163- The Sister in the Cage
POV Lunara Grimwald:
“If it weren’t for the elders to calm things down, I don’t know what would become of us.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well… alphas have strong personalities. All of them. I don’t know how they’d act if there weren’t a supreme law to keep them in line.”
I made a little sound, agreeing with her.
“I’m going,” I told her. “If anything comes up, call me.” I winked. “I’m becoming more and more experienced with my phone.”
“What wonderful news—now you’ll learn to answer people when they call you,” she hissed, referring to the day she found me at the lake with Edric.
“Hey, it was only once,” I protested, defending myself.
“It was twenty times.” I frowned.
“I think you’re exaggerating.” She laughed.
“Do you know how to check calls on your phone? If you’ve learned that infallible technique, please, look at your damn history and confirm what I’m saying.”
She was probably right, but I would never tell her that.
“See you later,” I said goodbye, blowing a kiss in her direction and receiving a complaint about how awful I was with technology before I left the small school.
I greeted the wolves who crossed my path, smiling at each one. Some stopped me to ask about the pup when they noticed my belly, already showing beneath my clothes. It was still small, but it was there.
They treated me with love, respect, and loyalty—not out of obligation, but because they liked me, because they held genuine feelings for who I was, Lunara, and not their queen.
Edric had been right when he told me that time healed wounds. I still didn’t feel completely comfortable being alone, but I could spend some moments in the company of myself. The lake was my refuge, the place I loved most. My new library belonged on that list too. I would sit in the corner armchair and spend hours reading some book, the fireplace lit when it was cold.
I walked between the trees, rubbing my belly, distracted.
Never in my entire life had any place brought me a sense of peace the way Eldoria did. It was as if I’d been born to be one of them, to live among them, on that land.
I didn’t even notice the path, too absorbed in my thoughts. I stopped in front of the lake and took off my shoes; right after, my clothes followed the same route to the ground.
I stepped into the water, judging the temperature before going farther. My skin prickled and I shivered at the contact with the icy water.
I dove in, sinking and swimming down to the bottom, smiling, savoring the feeling of being in the water. It was as if I were flying—completely free.
I stayed there for a few seconds, swimming from one side to the other, entertaining myself alone and laughing at my own thoughts. When my pup was born, I would take him with me to the lake, to swim beside me on hot summer days.
I closed my eyes and let my body float on the water while the sun kissed my skin, warming me.
I lay still, savoring the peace and the silence, when I felt warmth in my chest. A smile formed on my face. I didn’t move, and I didn’t open my eyes.
His fingers touched my back and he pulled me against his body, kissing my wet forehead.
“Do I need to be jealous of this lake?” he murmured, pushing back the hair stuck to my face.
I held on to his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his waist, climbing into his lap.
“Depends… I’m still deciding who I like spending time with more,” I teased.
He pressed his lips into a grimace, pretending to be offended.
“Does it give you pleasure?”
I weighed it, pressing my lips together.
“Yes.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“But not like I do, obviously.”
I couldn’t keep up the act, bursting into laughter when I saw the annoyed expression on his face. He was actually getting offended by the conversation.
I leaned in, brushing our lips against each other.
“I love you,” I whispered, scattering kisses against his mouth.
“Even though I like the lake,” I added, teasingly.
He fisted a hand in the hair at the nape of my neck and tilted my head, dragging his tongue over the vein that pulsed along the side of my throat. I let out a soft moan.
“I love you,” he answered, sucking at my sensitive skin.
That was all it took—one simple touch—and I was already ready to be fucked by him. I was addicted to him, completely surrendered to the male.
His hand slid down to my belly, which was pressed to his abdomen, and he rested it over its small curve.
“How’s the pup?” he asked in a whisper.
“Very well.”
He gave me a quick kiss before holding me firmly. He pulled back to look at me.
“I need to tell you something,” he said, his expression showing concern. “But I need you to stay calm.”
My heart thundered in my chest that instant, and I felt my muscles draw tight. All the lightness of the moment vanished.
“What is it?”
He swallowed with difficulty, blue eyes fixed on mine, watching me. The silver around his pupils shone with an intense color.
I absorbed his emotions, recognizing the worry pulsing around him.
I took a deep breath, drinking in his scent, which served as a natural sedative for me. My wolf purred, always approving of having him close.
“I know where Elowen is.”
His hands around me grew even more unyielding, strong, keeping me in his lap. I gasped, and tears rose to my eyes, blurring my vision.
“Where? Where is she?”
The weight of longing—of the months we’d been apart, of the time I’d had no news of her—hit me.
“I need you to listen calmly and trust me.”
“I trust you,” I cut in.
He sighed, fingers making idle circles on my thighs, as if trying to soothe me.
“Elowen is in Valmorin.”
“With Aldren?” I nodded. “Then why didn’t you bring her?” I asked in a shrill tone.
“Because Aldren didn’t release her.”
For a moment, I was silent, staring at him without showing any reaction. Then a wave of rage seized me, swallowing me from head to toe.
“How do you mean he didn’t release her? Has he lost his mind?” I growled, my fangs lengthening as I lost control.
My emotions were a mess. They said it was because of pregnancy hormones. I felt everything to the extreme—everything so intense I could barely contain myself.
“Aldren is keeping her in a cage.”
I tried to twist out of his hold, to pull away from his body, but he wouldn’t allow it. His arms were like unmovable steel around me.
“He put my sister in a cage? I’m going to kill that fucking alpha!” I screamed, tears spilling into my eyes. “I want to see her—I need to go to her.”
Edric let out another sigh and looked at me intently.