CHAPTER 168: MICHAEL JACKSON - HEAL THE WORLD

Kyllian arrived at the peace talks dressed in his royal garb, embroidered with the crest of the Werewolf Kingdom. Talon walked beside him in stoic silence, while two personal guards flanked them, their sharp eyes scanning the neutral territory with rigid discipline.

The location was an ironic choice for such a tense meeting, the humble little café situated in between boundaries.

Luciver and Damien were already seated at the wrought-iron table outside the café. Both vampires looked surprisingly relaxed, sipping from identical porcelain cups.

But Kyllian’s attention was immediately drawn to the woman seated beside Damien. Luna.

His Luna.

She wore a gown that hugged her frame elegantly. Her cheeks had regained some color, and the slight curve of her belly was visible if one knew where to look. He did.

She looked radiant.

He took his seat stiffly across from them, his eyes locking briefly with hers. He felt the burn of her absence every day, and seeing her at Damien’s side, full of light and...damn it, happy—it rattled him.

Before any of the men could speak, Luna cleared her throat.

"If we may begin," she said. "This alliance has stood the test of time. For centuries, both kingdoms—have upheld peace, cooperation, and even trade. To let centuries of diplomacy fall apart over unverified accusations and unchecked tempers would not only weaken us but endanger our people."

"We are on the brink of war," she continued, "because of fear. That is a dangerous place to govern from—fear. And if we let it fester, it will burn everything we’ve built."

Kyllian sat back, arms folded. "Fear is a rational reaction when vampires storm a werewolf border."

"Rogue vampires," Damien interjected smoothly. "Ones we are currently hunting."

Luna continued. "The purpose of this meeting is to re-establish trust. If we succeed, we will invite Alpha King Kyllian and his council to our wedding as a symbol of renewed unity between the kingdoms."

Kyllian’s jaw tightened at that, but he said nothing.

Luna’s gaze swept over the temporary peace table.

"The late King Magnus," she began, "my father would roll in his grave to see us like this. Suspicion between us when what we should be doing is defending each other."

Even Damien stilled, his hand pausing mid-drum against the armrest of his chair.

Luna continued, "We’ve stood side by side through harsher centuries—though wary of each other, we were always available for each other. And now... we’re here. At odds because of uncertainty and pain." Her eyes flitted briefly to Kyllian. "I urge you both, as leaders of great peoples, to talk. Talk before tempers turn into tombs."

Luciver folded his hands on the table. "Alpha King Kyllian," he said solemnly, "congratulations on your coronation. May your reign bring strength to your people."

Kyllian nodded once in appreciation, his posture still stiff.

Luciver continued, "We have been able to gather that the attack on your kingdom was orchestrated by a rogue faction of vampires. Well-trained. Organized. But not from Blood City. We believe they’ve made camp outside our borders, we just don’t know where."

Kyllian’s brow furrowed. His jaw flexed. "Words, Your Highness," he said flatly. "Just words."

"You still doubt us?"

"I lost a king in that attack," Kyllian said. "The queen lost her mate. The princess lost a father. And in return, I was handed a throne I wasn’t prepared for, and—if we’re being honest—not one that was meant to be mine."

A flicker of guilt crossed Luna’s face. Damien reached over and brushed her hand under the table.

Luciver nodded slowly. "Then what do you require to clear your mind of all doubt?"

Kyllian met his gaze. "I want a free pass—into and out of Blood City and its surrounding areas. For my scouts. My investigators. Myself."

Damien laughed. "Why don’t you just ask for the keys to Blood Castle while you’re at it?"

Talon, standing just behind Kyllian, subtly placed a hand on his Alpha’s shoulder to anchor him. He knew Kyllian was a hair’s breath from explosion.

Luna pinched Damien under the table—hard enough to be a warning, not hard enough to actually hurt.

"Ow..." Damien exaggerated, clutching his side. He even winced for dramatic effect, eyes narrowed as he turned toward her with a pout.

"Quit being a baby," Luna muttered under her breath, not even looking at him as she sipped her blood-and-mint infusion.

Kyllian watched the couple’s exchange from across the table, the tension radiating off him. The little joke between them might have been cute to others, but to him, it was a twisting dagger in a barely healing wound. That used to be his Luna. Now, she shared her fire with someone else.

He cleared his throat. "If you want a truce," he said, "I need to avenge the death of my king."

Luciver looked at him with a raised brow. "And by avenge, I assume that doesn’t mean slicing the throats of everyone with fangs?"

"It means the wolves will not rest until justice is served."

Luciver folded his hands and nodded. "Then I’ll have to discuss this with my council. But I will send you a diplomatic card in a few days."

"It grants you access in and around Blood City," Luciver continued, "but let me be crystal clear—if any crimes are committed during any of your visits, you will be subject to our laws."

"Yes," Kyllian said, jaw still tight.

Luciver grinned. "Splendid!"

He rose to his feet. "Well, this was productive. But I have a naked appointment with one of my royal concubines, and she tends to grow impatient when the king is late. And clothed."

Luna nearly spat her tea.

Damien stood with him. "I’ll be stopping by the plaza to get fitted for my suit for the wedding."

Luciver turned to Luna. "You’ve done well today, Princess. I cant wait for you to become queen, the council needs all you bring to the table."

With that, he strode off to his waiting car.

Kyllian leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, not saying a word as Damien adjusted his coat and turned to Luna.