The Lycan King's Secret Baby (Freya and Jaxon) novel Chapter 67

JAXON’S P.O.V

As King, you are prepared for the possibility of war but you never want to experience it. My father used to say to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. He was a cynic at heart but he was right in that sense and I knew that if he could see me, he would be shaking his head in disappointment. I was far from prepared for the war that was brewing and if care was not taken then I could be blown away.

“Everything will be fine,” Aiden said snapping me out of my thoughts and I turned to him. “He is just a werewolf. He can’t win. Everyone that is meant to be in the bunkers is there. Do you want to go on offense or defense?”

I hesitated because for the first time, I did not know. His arrival came as a surprise so we didn’t have enough time to scout the area and see the kind of weapons he had in his arsenal. As king, I was expected to know everything but how was I meant to know how to handle a war if I had never fought a war before in my life? There was something deep inside of me, something I had not felt in a long time- inadequacy.

I could not show fear or weakness because if my soldiers got a glimpse that I was unsure, it would affect their performance. I was their leader and therefore, I had to be strong so I cleared my throat and stood up straighter. I saw Aiden smile softly as if a sense of encouragement and followed me out of the door where the generals were waiting.

I was grateful that I had requested for privacy earlier because I could not imagine the uproar that would have risen if people noticed that I was unsure of the battle. It would have been a mess and my ability to rule would have been compromised. I heard there was some murmuring between the soldiers although I didn’t know why and the last thing I wanted to do was make it worse. The generals bowed to me when they saw me and I nodded my head as a form of acknowledgment.

“We are taking a defensive standpoint,” I began as soon as I had their attention. “This is our pack and we know what parts of the land will favor us better. Direct the battle away from the bunkers and towards the denser parts of the forest. We can navigate these lands better than they ever can. I know a war is not what we wanted but this war is inevitable and we will come out on top.”

I started to walk away when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I turned to see one of the older generals- Kerrigan. He was standing at the back but when he saw that he had my attention, he began to make his way over to the front. He served in my father’s time and he was such a good warrior that I had no other choice but to place him as general over one of our biggest squadrons.

“My apologies for speaking out of turn, your majesty,” he began. “I know this is neither the time nor the place but there is a question that has been plaguing all of us. Most guards are too scared to ask for fear of what you might do but I-”

“You are not scared,” I finished for him and his words faltered. “We have a war to attend to Kerrigan. If there is something that you wish to say then I suggest you begin right now. The last thing anyone needs is to stand here listening to a reenactment of your war victories.”

His ears turned pink in embarrassment and I heard someone snicker in the back. It was not my intention to embarrass him but I was irritable. I felt weak and unwell and I hated it. I hated that I was not at my best when leading my men into battle and it was becoming increasingly harder to hide my fatigue.

“It has come to our knowledge that the Alpha Noxian was only attacking because of a perceived wrong,” he began slowly and I crossed my arms over my chest as I waited for him to finish. I hoped he would be smart enough and stay silent but he kept on speaking. “It is now popular knowledge that the Queen was mated to him and ran away before they could complete their bond. Would it not be prudent to just give him what he wants and save millions of lives?”

You could have heard a pin drop because of ho quiet it got. I stayed silent watching Kerrigan and wondering if he would suddenly grow a brain and take back his words but he didn’t. He was either oblivious to my growing anger or he was choosing to ignore it. I knew the news had gotten out but I did not know that it had been grossly misinterpreted to this point. I wanted to find whoever was responsible and rip them apart with my bare hands.

“Are you suggesting that I give my mate to Noxian to kill?” I asked and Kerrigan blanched.

“I don’t think he will kill the Queen. He might just want to mate with her and-”

“Repeat that for me,” his brows scrunched in confusion. “Your sentence, Kerrigan, I want you to repeat your sentence.”

“I said that I didn’t think he would kill the Queen.”

“The Queen,” I cut him off. “She is your Queen and your first order of duty is to protect her is it not? Your first order of duty is to protect this kingdom and whoever I choose as my mate. If you have a problem with that you are welcome to let me know and you can leave right now. There will be no one to stop you.”