The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter Chapter 34: The Moonstone’s Light

Zane~

I strode down the hallway, my footsteps sharp and deliberate against the marble floors. My phone was still warm in my grip, Sebastian’s urgent words ringing in my ears. There was no ti to waste.

I pushed open the study door and stepped inside, imdiately drawing Natalie and Jacob’s attention. Whatever conversation they’d been having died the mont they saw .

Natalie’s eyes flickered with concern—she could probably sense the shift in my deanor from earlier. Jacob, on the other hand, studied with quiet curiosity, his usual relaxed posture tightening ever so slightly.

"I need to head out for a bit," I said, my tone sounded clipped but not in a bad way. My gaze focused on Natalie for a mont before flicking to Jacob. "Nora and Charlie will keep an eye on things while I’m gone."

Jacob leaned forward, his brows knitting together in concern, almost like a worried son sizing up his father. "Everything okay? Where are you off to, Mr. Lucky?" His voice carried both curiosity and unease.

I exhaled sharply, barely resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "Nowhere you need to concern yourself with," I replied. Then, narrowing my gaze slightly, I added, "Just make sure you behave. And when that lecture of yours is over, don’t linger."

Jacob stretched out on the couch with mock arrogance, folding his arms behind his head. "You sound like an overprotective dad, Mr Lucky. Should I start calling you ’sir’ now?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, groaning. "Don’t push it, Jacob. I don’t have ti to argue with a teenager."

"Be safe Sir," Natalie added as if I was going off to war; but sohow, it ward my heart greatly. I gave her a warm smile and replied, "I will."

With that, I turned on my heel, already moving toward the door. Behind , I could hear Jacob chuckling under his breath, but I ignored him. I had bigger things to handle. I’ll deal with that disrespectful kid later.

My car engine roared to life as I sped down the empty road, my thoughts racing faster than the car. Sebastian’s words kept echoing in my mind.

The Moonstone. The key to finding the celestial princess—or so his vampire friend said. If this lead was real, if it truly held the answers we’d been chasing for years, then maybe, just maybe, I could do sothing that mattered. Sothing my father would finally be proud of.

"Please, Goddess," I whispered, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Let this be the one."

Sebastian’s house lood ahead, a striking blend of old-world elegance and modern luxury. The sprawling estate was a testant to his taste—dark stone walls, large windows, and ornate iron gates. It was the kind of place only a vampire with centuries of wealth could call ho.

As I pulled into the driveway, Sebastian was already waiting for , practically bouncing on the balls of his feet like an excited child. His jet-black hair glead under the moonlight, and his sharp suit was, as always, impeccably tailored.

"Finally!" he called out as I parked. "You took your sweet ti."

I stepped out of the car, and my eyes were imdiately drawn to the small glass box in his hands. Inside it rested a diamond the size of a child’s fist, its surface shimring with an otherworldly light. A delicate white beam of light pulsed from the diamond, pointing out of Sebastian’s gate like a lesser compass.

The Moonstone.

It was srizing, radiating an energy that felt both ancient and powerful.

Sebastian grinned, holding it up for to see. "Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?"

"It’s... stunning," I admitted, unable to look away.

He smirked, clearly proud of himself. "Getting it wasn’t easy, you know. I had to kill more than a few people to get my hands on this. You should be grateful."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Should I reward you then?"

Sebastian’s smile faltered, replaced by a skeptical look. "What are you talking about?"

Before he could step back, I wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Off! OFF!" he yelled, squirming like a cat in water. "Warm bodies—I hate warm bodies!"

I couldn’t help but laugh harder, finally releasing him. "You’re ridiculous, Sebastian."

He straightened his suit, muttering under his breath. "Know this, if you’re not food, don’t touch ."

"Noted, Dracula."

We both sobered as I gestured toward the car. "Let’s get moving. We need to track this thing before the trail goes cold."

Sebastian climbed into the passenger seat, cradling the glass box in his lap like it was sothing dangerous. The glow of the Moonstone inside pulsed softly, drawing crystal patterns across his face. His usual playful smirk was gone, replaced by sothing rare: concern.

"I’ve already tried tracking the beam," he said, his voice quiet but firm. He turned his gaze toward , sharp and hard. "It’s heading toward your house, Zane. I would have brought it to you myself but I wanted you to be the one to track it."

I frowned, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. "My house?"

Sebastian just nodded. "Drive. You’ll see."

I didn’t like this. Not one bit. But I started the car, the hum of the engine doing little to drown out the growing unease curling in my chest. The drive felt longer than usual, every turn tightening the coil of tension in my gut. When I finally pulled into my driveway, I exchanged a glance with Sebastian. His expression mirrored my own—confused, worried.

"This doesn’t make sense, how can the bodyguard be in my house and I don’t know?" I muttered, stepping out.

Sebastian adjusted his grip on the box and gave a look. "Only one way to find out."

We moved cautiously, slipping into the house without a sound. The beam from the Moonstone remained steady, a guiding light leading us through the hallways. My heartbeat drumd in my ears as we followed it to its destination—Alexander’s room; then suddenly, the moonstone beam went off.

Sebastian and I froze outside the door. My stomach twisted.

"Co on, this is ridiculous," I whispered.

"Shh," Sebastian shot a glare. "Just open it before soone shows up and interrupts us."

Taking a breath, I pushed the door open slowly. The room was a bit dark but it was bright enough for us. Everything was neatly arranged—Alex’s bed made perfectly, his stuffed animals lined up in an orderly row like they were standing at attention. But Alex himself? Nowhere to be seen.

"Nothing," I muttered, frustration creeping into my voice. "This was a waste of ti. You sure this stone is even real?"

Sebastian frowned, his grip tightening on the box. "No... there’s sothing we’re missing. There has to be."

We stood there for a long mont, staring into the room, lost in thought. Then, all at once, Sebastian’s eyes widened, his entire posture shifting as realization struck.

"The bodyguard," he said, his voice a whisper. "The vampire told —it can beco anything. Even inanimate objects."

A chill ran down my spine. "So, you think it’s here? In my son’s room?"

Sebastian nodded slowly. "If the Moonstone led us here, then yes. It’s here."

I swallowed hard, my gaze sweeping over the room again. "Think, Zane," Sebastian urged. "Does anything in here seem... off?"

I shook my head, frustrated. "I don’t know! It all looks normal to ."

Sebastian exhaled sharply and moved in a blur, using his speed to check every corner, lifting toys, flipping over furniture, running his fingers over every inch of the space. Every few seconds, he’d hold sothing up.

"This?"

"No."

"This?"

"No."

It was ridiculous. And yet, the gnawing feeling in my gut wouldn’t go away.

Then, as I scanned the room for the hundredth ti, my eyes landed on sothing that made my breath hitch—a large green stuffed animal sitting right in the center of the bed. The sa one Alexander had been hugging this morning in Natalie’s room. My chest tightened. I rembered now that I hadn’t bought that for Alex. Where the hell had he gotten it?

"That," I said, pointing. "That’s the most suspicious thing in here."

The mont the word left my mouth, the toy vanished.

One second, it was there.

The next, it simply wasn’t. It was like Harry Potter’s magic.

Sebastian and I stood frozen, staring at the empty spot where it had been. My pulse thundered in my ears, disbelief tangling with sothing much worse—fear.

"What the hell just happened?" I whispered.

Sebastian’s grin was slow, sharp, and just a little bit wicked.

"Well, Your Highness, I think we just found our bodyguard."