The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter-Chapter 202: The Second Moon

Zane~

The hall was dead silent—so still it was as if the entire world was holding its breath.

Maeron’s voice still echoed faintly, "She bears it. The Mark of the Moon." His words rang louder in my chest than in the air. I could hear nothing but the violent thud of my own heartbeat, feel nothing but the weight of this moment pressing against my ribs.

Natalie stood in the center of it all, her pretty blue eyes steady, glowing under the arched crystal ceiling as if lit from within. Her gown shimmered faintly under the ethereal moonlight that streamed through the dome overhead. She wasn’t trembling. She wasn’t afraid. She looked at peace.

And then—

Maeron’s voice disturbed the silence again, clear and unshakable.

"She’s not just marked. Now that I see her clearly... I’m certain."

He turned to the crowd, his arm outstretched as if presenting her to the world. "Natalie Cross is the Second Moon. The celestial princess. Daughter of the First Moon—our Moon Goddess herself."

The room erupted.

Gasps exploded around us like a hurricane of disbelief.

"What?!"

"That’s impossible—"

"The daughter of the Moon Goddess? That’s a myth!"

"No one’s seen a celestial heir in centuries!"

"She has to be a cursed orphan, not a divine one!"

I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. My throat felt like sandpaper. My body, my soul—everything in me froze in excitement.

Finally! The world was seeing my beautiful mate for who she truly was. A goddess.

Natalie didn’t flinch under their voices. She just stood there, radiant, her lips slowly curling into a smile. It wasn’t arrogant. It wasn’t wicked. It was the kind of smile that held eons of quiet storms and sudden peace. It was the smile of someone who had been kicked, banished, hated—and still rose anyway.

Then she spoke. "How do you know who I am?"

Her voice cut the noise in half, calm and challenging. Her eyes narrowed slightly on Maeron, watching his every movement.

Maeron chuckled lightly, the sound soft and nostalgic. "Because I know your mother."

That hit like thunder.

I didn’t even see her move, but I felt the way her body tensed. Her lips parted just slightly, her breath catching—only for a second. Barely there. But I noticed it.

Natalie definitely hadn’t seen that twist coming—and judging by the stunned silence, neither had anyone else in the hall. Maeron... connected to the Moon Goddess? What kind of cosmic madness was this? Who the hell was this guy?

"Where is Mist?" Maeron asked suddenly, voice low but firm.

The hall quieted again, confusion rippling through the crowd like static.

Natalie blinked, her brows knitting. "What?"

Maeron turned his head slowly, scanning the crowd with eyes that looked far too ancient for his smooth, youthful face. "The Wolf Spirit," he clarified. "Mist. He’s here. I know he is. Where the celestial princess walks, the Wolf Spirit always follows. The legends are never wrong."

I glanced toward Jacob—Mist—but he didn’t move. Not a flicker. He leaned casually against the far pillar, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. If Maeron saw him, he gave no sign.

Maeron spoke again, to no one in particular, though I knew exactly who his words were meant for. "I’ve waited a long time to witness the daughter of the Moon Goddess. But now that I have... I’ll wait patiently to meet the eldest son. The Wolf Spirit never reveals himself unless he chooses to. And I respect that."

He turned again, addressing the room, though his gaze hovered near where Jacob stood.

"We’ll meet again, Wolf Spirit. And when we do..." he smiled, a glint of something dark and wild in his eyes, "it will be fun."

"Who are you?" Natalie’s voice was steel now—sharpened and precise.

Maeron turned to her, his face softening into something almost fond.

"I am one of the Big Threes," he said. "The nightmare that shadows dream of. I am night itself."

The air thickened. Someone choked. A woman whimpered.

Natalie’s lips parted again. "You... You’re Shadow?"

Maeron gave her a slow, deliberate bow. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

She blinked rapidly, for once speechless, and I felt the heat of her disbelief echoing in my chest.

Shadow wasn’t a myth. He was standing right in front of us.

Maeron’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk. "I’ll be seeing you soon, Princess. This body’s just a placeholder—weak, temporary. Next time we meet? I’ll be wearing the perfect one. And something tells me... you already know exactly what I mean."

He turned, strolling through the crowd like he owned the air they breathed. No one moved. No one dared.

Then, with deliberate ease, he paused—his gaze sliding toward Darius, who looked like he’d just choked on a mouthful of gravel and humiliation.

Maeron’s smirk was pure mockery. "Good luck, kid. You’re gonna need it."

And then—just like that—

He winked.

He blinked.

And he was gone.

No puff of smoke. No flash of light.

Just—emptiness.

And then the screaming began.

Panic detonated like a bomb. Gasps. Screeches. A woman sobbed so hard she collapsed. Another dropped to her knees, whispering prayers. A Beta at the front went rigid, then keeled over cold—thud—right onto the marble floor. Chairs overturned. Glass shattered. The hall was a symphony of chaos.

Somewhere in the madness, I heard Fox mutter, "Okay... that’s one way to make an exit," but his sarcasm barely cut through the storm.

Natalie stood frozen at the center of it all—untouched, radiant, moonlight glinting off her red hair like a celestial crown. Like she belonged in the middle of the chaos.

And me?

I moved. I don’t know how, but I did. Every step felt like I was walking through fog and thunder.

I reached her, grabbed her hand like it was the only thing keeping me from floating off the ground.

"Natalie," I breathed, my voice shaky, barely cutting through the noise. "Are you okay?"

Before she could answer, Jacob emerged from the chaos like a ghost—silent, composed, a storm hiding behind calm eyes. The panic around us didn’t touch him. He walked straight to her, face set, jaw tight.

"Natalie," he said, his voice low but firm, urgent. "I have to go. We screwed up. No one thought to protect Griffin."

Her eyes widened. Just for a second.

And then—without a word—they vanished.

No warning. Both of them.

Just gone.

Leaving me alone, stunned, the noise of the crumbling hall crashing around me like waves.