The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter Chapter 51: Ours to Protect

Natalie~

The room was still, but my mind was a raging storm.

Jacob’s brothers—Bubble, Tiger, Fox, and Eagle—stood before , each radiating a strange mix of familiarity and mystery. Their words swirled around like an unfinished puzzle, the pieces scattered beyond my grasp.

What prince? What breadcrumbs? And why did they talk to like I was a long lost friend or sothing more?

Eagle crossed his arms over his broad chest, his silver eyes narrowed with irritation. "I still don’t understand why we had to leave breadcrumbs for the prince," he grumbled. "He doesn’t deserve her."

My curiosity pecked up. Her?

Jacob smirked as if he’d been expecting that exact reaction. "Oh, co on, Eagle. You know that no matter what we do, she always picks him. Every single ti."

I couldn’t understand why but a cold shiver ran down my spine. Who was "she"? Were they talking about ? No, of course not, I didn’t know any prince.

Tiger let out an exasperated sigh, his erald-green eyes flickering in frustration. "I thought this ti would be different. Mother decided to bring another choice to the table, but what do we get?" He scoffed. "An even bigger disappointnt than the prince."

Bubble, the most serene among them, humd in thought. "In my opinion, no one deserves her," he said, glancing at . His voice softened. "She’s too good, too pure for this world."

Sothing in the way he looked at sent a lump to my throat.

Jacob sighed, rubbing his temple. "Listen, I told you guys already. We’re just allowed to assist. That’s it. Nothing more." He leveled them with a serious look. "Our job is to make sure she doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. And, as always, she chooses the prince. This ti, we just have to make sure everything goes smoothly."

I stared at him, completely lost. "Wait—what prince? What are you guys even talking about?"

They ignored .

Tiger scoffed, stepping forward with clenched fists. "You know how hard it’s been for to stay still and keep my mouth shut?" His voice darkened, his muscles tensing. "Because apparently, the struggles she suffered were ant to ’build character’ and ’shape her future.’" He let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Well, I’m telling you now, if the prince or any other idiot tries to harm her again, I will personally make sure they’re buried seventeen feet below the earth’s surface. And I won’t care what Mother has to say about it."

My pulse quickened. What struggles? Who the hell were they talking about?

Bubble sighed, shaking his head. "All of this... because of that dallion."

I beca more confused.

Bubble continued, his voice laced with sothing close to exasperation. "If she hadn’t given it to the prince, then none of this would have happened. She wouldn’t have been able to find him every single ti. Knowingly or unknowingly... she always wanders into his arms."

Jacob let out a chuckle. "She’s stubborn." He looked at his brothers. "And besides, the prince isn’t that bad. You’re all just hating on him because, in your eyes, no one will ever be good enough for her."

Tiger’s expression darkened. "That’s because no man—no being, eternal or otherwise—is good enough for her."

A chorus of agreent followed.

Jacob groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Calm down, all of you. I’m not going to let anything go wrong, so just trust ."

I had had enough.

My patience snapped like a brittle thread, and I cleared my throat—loudly.

All eyes snapped toward .

"Alright," I said, my voice laced with frustration. "Who exactly are you guys talking about? And who is this prince?"

Eagle smirked. "Don’t worry your pretty little head over it."

I gawked at him. "Don’t—what?!"

Before I could protest, Bubble reached for my hand and gently pulled to my feet. "Co on," he said warmly. "I’ll show you to your room. Fox will cook you sothing to eat."

Fox straightened up at the ntion of his na. He winked at and grinned. "Not to brag, but I’m a highly sought-after chef. You won’t be disappointed."

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

Then, before I could react, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek before darting off toward what I assud was the kitchen.

Heat rushed to my face.

Bubble chuckled. "Co on, little moon. Let’s go."

Jacob gave a reassuring nod, silently telling that I was safe. I hesitated for a mont before following Bubble down a long corridor.

At the very end, he stopped and pushed open a door.

The mont I stepped inside, my breath caught in my throat.

It was like walking into a dream.

The walls shimred with an ethereal glow, shifting colors like the soft waves of an aurora borealis. The ceiling looked like the night sky—twinkling stars scattered across a canvas of deep blue, as though I could reach up and touch them.

The air slled like fresh jasmine and sothing warm, like a comforting embrace. A massive bed, draped in silky fabrics of silver and gold, sat in the center, appearing impossibly soft.

Golden lanterns floated in midair, casting a warm, magical glow. A waterfall of glowing petals cascaded down one wall, disappearing into a pool of crystal-clear water.

It was breathtaking. Otherworldly.

I turned to Bubble, my voice very quiet like a whisper. "Is this... real? Or am I hallucinating?"

Bubble smiled, his eyes twinkling. "It’s real, little moon. My brothers and I personally decorated it for you."

I spun to face him, my chest tightening. "But why?" I demanded. "This doesn’t make any sense. You’re all acting like you know —like you expected to be here. How did you even have ti to prepare all of this?"

Bubble’s smile remained, but there was sothing I couldn’t decipher in his gaze. "I’ll explain everything soon."

I clenched my fists. "That’s not good enough. I—"

He cut off with a gentle pat on my head. "You’ve had a long day, little moon. Rest now. We’ll co get you when the food is ready."

He turned to leave, but just as he reached the door, he hesitated.

Glancing back, he gave a soft smile. "This room—and this entire house—is free from nightmares." His voice was tender. "So don’t be afraid to be yourself. And please... sleep on the bed. Not the floor."

I froze.

How did he know?

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding.

Bubble gave one last look before slipping out, leaving alone in the srizing, impossible room.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, running my fingers over the silk sheets, my mind spinning.

Who were they?

And why did I feel like, sohow... I had t them before?

Even if I couldn’t rember when.

*********

Zane~

Sebastian studied for a long mont, his dark brows arching with skepticism. Then, as if he had misheard , he tilted his head slightly and asked, "Wait. You’re really going to follow her to France?"

I barely blinked before answering, my voice steady. "Yes."

Sebastian let out a low whistle. "You’re actually serious."

"I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t trust Jacob," I admitted, clenching my jaw. "And until I see with my own two eyes that Natalie is okay, my mind won’t be at rest."

A deep growl echoed in my head—Red. wasn’t pleased either. "We should have never let her out of our sight in the first place, he snarled. She’s ours to protect."

Sebastian clicked his tongue. "Hate to break it to you, but that sounds an awful lot like attachnt. Or, dare I say it—love?"

I shot him a glare. "Sebastian—"

"Alright, alright," he interrupted, smirking. "But let’s address the bigger issue here." He pointed at the sleeping form of my son on the couch. "What the hell are you going to do about him?"

That made pause.

I turned my gaze to my son, his tiny fingers curled into his blanket.

Sebastian imdiately caught on to my hesitation.

"Oh, hell no," he said, backing up with his hands raised. "No, no, no, Zane. You’re not leaving him with . Find soone else."

"Sebastian," I said, my tone almost pleading. "Please, look after him for ."

He actually took a step back like I had just asked him to stab himself in the heart. "No! Do I look like a babysitter to you? I’m a vampire, Zane. Vampire. I don’t do... little tiny people!" He waved his hands around dramatically.

"You don’t have to do much," I said, adjusting the blanket on Alexander. "Just keep him safe. If I leave him with Nora and Charlie, he’ll definitely run away again."

Sebastian crossed his arms. "And whose fault is that? Have you even figured out why he keeps doing that?"

I let out a slow breath. "I’ve tried, Seb. I’ve asked him over and over, but he won’t tell anything. I even investigated on my own, trying to figure out if soone was mistreating him when I wasn’t around, but I ca up empty-handed."

Sebastian watched , expression unreadable. Then, with a long, drawn-out sigh, he finally said, "I don’t like watching tiny people, but..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Since this seems important to you, I’ll look after him."

Relief washed over . "Thank you."

Sebastian held up a finger. "On one condition."

I tensed. "What is it?"

"I’ll also investigate whatever’s scaring him."

Relief flooded . "Thank you, Sebastian. Seriously."

"Yeah, yeah, don’t get all sentintal on ," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "And stop looking at like that. You’re making feel like a damn hero."

I smirked. "That’s because you are one, deep deep down."

"Shut up before I change my mind."

That night, I called Abel.

"I need a plane ticket to Paris. Imdiate departure."

Abel didn’t hesitate. "First-class. Flight at eleven a.m. tomorrow."

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see . "Perfect."

He didn’t ask why. He never did.

The next morning, I packed a bag for myself and Alexander, making sure to cover all bases—extra clothes, food, and even a few of his favorite toys. Then, I found Nora and Charlie in the kitchen.

"I have to take a short business trip to France," I told them, keeping my voice casual. "I’m bringing Alexander with . Thought it would be a nice way to distract him from... well, everything."

Nora frowned slightly. "France? That’s quite a trip. Are you sure you’ll be able to handle both work and Alex?"

I forced a smile. "Of course. It’s just a few days."

It wasn’t exactly a lie.

Abel arrived right on ti, handing the plane ticket. "Flight’s for eleven," he said.

I took it, nodding. "Thanks, Abel."

"Safe travels, Your Highness."

*********

Alexander sat in the backseat of my car, hugging his stuffed wolf toy, his legs swinging slightly.

"Where are we going, Daddy?" he asked, tilting his head.

I glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "To Uncle Sebastian’s house. I need to go find Mommy Natalie."

His little face lit up instantly. "Really?!"

"Yes," I confird. "I’m going to bring her back."

He kicked his legs excitedly. "Can I co too?"

I hesitated, then shook my head. "I need you to stay here. The road is too long and full of monsters."

His eyes widened. "Monsters?"

I nodded solemnly. "But I’ll fight them. I’ll get Mommy Natalie back."

Alexander stared at for a mont, then whispered, "Okay."

I reached back and squeezed his tiny hand. "I need you to promise sothing, buddy."

"What?"

"Promise you won’t run away. Stay with Uncle Seb until I co back. Can you do that for ?"

He hesitated, then nodded. "I promise."

"Good boy."

Sebastian was already waiting outside his house when I pulled up, arms crossed, an exasperated expression on his face.

I got out, lifting Alexander into my arms. "Alright, he’s all yours."

Sebastian sighed dramatically. "I still can’t believe I agreed to this."

I walked to the trunk and started unloading—clothes, food, toys, even a small first-aid box.

Sebastian stared. "Did you pack the whole house?!"

I smirked. "Just making sure he has everything he needs."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Zane, you do realize that despite my eternal hatred for tiny people, I’ve taken care of a lot of them over the years, right? I’m unfortunately very good at it."

I blinked. "Wait, what?"

Sebastian bent down, picked up Alexander, and held him effortlessly in his arms. Alex, to my surprise, didn’t protest. He just snuggled against him, yawning.

I took that as a good sign.

Sebastian smirked. "See? We’re already best friends."

I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck. "Just... be careful with him, alright? He’s my whole world."

Sebastian groaned. "Zane, you’re being dramatic again."

I fixed him with a serious look. "Promise ."

Sebastian sighed, then nodded. "Fine. I swear on my very attractive existence that no harm will co to the little beast."

"Thank you."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Now go. Before I change my mind and sell him to the highest bidder."

I chuckled, ruffling Alex’s hair one last ti. "I’ll be back soon, little one."

"Bring Mommy Natalie ho," he murmured sleepily.

I kissed his forehead. "I will."

Then, with one last look, I turned, got into my car, and drove straight to the airport.