BLOOD MOON LYCAN QUEEN

CHAPTER 9 - LEAVING - RAELYNN'S POV

The aftertaste of lunch still lingered on my tongue as Jodie and I walked over to where the royal carriages awaited. Her hand, small and warm, held mine with an innocent tenacity, a simple gesture of friendship that felt like a lifeline.

Ahead, Caspian's guards were already preparing their sleek black carriages, the horses stamping impatient hooves against the cobbled path. Their movements, synchronized and efficient, paused the moment their eyes landed on Jodie and then me, and one by one, they turned, their faces impassive but their bodies performing a deep, respectful bow.

''That's so weird,'' Jodie whispered, her grip tightening on my hand, her voice barely audible above the jingle of harness bells. Her brow was furrowed in confusion, but her eyes held a flicker of unease. She wasn't wrong. It was weird.

My gaze drifted to King Mason's guards, a dozen paced further down the line, their faces etched with frowns of suspicion as they looked at me. They were undoubtedly wondering why Caspian's people, notoriously loyal and disciplined, were showing me such profound respect.

Then, they appeared. First, King Mason, his imposing figure radiating an aura of barely contained arrogance. Then Alpha Dane, his pathetic son, my adopted father, Beta Johnson, his usual genial expression replaced by a stern, unreadable mask. And finally, Caspian, his presence filling my whole body with excitement, followed closely by the regal forms of King Saun and Queen Fraya, two sovereigns whose kingdom bordered ours.

My breath hitched. A strange warmth bloomed in my chest, today was the start of my whole new life. I smiled, a small, involuntary twitch of my lips, upon seeing him. And Caspian's eyes met mine instantly across the expanse, a silent, powerful current flowing between us. In that moment, the world outside us dimmed, the guards, the royals, even Jodie, fading into the periphery. There was only him, and me.

The bubble shattered as the group reached us, their voices and heavy footsteps breaking the spell. Johnson, detached himself from the others and walked briskly towards me, his gaze sharp and disapproving.

''What are you doing here? This is a royal departure, it's not time for you to play council member. Go home right now!'' He demanded, his voice stern, laced with an authority that usually made me shrink. But before I could even formulate a stammered response, Caspian stepped forward, his movement fluid and deliberate, and took my hand from Jodie's grasp. My fingers, still warm from Jodie's touch, tingled as they met the cool, firm strength of his. It was a possessive gesture, a clear message to Johnson and everyone else.

''I understand that Raelynn is your adopted daughter,'' Caspian said, his voice low, a soft rumble that somehow cut through the surrounding tension with chilling clarity, ''But she is now my mate and future Queen. Watch how you talk to her.''

The words hung in the air, heavy and loaded, each one a hammer blow. My eyes widened, a gasp catching in my throat. Queen? The sheer audacity, the blatant declaration, it stole the remaining air from my lungs.

''YOUR WHAT?!'' King Mason roared, his face contorting in a mixture of disbelief and fury. The shout ripped through the fragile calm, and all the guards, both Mason's and Caspian's, tensed, their hands instinctively dropping to the hilts of their swords. The click of metal against leather was a harsh, ominous sound. ''How dare you lie about being her mate?''

Caspian merely raised a brow, a flicker of dark amusement in his eyes. ''I'm not lying.''

''Then why haven''t you marked her?'' Johnson challenged, his gaze flicking to my neck, searching for the bite mark that would signify a sealed mate bond. His voice was laced with a desperate hope that Caspian was indeed lying. The mark was proof. Without it, the bond was still, theoretically, vulnerable. ''You can't just keep her as some kind of mistress!''

''She is my mate, not a mistress and I will mark her when I'm ready,'' Caspian answered, his tone dismissive, as if the timing of such a sacred act was entirely his prerogative. But Johnson, ever the pragmatist, wasn't satisfied. He looked at me, his eyes pleading, betraying the worry beneath his stern exterior.

''Rae, is he lying?'' He asked, his voice softer now, trying to appeal to the girl he had raised.

I looked at Johnson, then at Caspian, whose hand still held mine, a silent anchor. The truth, stark and terrifying and exhilarating, was undeniable. The bond thrummed between us, a raw, primal energy that defied logic or explanation. ''No,'' I answered, my voice small but firm, feeling the weight of the word, the irrevocable shift it caused. My grip tightened on Caspian’s hand, a silent, desperate plea for strength. ''We're mates.''

''Then why didn't you tell us?'' Johnson asked, ''Did you tell Jess?''

''No.'' I shook my head, ''I wanted to tell you today, when we were leaving, so you wouldn't try to talk me out of it.''

''I don't care if you're mates,'' Mason growled, moving closer, his eyes fixed on me with a predatory intensity. He was loosing his grip on my power, and he knew it. Caspian, sensing the threat, pulled me closer against his side, a silent, powerful shield. ''As she isn't marked, she can still choose to reject you. Rae, reject him now, that is an order. Caspian is not someone you want as your mate.''

The gall of him, to command me like a child, to decide my destiny! My blood ran cold, then hot with indignation.

''And who should I pick at my mate? Dane?'' I snapped, and Mason took a step back, frowning. In that moment, he knew that I knew, he was trying to mate me to his jerk son.

''Of course not,'' He lied, ''I am just trying to protect you.''

''How nice of you to care about my mate,'' Caspian interjected, his voice dripping with sarcasm, a subtle venom. ''But she doesn't need or want your protection.''

''I wasn't talking to you!'' Mason shouted, his face reddening with rage, before looking back at me, his voice dropping to a manipulative whisper. ''Rae, think about this. If you accept him, you'll lose your family. John and his family took you in. They have protected and loved you for years. Is this how you will thank them? By leaving forever.''

The words struck a chord, a poisoned arrow aimed straight at the heart of my loyalty. The years of kindness, the warmth of their home, the unconditional love they had shown me… it all flashed before my eyes. Guilt, sharp and agonizing, pierced through me, but then I remembered that Johnson was only raising me to give me over to his King.

''Don't you dare try to guilt my mate,'' Caspian warned, his voice a low growl, his eyes darkening to obsidian. The hand he held tightened its grip on mine, a silent reassurance, a promise of defiant protection. ''We both know why your Beta took her in, and your little plan didn't work.''

''What plan?'' Johnson asked, feigning confusion, ''I took her in because I loved her from the moment I saved her.''

''Liar,'' I shouted back, and he looked at me in surprise, ''It was Jess who said I'd live with you.''

Mason ignored our conversation, his gaze never leaving mine, delivering his final, calculated blow. ''If you take her, Caspian, this will lead to war.''

A collective intake of breath rippled through the assembled guards and royals. This was no longer a personal spat, it was a matter of kingdoms, of alliances, of blood. King Mason had just declared his intent to plunge the world into conflict over me, over us. My heart hammered against my ribs, a trapped bird desperate to escape.

To my horror, Caspian met the declaration with a chilling calm. ''Then we go to war,'' He stated, unfazed, his eyes radiating an ancient, unwavering resolve.

A hush fell, thick and suffocating, as everyone processed the weight of Caspian's statement. It was then that King Saun, who had been observing the escalating confrontation with a keen, unreadable expression, finally spoke. His voice, though quiet, carried an unexpected authority.

''What King prevents someone from finding their mate?'' King Saun asked, his gaze sweeping over Mason, a silent but potent judgment. ''And then declares war when he doesn't get his own way. Is this really the kind of King you are? The mate bond is sacret. She belongs with Caspian. Why are you so against handing her over? What is so special about this girl that you would go to war just to keep her?''

A ripple went through the crowd. Mason's face, still contorted in anger, faltered. The legality, the sacred law of the mate bond, was something not even Kings dared to defy. It was an ancient tenet, woven into the very fabric of their world.

Caspian smiled then, a slow, predatory curving of his lips, a dark, triumphant gleam in his eyes. In that moment, the pieces clicked into place. He had planned this out, every agonizing step, every calculated word. Revealing our bond in front of another King, a neutral party, was not an accident. It was a strategic masterstroke, a political maneuver designed to corner Mason, to strip him of his moral high ground. King Saun's question was the checkmate, the final, undeniable move that would force Mason to step down, or expose himself as a tyrant who would sacrifice the sacred laws for his own petty power.

The air thrummed with the silent, terrible weight of choice, a choice forced upon Mason, and upon me. Caspian's plan was brilliant,

''I am not trying to prevent her from being with her mate. We just... All love Rae, and we don't want her to make the wrong choice in life. Just because they feel the bond, it doesn't mean she should accept him.''

''Perhaps, but she clearly has,'' Saun pointed out, as thunder sounded over head. ''Now, we should all get going before this storm hits. Thank you for your hospitality. Goodbye,'' He said and turned to Caspian, ''We will travel with you for the first two nights before we part ways.''

''Sounds great to me,'' Caspian smiled and shook his hand.

I continued to watch Masons face, and he looked frustrated. Hearing that Saun would travel with us, probably ruined the plans he was thinking about to abduct me along our travel route.

''Baby, say your goodbyes and lets go.'' Caspian ordered, before he turned to his Beta and they fell silent. Most likely talking through the link.

I hugged Jodie once more, ''I love you, goodbye.''

She started crying again, and hugged me tighter, ''I'll miss you.''

''Me too.''

When she released me, Johnson stepped forward.

''It's not too late to stay.'' He reached to touch my arm, but I stepped back.

''Why would I ever stay with you?'' I snapped through the link, and he looked betrayed, ''I know what Mason was planning. I know why you really raised me. Just tell me one thing. Doest Jessica know what I am?''

Johnson's eyes widened as he glanced at Caspian, ''Yes, she know what you are.''

''Does she know that you were going to hand me over to Mason and Dane?''

''No.'' He answered, though I didn't know if he was telling the truth.

''Tell her I said goodbye, but I never want to see you again ever.''

''Rae, I.''

''SHUT UP!'' I shouted, out-loud, no longer wanting to link him. It felt too personal, and Caspian spun to me instantly as his claws came out, and the guards took a step closer to me. ''I mean it. I never want to see you again.''

Before he could say anything else. I turned and climbed into Caspian's carriage, and sat down, huffing angrily. I crossed my arms and looked out the window, just taking one last look at the city, before Caspian climbed in.