Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 237: The Weight of Family

Chapter 237: The Weight of Family

Lucian’s P.O.V. (Guest Appearance)

I never wanted to be this hard on them.

I stood by the window of my office, staring out into the night, my hands clenched into tight fists. The moonlight bathed the room in a cold silver glow, but it did nothing to soothe the storm raging inside me. I had shouted, scolded, and demanded answers from them, my voice laced with frustration and worry.

But what else was I supposed to do?

They were stubborn—every single one of them.

Ollie, my fearless son, had a habit of diving headfirst into danger if it meant staying by his sister’s side. Mai, my beautiful yet haunted daughter, carried burdens that were never meant to be hers. Liam, the boy who had already endured too much because of my family, somehow kept getting pulled back into our chaos. And Eldur...

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as I leaned against the desk.

Eldur.

I didn’t hate him. How could I? No matter what he had done, no matter how ruthless or cruel he seemed, I knew the truth. It wasn’t him.

It was Raivo.

Raivo was inside me once, I know what Raivo could do.

And even before he was inside me, I had heard about the destruction, the pain, the horrors left in his wake. For a child like Eldur to be his prison, to carry that weight every single day—it must have taken a terrible toll on him. And yet, despite everything, Eldur still stood tall, still tried to be something more than the monster within him.

I wanted him to be okay.

I wanted all of them to be okay.

I wanted my Mai to be free of Laevira.

My baby girl.

I closed my eyes, my heart clenching painfully. If I could take away her suffering, I would. If I could rip the witch from inside her and crush it beneath my heel, I would do it in a heartbeat. But I was powerless. And that, more than anything, made me feel like a failure as a father.

She had always been strong—fearless even. But ever since she was a child, I had seen the way she fought against something unseen. The whispers in her head, the darkness clawing at her, the way she struggled to keep herself together.

And then there was Liam.

I had known for a long time that she snuck out to see him every night. At first, my instinct had been to stop it immediately—to put an end to whatever attachment was forming between them. But thankfully, Teresa, ever the voice of reason, had stopped me.

"She wouldn’t do something without a reason, Lucian," she had told me. "Just watch. Observe first."

So, I did.

And I saw something that left me in awe.

Liam made her better.

She was more level-headed around him, calmer, as if the voices inside her head couldn’t reach her when he was near. At first, it had scared me—how attached she was becoming to him. But when I leaned from the goddess herself that Liam wasn’t just a boy Mai clung to...

He was her shield.

He was the only thing that silenced the witch’s whispers.

That... that truth broke me.

Because it meant that my daughter was suffering more than I had ever imagined. It meant she was desperate for even a moment of peace, and she had found it in Liam. Liam didn’t just save Mai, he saved my entire family and pack.

Now?

Now, I would protect that boy with everything I had.

********

Later that night, I sat on the edge of the bed, my elbows resting on my knees, my head in my hands. The weight of it all was crushing me. I felt the mattress dip beside me, and then soft hands reached for mine, pulling them away from my face.

Teresa.

My wife. My mate. My sanity.

She didn’t say anything at first. She just pulled me into her arms, holding me tight, her fingers stroking the back of my neck. The warmth of her touch, the steady beat of her heart against mine—it grounded me.

"We’re going to be okay, Lucian," she whispered.

I let out a humorless chuckle. "You always say that."

"Because it’s true."

I lifted my head slightly, looking into her fierce, golden-brown eyes. "I feel useless, Teresa. I can’t do anything to help them. I can’t fix this. All I can do is wait."

She cupped my face, her thumbs brushing against my cheekbones. "You don’t have to fix everything. You just have to be here. For them. For us."

I exhaled heavily, leaning into her touch. "I just want them to be happy. To be free of all this pain."

"We will be," she said, with the kind of conviction only she could have. "One day, our babies will be safe. They’ll be happy. And we will finally have our peace."

A small smile tugged at my lips. "You really believe that?"

She smirked. "Of course. I’m always right."

I let out a real chuckle this time, shaking my head. "Cocky woman."

"Grumpy old man."

I pulled her onto my lap, wrapping my arms around her waist. "We’re not that old."

She arched an eyebrow. "Speak for yourself."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Are you trying to get on my bad side, woman?"

She grinned. "I live on your bad side."

I growled playfully, pressing a kiss to her neck. "You’re lucky I love you."

"I know I’m lucky."

I rolled my eyes before kissing her deeply. She melted against me, her arms winding around my neck. For a moment, just a moment, the weight on my shoulders lifted. It was just us.

Just Lucian and Teresa.

Just a man and his mate.

When we pulled apart, she rested her forehead against mine. "Do you remember when the twins were babies?" she murmured.

I chuckled. "How could I forget?"

"They were so tiny. So cute."

I snorted. "Tiny? They were menaces."

Teresa gasped dramatically, slapping my arm. "They were adorable!"

"They once painted the entire dining room with mashed potatoes."

She laughed. "It was artistic."

"They locked me out of my own office for three hours when they were four, Teresa. Four!"

"That was Mai. Ollie was just her accomplice."

I shook my head, smiling despite myself. "They were chaos."

"They were our chaos," she whispered, her expression softening. "And they still are."

My chest ached. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, soaking in the warmth of her presence. "I just want them to be okay, Teresa."

"They will be," she promised. "Because we’ll make sure of it."

I held her tighter, pressing my lips to the top of her head.

I wanted to believe her.

I needed to believe her.

Because at the end of the day, I was their father.

And I would do anything—anything—to protect them.

Teresa was still curled up in my arms, her laughter warm against my chest, when the sharp, panicked cries of our children shattered the moment.

"Daddy! Mummy!"

My body tensed instantly. Teresa jerked upright, her eyes flashing with alarm. The door to our bedroom slammed open, and Ollie came barreling inside, his face twisted in terror.

"Daddy, Mummy, help!" he gasped, his chest heaving.

I was on my feet in an instant, my heart pounding. Teresa pulled Ollie into her arms, smoothing down his messy curls in an attempt to calm him. But his entire body was trembling, his hands, now larger than that of his mother, clutching desperately at her pyjama’s shirt.

"Ollie, what happened?" I demanded, standing before him, gripping his shoulders firmly.

His lip wobbled as he sucked in a shaky breath. "Liam—Liam got hit by a truck!"

For a second, my mind went blank.

A truck?

My voice came out harsher than I wanted it to. "A truck?"

Ollie flinched, and Teresa shot me a glare. "Lucian, calm down," she murmured before turning back to our son. "Sweetheart, start from the beginning. How did this happen?"

"After—after you left the east wing, Eldur lost it," Ollie gasped, his words tumbling out between ragged breaths. "He tore open a portal, said he was done, but Mai and Liam tried to stop him. They reminded him about the binding spell, but he didn’t care—he just went through. We followed, hoping to talk some sense into him, but his portal dumped us onto this dark highway. We were arguing when—out of nowhere—a truck came barreling toward us. Liam didn’t hesitate. He shoved Eldur out of the way—took the hit himself. And now—now Mai and Eldur are acting... weird!"

I clenched my jaw. My mind was racing.

Liam was hit by a damn truck? Mai and Eldur—Eldur of all people—were acting weird?

What the hell!

I opened my mind link and sent a sharp command. "Elizabeth. Rylan. Get to Mai, Liam and Eldur’s wing. Now."

Teresa and I exchanged a quick glance. No words were needed. She already knew what I was thinking.

With Ollie still holding her hand, we sprinted down the hallway toward the east wing. My pulse was thundering in my ears, dread curling deep in my gut.

And then we entered the room.

Everything inside me went cold.

Liam was sprawled lifelessly on the floor, his blond hair matted with blood, his body utterly still. My stomach twisted at the sight. But that wasn’t what stole the air from my lungs.

Mai.

My daughter.

Was locked in a deep, desperate kiss with Eldur Daegon.

For a long, horrifying moment, I just stood there.

No.

Something was wrong.

My daughter despised being touched. Hated being controlled. The only person she ever allowed near her to such an extent was Liam—not Eldur. Mai was never reckless, never careless—especially not in front of Liam.

This wasn’t right.

Teresa inhaled sharply beside me. "Lucian..."

I took a slow, steadying breath, then stepped forward.

"Mai."

She didn’t react. She and Eldur were still entangled, their lips moving with an almost unnatural urgency.

I felt something dark coil inside me.

I reached for Ares.

"Something is manipulating them," Ares growled, his voice edged with fury. "Tear them apart, Lucian. Now."

I didn’t hesitate.

I yanked Eldur away from Mai with a force that sent him crashing against the wall. He hit the ground with a snarl, his silver eyes burning with fury.

Mai staggered back, gasping for breath, her pupils dilated, her entire body shaking. Her eye snapped up to me in a wild, unfocused gaze.

Then, suddenly, she screamed.

A guttural, inhuman sound.

The sheer force of it sent a gust of wind exploding through the room, knocking over furniture, rattling the windows.

Teresa shielded Ollie with her body. Eldur pushed himself off the ground, his own magic crackling around him.

"Mai, stop!" I barked.

But she wasn’t there.

She clutched her head, her nails digging into her scalp. "It’s too loud! It’s too loud!"

Her voice was raw, agonized.

Teresa moved toward her carefully, her

eyes focused. "Mai, baby, it’s Mummy, listen to me—"

Mai gasped sharply—and then suddenly, her entire body went limp.

I caught her before she hit the ground.