The 5-time Rejected Gamma & the Lycan King
Chapter 188

Lucianne’s eyes met her brother's, and she declared, “Betrayal.”

The room started to simmer down. Lucianne knew that word betterthan anyone else there. Every bond-snap before she met Xandar wasexcruciating. She felt the anguish from the rejections and the betrayalfrom two of her past mates. She also felt betrayed by the MoonGoddess, who was not supposed to hurt her if she didn’t do anythingwrong, and who was not supposed to bond her to creatures who wouldhurt her. On many nights, she wished that she would just wake updead. It was no secret that it took her many weeks and even monthsbefore she started being okay again. 1

Every creature in the room was really listening now. Lucianne went on,“Torture and death are merely a consequence of betrayal. W e punishcriminals because they betrayed the system and its people. We takecare of creatures who display loyalty to defend the system and thepeople in it.”

With suppressed anger, Christian noted, "Greg doesn't fit into thesecond category, my Queen’

“Are you saying he fits perfectly well into the first, Christian?” Lucianneasked

Like Xandar, Christian averted his eyes from her because he couldn'tdeny that Greg had been helping them. After taking a deep breath, hestared at the table and asked, “So, what do we do? What should we putin the monarchy’'s recommendation?”

Lucianne's voice tumed soft and doubtful when she uttered, “I don'tknow. But there's no way he should be let-off scot free.”

Toby then suggested, “Lower prison sentence? Maybe lighterpunishments, too? You know, less whipping compared to the rest?”“We could also strip him of his dukedom.” Xandar said, and when alleyes fell on him, he only locked his onyx orbs on his mate andexplained, “No royal member in history has ever had their title strippedfrom them. The punishment is severe enough to make up for what hedid.”

“And what's the balancing factor?” Lucianne asked

Xandar responded, “Lower sentencing?”

“How low?” Lucianne’s eyes burned into his when she detected that hehad no intention to balance things out.

Xandar breathed heavily in jealousy before his murderous onyx eyesfixed on Lucianne as he asked in a slow, low voice, “Why are youdefending him?”

Registering his jealousy, Lucianne emitted a low, angered growl anddeclared, “Because it's what's right. He helped us. Throwing him underthe bus does NOT serve the Kingdom in the long-run. If you evenTHINK that I'm doing this because I am in love with him, I'd suggestyou check the mark on your neck AND mine, your Highness.”

His hand immediately moved to gently push her hair to the back, andhis fingers traced the mark he made on the most beautiful and amazingcreature in the Kingdom. She was his. Only his. The sight calmed him,and the sensation he made on her skin calmed

her

Between his calamity, he felt something else. Hurt. But that wasn't hisemotion. When his partially lilac eyes returned to Lucianne's teary orbs,she spoke in a whisper, “How could you not trust me to stay with you?How could you even think that I would want someone else? We'vemarked each other. Should I be worried that you would want someoneelse despite what I did on your neck?”

He instantly pressed her into his chest and uttered, “No. Never. There'llonly ever be you.” After planting a deep kiss on her hairline, hemuttered, “I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry.” Her hurt cut right through him,and his animal was having a hard time coping with their mate's painknowing that they were the ones who caused it.

After a few quiet, awkward moments, Annie's voice rang through theroom, “Stripping the dukedom may be taking it too far” Her statementeven made her own mate surprised, Annie went on to say, “It's like Lucysaid. He helped us. He did a lot of unforgivable things in the past butwhat he has been doing recently...changes things. The severity of ourrecommendation should probably weigh in how sorry he feels abouteverything he did.

Christian pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke to his Duchess asgently as he could to avoid starting a scene like his cousin,” How are wesupposed to assess how sorty one is, Annie? There's no scale for that.”Annie then challenged her husband, “Do you mean there's no scale, orthat you don't want to believe that there is one?”

That hit Christian Like Xandar, he didn't want anything but the worst forGreg, The Duke sighed, and pecked a kiss on his Duchess's templebefore reluctantly asking, “What's the scale?”

Annie answered without hesitation, “His demeanor. By watching theway Greg speaks about everything he has done, we'll be able t 0 knowif he's being sincere, or if this is just a tactical move.” She locked eyeswith Lucianne, and suggested, “Maybe you should

talk to him, Lucy.”

“NO F*CKING WAY!" Xandar exclaimed, and instinctively wrappedLucianne even tighter in his chest, like someone would snatch her awayif he didn't hold her close enough.

Lucianne’s rage returned when she tried to loosen his grip as she askedher mate, “Why?! Because I'll leave you once I see him?!"

Christian answered before his cousin could, “Because there are otherpeople who can do that, my Queen!”

“Like who?!” Annie challenged

Christian responded to his wife in haste, “ME! AND HIM!" He motionedat Xandar.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Toby muttered to himself, “That plan isdoomed to failure.”

“I have the King's Authority, Toby. I can make him answer anything Iwant.” Xandar declared.

Juan spoke, “That's the problem, Xandar.” When all eyes were on theAlpha, Juan explained, “Assuming that the King's Authority is like theAlpha's Authority, emotions are a key element in emitting andmaneuvering the power. Given how much you loathe that other Duke,your anger may suppress any apologetic statement that Greg Claw maymake.”

Xandar looked at Juan in disbelief and asked, “You're taking my cousin'sside over your sister's? After everything that he’s done to her?”

“I'm on my sister's side. And from whatever we've leamed from this,” helifted up the report before placing it back on the table and said, “I'd saythe only thing he did to Lucy of his own accord was piss her off in thedining hall and on the training ground. Although I was pushing for himto be punished because he gave Sasha Cummings access to the rogues,Lucy has convinced me that...Cummings may have been able to replace analternative way to contact them. And Greg's intentions seemed to havechanged later on, especially when this report said that he attackedHelena Tanner in her own house after the Oleander blade she orderedhurt Lucy, albeit unintentionally.”

When a short moment of silence followed, Juan added, “This in no waymakes me forgive him for his involvement in the Jewel . Pack attack. AllI'm saying is that a balanced indictment is...fair. And to see how far weshould tip the scale in his favor, we should see whether he'll return tohis old ways if and when he is released from prison.”

“And you propose that your sister be the one to talk to him?” Xandarasked in dissatisfaction

Juan uttered, “Yes, not just because her emotions would be in checkshould she need to use the Queen's Authority but also because yourcousin seems to only want to tell her anything. The computer chip forthe corruption, the location of the founders of Wu Bi Corp...headdressed the messages to HER.”

“Because...he’s in love with her.” Xandar's onyx eyes were a shadedarker when he said what everyone else was afraid of saying. Everyoneread the report, which had transcripts of recorded conversations in theKyltons' residence, and the gossip confirmed Greg's feelings for thefuture Queen.

Juan knew that was coming, and before his sister could throw a fitagain, he said, “I'm not going to lie, Xandar. If it were Hale, I may bereacting much worse than you are right now. But I know Hale wouldn'tlove anyone else the way she loves me, so with...probably a lot ofpersuasion from her, I would let her see Greg on the condition that I gowith her. I would want to witness the entire exchange with my own eyesand listen to the way they speak to each other with my own ears. If heputs a claw out of line, I'll tear him to shreds.”

“That's true.” Hale muttered with a smile by his side.

Xandar's eyes moved to Lucianne, and after staring into her hopefulorbs and pondering for a long moment, he planted a deep kiss o n herforehead that sent a shower of sparks through Lucianne’s being beforehe repeated Juan's words in a low voice, “If he puts a claw out of line,I'll tear him to shreds.”