Lunar Legacy: Rise Of The Beastlord-Chapter 300: Unlikely Ally

The coffee in Jayden’s mug had gone cold. He pushed it aside, his mind working through everything Fred had just told him.

"No, I don’t," he replied finally. "But why should I trust you? Why should I trust any word you just said? You say you knew Aunt Kate. You say you’ve been protecting me. But words are cheap. How do I know this isn’t some elaborate setup? How do I know you’re not recording this conversation right now, building a case against me?"

Fred reached into his jacket.

Jayden’s hand moved instinctively, ready to defend himself—

Fred pulled out his holo-tab and set it on the table between them. The screen was active, showing his EVA credentials. With deliberate slowness, Fred swiped through several menus until he reached a settings page.

"All recording functions: disabled," Fred said, turning the device so Jayden could see. "No audio. No video. No data transmission. This conversation stays between us."

He set the holo-tab down and looked Jayden directly in the eyes.

"As for proof? The fact that you’re sitting here instead of in an EVA holding cell is all the proof I can offer. I could have had a containment team at your house the night I saw you transform. Could have had you sedated, restrained, and transported before you even woke up. But I didn’t. I made a choice—a choice that put my career and possibly my freedom at risk—because Kate believed in you. And I believe in her judgment."

Jayden absorbed that, the weight of Fred’s words settling over him. The man had a point. If this was a trap, it was the most elaborate and unnecessary one imaginable.

"Fine," Jayden said after a long pause. "So what’s the deal? What do you want from me?" He asked. To him, everyone wants something in return. Everyone had a price for their deeds.

"There is no deal," Fred said, and Jayden blinked in surprise. "I’m not asking you for anything in return. I’m not recruiting you as some kind of off-the-books asset. I’m just asking you to be smart. Reduce how often you’re beating up people in alleys. Stop transforming so recklessly. Keep your head down. The tournament is coming up—that’s your chance to show what you can do in a controlled environment where people expect to see impressive abilities. Use that. Channel your energy there instead of into street fights."

"And if I can’t?" Jayden asked. "What if trouble finds me?"

"Then handle it quietly," Fred replied. "Disable, don’t destroy. Avoid witnesses. Don’t leave evidence. Think like someone who’s trying ’not’ to get caught, because right now you’re operating like someone who doesn’t care if the world knows what you are. And if it had been someone else in that forest instead of me—someone who didn’t owe Kate Lunaria a debt—you’d already be in containment. Or worse."

"I didn’t ask for any of this," Jayden said, frustration bleeding into his voice. "I didn’t ask to be... whatever I am. I’m just trying to survive."

"I know," Fred said, and his voice softened slightly. "And I’m trying to help you do that. But Jayden, you have to meet me halfway. I can only cover for so much. If you keep pushing boundaries, eventually even I won’t be able to protect you."

Silence fell between them.

Jayden stared at the table, his mind churning. Everything Fred had said made sense. The logic was sound. And the fact that he was sitting here, free, instead of in an EVA research lab... That spoke louder than any words. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Okay," Jayden said finally, looking up to meet Fred’s eyes. "I’ll be more careful. More discreet. But I’m not going to stop defending myself or the people I care about. If someone threatens me or mine, I will respond."

"I wouldn’t expect anything less," Fred replied. "Just make sure your responses don’t create problems I can’t fix."

Jayden smiled. "Deal."

Fred extended his hand across the table. Jayden stared at it for a moment, then reached out and shook it. The handshake was firm, solid—a physical confirmation of the understanding they’d just reached.

As they released, Fred pulled out a small card from his wallet and slid it across the table. It had a single number on it, nothing else.

"Encrypted line," Fred explained. "It routes through three different servers before it reaches me. If you ever need to contact me—if something happens that you can’t handle alone—use this. I’ll do what I can."

Jayden picked up the card and studied it before slipping it into his pocket. "Thank you. For all of this. For... protecting me. Even before I knew you were doing it."

"Don’t thank me yet," Fred said with a wry smile. "We’ll see how this plays out. But Jayden... Kate would be proud of the person you’re becoming. I really believe that."

Something in Jayden’s chest tightened. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Fred drained the last of his coffee and stood. "I should get going. I’ve got a report to file about how the investigation into Jayden Starrk turned up absolutely nothing interesting," he chuckled, leaving a few credit bills on the table for the coffee. "See you around, kid."

Jayden stood as well. "See you around."

Fred nodded and turned to leave, then stopped at the door. "Oh, and Jayden? One more thing."

Jayden raised a brow. "What’s that?"

"You’ve got a good thing going with those girls," Fred smirked. "I’ll hold on to them if I were you."

Then he was gone, the door chiming softly behind him.

Jayden was completely stunned by Fred’s last words. He didn’t even know whether to laugh or be concerned. The dude knew too much!

He stood alone in the diner, the weight of the entire conversation settling over him like a heavy cloak.

Fred had been protecting him for months. He was also close friends with Aunt Kate.

And there were still so many questions left unanswered.

But for now, Jayden had what he needed: an ally. Someone inside EVA who had his back.

It wasn’t much. But it was more than he’d had yesterday.

He walked out into the afternoon sun, already thinking about his next move.

The Global Tournament was approaching.

Cassandra was still not speaking to him.

And Aileen had supposedly threatened to end him if he went rogue.

He let out a deep sigh. "One problem at a time, Jayden." He muttered to himself.

One problem at a time.