Defying the Lycan King (Kira and Derek) novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14: A Visit to Moonfang

"Your Majesty," Rolf called the moment he stepped into his office and found Derek and Kira seated in the armchairs in front of his desk, while Declan, Kai, and Connor stood solidly behind them. Alpha Rolf’s heart skipped the instant his eyes landed on Kira, and she quickly looked away from him, but he masked his nervousness almost immediately and chose to play ignorant, even though he knew deep down that his deceit might already be unravelling. "What has brought you to my humble pack today?"

"Humble indeed, Rolf," Derek replied, his voice low and edged with danger. He leaned back slightly. "It’s a pity your humility didn’t extend to your paperwork," he added, then glanced at Kai, who stepped forward and laid several documents neatly on Rolf’s desk.

Kira kept her posture straight and her face carefully blank, but her fingers tightened subtly around the arm of the chair when her father’s gaze flicked to her again, sharp and searching.

"You presented the King with a bride who was not your heir," Declan began evenly. "You concealed her true identity, her age, and the systematic poisoning that has kept her wolf suppressed for years. You violated the terms of the alliance treaty in three distinct ways: misrepresentation of bloodline, endangerment of the contracted party, and deliberate deception regarding pack succession. This isn’t just a breach of contract, it’s a declaration of war."

"Your Majesty," Rolf said, his voice a little too controlled as his eyes moved from Declan back to Derek, and he forced a small, confused frown. "I don’t know what she told you, but this is not a breach of contract, and what systematic poisoning are you even talking about?"

Derek studied Rolf’s face closely, because the older man looked genuinely baffled, and for a moment, Derek wondered whether Rolf truly had no idea about Kira’s suppressed wolf or whether he was simply a masterful liar.

"You’ve been feeding her aconite extract and fadevine to keep her wolf suppressed," Kai stated bluntly.

"And why would I do that?" Rolf asked, his eyes darting to Kira. "Is that the lie you fed him?"

"Rolf," Derek said at last, gesturing lazily toward the documents on the desk, "the medical reports are right there for you to read."

Rolf hesitated before finally picking up the file Kai had dropped and began to skim through the reports. Derek watched him carefully and listened to his heartbeat, expecting it to spike, but to his surprise, it didn’t. It remained steady enough to suggest that Rolf might actually be telling the truth.

"This is new to me," Rolf said after going through the reports, his brow furrowing as he looked up. "Why would I want to suppress my daughter’s wolf? She is... she is my heir."

"I am not your heir," Kira cut in. "I’m barely even your daughter."

That was when Derek finally caught the spike in Alpha Rolf’s heartbeat.

Rolf shot Kira a furious glare, and his fingers tightened slightly around the papers. "I don’t know what she’s told you, Your Majesty, but—"

"But what?" Kira shot back before he could finish.

"Shut. Up," Rolf growled at her, then turned back to Derek and forced a strained smile. "Your Majesty—"

"Do you admit that this woman is your only daughter, then?" Derek asked, sounding bored as he examined his fingernails.

Rolf nodded stiffly. "Of course, Your Majesty. She is brash, uncouth, and sometimes stupid, but she is my daughter, and I’ve learned to accept her that way."

Derek let out a low, cold chuckle. "Interesting."

At that moment, the door burst open, and one of Derek’s gammas dragged the real Chloe inside with a knife pressed to her throat, while another followed behind, holding Luna Lydia hostage. Both women were sobbing uncontrollably as they were shoved into the room, and Alpha Rolf’s jaw dropped in pure shock. He had sent Chloe out of the pack and wiped every trace of her existence from the databases the moment Derek announced his intention to take his heir as a bride.

He had known Derek would eventually discover the truth, especially after seeing the whip marks on Kira’s body, and while he didn’t regret flogging that stubborn girl, he did regret the way it had damaged his carefully crafted plan. Lydia had nearly torn his head off for it, and Alpha Rolf had decided to cling to the lie that he had only one daughter if Derek ever came back. He knew the King respected the law despite his brutality, and without proof, Derek couldn’t touch him, because rumours and accusations alone wouldn’t be enough.

Rolf shot up from his seat, his mouth opening and closing without a sound.

Derek casually toyed with the Newton’s Cradle on Rolf’s desk, and something close to a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "If you were a smart man, you wouldn’t have erased Chloe Thornclaw from all databases," he said calmly. "You would have erased Kira instead."

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