Beneath the Alpha's Moon

LUCIAN’S P.O.V.

Adrian’s suggestion lingered in my mind long after he and Elizabeth had left. It was a lifeline—a chance to be something more than this shadow of myself, a chance to protect the pack and my family. But of course, I couldn’t show just how much his words had affected me. No, that would have been too vulnerable, and I had appearances to maintain.

Inside, Ares was practically bouncing. "See? I told you the Moon Goddess didn’t abandon us," he said, his voice brimming with relief. "Adrian might be a bloodsucker, but damn if he’s not a helpful one."

I laughed inwardly. "You’re supposed to be the confident one."

"Confidence doesn’t mean I’m not worried, Lucian," Ares admitted, his tone unusually soft. "The Moon Goddess told us to be nice to Adrian that we would need him. Guess she wasn’t wrong."

I resisted the urge to smirk. Ares, in his wolfish way, was always blunt. But he wasn’t wrong. Adrian had shown a kindness I didn’t deserve, and I silently thanked the Moon Goddess for not leaving me completely in the dark—pun intended.

First things first. I needed to inform Rylan, my Beta and closest friend. He deserved the truth, and he needed to be prepared to step in while I was away.

I used the mind link to call Adrian. "I have decided. We leave at first light. I prefer not to make a spectacle of this. But I have to inform Rylan of the situation first." I said.

Adrian’s voice was as calm as ever. "That’s wise. But keep it limited. Only your Beta needs to know. The fewer people aware of your... condition, the better for all of us."

"Agreed," I said, nodding. With that said, I cut off the link on him.

I opened the mind link to Rylan. "Come to my office. Now."