The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert

Chapter 76

“Explain this!” Gideon growled at the Beta as he uploaded the video on the big

screen.

Maya watched it calmly, her face vacant of any emotions.

“What exactly should I explain?” she asked lazily, only fuelling his anger.

He rewound the video back to when she was fighting Roxanne and pointed at Riannon standing not far from them.

“She was there! And you saw her!” he was playing those seconds again and again, making her watch this. “You didn’t even move to help her. I want to know why!

“I did not notice her!” Maya turned away and he just knew that she was lying through her teeth.

“I am not buying this!” he growled. He could feel how his own Beta, Ried, was trying to reach him via the mind link. He was worried sick about his mate, and it was one of the reasons why he couldn’t kill her on the spot.

Yet she was too calm. A traitor who was just caught couldn’t possibly be this

serene!

“Maya,” he said through clenched teeth, “what do you know that I don’t? You clearly saw each other. Ria didn’t even fight that damn fox when he caught her!”

She averted his gaze and he knew that he was on the right path.

“You have to tell me!” he growled and it suddenly became harder to breathe in the room. He never used his royal lycan power. It was dangerous. And not only for others, for him as well. Because unleashing that pressing darkness within him could have consequences beyond repairing. There was a reason why only the royal lycans had the second battle form now. Only they could shift into wolf-like feral beasts who

could walk on their feet. Common lycians could die if they tried that.

The blood of royals was the purest and they were the only ones who had enough strength to channel and control true beasts. Those beasts were giving them power beyond imaginable, but that came with a price. The longer they stayed in that form, the less they wanted to come back to being human. It was too tempting, too

wolf, hence they were saving it for the worst battles. When they were becoming true lycans, all emotions were gone. Only instincts stayed. And every time Gideon had to use any part of his feral powers, he knew that once he reached a certain point, he had to stop and go back to being human.

That form was making him stronger and any other shifter could sense his power from afar. Right now he only let it out a bit but Maya already lowered her head

in submission. This was something out of her control now.

“What. Happened. There?” Gideon demanded in a firm menacing tone and she gulped, trying to fight it. But it was useless.

“I can’t,” she whispered desperately.

“I am your king,” Gideon insisted, letting her know that he would make her if she didn’t do it herself.

“You might be my king but she is my Alpha,” Maya’s voice was faint but she faced him with a determination which he couldn’t not respect.

He didn’t even need more details. It was clear what had happened back in the woods now. And he wanted to crush things, break them, destroy…

“Just tell me why she did it,” he used all his strength to get the beast to back down, so that he could return to his senses and so that the girl in front of him could stop suffocating. It was her first time experiencing something like this. Most would probably have already fainted.

pressing down on her. She hesitated… but looking at him panting as well, she gave up. There was no point

wanted.

not hurt her.

bleak, as he snapped his head

her pass out!” the king growled. “He could do

is blessed by the Moon Goddess.” The Beta said firmly. “She

to hear those explanations. He just needed facts. “When did she make

the only way to get it was to get inside their lair. Ria said that there were too many secrets and no way to find out whom we can trust. She wanted to fix that problem. She was sure that Castiel would be co.cky enough to try and get her. And she told me to make sure that it happens if he

Gideon pointed

my initiative,” Maya admitted, “I thought everything was over. I saw Riannon and Castiel behind Roxanne. But when he attacked and covered her face with that cloth, I knew that it was exactly what she wanted. This was why I played with Roxy longer and waited for him

followed

and firmly. “She ordered not to do it. And

bag and got out a little note. Riannon’s scent hit his nostrils and he got instantly calmer. Maya handed him the

you,” the girl

as if it was some kind of treasure. Trust me. I trust you to find me.

trust her. And she needed him to find a way to get her back. All while she was risking her life to help

rippling

But she needed him.

gaze met Maya’s and there was this silent understanding between the two of them now. He knew that she would do

look at the glass. Behind it the tiny fox was weeping again, trying to fill the air around

that she loses any hope of ever getting out of here. And when she does, we will break her. Part by part.

She knew that they had not forgotten about her. She knew that she was their only chance to get

going to share anything. She had two

that she was a valuable asset. So, she needed to hold on until then. She could

the sound of the lock and turned to see the doors opening. The ability to cry was lost to her as she had already drained all the liquid out of herself. But the pheromones were in the air, all she needed now was to add some good acting to

when she saw two women in black leather looking down at her, she

was bad. The worst-case scenario, no

of them chuckled, bringing in the tray with a paper plate and some food on it, as well as a water bottle. “This ginger hobbit

say she is vicious and can easily get under

hair ordered and pointed to the chair. Roxy decided not

are not wolves,” she stated calmly to test

other one, with straight black hair reaching her shoulders

you?” Roxy asked, prying for

one answered, “Now, eat. We are not staying here forever. And nothing will be left for you in this

listening

our Alpha arrives soon. I don’t want to hang here when the lycan king is this

the fox king is doing to her this very moment? He did not contact the Union, he did not demand anything. It looks like

on the table, not

attention.

the girls asked her

not hungry

they gathered everything that they had brought and left her alone, locking

well when he wanted a woman. He always had a harem, yes. But he had consent from every girl inside of it, herself included. They all wanted to be there, craved it. And as far as she knew, it was the first time that he had taken someone there