The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter
Chapter 66: Explanations

I stared at him, my pulse hammering in my ears. His words didn’t just hang in the air—they crashed down like a landslide, burying me in a mess of disbelief.

My throat tightened. "What?" The word barely scraped past my lips.

Jacob rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he leaned against the a tree like he had all the time in the world. "You heard me."

I clenched my jaw. "No. Say it again."

He sighed, long and dramatic, like he was explaining something obvious to a particularly dense child. "You. Are. Frederick. Moor." He gestured at me lazily. "The first Lycan King. The legend himself. The love of Natalie’s past lives. Reincarnated. Again."

The words rattled in my skull, but they didn’t settle. They couldn’t.

"That’s impossible."

Jacob smirked. "You say that every lifetime. Honestly, you get dumber every reincarnation, Zane."

I took a step closer, my chest tightening. "How could I possibly be him? I don’t remember being some ancient king. And even if I was, why the hell does it matter now? Natalie and I were doing just fine."

Jacob arched an eyebrow. "Because when Natalie wakes up, she won’t just remember this life—she’s going to remember all of them. And she’s going to be looking for Frederick. To find him, she needs one thing."

A sinking feeling coiled in my gut. "What?"

Jacob pushed off the tree he was leaning on, closing the space between us. "The Medallion."

I blinked. "What Medallion?"

He exhaled sharply, like he couldn’t believe he had to spell this out for me. "The one you bought from that art gallery last year. The one you were weirdly drawn to, like fate itself shoved you in front of it. That wasn’t random, Zane. That Medallion belonged to Natalie."

My mind spun back. The Medallion. I remembered it vividly—an intricate, ancient-looking piece with strange symbols that felt familiar even though I couldn’t read them. I hadn’t gone to that gallery for it. I had been following my father’s orders, searching for a map—something that would lead me to the celestial princess. But then, there it was. And I had to have it. Some part of me just... knew. And I sure as hell didn’t want it falling into my uncle’s hands.

Jacob’s voice softened. "That Medallion was a gift from our mother—the Moon Goddess. She gave one to each of her children as a symbol of love. And when they found their true other halves, they could pass it on." He held my gaze. "Natalie gave hers to Frederick Moor. To you."

I swallowed hard. "And then what?"

Jacob’s expression darkened. "When Frederick was old and dying, Natalie infused the Medallion with soul magic."

I frowned. "Soul magic?"

He nodded. "It’s a bond between two souls. When two lovers tie themselves together with soul magic, their connection becomes eternal. Even if death separates them, the object containing their bond will always find its way back to them. No matter how much time passes, it will lead them back to each other."

A cold shiver crawled down my spine. Suddenly, I felt the Medallion’s weight—except it wasn’t even in my pocket.

Jacob’s eyes burned with urgency. "When Natalie wakes up, her mind is going to be a battlefield of memories. She won’t know what’s real and what’s past. Her senses would be foggy. Meaning she wouldn’t recognize anything or anyone. She’ll be searching for an anchor—something to tell her who she is, where she belongs." He leaned in slightly. "She’ll be looking for Frederick. And the only way she’ll know for sure that the man standing in front of her is really him..."

He paused just long enough for the air between us to thicken.

"Is if he has the Medallion."

My breath caught. "And what if the person holding the Medallion isn’t the real Frederick Moor? How would she know?"

Jacob chuckled, a dark, knowing sound. "There have been imposters over the centuries." He smirked. "You really don’t want to know what Natalie did to them."

My heart stuttered. "How does she know if someone’s a fraud?"

Jacob’s smirk widened. "When she finds her true mate, the Medallion will glow with golden light. If she stands next to someone and nothing happens... well, let’s just say those fakes didn’t last very long."

I swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me. My legs felt weak, and I staggered to a nearby tree, sliding down until I was sitting against its rough bark. My hands curled into fists as I stared up at Jacob. "Are you sure?" My voice was rough, unsteady. Fear curled in my chest, cold and unrelenting. "Are you sure I’m Frederick Moor’s reincarnation?"

Jacob’s response was immediate—and infuriating. He threw his head back and laughed, rich and unapologetic. "What’s wrong, Zane? Afraid Natalie’s going to kill you?" His dark eyes gleamed with amusement, his grin stretching wide like this was the most entertaining thing he’d ever witnessed.

I scowled, leaning forward. "This isn’t a joke, Jacob. This is serious."

Jacob snorted, arms crossing over his chest. "Okay, okay," he said, still suppressing laughter. "So, what’s your plan? You gonna run? Or are you going to march into Natalie’s room, Medallion in hand, and hope you don’t get ripped apart if you’re not the real deal?" He smirked. "Because, if you ask me, the second option sounds way more interesting."

I clenched my jaw, my fingers twitching against my knee. "I’m not running," I bit out. "But I don’t understand why I don’t remember being Frederick Moor."

Jacob tilted his head in a lazy shrug. "Mortals don’t get to remember their past lives. The universe gives you a clean slate so you don’t get stuck in the past."

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. This was too much. Too ridiculous. And yet, deep in my bones, something told me he wasn’t lying.

Then a thought struck me, sharp and unwanted. My eyes narrowed as I turned to Jacob. Suspicion laced my voice. "If Frederick Moor—me—was Natalie’s eternal soulmate, then why were we given different mates by the goddess?"

For the first time, Jacob hesitated. Then he chuckled, the kind of laugh someone makes when they’ve been caught red-handed.

"Well..." He dragged the word out, scratching his chin.

I folded my arms. "Well, what?"

"My brothers didn’t think you were good enough for Natalie," he admitted with a shameless grin. "So they begged our mother to give both of you new mates."

I blinked. "What?"

Jacob snickered at my reaction.

I leaned back, still processing. "I thought Bubble, Tiger, Eagle, and Fox liked me!"

Jacob laughed outright this time. "Oh, they do. Sometimes. But they weren’t the ones who meddled." He leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice like he didn’t want someone to hear. "I have twenty more brothers."

I nearly choked on air. "Twenty brothers?!"

Jacob smirked. "Yep. And they were the ones who pestered our mother to give Natalie another option. But, funny enough, the new option turned out to be worse than you."

I rubbed my face, groaning. "Oh, great. That makes me feel so much better."

Jacob waved a dismissive hand. "Not important." Then, with a flick of his wrist, the world around us shifted. Shadows stretched and light twisted, and in the blink of an eye, we were standing in my bedroom.

I exhaled sharply, my head still spinning.

Jacob clapped his hands together. "Alright, Zane. Get the Medallion and go to Natalie’s room. You’ve got thirty minutes before she wakes up."

I hesitated. "And what if I’m not Frederick?"

Jacob grinned, all teeth and mischief. "Then I hope you’re a good fighter. Not that it’ll help."

I shot him a glare. "You’re enjoying this way too much."

Jacob strolled toward the door, laughing. "Oh, and one more thing—I’m taking Alexander with me tonight. Bubble, Tiger, Eagle, and Fox are coming too."

My head snapped up. "Why?"

Jacob shrugged. "You’ll understand later." And with that, he was gone.

I exhaled deeply, my mind racing. "Do you believe any of this?" I asked, Red.

Red growled low in my head. "I don’t know. But one thing is certain—I’m not letting Natalie go to another man."

I sighed. "Great. That narrows everything down."

Standing, I opened my bedside drawer and pulled out the Medallion. The moment my fingers curled around it, a faint warmth pulsed from its surface. The gold shimmered under the soft bedroom light, catching the edges of the shadows.

My gut twisted.

I ignored it.

Natalie’s room was quiet, wrapped in the kind of stillness that made my chest feel too tight. She lay curled beneath the blankets, her red hair spilling over the pillow in soft waves. Her breathing was slow, steady—too steady.

I sat on the edge of the bed, the Medallion resting in my palm as I studied her face. Peaceful. Tranquil. Almost as if she were merely lost in a dream. But Jacob had warned me—this was only the calm before the storm. When she woke, the flood of memories would hit like a crashing tide, dragging her between past and present.

She would need an anchor.

Would that be me?

I tightened my grip on the Medallion. If everything Jacob said was true, then—

The door creaked open.

I turned as Jacob stepped inside, his usual smirk was present. At his side stood Alexander, his small hand gripping Jacob’s jacket. My boy’s warm brown eyes darted to the bed, his brow furrowing.

"Why is Mummy Natalie sleeping?" Alexander’s voice was soft, uncertain.

I let out a slow breath, keeping my voice calm. "She’s just tired, buddy. And besides, it’s pretty late—you should be asleep too."

Alexander crossed his arms, his lips forming a small pout. "I was asleep, but Uncle Mist woke me up and asked if I wanted to go home with him... so I said yes."

Jacob and I chuckled, but then it hit me—that’s where I heard the name Mist before. Alex had mentioned him all along.

Jacob clapped a hand on my shoulder. "We’ll be heading out now," he said. "Alexander, my brothers—they’re all ready to go."

My chest tightened, but I nodded. I crouched to Alexander’s level, offering a small smile. "Alright, kiddo. Give your dad a kiss goodbye."

Alexander’s face lit up, and he threw his arms around my neck, pressing a tiny kiss to my cheek. I hugged him tightly, breathing in the familiar scent of my son’s hair. "Have fun with Uncle Mist, okay?"

Alexander grinned. "Okay, Daddy!"

Jacob watched us with a knowing smirk before turning back to me. "If you need me, you know where to find me. My house." His voice carried an unspoken weight, a reminder that I wasn’t alone in this.

Then, with a slow tilt of his head, Jacob gave me a knowing look. Something passed in his eyes—unspoken, but I understood.

And then, just like that, he lifted Alexander into his arms.

The air shifted.

A flicker of energy rippled through the room, and in the blink of an eye, Jacob and Alexander were gone—vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing but the faintest disturbance in the atmosphere.

I let out a slow sigh, rubbing a hand down my face before turning back to Natalie.

She hadn’t moved.

Her chest rose and fell with steady breaths, lost in whatever world she was trapped in.

I sank back onto the bed, eyes locked onto her sleeping face.

And suddenly, she stirred.

My breath caught.

Her eyelids fluttered. And when they opened—

Her eyes—

They were... they were different.