The Alpha's Stolen Luna - Chapter 213: Chapter 213

: Sutton
We spent hours working out on the porch, going through the books Mom had left us. It was a beautiful day and I actually managed to get pretty relaxed as I read through lycan history. I’d always liked history class in school, however, we mostly learned about human history. I was fascinated to see how things were portrayed on the other side.
Lucas came out to bring us some lemonade, taking the rocking chair next to mine.
“How is everything going?” he asked.
“Interesting,” I said, accepting the glass and taking a sip. “Did you know there used to be a whole lycan religion?”
“I did,” Lucas replied with a slight grin. “The Church of the Moon. They worshipped the Moon Goddess, the one who gave us our wolves, made us lycans.”
“Why isn’t the faith observed anymore?” I asked.
Lucas shrugged. “It fell out of favor,” he replied. “Some of our traditions and holidays come from those religious practices and there are those who still believe in the moon goddess’s existence. Active worship of her just isn’t so much a thing.”
“But that doesn’t mean spirituality isn’t important to us,” Jaden said, coming out to join us. “My mother is a believer. We grew up listening to how much of a sacred gift our wolves were. How they keep us connected to nature.”
“Is the church gone everywhere?” I asked. “Like in other lycan nations?”
Lucas and Jaden looked at each other for the answer before they both shrugged.
“I couldn’t say for sure,” Lucas said. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious,” I said. “I think my mom thought somebody close to the family was following some new offshoot of the faith. Not sure why — or if — that’s important yet, but she has several details bookmarked.”
“Anything else she focused on?” Lucas inquired.
“Quite a few things,” I said. “The church, royal bloodlines, the dominion over humans… There’s a lot here.”
“Wait… what about royal bloodlines?” Lucas asked.
“Again, it’s a lot,” I said, grabbing the book with that information in it. “I haven’t been through all of it yet, but she’s highlighted a specific family line.”
“Which one?” Jaden asked.
“The Levana family,” I stated. “I haven’t heard of them before but I guess they…”
“Were the rulers before the Thoengardes,” Lucas finished. He exchanged a look with Jaden, whose expression looked worried.
“What?” I pressed. “What happened with the Levanas?”
“You haven’t heard the name before, because they humans vowed to wipe it from their history,” Jaden said.
“Whoa, hang on,” Helene said, jumping into the conversation. “What do you mean we wiped them from our history?”
“You know humans used to be slaves, right?” Lucas replied. “You were taught about your liberation? How you fought and won your freedom?”
“Yes, from King Bayne,” Helene said.
“King Bayne Levana,” Jaden clarified. “You were never told his surname because they didn’t want it memorialized. It’s understandable.”
“Humans won their freedom, they didn’t over throw the whole governing body,” I said. “That’s why the human territory is still technically part of Lycuria. So, how did the Thoengardes come to power?”
“It was the Thoengardes that sided with the humans,” I explained. “They were progressive. Believed that subjugating the humans was barbaric. We are cousins, after all. Not such a completely different species as the old ways preached.”
“And relations between lycans and humans have been peaceful ever since,” Helene said.
“Yes, but…” Lucas paused.
“There have been times when that peace was threatened,” Jaden told her.
“And we’d be lying if we said there weren’t lycans who still leaned toward the same beliefs as the Levanas,” Lucas said. “The Thoengardes tried to eradicate those factions. Levana supporters were either executed or banished, turned rogue, and put on a boat.”
I sat up straighter. “Wait, so does that mean there could still be a member of the Levana family still alive?”
Lucas thought for a moment. “Yes, it could be possible,” I stated. “But it’s been what… three hundred and fifty years? It’s unlikely that any remaining members would know about their heritage.”
“I don’t know,” I said, flipping to a page where my mother had made a note. “It looks like my mother suspected there was a living Levana… and that they were here.”
Lucas grabbed the book from me, looking intently at the page. He flipped through the pages. His jaw muscles clenching as he searched for something.
“I don’t see a name,” he said. “She doesn’t name who she suspects.”
“Not in there, I don’t think,” I said.
“But she might in her journals,” Helene offered.
“Or Korinna may know,” I offered. “But that was over twenty years ago and no one has come forward yet. Maybe she was wrong.”
“Or maybe they were just getting started with whatever they were planning,” Lucas said.
“What do you mean?” I asked. “Do you think you know who she was worried about?”
Lucas lifted his head, his gaze locking with mine. I didn’t like the look in his eyes.
“Anders,” he said.
I snorted. “Anders is not royalty,” I said. “With his ego, there’s no way he’d be able to keep that to himself.”
“She’s got a point there,” Jaden said. “But… he does favor the ideology.”
“What do you mean?” Helene pressed.
Jaden gave her a pained look. Like he didn’t even want to say the words.
“That humans are beneath lycans,” I told her. “Anders, and most of the Dawn Stalker Pack, hate humans. Trust me, I heard every name in the book while I lived there. It was the one thing that made me grateful for the isolation.”
“Oh…” Helene said.
“It’s bullshit,” Jaden assured her. “It’s not an ideal we share. Or the other packs.”
“Well… most of the other packs,” Lucas corrected. “The Hallowed Moon Pack isn’t known for being welcoming to humans either. Regardless, this could be the motive…”
Lucas trailed off, as if he had said more than he meant to.
“Lucas… what do you mean ‘motive’?”