LOGINNaya’s POVI sit on the edge of the hospital bed like I’m afraid it might disappear beneath me if I move too fast.My son is warm in my arms.So small. So real.His tiny fingers curl and uncurl against my shawl as if he’s already trying to understand the world he just arrived into. His eyes…those eyes… hits me every time I look at him. They are mine. Exactly mine. But his hair… soft, dark, stubborn little strands that refuse to lie flat… that part is Zane.It’s almost cruel how perfectly he’s split between us.Beautiful in a way that hurts.I trace a finger lightly along his cheek, and he makes a tiny sound.. barely a breath, barely life announcing itself. And still, it shakes something loose inside me.My mother should have been here.That thought comes without warning, sharp and clean like glass slipping under skin.She should have walked into this ward with that proud smile she always wore when she was trying not to cry. She should have looked at me like I had done something miracu
Zane’s POVThe entire pack house had been thrown into chaos since morning.Servants moved in and out carrying decorations, flowers, gifts from neighboring packs, expensive fabrics, baskets, and enough baby items to fill an entire wing.Yet somehow, despite all the movement around me, my attention remained fixed on one thing only.The nursery.I stood in the middle of the room adjusting the final piece above the crib myself while two decorators waited nervously nearby, probably wondering why their Alpha refused to let them do their jobs.“Move it slightly left,” I instructed one of them.The man quickly obeyed.“No… too much.”He adjusted it again.“Perfect.”I stepped back, folding my arms as I examined the room carefully.Soft silver and dark blue curtains.A carved wooden crib.Tiny shelves already stacked with toys Winnie had somehow managed to buy half the city for.I still couldn’t believe I had a son.The thought alone felt unreal.The door behind me opened and Nikolas walked in
Zane’s POV The moment the nurse walked in carrying the baby, I stood up instinctively. Like my body moved on its own. I found myself beside Naya almost immediately, my eyes locked on the tiny child bundled carefully in soft blankets. And for a second… I forgot how to breathe. He had Naya’s silver curls. Tiny soft strands resting against his head exactly like hers. But the rest… The rest was me. His skin was lighter like mine, and when he slowly blinked open his eyes for a brief moment, I saw my own brown pupils staring back at the world. A perfect mix of us. A living reminder that somehow, despite all the chaos, all the pain, all the destruction— Naya had entered my life and changed it forever. I stood there silently while she cradled him carefully in her arms, her entire expression softening in ways I had never seen before. And before I realized it… A tear escaped my eyes. I quickly looked away, swallowing hard. Because the truth was… I hadn’t expected him to survi
Naya’s POVThe first thing I felt was heaviness.Not pain exactly.Just… heaviness.Like my entire body had been dragged through fire and barely stitched back together.My eyelids fluttered slowly as consciousness returned in fragments. Voices echoed faintly somewhere around me, mixed with the rhythmic beeping of machines.The room looked blurry at first.White ceiling.Dim lights.A faint medicinal scent lingering in the air.Then my gaze shifted slightly…And landed on Zane.He sat beside my bed with his elbows resting on his knees, fingers clasped together tightly like he had been praying. His hair was disheveled, his clothes wrinkled, and dark circles sat heavily beneath his eyes.He looked exhausted.Completely exhausted.For a moment, I simply stared at him.“What are you…” My throat burned painfully as the words came out slurred. “…still doing here?”The second he realized I was awake, his entire posture changed.Relief flooded his face so openly it made my chest tighten.“You’
Zane’s POVThe waiting was becoming unbearable.At first, I thought nothing could feel worse than standing outside the operating room while Naya fought for her life.I was wrong.This was worse.Because now there was silence.No screams.No updates.No movement.Just endless waiting while my mind tore itself apart imagining every possible thing happening behind those doors.An hour.A whole fucking hour.And Claire still hadn’t come back out.I leaned forward in the chair, elbows on my knees, my fingers locked together so tightly my knuckles had turned white.The storm outside hadn’t calmed either.Rain hammered violently against the windows while thunder continued rolling through the sky like the goddess herself was angry tonight.I lifted my head toward Nikolas.“What do you think is happening in there?”My voice came out rougher than intended.Nikolas looked at me quietly for a moment before speaking.“I think Doctor Claire is trying her best.”“That’s not what I asked.”He exhaled
Zane’s POV Standing outside the operating room felt worse than any battlefield I had ever stepped onto. At least in battle, I could fight Here? I could do nothing. Nothing but waiting while the woman I loved fought for her life behind those doors. The tension was unbearable. It sat inside my chest like claws, tearing deeper with every passing second. I tried sitting once, but the moment my body touched the chair, I stood again. Pacing was the only thing keeping me sane. Back and forth. Back and forth. The storm outside worsened with every minute, thunder rumbling so loudly it vibrated through the walls of the clinic. Lightning flashed across the windows, bathing the hallway in quick bursts of white before darkness swallowed it again. Winnie sat curled into herself, silently praying under her breath. Nikolas leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, watching me carefully like he was worried I’d snap at any moment. Maybe I would. I dragged a hand through my
Naya’s POVHer piercing eyes shot into mine, venom written so clearly across her face that I instinctively lowered my gaze.I barely had time to breathe before I heard footsteps.They halted.Then her sweet yet venom filled voice broke the silence across the room.“Well! Well!! Well!!!,” she murmur
Zane’s POVHer back hit the wall with a dull thud.The sound should have satisfied something ugly inside me.It didn’t.My hands were braced on either side of her, trapping her in, my body crowding hers, my presence swallowing the small space between us. Rage burned hot in my chest… rage at her aud
Naya’s POVI barely recognized the girl staring back at me from the mirror.She looked… different.Not the frightened, bruised slave girl from Mystic Falls.Not the trembling runaway who had been dragged through tunnels and locked in a lavish cage.This girl looked… almost beautiful.My fingers tre
Zane’s POV My mother screamed. The sound ripped through my skull, sharp and endless, tearing me out of sleep like claws through flesh. “Zane…!” I jolted upright with a strangled breath, my chest heaving violently as sweat drenched my skin. For a split second, I didn’t know where I was. The roo







