Chapter 36: Chapter Thirty-Five

SAVANNAH

~“Well, we know we can’t leave Daxton. He’s too good with his tongue,”~ my wolf teased.

~“Oh my God,”~ I mumbled under my breath. ~“Stop thinking about it, he’s sitting right there.”~

~“I’m just saying, don’t go and leave Daxton at the Legion Pack and go to the Lycan Kingdom. It’s too much of a drive, and I’m not going that long without…”~

I cut her off, not wanting to delve into a detailed conversation about Daxton’s… ~talents~, especially since he had the nose of a bloodhound, literally.

I bit my bottom lip, recalling the way we christened my room at the Luna House over the past week.

It’d been a welcome respite from the drama we’d weathered the weeks before, but now reality was back in the driver’s seat, and my future was up for grabs.

I gazed at the woods as we passed them on the way to the Lycan Kingdom. Nerves had taken up residence in my stomach, flopping around like fish out of water.

Daxton seemed relaxed, but then again, he rarely got worked up. His fingers found mine and he brought them up to his mouth to kiss my knuckles.

“You’re a badass hybrid, and you’re nervous?” he teased. “How cute.”

I chuckled. “I don’t know what to expect. Liam is meeting us there, and I have a letter from my mother for him.”

Dax glanced over. “She left him a letter?”

I nodded. “I read it, because originally I thought it was just another entry about her life with Dad, but this one wasn’t. She was writing her feelings for him.

It must have been written in between the time of her breaking it off and before Grammy launched the attack against the pack. I think he needs to read it.”

“What about your Grammy?” he asked. “Are you going to go see her?”

I sighed heavily. “Yeah, eventually, once everything has settled. I know she doesn’t remember what she did, but it hurts. Ya know?”

“That’s understandable.”

I nodded, finding myself watching the trees roll by again. Once we arrived at the Kingdom, the gates opened for us, and we drove inside.

The kingdom looked well-maintained since the last time I’d been there. Most of the damage from the fighting had been cleaned up, and lycans filled the courtyard, all staring as Dax and I got out of his Jeep.

One by one they began to bow, and I felt pride swell inside of me. But I didn’t want that from them. I wanted their respect, but not their subservience.

“Get up,” I said, shaking my head. The group by the fountain slowly stood, looking confused. “Don’t bow. I’m not royalty, or… Jesus.”

One of the little lycans laughed, and his mother gave him a stern look.

“I don’t want that kind of treatment. I appreciate it, but I don’t want to be treated like I’m better than any of you, because I’m not. Truth is, I didn’t even know what a werewolf was two months ago.”

The little lycan laughed again, and I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. The distant sound of Liam’s motorcycle blew in with the wind, and I turned to see him drive into the courtyard and park.

I hadn’t spoken with him since we left the pack house, other than to invite him to the Kingdom. He strolled over, cool and collected as usual, and stopped just shy of Daxton.

“We were getting ready to look at the main house,” I said. “You’re just in time.”

He nodded quietly and followed us toward the castle. Too many memories clouded my vision as I walked through the huge double doors.

The old gray brick turned into a majestic, high-vaulted ceiling with dangerously antique chandeliers.

I despised my time there before, and the unpleasant memories still lingered, but knowing the lycan king was gone made me feel better.

Wesley descended the stairs, followed by two other lycans, who sized up Liam immediately. “I’m sure you two know my father, Liam.”

Wesley gave him a sharp nod. “I’ve had the chambers made for you and a couple of guest bedrooms because I didn’t know who you were bringing. I hope everything is to your liking.”

“I appreciate everything you’ve done, Wesley. You’ve really made me feel welcomed. Where did you put my… gift?” I asked.

The corner of his lip rose into a smirk.

~I think I’m going to like Wesley~.

“In the dungeon. He’s been begging for you all day today.”

“Well,” I said, starting up the stairs toward the bedroom. “I guess I’ll have to make him wait until tomorrow then.”

Daxton chuckled behind me.

“I want to give you a tour, if you’re okay with that, and then we can eat. I’ve informed the chef, Margery, that you’ll be here tonight.”

I turned back down the stairs. “Thank you. Well, let’s see this place, shall we?”

It took over three hours to complete the tour. The kingdom was utterly beautiful, to be honest. With plenty of running land, grand houses, and beautiful architecture.

Wesley took Daxton to the gym, because of course he wanted to see it, while I pulled my father to the side.

He looked concerned, heavy brows pulled down over his hazel eyes. “I found this in mom’s things. I thought you would want to read it. It’s for you.”

Liam’s head dipped, his eyes scanning the pages as if they might spring to life and bite him. He lifted his gaze slowly, tucking the pages into his pocket with a thoughtful expression.

“You’re going to make a wonderful queen, Savannah. If that’s what you want to be, of course.”

“You technically killed the lycan king, Liam. Wouldn’t that make you king?”

His chuckle was low and warm. “I’m no king, Savannah. You weakened him and would have killed him if it weren’t for his mate. And, you’re stronger than I am. You deserve the position.”

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “I want you to be king while I finish at Werewolf University, Liam. And then you can become whatever you want to be once I graduate.

I want to be Dax’s luna and the lycan queen. And I’m going to make that happen,” I said, my voice firm with resolve.

Liam lifted a dark brow and leaned against the rough brick of the building. His leather motorcycle jacket hugged his broad frame, lending him a rugged edge.

“How so, Pretty Girl?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. I couldn’t help but smile. I’d never had a father figure in my life, and the fact that he called me any kind of endearment made my heart soar.

“I’m going to join the two together. I want lycans and werewolves to run together not hate each other, and I’m living proof that they actually ~can~ get along.”

Liam laughed, a rich, hearty sound that I’d never heard before. He reached forward and pinched the tip of my chin, gesturing toward the pages I gave him. “Thank you for these. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, Savannah.

I’m not king material, but I can be, for a short amount of time. If that’s what you need of me. I haven’t been in your life, and I’m going to make up for that.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

The sound of Daxton and Wesley’s footsteps grew closer, their conversation drifting to my ears. It sounded… normal. Like two regular, college-aged boys getting along. No talk of werewolf this or lycan that.

It gave me hope.

***

After dinner, Daxton and I walked into the queen’s chamber, a room vastly different from the one Hansel slept in, thankfully.

It was a room fit for royalty, and I felt small in such a grand space. Daxton opened the balcony doors, letting in the moonlight and the humid Louisiana night.

Daxton stripped off his T-shirt and crawled onto the giant bed. I hadn’t shared my thoughts with him yet, because ultimately he was my alpha. Lycan queen aside, I wanted him to feel first, because he was.

“Say it, girl,” he said, lying back on the bed, a smile playing on his lips. I followed the lines of his abdomen with my gaze and found myself walking over to trace my name with my fingertips against his tanned skin.

He caught my wrist in his hand and tugged me onto his lap. I straddled him as he propped himself up on his elbows. His dark hair fell onto his square forehead, and his plush lips parted slightly.

“I want to join the werewolves and lycans. I want Liam to be king while I’m in school, and when I get out, I want to be your luna and the lycan queen.”

Dax’s brows shot up to his hairline, and he scratched the back of his neck. Nervously, I let out a shaky breath and smoothed my hand down his thick deltoids.

“You want my pack to move here, Savannah?”

I swallowed. “Yes.”

He shook his head, his hands moving to my hips to keep me still before I could jump off his lap.

“I don’t know if my pack will be willing to move. This place is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but it would mean uprooting the Legion Pack House, and my parents love it.”

“I understand that,” I whispered. “But I have to try. There is no reason that lycans and werewolves can’t get along. I’m proof, and I noticed you talking with Wesley today.”

Daxton glanced out the balcony doors. “You’re right. But I don’t know if my pack will move. And I have to be where my pack is because I’ll be their Alpha.”

I frowned. “And I have to be where my alpha is, because I’m your luna. I’ll always be yours, and I’m not living without you any more than I have to. I’m already dreading the living apart until I graduate.”

Dax bit his lower lip. “About that… Braxton offered me a job as a guard at Werewolf University until you graduate, and then I can go to the Legion Pack and take over.

Dad can handle three more years. He is still in good health…”

I launched myself forward and kissed him hard. All my emotions bubbled out of me like hysterical giggles. He chuckled, and pulled me back from him. “I guess I should say yes, right?”

Happy tears fell from my eyes. “Absolutely.”

Dax wrapped his fingers into my hair and kissed me again. We stayed like that for what seemed like forever before I heard the howl of a wolf in the distance.

Then I remembered. I slid off Dax and walked over to grab some extra clothes. “What are you doing?” he asked.

I walked toward the door and looked back at him. “I have something to take care of.”

And by the smile on his face, I knew he realized where we were going.

The dungeon.