Chapter 69

It came as no surprise that Lorenzo and I were summoned once again to the palace on such short, immediate notice. Ever since the official story came out in the papers, regarding Lucy Grant’s death, it was only a matter of time before the Lycan Luna would’ve tried to reach out again.

Of course, I also knew that it wasn’t going to be under positive and hopeful circumstances. When Lorenzo and I arrived at the palace, we were struck by the instant feeling of security before a single word had even been uttered by anyone.

The Lycan Luna led us to the usual drawing room where we’d normally hold our meetings. Normally, she would be the one to greet us with a warm smile and a few words of encouragement. Not this time.

Her scowl was unmissed and the corners of her eyes slit with heavy disappointment. She placed her hands on her hips and glanced between Lorenzo and me.

“Alright you two, I need answers,” she stated sternly. “What the hell is going on?”

I struggled to get past the lump in my throat, not having a single idea how to easily discuss the awful details of what we’d recently uncovered.

“Well...I—”

“Do you have any idea what a horrible reflection this whole business has on the royal family?” she says briskly.

My stomach lurched with anxiety. Oh, God. What were the chances of her wanting to shut the whole case down now?

If Lorenzo and I weren’t able to produce anything viable soon, I had a terrible feeling that we were looking at a possible shutdown on this entire endeavor. I knew, right then and there, that I would never forgive myself if I were to let all of my father’s hard work fall to nothing.

Lorenzo must have sensed my tremulous uneasiness. He had to know the severe tremor of guilt that washed through me. And it was true. No matter how much he’d disagree with me, I still blamed myself for the loss of those girls.

‘Their deaths will always be on me,’ I thought.

He placed a calming hand on my lower back and stepped forward, keeping his eyes level with the Lycan Luna.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, did you really think this was going to be a clean endeavor?” he noted.

She raised a singular brow and spoke tightly. “It’s been nothing but death and mourning since the moment this case was reopened. What I expected were solid results and a goodman happy ending for these families whose children had been stolen from them.”

Another wave of guilt crashed over me as I went stiff next to Lorenzo.

‘Well, who’s gonna be the one to tell her that the idea of happy endings is seldom few when living in the real world?’ my wolf muttered. ‘Who is she to make us feel bad for what’s been going on?’

It was true as well. For countless days and nights, Lorenzo and I have spent our minds over this case and how we could have a possible connection to Blue Moon. But after discovering that gruesome brand mark at the coroner’s, I’d become heavily convinced that there were more people involved in those illegal businesses than anyone realized.

I wanted so badly to tell her exactly how this whole mess was tearing me apart from the very seams. I wanted to tell her about the brand we found on Lucy’s body and how we can prove that it’s linked to her son.

“We tell you that our main suspect is Blue Moon and we’re met with doubt and disbelief,” Lorenzo said.

The Lycan Luna let out a long breath. “I need a lot more than just your theories and guesses in order to take action against such a prominent pack,” she stated.

I noticed a strange glimmer flicker across Lorenzo’s eyes. The corner of his mouth threatened to pull up into a smile and I couldn’t imagine why.

Did he know something I didn’t?

“Believe me, I have full confidence that such proof will turn up very soon,” he informed her. “Until then, let us hope that these mindless killings have finally come to an end.”

“Indeed,” she said coolly.

To my surprise, the Lycan Luna decided to see Lorenzo and me out to the main doors. I was honestly glad to see this meeting come to an abrupt end. But not so lucky as to have avoided the familiar, unwanted face of the prince.

His features were still highly guarded, only this time he’d decided to flaunt a rather arrogant smirk when he caught sight of us leaving. Something about that self-conceited look on his face caused my anger to spike.

I curled my hand into a tight fist at my side and bit my tongue.

“Miss Wright, leaving so soon?” he hummed. “Such a pity that I missed you earlier when you were meeting with my mother. I’m sure I could have helped you.”

The air around us seemed to thicken with tension. Lorenzo tried to move forward but I quickly held him back with a subtle wave of my hand.

It was moments like this when I wished he and I were fully bonded. Lorenzo would have access to every thought and feeling and he would know exactly what I planned to do next.

If the prince, or even the Lycan Luna, thought I was just going to overlook the fact that he was somehow involved in all of this—they were sorely mistaken.

“Well, Your Majesty, there’s no time like the present,” I said.

While the fiery rage bellowed behind my eyes, I graced the group with a soft smile. I reached into my bag and took out my most recent photo of Lucy Grant and held it up to the prince’s face.

“Do you happen to recognize this girl?” I asked sternly.

All the blood drained from his face as well as his smug demeanor. His gaze remained fixed on the picture for a long moment while my eyes lowered to his shaking hands.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?” Lorenzo questioned.

“Y-Yes,” he coughed. “Quite alright.”

“How strange,” I said airily. “...You seem to be missing your signet ring.”