their head and their hands clasped together, the Lycan Gods surveyed the plot of land they were occupying for the solstice celebration.

"Is the bunker ready?" Aida asked Draco as they neared the edge of the forest.

He nodded, "it's ready."

"Good," she murmured. The rest of the walk to the waterfall was silent. The only sounds were their steady footsteps and breathing and the occasional bird.

"Sweetheart," Draco sighed and turned to his mate. Cupping her face with both hands, he smiled sadly, his eyes red and brimming with tears. "I want—need you to hide with the women and children."

"What?" Aida asked bewildered. "No! I'm going with you, it's my Kingdom too."

"I know that," he whispered, "that's why I need you to stay safe. If something happens to me, the Kingdom will still have you as their Queen. I need you to promise me that you'll stay in the bunker."

"I can't do that," she cried, shaking her head.

"Promise me Aida," he gripped her chin harshly. "I love you."

"I promise," she whispered, weakly before kissing him with salty lips. As they retired to their rooms, their hearts full of love and their eyes of lust, the only thing that mattered was each other. Letting the dress fall to her knees the Queen joined her King in the tub. Although it was more like a pool, filled with warm water and bubbles. The warm water washed away her stress. The rose petals floating on the surface and the candles whose shadows danced on the cream walls, along with the feeling of being in her mates arms offered a new sense of love and security.

Her head rotated to one side as soft buttery lips brushed along her neck. Slowly but swiftly as to not spill any water she turned to him, her eyes returning to their natural state as Aida regained control. Teasingly slow their lips pressed together. The delicateness was something neither of them were familiar with. They were slow like molasses out of a jar.

Draco's lips trailed down her face and towards his mark.

Warmth spread throughout her body when he kissed it, but that warmth was replaced with fire when he sunk his canines in again. Unlike the first time there was no pain, only pleasure. A plea passed through her lips, begging him to make love.

The pair groaned as the King courted her, his sex slowly hammering away in the Queen. His lips attached to her nipple, licking, sucking, and biting while she tossed her head back, hair floating in the water. The water around them sloshed around adding a new pleasure to the somewhat taboo feeling.

The water and his lips and his hands became too much for the hybrid Queen, her core tightened and carried her across the finish line, her King not too far behind. Neither of them moved, their rising and falling chest and the rippled waters were the only thing moving.

A blaring alarm, caused Aida and Draco to shoot out of bed, their eyes wide with realization. The time had come. Clambering into her blue warriors gown, Aida turned to look at her mate. "Go," she whispered.

Stepping forward, Draco kissed her firmly on the lips. "I love you," he mumbled, just in case it was his last time.

"I know," she sighed, basking in his love. "I love you too." She watched as he spun on his heel and ran out of the pack house with warriors flanking his side. Placing her crown on her head and her dagger and gun against her thighs, she fled the room. "Catherine," she spoke with relief when she met with the nanny. "Come with me, and bring two other maids to carry the twins." Stepping out of the house, Aida turned to her left and then her right, and made a run for it—the other women and children in tow.

"My Lady," the guard in front of the bunker nodded at her and stepped aside.

The bunker was surprisingly warm as Aida looked around. "We're going to have people sectioned off, and later on I'll appoint a section leader. Because there will likely be more than one Luna in a section, to avoid squabbling, your leader will not be a Luna. Section 110, mothers with kids who are between the ages of 0-4. Section 120..." Aida continued to rattle off the 21 different sections before appointing section leaders.

"Queen Aida," Meredith, the 120 section leader called out. "We have someone with an injury."

Aida looked up from her clipboard that had the amount and types of food written down. "I need more than that to go off on, what can you tell me Meredith?"

Meredith shook her head, her blonde hair falling out. "Not much. Eight year old female, complaining of pain when she inhales."

Setting the clipboard down, Aida stood up and turned to the maids. "Will you continue doing this for me, I'm going to check on someone." Spinning on her heel, the Queen allowed Meredith to guide her to the youth girl. Sitting on the bed, Aida placed a hand on the girl's lower leg. "Hi, I'm Queen Aida, can you tell me your name?"

"Maverley," the girl flinched as she tried to sit up.

"It's okay," Aida reassured her and pushed her down by her shoulder gently. "There's no need to try and sit up. Meredith told me it hurts when you breathe, is that correct?"

Maverley nodded.

"Okay, I'm going to have to check your ribs, is that okay with you."

Maverley's eyes went wide as she looked around the rest of the room and she let out a whimper.

"Will you give me some space?" Aida murmured to the other women in the room, to which they all nodded and left. "Can you lift your shirt up for me?"

Slowly moving her hands away from stomach, Maverley lifted her shirt. When she heard the Queen gasp, fresh tears burned the bottom of her eyes and started to spill.

"May I ask who did this to you?" With gentle fingers, Aida began to feel around the yellow bruise.

"My br-brother," Maverley said with another wince. "It used to be my father but he died five years ago."

"And he's been beating you ever since?"

Maverley nodded.

"Have you told anyone about your father or brother?"

Maverley shook her head.

Pursing her lips Aida began to think. "Well they're not broken, just badly sprained. I'll give you one ibuprofen to take now and I'll put some arnica on your ribs if that's okay with you. Can I ask if you have bruising anywhere else?"

Maverley shook her head again. "This is the most recent, all the other ones have faded by now."

"Alright. Take this," Aida handed her the pill and some water. "I'll be back in six hours to give you another one, okay?" She watched the young girl nodded, sleepily, her eyes fluttering close. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Aida watched Maverley sleep for a little bit before bailing. "She's alright, just some bruising." It was more than just some bruising but Aida wanted to respect Maverley privacy. "You did the right thing by telling me, Meredith."

Draco was angry. His silver hues were dark with resentment and loathing as he stared down the truck full of hunters. Looking to his right, the Lycan God nodded at his fellow warriors and Alphas. They were not going to make the first move. His eyes darted over every move that Maxwell Ivan, the hunter leader, made. Rounding his shoulders, Draco stood tall and with his crown held high.

Draco rolled his head around in a circle, his neck popping.

"Lovely meeting you here, Draco." Maxwell grinned wickedly. "Shame it's going to be your last day on this earth."

Draco rolled his eyes but didn't respond.

The lack of response, pissed Maxwell off and he lifted a finger behind his back. Signaling to his sniper to let a bullet ring loose. A triumphant smirk appeared on his face as he waited for the Kings fall.

Draco looked behind him and towards the wall where the bullet had landed. Shrugging he turned back to the hunter, seemingly unphased. The hunters began to advance, their shots rarely hitting a Lycan and when it did, no one ever fell. Draco called out into the mindlink for everyone who was helping. Like a wave, the Lycan warriors and Alphas shifted into their wolves. His feet thundered against the forest floor as Tobias ran straight for the closest hunter. He nipped at shoulders and ankles before going for the throat and killing them. He wanted to make them suffer. An intoxicating scent wafted through his nostrils and Tobias froze, his jaws about to latch onto that of another warrior.

Flickering his eyes up to the trailhead, he watched his mate strut through the group with her sword tip kissing the ground. A hunter appeared before her, and Tobias hunched over to leap on his back, but his mouth dropped open in shock. He had never seen his mate in action before and now he understood why everyone said she was the best.

Swiping at the man's ankles, Aida crouched down and stabbed him. More men continued to come after her, but she slayed them all. Her heart was pounding, blood pumping through her ears, by the time she reached Draco who had shifted back to his human form. "I broke the promise, I know," she muttered when she stepped in front of him. "The other women and children are safe and I armed those who knew how to fight with wea—" she was cut off by Draco's lips. A moan escaped her and in that moment, she forgot they were in the middle of a battle. A mocking clap could be heard from behind them and Aida turned around harshly. Her hand was on her gun and in a matter of seconds, Maxwell was on the ground writhing in pain.

"You shot me!" He cried clutching his leg. "I can't believe you shot me!" Lifting his own gun, Maxwell aimed it in Aida's direction. "It's going to be your fault that she's dead, Rivers," he spat. "I'll kill her just like you killed Penelope."

The King let out a laugh. "That's what this is about? You attacked my people, because I killed your wife?" He laughed again. "Well guess what," Draco whispered as he crouched down in front of Maxwell. "I never killed her, she's still alive."

"No," Maxwell growled out. "I saw her body."

Wrapping his fingers around the hunters neck, Draco lifted him up so he was standing. "You saw what we wanted you to see." Placing him in a chokehold, Draco walked him and Maxwell forward until they were standing right in front of Aida. "That mission you sent Penelope on, saved her life. She found someone who treated her right, made her realize she was being brainwashed—she found her mate."

Maxwell let out a cry at the word and thrashed around even more.

"He's what's going to happen Maxwell," Draco seethed. "You're going to call the rest of your men back here."

With shaky fingers, Maxwell tapped the piece in his ear.

"Good," Draco murmured. Flicking open a pocket knife, Draco trailed the silver blade down the side of the hunters face. "Now, I want you and your men to leave, go back home and tell your families that you lost. I also want you to spread the word to other hunters that we will be watching your every move. Lycans are not a danger to your society, we don't target humans—get that through your thick skull."

Maxwell whimpered when the knife pierced his skin.

"Leave," Draco pushed the human away from him. "I'm keeping you and your friends alive for now, but if I hear that you're back on the streets hunting, I will be the one to kill you myself. Understand?"

Maxwell nodded and started limping away, his knee still bleeding.

"Great! Have a good rest of your day." Taking his Queens hand in his, Draco spun around and walked away.

~

aida out here giving birth a few weeks ago and then being a fucking badass i see u sis #girlboss

just heard my dad say "that's sus...."

he's a boomer y'all not sure how i feel about it

question of the day: how can u tell ur gen z without telling me ur gen z?

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