The Play-Toy Of Three Lycan Kings-Chapter 440: Justice III

SAGE

I barely had time to think before Adam reached me.

One moment I was standing in the center of the arena, the weight of an era lifted from my shoulders, the next I was in the air.

I squealed. Actually squealed.

He lifted me clean off the ground, arms firm around my waist, and spun me once—twice—again—until the world blurred into gold and stone and cheering faces.

"Adam!" I laughed breathlessly, clutching his shoulders.

When he finally set me down, I barely had a second to steady myself before his hands framed my face. His eyes—still bright with unshed tears and overwhelming pride—searched mine as if to confirm I was real.

"I am so proud of you," he said.

The words struck deeper than all the chants of justice.

Before I could respond, he sealed his lips over mine.

The kiss was intimate and claiming and full of everything we had both nearly lost. I fell into it without thought, my arms winding around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as the world around us roared in approval.

The cheers grew louder. I heard whistles, laughter. Somewhere in the distance, someone shouted something crude that made me grin against his mouth.

The kiss deepened.

For a moment, nothing existed but him—his warmth, his scent, the steady beat of his heart under my palms.

Then, a loud, exaggerated throat-clearing cut through the haze.

Adam broke away reluctantly, resting his forehead against mine for half a second before straightening. I was laughing shyly now, my cheeks flushed as I remained tucked into his arms.

Noah stood a few feet away, grinning widely. Daniel beside him looked equally amused.

"Well done, Luna," Noah said with mock formality before pulling me into a brief hug.

Daniel followed, clapping Adam on the shoulder first before embracing me carefully. "You were... terrifying," he admitted. "In a good way."

I smiled, still slightly breathless.

And then, something tugged at the back of my mind.

Claire. Her spell.

My smile faded slightly as I shifted my focus inward. I reached out with my senses—not for vast, roaring power this time, but for something subtler, toward Adam’s brothers.

There. Thin tendrils of black magic still clung faintly around Noah and Daniel. Not thick like the Queen’s corruption had been, but persistent. Lingering.

Understanding dawned.

"That is why," I murmured.

"Why what?" Adam asked quietly.

I looked at Noah and Daniel, my expression turning serious. "Claire placed a spell over you. It is still there. Faint... but there."

They both blinked.

Noah scoffed lightly at first. "What? No, that—"

But he stopped when he saw my eyes. I was not joking.

Daniel’s jaw tightened. "You are serious."

"Yes. Adam’s is gone because... well, me..."

Annoyance flickered across Noah’s face. "That witch," he muttered under his breath. "I swear—"

"Get rid of it, please..." Daniel said firmly, impatience edging his tone. "Immediately."

Noah nodded. "I do not feel anything for her," he clarified quickly, almost defensively. "Not really. It was just... we could never seem to get rid of her. Or stop sleeping with her. We always wanted her around. That is it. Must be her magic..."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"In the dungeon," Adam replied. "Guarded at every minute."

"She deserves to be beheaded," Daniel added flatly.

I did not respond to that. Not because I disagreed—but because it was not my immediate concern. El did not contradict him either. Claire’s fate would be decided soon enough.

For now, I stepped away from Adam’s arms, closing my eyes briefly as I dug into my magic again.

This time, I did not plunge into abyssal power. I reached gently, carefully. The Queen’s defeat had unraveled most of the black magic woven around the palace and the community. I could feel the difference in the air already—lighter, cleaner, as though a storm had passed.

But faint remnants still clung to corners. To people. To memory.

I began to chant softly, the words old, drawing golden threads of light through the lingering shadows. One by one, the dark tendrils around Noah and Daniel snapped and dissolved like smoke in sunlight.

Then I extended outward—across the arena, across the palace walls, through corridors and rooftops and courtyards—pulling the last scraps of corruption free.

When I was done, I exhaled slowly, feeling drained. I needed to eat.

But first...

"How do you feel?" I asked.

Noah blinked, as Daniel flexed his fingers experimentally.

"Lighter," Noah said, sounding almost confused. "Strange."

Daniel nodded. "As if something... subtle has been lifted."

I smiled and tapped each of their arms lightly. "You will find your mates now."

Both of them stared at me. "Or rather," I amended gently, "you will feel them."

Noah frowned slightly. "Do you think they have been around all this while?"

I nodded.

"I will not guess who," I added with a teasing lift of my brow. "You will find out yourselves."

Their brows raised, but they didn’t push.

When the Ancients joined us, the mood shifted again. Feliq approached with composed satisfaction, offering congratulations with a respectful incline of his head.

"We must go to the vampires’ lair," I said without preamble. "Did you find it?"

Feliq nodded. "We did."

"Can we go now?"

"Yes. I will send word to my people. Some will meet us there."

There was no hesitation in his tone. Only readiness.

And that was okay. I could feed later. Vampire business needed to be concluded promptly. Time was of the essence. We had the advantage of surprise, and I was bent on using it.

Before we could move further, Professor Bullocks stepped forward.

He smiled at me, and I returned it, remembering very clearly how I had once antagonized him in his classroom. How certain I had been that I knew better.

Life had a way of humbling people.

"What are we to do?" he asked gently. "The community is waiting for your direction."

For a brief, flickering moment, the question pressed heavier than expected. Was I to be their queen?

The thought tried to root itself again. I pushed it aside. One thing at a time.

"Let the people return to their homes," I said after a pause. "Leave the sentinels stationed throughout the city for protection, in case fear remains. They do not need to follow us to fight the vampires. I will not cost them their lives."

Professor Bullocks studied me for a second, then nodded. "Very well."

"But I will be coming with you," he added calmly.

Two other professors stepped forward behind him in silent agreement.

I looked from one to the other, recognizing the professor with long white hair. "You do not have to," I began.

"We know," Bullocks replied. "We choose to."

I held his gaze. Then nodded. There was no stopping them.

The arena was slowly emptying now, I noticed, as we started out of the field, leaving dead bodies behind, Adam’s hand finding mine again.

I also noticed, that for the first time in what felt like forever, I was not walking alone.