approached in a pincer movement. I barely had time to react, my instincts kicking in as I dodged the bulk of Kelly, feeling the rush of wind as she narrowly missed me. But Emily was swift, and her assault was precise. She lunged at me, sinking her fangs into my shoulder with a searing bite, sending shockwaves of painful heat through my body.

A feral growl erupted from deep within my chest, igniting my fight-or-flight response. I twisted away from Emily's grasp, breaking free with a determined surge. The pain was sharp, yet it fueled my resolve as I launched myself toward Kelly, who was now regrouping for another attack. With an agile movement, I lashed out at her, my claws connecting with her flank, my teeth snapping close enough for her to feel my breath.

Yet, Emily was undeterred. She was back on me in an instant, snapping at my heels with ferocity. My heart raced in my chest, pumping raw adrenaline into my veins as I dodged her next attack, ducking low and aiming for her legs in an attempt to trip her up. But her lithe form evaded me with a surprising agility.

As I battled Emily, the chaos around us surged with energy. Snarls and howls filled the night. The sound of teeth clashing scraped through the darkness. I caught glimpses of my packmates—red wolves—surging up against our oppressors.

With renewed determination, I tapped into bitter memories of Emily’s taunts hurled at me and my packmates. In a feigned maneuver to the left, I confused Emily for a split second, then charged right into Kelly, who was caught off guard. My teeth connected with her side, and I tasted the salt of her fur mixed with the sharp tang of blood as she howled in surprise.

Yet, just as victory felt within reach, Emily capitalized on my distraction. She surged past Kelly, sinking her fangs into my front leg once more. Agony burst through me, sharp and overwhelming. I yelped in response, blinding pain bringing me momentarily to my knees.

But, in a blur of movement, Roman’s red wolf hurtled into one of the females and bit the hind leg of the other. Afraid and injured, the female Moonlights turned tail and ran off into the night. Heaving a breath, I leaned against Roman’s flank in gratitude, before he dove into battle again.

Amidst the brief reprieve, I scanned the chaos of the battlefield, breathing in the wildness of red and gray fur coalescing beneath the moonlit sky. My gaze instantly fell upon Kyle’s wolf, still locked in a furious battle with Reginald. Their powerful forms were clashing in a contest that felt like the legends of old when the moon goddess had first favored us with our shifter forms and the Alphas had fought for dominion over the pack lands.

The reprieve didn’t last long as another gray wolf barreled toward me. My heart leaped into my throat, my fur bristling along my back as I readied to engage. But the wolf veered away, and then back toward me, and then away again. Confusion somersaulted through me. It was as if he were trying to get me to follow him.

As the sleek, gray wolf once more moved away from me, only to double back, dawning comprehension flooded me.

Could this be Mark —Roman’s mate?

Tentatively, I broke away from the circle of Moonlights and Blood Moons battling. Excitement pounded through my chest as I hoped I was right about who this male was. As we tore past the Blood Moon quarters, a whirlwind of emotions washed over me. The renovated buildings seemed like a beacon of Kyle’s compassion; hope flickered in my chest for our future and our packs. I silently prayed to Igaluk that Kyle would emerge unscathed and that the moon goddess would grant him the strength and strategy to outmaneuver Reginald.

The gray wolf led me to the house nearest the Council Chambers and the cells—Reginald’s house. In a moment, he shifted into his human form. The man was tall and lean. His wavy brown hair and chocolate gaze made my heart skip as it matched the photo Roman had shared with me of his mate. In a moment, I’d shed my wolf’s form, my skin pebbling as the chill of the night brushed against my body.

“Mark,” I greeted him with a smile.

He nodded. “Leah,” he murmured, a warm smile on his face. “I hoped you’d follow me. I want to free the prisoners, but I wasn’t sure they’d trust me if I freed them alone.”

My heart hurried in my chest. Of course, the Blood Moon prisoners and the Moonlight females were locked up in the cells. With Mark’s stellar performance as one of Reginald’s loyal pack members, I understood why he needed me.

“Are the keys to the cells here?” I demanded, urgency pressing in upon me as I thought of the heated battle still back on the hillside.

He nodded, darting inside. In a moment, he held the cell keys. Without hesitation, we tore down the stairs, hurrying into the cell block within the earth. The scent of decay and moss revived memories of the days I’d once spent imprisoned inside these very walls.

“It’s me, Leah,” I called into the shadows, catching sight of blurry silhouettes huddled together in the cells.

“Leah?” Mary’s voice shot through the darkness from the second cell, and tears pricked my eyes. A rush of warmth engulfed me. I remembered clutching her carefully crafted key over a year ago. My chest was full with how much I wanted to share: my happy news about Lina, my love for Kyle, about how this fight wasn’t just for my pack and all my Blood Moon anuki and nukai, but for my own little family’s future.

When Roman and Mark joined me in the dark at the bottom of the stairwell, I knew that if they could cut short their reunion after four long years, I could hold it together, too.

I called out, “We Blood Moon warriors are leading a coup with Kyle against Reginald’s rule,” I announced, my fingers trembling as I inserted the cold metal key into the lock of the first cell.

The air crackled with energy as the prisoners’ spirits ignited like torches in the dark.

“Leah—Kyle’s with you?” Healer Maria’s brusque voice reverberated from the front of the cell.

If she intended to lecture me about my bond with Kyle, it was way too late. He was my Ilak , the father of my child, and every moment in his presence made me feel more like myself, more like the person I was always meant to be. No one would deny my place alongside him ever again. I would fight anyone with fang and claw who dared to say otherwise. But I pushed aside the defensiveness bristling within, reminding myself that Maria was like an aunt to Kyle, his tlaak’w just as Roman was my anuk .

“Yes, Kyle’s fighting Reginald near the Blood Moon quarters right now,” I said, knowing Maria would share my concern for his safety.

As Maria and the other Moonlight packmates streamed out of the first cell, her voice filled the air. “My Moonlight Nukai , the time has come to defy the Alpha who is unfit to lead—one who would deny us females our birthright as fierce wolves and who ended our Luna’s life due to fear of her power.

As my eyes adjusted to the dimness, I noticed that most of the Moonlights were women, their faces taut with purpose and fists clenched with indignation. The atmosphere thrummed with electric energy—a palpable tension swirling in anticipation of the power we’d unleash once we’d made it out.

“For those of you with any sense of justice,” Mark called, his voice strong and unwavering, “rise up tonight! With our Blood Moon allies, we will rid ourselves of the tyrant who has oppressed us for far too long!”

In an exhilarating rush, I flung open the remaining five cell doors. I indulged in a brief moment of solidarity, feeling the touch of Phoebe, Mary, Lucy, and other packmates. The cacophony of voices lifted the sound of liberation of voices that, as Kyle had said, wouldn’t be silenced any longer. Together, we surged out into the night.

In a swelling tide of red and gray fur, we moved as one through the Moonlight compound, heading toward the Blood Moon quarters, toward the foot of the hill where our warriors still battled. My heart raced, breath catching in my throat as I searched for Kyle. There he was, his gray wolf circling Reginald’s, both panting heavily, breaths filling the air like mist. Determination seared through me. I made to move toward Kyle, eager to help my mate, but suddenly, a pair of Moonlight wolves descended upon me. I immediately recognized Emily from our fight earlier. The other, much larger wolf must be Elder Sam.

Just like Kelly and Emily before, the pair launched themselves in a pincer formation, forcing me into a precarious position. I dodged the bigger wolf, but Emily succeeded, sinking her fangs into my side.

This time, however, I wasn’t alone. Surrounding me were my friends—an army of red and gray wolves rushing to my defense. The scent of sweat and fur mingled with the metallic tang of blood and the earthy aroma of disturbed ground. With ferocity, Emily and Sam lunged at me, their jaws snapping. Their movements were fluid yet aggressive, the muscles in their flanks rippling like taut ropes. I felt resolve coursing through my packmates around me, a fire ignited by our righteous cause.

The first of my allies, a fierce Blood Moon warrior with a coat as vivid as autumn leaves, surged forth, jaws snapping menacingly at Emily. She barely managed to evade the strike, twisting just in time, but the distraction gave another wolf the opening he needed. A burly red wolf barrelled into her side with the force of a freight train, limbs tangling together in a whirlwind of fur, teeth, and growls that filled the air with primal sounds.

Time slowed, snarls erupting from the pack around me. I felt the determination etched into each one of our movements—the way the Blood Moons and our allied Moonlights charged toward Sam and Emily made it seem as if their fate was already sealed. Igaluk’s half-moon and the starlit sky above seemed to blink down, telling us that the elder and his daughter were doomed.

With a visceral roar, a Blood Moon warrior pinned Emily down, snapping his teeth into her throat. But Elder Sam unleashed a thunderous growl that reverberated through the pack, a chilling reminder of his status and years of battle-earned experience. My heart raced with trepidation as I saw his eyes flash with ferocity.

But there was no stopping the choreography of our united pack. Like a well-oiled machine, we bore down on Sam. Elder Maria’s sinewy gray wolf leaped at Sam’s flank while others attacked from the front.

Sam fought back, his powerful jaws snapping as he tried to shake off the relentless assault. A Moonlight warrior dove in, her agile body slipping under him, nipping at his hind leg to destabilize him. The elder wolf whirled around, fur bristling with indignation, only for another wolf to hurl itself toward him, colliding with the force of a small avalanche. They toppled against the ground, and the earthy musk of damp soil mingled with the adrenaline-driven haze engulfing us all.

As Emily struggled to free herself from her opponent’s grip, another Blood Moon warrior tore into her throat, muscle and flesh opening to release a rush of blood. An agonized snarl broke from Sam, reverberating through the night, piercing the chaos as he faltered under our relentless assault. I watched, breath caught in my throat, as the mighty elder wrestled against his fate, desperation etched on his wide face and taut muzzle, but the tide had turned.

In a moment, a sea of fur had surrounded Sam—claws and teeth tearing into his flanks and throat, but not before Sam’s howl had pierced the night. As he went down, torn to pieces by the released prisoners, his howl filled the air, calling the other council members to him.

Those wolves loyal to Reginald who were near launched themselves into the fight with renewed vigor—taking on both the Moonlight Pack females and the red-furred Blood Moon wolves. Every time I got a break from fighting a new gray wolf, I tried to see what was happening between Kyle and Reginald.

The clash between them raged on, an even contest between two titans. Each roar, each snarl reverberated through the air, their skill and strength dancing dangerously close. Kyle’s speed set him apart, but Reginald’s age and experience granted him an edge, his ice-cold eyes calculating every move.

And then it happened—a flicker of realization coursed through me as Reginald feinted, jumping over Kyle’s lithe form. My heart stopped; he was coming for me.

No!

Panic bubbled up inside me as Kyle launched himself after his father, muscles straining, racing toward me in a desperate bid.

Just then, I felt a heavy presence at my side—Roman lunging into action, a protective instinct propelling him to me as Reginald reached me. With fierce determination, Roman locked jaws with Reginald, two Alphas crashing together in a wild clash of teeth and fury. Roman held Reginald back, granting Kyle the opening he needed.

My heart raced as the battle unfolded before me—my ilak and my anuk , locked in a fierce battle for our freedom. As my partner and friend fought with renewed urgency, it seemed as if everything I prized about my future was still in the brutal control of the Moonlight Alpha.