CHAPTER 214: _NEW MOON TOAST!

Kyren’s POV

*****

Watching Elian during his second heat cycle was one thing. But doing that in the presence of his other mates and literally the entirety of the nobles and high-ranking wolves of Lunaria added this urgency.

He was more than ready to claw out the hearts of whoever as much as blinks at his little flame for too long.

However, he also had to keep in mind the need to show ’peace’ between the Dark Lands and Lunaria.

He didn’t know how the Beta did it, but he was the reason Arcadia agreed to a temporary cease-fire deal scheduled for tonight.

The peace talks might not have worked on the Rogue king, but they seemed to have worked on the damned witches.

"Kyren." Elian’s voice beside him as they walked toward the high table drew him back to reality.

He blinked before bringing his gaze to his little flame who had his arm wrapped around his. Elian’s eyes were half lidded and his body still burned like he had an ancient oven inside him.

As for his pheromones... Kyren worked overtime, using his magic to shield it away from being sniffed out by others.

"Yes?" Kyren whispered in turn, ignoring the gazes of a few people in the ball.

Despite Elian’s pheromones being hidden, he could feel the judgment in their eyes. The judgment in what they whispered amongst themselves.

"Look at him. Snatching the hearts of three powerful men on the continent." One noble woman scoffed. "I’ve always had my eyes on Beta Axel."

"I’m telling you, he must’ve used some kind of evil dark magic to heighten his embarrassing Omega pheromones."

"That’s the only explanation for how he was able to wrap them all around his fingers. Look at them. Following his every whim."

On a normal night, Kyren would’ve—

Wait.

On second thoughts.

Kyren whipped his head, looking straight into the eyes of one of the women gossiping like they wanted his attention.

Well, now they have it. In abundance.

He saw the terror flash through her brown eyes but he didn’t care, using his magic to pry into her head from here.

’Why don’t you learn to mind your business?’ he whispered, his voice colder than ice. ’A fair advice. Who knows? You might be able to keep your children from avoiding you that way.’

When he entered her mind, he collected her memories in a few seconds.

She was merely an average-level wolf who’d lived for barely over half a decade. She had three children who were all out of the coop and her husband was a fucking deadbeat who constantly cheated.

The reason he was able to access her mind easily was because of her power level as an average werewolf.

Anyway, after whispering in her mind a bit and watching her crumble like sand, her eyes glinting with tears, he sighed with satisfaction.

When the group finally got to the high table, Kyren crossed one leg on top of the other. He let Elian place his head on his shoulder, gently brushing strands of his hair aside.

"Thank you, Daddy Death." His little flame muttered into his ear much to his surprise.

Daddy death?

Kyren arched a brow, fixing his eyes on Elian who began giggling, inching his body even closer.

"Oops. Did I say that out loud?" Elian grinned lazily, his eyes glassy with the heat.

Kyren felt his own chest twist in a way that had nothing to do with lust.

The heat scent underneath his magic pulsed with Elian’s heartbeat, a rhythmic thrum that made him restless.

Lucian sat stiffly at the side, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white, while Axel kept flicking nervous glances between them.

"Careful," Kyren murmured, brushing a hand along Elian’s back to calm him. "You’ll make them jealous."

Elian only laughed, that breathy, delirious sound that shredded every remaining thread of Kyren’s control. His little flame’s skin glowed faintly, a sheen of sweat tracing the curve of his throat.

Lucian leaned close, voice low. "He’s burning up. We need that suppressant—now."

"I’m keeping him stable," Kyren replied, not bothering to hide the growl in his tone.

He drew a wisp of red mist from his palm, pressing it over Elian’s spine. The air shimmered as the magic cooled the fever for a moment.

Elian sighed in relief, his lashes fluttering.

Axel exhaled. "People might notice your magic use, Rogue King."

"I don’t care." Kyren’s voice was flat. "He’s mine to protect."

That word—mine—sent a spark of tension across the high table.

Even Lucian didn’t challenge it.

Then Elian whimpered, his hand clutching Kyren’s sleeve. "It hurts," he breathed, trembling.

Something inside Kyren cracked.

His pulse spiked, rage and panic warring in his chest.

He wanted to tear the entire ballroom apart, to find whoever had allowed this weakness to touch him. The thought of Elian in pain was intolerable—an offence to existence itself.

He forced himself to breathe, masking the wild urge behind a slow smile. "Shh, little flame. You’ll be all right."

Across the high table, the Luna Queen lifted her glass, her gaze locking briefly with Kyren’s.

For a single heartbeat, their expressions mirrored—a silent understanding of what they had planned for tonight.

She looked away, her mask of warmth slipping back into place.

Kyren’s hand never left Elian’s back.

He could feel the faint pulse of his heart, uneven and too quick. He had seen a thousand things burn in his lifetime—cities, armies—but never had he feared losing something until now.

Suddenly, before his mind could wander further, a ripple of movement stirred the crowd near the grand doors. Lucian’s head snapped toward it first, then Axel’s.

Aurora.

She was striding in with her usual fire, her gown torn slightly at one sleeve. But what made Kyren’s brows lift wasn’t her condition—it was the woman beside her.

Short black hair and a face no one recognised.

The stranger’s steps were silent but confident, and her hazel eyes gleamed under the lights of the ballroom.

Lucian rose halfway from his chair, his instincts flaring.

But before anyone could speak, the deep, commanding voice of the Alpha King rolled across the ballroom like thunder.

"Lunaria!" he called, rising from the high table with his ceremonial goblet raised high. "Gather your hearts and your faith. The time has come for the New Moon Toast!"

The orchestra stilled as every guest turned toward the dais.

And as the first echo of the ceremonial bells filled the hall, Kyren’s hand tightened protectively on Elian’s shoulder—his eyes never leaving that black-haired stranger.