Unwanted Mate Of The Lycan Kings (by jessica hall)

Chapter 23

~Zirah~

After spending the vast majority of the day at Serenity, swimming, eating and lazing around, we headed

back to the castle. Yet as we emerge from the tree line, Agatha is waiting for us.

"Aggy?" Lyon smiles, moving toward her. The old woman grins, her face a maze of wrinkles and

creases, her eyes a vibrant blue. "Lyon, my Queen," she smiles brightly.

"We were wondering if you'd be joining the rest of us for dinner tonight?" she asks and I glance at Lyon.

"Choice is yours," he tells me and I nod, eagerly wanting to see what the city is like at night.

"Of course," I tell her, motioning toward the winding path back to the city center. As we reach the vast

space. Children play, their laughter carrying and echoing around us. The adults had come back from

the fields, baskets full of fruit and vegetables, men carrying trays of fish they'd caught that day.

Watching, everyone has a job, a task as the area goes from stalls to an outside restaurant, tables,

picnic blankets, fur rugs cover every inch of the place. Everyone brings a plate of something to

contribute, bringing what they've harvested. Those that didn't bring food brought entertainment, musical

instruments, while others cooked. Lyon, just like everyone else, moves to help before I lost sight of him.

I help the women, setting up the tables, arranging food, while children played, danced, and sang.

Glancing around, the atmosphere was homely. Something I never realized I craved. Something I never

realized I'd lived without.

Breads, cheeses, and cold meats covered the tables, along with freshly picked and peeled fruits and

vegetables. Bonfires are scattered around the place, kegs of punch and water had jugs passing under

them. When Lyon returns with another man and a group of kids carrying wooden platters piled high

with grilled fish, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride seeing him with his people. I realized this was

not the man that betrayed my mother, he had truly beaten his sins and morphed into the complete

opposite of who he once was. Gone were the days when Lyon desired only wealth and grandeur. Now,

he was content with his humble kingdom, dedicating himself to diligence and humility instead of greed

and pride. He no longer gave into the temptation of his sins, but showed grace and honor instead.

As the night wore on, the bonfires burned low, and the laughter and chatter died down to a murmur. I

found myself sitting next to Lyon on a fur rug, staring up at the star-filled sky. "This is beautiful," I

whisper, leaning my head against his shoulder.

Lyon wraps an arm around me, pulling me closer to him. "It is," he agrees, his gaze fixed on the stars.

"But not as beautiful as you."

I blush at his words, feeling a warmth spread through my body when some children came over to us.

Lyon sits up on one elbow, looking up at them, their faces smeared with dirt, yet smiles bright on their

faces. "Did you bring them?" one boy asks him and Lyon chuckles.

"Don't I always?" he asks, and the two boys and a little girl smile brightly. One boy with sparkling green

eyes spins around, looking behind him. "He did bring them, I told ya, I told ya!" the boy teases, when

suddenly we are rushed at by dozens of children. "Who doubted me?" Lyon asks, placing his hands on Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

his hips and giving them a mock scolding look. He clicks his tongue waiting for an answer when a

group of boys come over.

"Milo, did," the little girl spoke up. She must be around seven. "Did he now, Mimi?" Lyon asks her. She

nods eagerly, looking up at him. "So can I have his?" she asks.

Lyon pulls me to my feet before I am accidently trampled by storming little feet as children rush at him

from every direction, he grabs his bag he had with him, pulling the strap over my head and sitting it on

my shoulder. The bag is heavy and I glance at him, but he smiles slyly. I am tempted to look in the bag

to see what causes such weight, but he addresses the children.

"Since when have I failed to bring them back from the kingdom?" he asks another boy, who I assume

was this Milo. "But you didn't come down last night for dinner," he shrugs innocently.

"So you assumed I didn't bring them?" Lyon asks him. "He said you ate them," the little girl laughs, the

boy hisses for her to be quiet but she sticks her tongue out at him.

"Maybe I did?" Lyon tells them, scratching his chin. "I don't know," he pulls out his pockets. "I can't feel

them, I must have," he declares. All the kids start tugging and pulling at him, knocking him over and

they wrestle him to the ground before checking his pockets. His laughter is contagious; so many tiny

hands prodding and pulling and I could tell he was ticklish. "Okay, okay, I didn't eat them, I didn't eat

them," Lyon calls out.

"See, told ya, Milo," the little girl named Mimi huffs. Her blonde hair pulled into pigtails as she folded

her arms across her chest, giving her meanest look, yet somehow appears cuter, not savage. I chuckle

when Milo spoke up. "Then where are they? We shook you down and your pockets are empty!" Milo

mocks and Lyon smiles deviously.

"You shook me down! You're right, I don't have them....." he tells them, and the kids pout letting him up.

His eyes go to mine, crinkling at the edges as he smiles and lifts his finger pointing at me. "She has

them," he tells them. Simultaneously, the children all turn their big bright eyes to look at me. "Have

what?" I ask, still not having figured out what it is he promised them. When suddenly I see the inner

savage that resides in Mimi.

"Get her!" she screams, and my heart soars and eyes widen when suddenly the kids are charging at

me.