Romances de Bella Fyre

15 Cain flipped through one of Avi’s training manuals, pretending to read. The silence stretched until Avi finally broke it. “You said my father was excited that I’m in the city,” she said quietly. “If he was so excited, why didn’t he ever try to contact me while I was growing up?” Cain didn’t look up. “He was ordered not to.” Avi’s tone turned sharp. “So my father just does whatever he’s told?” Cain chuckled, lowering the book. His laughter surprised her. “When it comes to you and Queen Brieanika,” he said, “your father’s never been very good at following orders.” That caught her attention. She moved from the window seat to a chair across from him. “Go on.” He leaned back, his expression softening. “Your father was forbidden to see you. But he tried anyway first through comlink messages, then by sneaking into the city. The second time, Queen Rhiyana claimed you were a distraction that kept him from protecting her daughter. So she had you and your mother relocated out of the sy

14 Lees arrived at Avi’s quarters an hour later, practically glowing with excitement. “I can’t wait to see where we’re assigned!” she said, nearly bouncing in place. “With our test scores, we could go anywhere!” Avi smiled faintly, trying to match her friend’s enthusiasm, but her mind kept circling back to her earlier encounter with Cain. His warning and his strange mixture of protectiveness and intrusion still lingered. All sixty-three trainees stood in neat formation in the hangar bay. The air buzzed with anticipation. Azar and the training officer stood at the front of them. Behind them waited several department representatives including Lieutenant Finn, commander of Squadron Five, and Captain Garrik himself. The presence of such high-ranking officers made the room hum with energy. When Garrik appeared, whispers rippled through the ranks. Everyone knew what that meant: someone was about to be placed in his elite squadron. The training officer gave a short congratulatory speec

13 Brie sat on the porch of the mountain villa, gently rocking Connor as he slept in her arms. Kyle lounged nearby in another chair, a book open in his hands. The quiet afternoon air shifted suddenly and the distant rush of wings cut through the calm. Kyle looked up first. “Four dragons, approaching fast.” Brie stood, eyes narrowing as the shapes grew closer. When they landed in the meadow beyond the porch, she recognized them immediately: Mikan, Cain, Trace, and Straider. Rodic and Stryker were nowhere in sight. Whatever this was, it wasn’t a casual visit. She passed Connor to Jillian, then stepped down from the porch with Kyle beside her. The four dragons shifted the instant their claws touched earth, transforming back into their Draynor forms. “Mikan,” Brie said as she hugged her cousin, “I thought you were heading home.” “I will soon,” he replied. “But I needed to check something first.” Trace cleared his throat. “Brie, can I ask you a question?” Her gaze sharpened. “Of co

12 Mikan sat in Captain Garrik’s office, going over everything he’d learned. Garrik confirmed that there was no trace of a daughter in any of the royal or military systems just as Avi had said. Every record connected to her had been erased. But Garrik knew the truth; he had served long enough to remember that Trace once had a daughter. Mikan nodded grimly. “She really is his.” “Yes,” Garrik agreed quietly. “And whoever scrubbed those records did it perfectly. No traces remain. But if what she said about a council member threatening her mother is true, she could be in danger if that woman realizes she’s here.” “Agreed,” Mikan said. Garrik leaned back in his chair. “I can keep her safe and hidden. There’s a posting that would move her out of the spotlight entirely. I’ll have her transferred to the Slayer Bay, under your ship’s roster. Out of the public eye, and close enough for you to keep watch.” Mikan inclined his head. “Thank you, Captain. Your discretion means a great deal.”

11 “Lady Avin,” Cain whispered as Mikan approached, “you should not show such disrespect to your sovereign king.” Avi stiffened, eyes wide as Mikan came to stand before her. “I’m curious,” Mikan said softly. “I remember a time when you were happy to see me. Why are you so afraid of me now?” Her pulse thundered in her ears. “I was told I’d be in trouble if I was ever found in the capital,” she said shakily. “I’m not supposed to be here.” That caught Mikan off guard. He glanced at Cain, who only shrugged. “Who told you that?” Mikan asked. Avi hesitated. The weight of his authority pressed down on her. He was the Emperor King of Malta if he wanted her gone, she would be gone. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “My mother was warned by a Draynor council member,” she said. “She was told that if either of us were ever found in the capital, we could be arrested or even executed.” Mikan stared at her, stunned. “Executed?” She nodded, shaking. Cain’s expression darkened. Mikan met her

10 Mikan took Rodic to the training fields to work on controlling his dragon form and setting clear boundaries when it was and wasn’t appropriate to shift. The lesson went well at first, but convincing Rodic to return to his Draynor form afterward took nearly ten minutes. It wasn’t uncommon for someone young to prefer staying in dragon form, but Mikan reminded him that with power came responsibility. “We’ll make a schedule,” Mikan said patiently. “You’ll have time each day in both forms, but when your parents or Stryker give an order, you follow it. No exceptions.” Rodic reluctantly agreed. Meanwhile, Cain had been sent to the shuttle bay to quietly gather information on the trainees they’d flagged for suspicion. When he arrived, he moved through the area silently, relying on old habits from his slayer days to avoid notice. Still, it wasn’t long before someone spotted him. “Sir!” one of the maintenance supervisors snapped to attention. “Do you need assistance?” Cain blinked, mil

173 (Kathryn’s POV) The contraction hit so hard it doubled me over. My fingers dug into Tyler’s arm as the air left my lungs in a sharp cry. “Easy,” he murmured, though his voice shook beneath the calm he tried to wear for me. His arm slid under my knees, his other wrapping tight around my back, and in one fluid motion I was lifted against his chest. “I’ve got you.” The world blurred as he started to run, his stride smooth but impossibly fast. The cool night air rushed past my face, the glow of the lake fading behind us. I could hear his heartbeat beneath my ear, pounding hard and steady, faster than I’d ever heard it. His scent familiar, grounding was everywhere, wrapping around me like armor. Through the haze of pain, I felt it, the first time, his voice in my mind, sharp and commanding. Doctor. Now. Meet us at the packhouse. She’s in labor. The bond carried more than words. It carried fear, urgency, the depth of his desperation. Camerin’s answering growl echoed faintly at the

172 (Tyler’s POV) The party swelled after the speeches, music picking up again, wolves crowding the courtyard to dance, feast, and drink until their laughter echoed into the trees. For the first time in far too long, my people’s voices weren’t weighed down by suspicion or grief. Kate lingered at my side for a time, smiling as Celia pulled her into conversations, nodding to the greetings of Rowan’s Luna, laughing at something Katie whispered in her ear. But I noticed the weariness creeping into her movements, the way her hand lingered on her stomach a heartbeat longer than usual. She caught my eye across the throng and gave me a soft, reassuring before slipping away toward the trees. I let her go. Fool that I was, I thought she only wanted a moment to herself. (Kathryn’s POV) The celebration was alive with music and laughter, but my chest felt tight. Too many voices, too many eyes, all of it pressing in. I smiled when I needed to, laughed when I should, but beneath it all, I just

171 (Tyler’s POV) While the house thrummed with preparations, pots banging, wolves stringing garlands between beams, Celia barking cheerful orders louder than any commander I found Kate on the porch, away from the noise. She was seated on the rail, hair catching the last light of evening, eyes thoughtful in that way that meant her mind was running three steps ahead. When she noticed me, she smiled, soft but resolute. “I’ve been thinking,” she said. I leaned against the post beside her, crossing my arms. “That’s dangerous.” She smirked at the joke but didn’t take the bait. “I want to give them something. Not food or decorations, something that lasts. Something for all of them. Your wolves and Jaxson’s.” I tilted my head, watching her carefully. She had my attention now. “What kind of something?” “The lake,” she said simply. “On my family’s land. It’s ours now, but I want it to be theirs, too. A place both packs can use. A place to fish, to swim, to train if they want. A reason t

170 (Tyler’s POV) Two weeks had passed since I ended Laramie’s life in front of them all, and the silence that followed lingered like smoke in the air. The pack carried on their duties without complaint, but their eyes told the story their mouths would not know every movement weighed, every word measured. They walked on eggshells around me, and though I had demanded obedience before, this was something different. Fear had settled into their bones, and I hated the taste of it. I had wanted loyalty. I had wanted unity. But fear was a poor substitute, and it left a bitter sting in my chest every time one of my wolves lowered their gaze too quickly or backed out of a room I entered. In the quiet moments, I replayed all Laramie’s snarl, Jonas’s laughter, the shock on Kate’s face as I made my choice. I had done what was necessary. I would do it again, if I had to. But even necessary things leave scars. Tonight, as the moon hung low over the compound and the sounds of my restless pack d

169 (third party POV) Tyler didn’t waste a breath. He dragged Laramie upright by the scruff of his neck as though he weighed nothing, his body limp and wheezing from the Alpha’s hold. With a sharp nod to Micah, blood still dripping from his nose, Tyler strode for the stairwell. “Bring Jonas,” he ordered. “They will all see this.” Kate followed in silence, her heart thundering. Camerin fell in at Tyler’s flank, his jaw set tight. Micah shoved Jonas forward from the cell, the traitor’s grin feral as though he relished the chaos he’d set in motion. When they emerged into the main hall, the sound carried before them laughter, clatter, the easy noise of wolves at rest. But the moment Tyler’s presence filled the doorway, silence rippled outward like a stone dropped into still water. Every head turned. Every voice fell quiet. Tyler shoved Laramie forward, forcing him to his knees in the center of the hall. Gasps rose from the crowd. Celia pressed a hand to her mouth, Katie’s eyes went

168 (Third party POV) The silence held for a long moment, tension coiled so tight Kate thought the air itself might snap. Jonas leaned back against the wall, a bitter smile twisting his mouth as though he thought he still had control. Tyler’s voice dropped to a quiet growl, more dangerous than any shout. “You will answer me.” His will rolled out in a wave, heavy and commanding, and Kate felt the pull of it even from where she stood outside the cell. The Alpha command pressed like a hand against her chest irresistible, suffocating. Jonas’s body convulsed, his head jerking as though he were fighting chains invisible to anyone but him. He ground his teeth, a sound of pain tearing from his throat, until finally the defiance cracked. “One,” he rasped. His eyes, burning with hate, flicked to Tyler and then away. “You want a name? Fine. Laramie.” The word hung heavy in the damp air. Micah stilled, his hands curling into fists. Camerin muttered something under his breath, too low for Ka