Chapter 199

LUCAS POV

I clenched my jaw, the protective instinct flaring within me. "You're not going to harm her, Dad. I won't let you."

My father rolled his eyes, dismissing my concern with a condescending smirk. "You're so damn stupid sometimes, Lucas. Do you really think I'd do anything to harm the White Wolf? I'd have to be the dumbest wolf of all."

His words sent a chill down my spine.

There was a predatory gleam in his eyes, a look I had seen before when greed or excitement seized him. But this time, it was different.

It was as if he saw something beyond the present, an opportunity or potential he hadn't considered before.

He almost sounded... protective over Shana himself. Was it because of the force? Did he feel some sort of connection with her that he hadn't before?

"You don't realize what this means, do you?" Kendrick asked, his tone carrying a weighty significance.

I narrowed my eyes, wary of his intentions. "It doesn't change anything for me, Dad. I'm not interested in whatever power you think Shana has."

"It isn't that I think she has power," my father said. "I know she has power. She possesses some of the strongest power a wolf can hold. More than you and me, combined."

I nodded, not letting his assessment of Shana's strength phase me. I already somewhat knew what Shana could be capable of.

"I know that," I said. "But if you think I'm going to manipulate Shana somehow for your benefit, you're wrong. I'm not going to do anything to betray her or hurt her ever again."

Kendrick leaned back, studying me with an unsettling intensity. "You're too naive, Lucas. You don't understand the power you hold now that you're with the White Wolf. And like I already said, I would be stupid to harm her. I want her as an ally."

I scoffed, dismissing his words. "I don't care about power. I care about Shana, and I won't let you exploit her. Ally or not."

"You're missing the bigger picture," Kendrick said, his voice taking on a low, calculated tone. "I want her to become your Luna."

I blinked in disbelief. "My Luna? Why would she—"

Kendrick cut me off, his eyes gleaming with a predatory fervor. "Because, my foolish son, you'll receive her strength. The White Wolf is the supreme, the most powerful entity in our world. Every alpha wolf craves that power, and out of all the alphas on this planet, you've found it."

I shook my head, slightly disgusted by his phrasing. "I'm not with Shana because of her power. I'm with her because I love her."

My father rolled his eyes. "What difference does that make? You have her, and nobody else does."

"Would you stop saying it like that?" I felt myself grow hot with anger. "Shana's still a person who has feelings and emotions. She's not some pawn or some bargaining chip. She's much more important than that."

My father, realizing how harsh he had sounded let out a sigh, running a hand through his perfect hair.

"Okay, maybe I didn't phrase that correctly. I just want you to be aware of how lucky you are to have Shana."

"Believe me, I know I'm lucky," I said. "But it's not for the reasons you think."

"Which is why I'm trying to open your eyes," my father continued. "Don't you see what I see?"

I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest defensively. "That... you want Shana to be my Luna?"

He nodded. "Yes, I do."

A chill ran down my spine at the revelation, and I stared at my father in disbelief. "You want her to be my Luna so that I can... absorb her strength?"

He nodded, a sinister satisfaction lingering in his expression. "You have no idea how much this changes everything, Lucas. The potential, the possibilities. We could be unstoppable."

"Stop!" I shook my head, resisting the absurdity of his proposition. "Stop saying 'we' as if we're a team. I have no plans to become unstoppable or take any of Shana's power."

"You're my son Lucas, whether you like it or not, the things you do inadvertently effect me as well. If you marry Shana, the world will know that the Busch's are a force to be reckoned with. Not only will we gain respect, but think about the alliances we could acquire. The wealth."

I could tell that he had a lot of time to think about this and be delusional. He had already conjured up some kind of twisted plan to get his way, and I wasn't about to sit back and let him create a false reality.

"I won't let you use her like that, Dad. She's not a pawn in your power games."

"Why have you been keeping this from everyone?" he asked. "How long have you known what she possesses?"

"That's none of your business," I snapped. "It's not even any of my business. Luckily, I was there the first time that she shifted so I could help her through all of this confusion and uncertainty."

"The first time she shifted?" My father seemed to perk up at that. "When was the first time? How many times has she shifted since?"

"She shifted on her eighteenth birthday," I confessed, not seeing the harm in telling him the truth. "She's shifted twice since then."

I didn't want to tell him that Shana didn't have full control of her wolf yet. I wanted him to believe that she couldn't be messed with, so I kept that information to myself.

However, I suspected he might think she doesn't have full control of her abilities yet. He did witness her crash into a tree... which wasn't exactly showing her best.

My father's eyes gleamed with a possessive hunger that sent a shiver down my spine. "I'm just so fascinated by all of this."

"I really wished you wouldn't be," I said, feeling unsettled. I hated that he knew this now. "We didn't want anyone to find out. It's too dangerous."

"I'll agree with you on that, and I'm happy you haven't told anyone else," my father said. "You haven't told any of your friends?"

I shook my head. "No, only Shana and I know," I lied, keeping Professor Black to myself.

My father tsked, regarding me carefully. "You're too blinded by your emotions, Lucas. You don't see the bigger picture. With her as your Luna, we could reshape the entire werewolf world."

I bristled at his words, my resolve hardening. "I won't let you manipulate her. I won't let you turn her into something she's not. She's my girlfriend and she's going through a hard time as it is right now."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but the world continues to go round, son. People die. Things happen. It get's hard. But Shana's still alive, and she is sitting on so much power and potential."

The ominous gravity of the situation hung over us.

"Things will only worsen if it's not taken care of soon," he said, hinting at something deeper.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"If she becomes your Luna, she will have the ultimate protection because she'll have the Busch family on her side. All of my resources. All of my wealth. She will be our family."