Lunar Legacy: Rise Of The Beastlord-Chapter 298: Private Life

Jayden walked into the house to find the family already gathered around the breakfast table. The smell of scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh coffee filled the air—a normal, comforting scene that felt almost surreal after everything that had happened in the past few days.

"There he is," Jacob said, looking up from his newspaper. "The wandering jogger returns."

"Morning," Jayden replied, sliding into his usual seat. His body was still warm from the workout, a pleasant buzz of endorphins mixing with the exhaustion from practicing pyrokinesis.

Harleen set a plate in front of him—eggs, toast, bacon arranged with care. "You've been going out early a lot lately," she observed, her tone casual but her eyes searching. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Jayden said, picking up his fork. "Just trying to stay in shape. Tournament's coming up."

Jessica caught his eye from across the table, a small knowing smile playing at her lips. Tasha sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders occasionally brushed as they ate.

The rest of breakfast passed with the usual morning conversation—Jacob talking about work, Harleen mentioning some errands she needed to run, Jessica teasing about something that had happened at school.

When everyone had finished, Jayden helped clear the dishes and was heading upstairs when Tasha caught his arm.

"Hey," she said softly, pulling him aside into the hallway away from the kitchen. "You got a minute?"

Jayden glanced toward the stairs, then back at her. "Yeah. What's up?"

Tasha's expression was gentle, concerned. "You've been really down lately. More than usual. I can tell something's bothering you."

Jayden's jaw tightened slightly. He should have known Tasha would notice. She always did.

"I'm handling it," he said quietly.

"It's about Cassie, isn't it?" Tasha asked, her voice soft.

Jayden didn't answer, which was answer enough.

Tasha reached up and touched his face gently, making him look at her. "Hey. She just needs time, okay? I know Cassandra. She's stubborn and she's hurt right now, but she's not cruel. Give her space to process whatever happened between you two. She'll come around eventually."

Henry sighed. "You think so?"

"I know so," Tasha said with certainty. "Just… be patient. Don't push. Let her come to you when she's ready."

Jayden nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Okay," he managed a small smile. Then, before she could walk away, he called out, "Tasha, wait."

She turned back. "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something? About Aileen?" He said.

Tasha's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Aileen? What about her?"

"Just… what do you know about her?" Jayden shrugged, trying to sound casual. "Her background, I mean. How did you two even become friends?"

Tasha tilted her head, clearly confused by the question but willing to answer. "Well, It was pretty direct actually," she stated. "She simply came to me during my sophomore year—when she was a freshman—and just… asked to be friends."

Jayden blinked. "Just like that?"

"Just like that," Tasha confirmed. "It was kind of random, actually. She approached me in the library, said she'd heard I was nice and asked if we could hang out sometime. Most people would find that weird, but I don't know… there was something cute and genuine about her. We clicked."

Jayden raised a brow. "And she's never talked about her family? Where she's from?"

Tasha shook her head. "Not really. I mean, I know her parents are working abroad or something, but she doesn't talk about it much. She's pretty private about her life," she explained. "Why did you ask though? What's this about?"

Jayden hesitated, then shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just curious." he lied.

Tasha studied him for a moment longer, clearly not entirely convinced, but she let it go. "Well, for what it's worth, I love Aileen. She's like the little sister I never had." A small smile crossed her face. "I trust her, Jayden. She's a good person."

"Alright. That's good to know," Jayden said. "I was just curious about how you two knew each other."

"Well, now you know." Tasha's eyes searched his face. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem… distracted."

Instead of answering, Jayden stepped closer and cupped her face in his hands. "I'm better now," he murmured, and leaned down to kiss her.

Tasha melted into him immediately, her arms wrapping around his neck as she kissed him back. It was slow, deep, full of the kind of comfort and connection they'd built over time. When they finally pulled apart, both were slightly breathless.

"You know I'm here for you, right?" Tasha whispered, her forehead resting against his. "Whatever you're dealing with, you don't have to do it alone."

"I know," Jayden replied, pressing another quick kiss to her lips. "Thank you."

They held each other for another moment before Tasha stepped back with a soft smile. "I should get ready. I've got plans with the girls this afternoon."

Jayden smiled. "Okay."

Tasha turned to head toward her room, but Jayden's voice stopped her.

"Tasha?"

She looked back. "Yeah?"

"I love you."

Her smile widened, genuine and warm. "I love you too, Jayden. Always."

Then she was gone, disappearing down the hallway.

Jayden stood there for a moment, letting the warmth of that exchange settle over him before heading to his own room.

...…

Back in his room, Jayden showered quickly, letting the hot water wash away the sweat and grime from his morning training. His mind was already shifting gears, moving from family concerns to the upcoming meeting with the EVA agent.

Fred Walker. The man who knew his secret.

Jayden dressed carefully—dark jeans, a plain gray shirt, and his leather jacket. He checked his holo-tab: 11:05 AM.

He had just over an hour to get to the Rusty Spoon Diner.

When he left the house, Jayden summoned his hoverbike. He swung his leg over it, engaged the ignition, and felt the familiar hum as it lifted off the ground.

The journey to Route 47 took about forty minutes, the city gradually thinning out into industrial zones and then sparse rural areas. The Rusty Spoon Diner sat alone on a stretch of forgotten highway—a relic from decades past, when ground vehicles still dominated the roads.

Jayden pulled into the gravel parking lot at 11:43 AM. Only two other vehicles were there—an old sedan that probably belonged to the cook, and a black two-seater hovercar.

The diner itself looked like it had seen better days. Faded paint, flickering neon sign, windows that hadn't been properly cleaned in years. But it was still operational, and more importantly, it was isolated.

Perfect for a conversation that needed to stay off the record.

Jayden killed his bike's engine and dismounted, his eyes scanning the area out of habit. No signs of EVA presence. No hidden vehicles or surveillance drones.

Either Fred had come alone as well, or he was very good at hiding his backup.

[You're really doing this] Luna observed.

"I don't have a choice," Jayden thought back. "I need to know where I stand with him."

He pushed open the diner door, a small bell chiming overhead.

The interior was exactly what he'd expected—worn vinyl booths, a long counter with rotating stools, checkered tile flooring that had probably been white once upon a time. A bored-looking waitress stood behind the counter, barely glancing up as Jayden entered.

And there, in a corner booth with his back to the wall and a clear view of both entrances, sat Fred.

He was wearing casual clothing… jeans, a dark blue shirt, and a black leather jacket. A cup of coffee sat in front of him, steam still rising from the surface.

Their eyes met.

Fred nodded once, a small gesture of acknowledgment, and indicated the seat across from him.

Jayden walked over slowly, every sense on high alert, and slid into the booth.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

The waitress approached. "Coffee?" she asked in a voice that suggested she'd asked that question ten thousand times and expected to ask it ten thousand more.

"Yeah," Jayden said. "Black."

She poured without comment and walked away.

Jayden wrapped his hands around the warm mug and studied Fred across the table. The man looked tired—lines around his eyes, a weariness that went deeper than just lack of sleep. But his gaze was sharp, assessing.

"You came," Fred said finally.

"You asked me to." Jayden replied sharply.

Fred chuckled. "I half expected you not to," he muttered. "In fact, I expected you to be on the run already… y'know, given me being an EVA agent and all."

"I considered it," Jayden admitted. "But I figured if you wanted me captured, you would have done it already. So either this is legitimate, or you're playing a much longer game than I'm giving you credit for."

A ghost of a smile crossed Fred's face. "Smart kid."

"I'm not a kid." Jayden said flatly.

"No," Fred agreed, his expression sobering. "You're not. If you were, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Jayden took a sip of his coffee—bitter, strong, exactly what he needed—and set the mug down. "So let's get down to business. Why am I here, Captain Walker?"

Fred raised a brow, a bit stunned that Jayden knew his last name… having probably already looked him up on the internet. But he didn't show his surprise.

"Call me Fred," he said, smiling. "And you're here because we need to talk. Properly. Without the threat of a rampaging fire beast interrupting us."

"You covered for me," Jayden said, cutting straight to the point. "Back in the forest. You told your team it was another beast. Why?"

Fred leaned back in his seat, his fingers drumming lightly on the table.

Then his smile widened. "What good will it be if I didn't cover for you?" he muttered, his expression turning serious. "You saved me back there, kid. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here right now. And if you hadn't defeated that beast, it would've gone into the city and thousands of people could have gotten really hurt. You're a hero, Jayden. And I owe you my live."

Jayden scoffed. "I'm not a hero, I'm a beast. You saw it yourself. You saw what I became," his gaze turned cold. "You saw what I truly am."

Fred smiled. "Indeed I did. But so what? Hm?" he shrugged his shoulders. "What if you're a beast? What if you're a Lycan? It doesn't matter. All that matters is you're a good kid, with a good heart." Then he let out a dry scoff. "Obviously, the public and the EVA won't see it that way. And that is why I promise to keep your secret."

Jayden furrowed his brows. "I don't believe you," he said flatly. "I don't believe you're just doing this out of gratitude or empathy. And… how did you know to identify me as a Lycan? The way you said it clearly implied that you already knew of my existence… of Lycans existence, long before we met."

Fred was silent for a while. Then he laughed. "Hahaha! I must say, you are one clever kid."

Jayden exhaled. "Once again, I'm not a kid."

Fred chuckled. "Yeah, sure thing, kid," he snickered. "But… you're right. I'm not just doing this out of the goodness of my heart. And I do already know about the existence of your kind."

Jayden raised a brow. He was more interested in Fred now. "So why are you helping me then? And how did you find out about the existence of my kind?"

Fred's smile slowly turned into a small grin.

"Because I knew Katherine Lunaria."