All Chapters of SECOND CHANCE: CLAIMED BY THE LYCAN KING: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

DEREK'S POV."Us." The word came out without hesitation.Without doubt. With too much certainly for my liking.My blood boiled.“You’re unbelievable,” I said, shaking my head.I lifted the necklace again.“This gemstone could buy half the territory,” I said harshly. “And you’re telling me you don’t find it suspicious that your precious Hunter just happened to have it in his possession?”Hope didn’t even glance at it.“I don’t care where it came from. All I know is that he didn't steal it.”Her words echoed in the dungeon.For a moment I just stared at her.“You don’t care?” I repeated slowly.“No,” she said.She turned slightly toward Hunter, her voice softer now.“I trust him.”That was it.That was the moment something inside me snapped.The jealousy that had been building in my chest finally exploded.“You trust him?!” I shouted.Hope flinched slightly but didn’t step back.“Yes.”My laugh came out cold and bitter.“Of course you do.”I pointed at Hunter.“This man appears out of

DEREK’S POV.For a moment, I just stared at my father.The words he had just spoken were still echoing in my head.This necklace belonged to the late Luna Queen.The Luna Queen.The Alpha King’s mother.I felt my heartbeat quicken, but I quickly forced myself to calm down.No.That didn’t make sense.None of this made any sense.I leaned back in my chair slowly and crossed my arms over my chest, watching my father as he continued staring at the sapphire like it was some sacred object.“This is ridiculous,” I finally said.My father looked up at me.“What is ridiculous?” he asked quietly.“This,” I replied, pointing at the necklace in his hand. “What you’re suggesting.”“I’m not suggesting anything,” he said calmly. "I am simply telling you what I know."I raised my brow.“You just said it belonged to the Luna Queen,” I reminded him.“Yes,” he replied. “Because it does.”I let out a small scoff.“Then that only proves one thing.”My father frowned slightly.“And what is that?”“That th

HOPE'S POV.“You told me someone helped you,” I continued, my chest tightening again. “You said you found a way.”Silence.He didn’t answer.“Hunter…”My voice broke slightly this time.“Please.”He let out a slow breath, but he still didn’t meet my eyes. After a long moment that felt like forever, and he still hadn’t said a word, I was beginning to think he wouldn’t answer.Then finally, he shifted, letting out a sigh.“It doesn’t matter right now,” he said.Something inside me snapped.“It does matter!” I said, my voice rising before I could stop it.The sound echoed faintly against the dungeon walls.I took a shaky breath, trying to calm myself.“It matters because Derek is using it against you, Hunter,” I continued, my voice lower now but still tense. “He thinks you stole it.”Still no answer.“Hunter,” I said again, more firmly this time.Finally, he looked at me.And I saw it.Reluctance.Guilt.He exhaled slowly.Then quietly, he said,“I sold it.”Everything inside me stilled.

HOPE'S POV.I felt completely lost.Everything I thought I knew about today, about this life I was building with Hunter, suddenly seemed fragile, like a castle of sand ready to crumble at the first wave. I had already made up my mind. If Derek refused to release Hunter from the dungeon, I would find a way to get him out myself. I would risk everything, the pack, my family, even my own safety, to save him. Once we were free, we would run. We would leave Red Moon behind, leave the expectations, the pressures, the hatred… and finally be together, without anyone controlling our lives.I was ready to risk everything for him.But before I could act, before I could even move toward a plan, Hunter suddenly returned.I hadn’t even seen him coming. One moment, the room felt impossibly silent and empty as I lay in an empty, cold bed, clutching a pillow to my chest, and the next… the door opened and there he was, standing in front of me. Relief hit me like a tidal wave. I couldn’t think, couldn’t

HOPE’S POV."And what exactly do you think you're about to do, you peasant?!" the strange woman whose name I still didn't know_asked when I took Hunter's hand in mine, her growl echoing across the arena.The arena went completely silent.Not the kind of silence that felt peaceful… but the kind that felt suffocating. Like the air itself had thickened.No one moved.No one spoke.I stood there, frozen, my hand still locked tightly in Hunter’s.Every single person in the arena was staring at us.At him.My heart pounded so loudly in my chest that I was sure everyone could hear it.This isn’t real.This can’t be happening.The words repeated in my head over and over again, but they didn’t make anything better. If anything, they only made the moment feel more unreal.For a second, I thought maybe I had imagined it.Maybe Derek hadn’t said those words.Maybe I was dreaming.And of course, this woman clearly had no idea what she was talking about. King or no king, this was my Hunter. And I w