Chapter Eleven

‎Talia’s POV

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‎The hall was silent now, the air thick with the stench of blood and death. My legs trembled, my body aching from the shift, my silver-grey fur gone, leaving me in a torn dress, human again but not the same. Rex’s words echoed in my head, heavy as stone: *You’re my cousin. My father’s sister’s daughter.* The mate bond I’d felt, that warmth in my chest, wasn’t love—it was blood, family, a duty I didn’t understand. I stood there, my hands shaking, the pack’s eyes on me, their awe and fear pressing like chains.

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‎I wanted to run, to escape the truth, but my feet wouldn’t move. Rex stood close, his red eyes watching me, raw with something I couldn’t name—guilt, maybe, or regret. His hand hovered near my arm, like he wanted to steady me, but I stepped back, my throat tight. “Don’t,” I said again, my voice sharper now, cutting through the silence.

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‎“Talia,” he started, his voice low, but a shout from the courtyard broke the moment. A pack member stumbled in, bloodied, his eyes wide. “Alpha,” he gasped, “more are coming. They’re not done.”

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‎Rex’s jaw clenched, his gaze flicking to the door. “Stay here,” he said to me, his voice firm, then turned to the pack, barking orders. Wolves moved, their steps heavy, weapons glinting in the torchlight. I stood frozen, my heart pounding, the warmth in my chest stirring again, faint but fierce, like it refused to be ignored.

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‎I wasn’t staying behind. Not after what I’d done, what I’d become. Lycan. The word felt foreign, but it fit, like a piece of me I’d never known was missing. I followed Rex, my bare feet silent on the blood-slick floor, ignoring the pain in my body. The pack parted for me, their eyes wary, like I was something to fear. I didn’t feel powerful—I felt raw, exposed, like a wound that wouldn’t close.

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‎Outside, the courtyard was chaos again. Torches flickered, casting shadows that danced like wolves. The rival pack was smaller now, their numbers cut down, but their eyes glowed with desperation, their snarls wild. Rex stood at the center, his form rippling as he shifted into his black wolf, his red eyes blazing. I felt that pull again, the bond, stronger now, tying me to him despite everything.

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‎I shifted too, the pain less this time, my body remembering the change. My silver-grey fur shimmered, my claws sharp, my senses alive with the scent of blood and pine. I fought beside Rex, my wolf moving with a strength I still didn’t understand, tearing through enemies with a ferocity that scared me. The pack rallied, their howls rising, and we pushed back the attackers, their bodies falling one by one.

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‎When it was over, the courtyard was still, littered with blood and fur. I shifted back, my breath ragged, my body trembling. Rex was beside me, human again, his chest heaving, blood streaking his face. He looked at me, his eyes softer now, but I turned away, my heart too heavy to meet his gaze.

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‎“We need to talk,” he said, his voice low, steady despite the chaos. “About you. About everything.”

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‎I shook my head, my hands clenching. “Not now,” I said, my voice breaking. “I can’t.” The truth of who I was—Lycan, his cousin, the cursed wolf—it was too much. And something else gnawed at me, a new fear, a feeling I couldn’t name, stirring deep in my body.

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‎He stepped closer, his hand brushing my arm, and the warmth flared, sharp and undeniable. “Talia,” he said, softer now, “you’re not alone in this. I know what you’re feeling.”

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‎I pulled away, my eyes burning. “You don’t,” I snapped, my voice raw. “You don’t know what it’s like to be me. To be sold, betrayed, turned into… this.” I gestured to myself, my torn dress, my shaking hands. “You brought me here, Rex. You let Cassian—” My voice broke, the memory of his room, the fog, the violation, cutting through me.

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‎His face darkened, pain flashing in his eyes. “I didn’t know,” he said, his voice rough. “I should’ve stopped him. I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

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‎I wanted to believe him, but the hurt was too deep, tangled with Nyla’s betrayal, the prophecy, my own blood. I turned away, my throat tight, and walked back to the manor, my steps heavy. The pack watched, their whispers following me, but I didn’t care. I needed space, time, anything to make sense of what I was.

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‎In my room, the fire was out, the air cold. I sank onto the bed, my body aching, my mind spinning. The book was still hidden beneath, but I didn’t reach for it. I couldn’t face more truths, not now. My hand drifted to my stomach, a strange instinct, and I froze. Something was wrong—different. A faint flutter, barely there, but real. My heart stopped, panic rising like a tide.

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‎No. It couldn’t be. But the memory of Cassian’s room, the drink, the fog—it came back, sharp and sickening. I was pregnant. I knew it, deep in my bones, a truth I couldn’t deny. Tears burned my eyes, spilling over before I could stop them. Cassian’s child, not Rex’s. The mate bond, the warmth—it didn’t matter now. I was carrying a traitor’s blood, a new curse to bear.

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‎A knock at the door made me flinch. “Talia,” Rex’s voice came, low and urgent. “Let me in.”

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‎I didn’t move, my hands trembling, my breath shallow. “Go away,” I said, my voice weak, but he didn’t listen. The door opened, and he stood there, his red eyes searching mine, his face etched with worry.

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‎“You can’t keep running,” he said, stepping inside. “We need to face this. Together.”

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‎I laughed, a broken sound. “Together? I’m your cousin, Rex. Your duty. And now…” My voice cracked, my hand pressing to my stomach. “I’m pregnant. It’s Cassian’s.”

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‎His face went still, his eyes darkening, but he didn’t look away. “How do you know?” he asked, his voice steady, but I heard the strain, the pain.

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‎“I just know,” I whispered, tears falling faster. “I feel it. After what he did… it’s his.”

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‎Rex stepped closer, his hands fisting, then relaxing. “It doesn’t change anything,” he said, his voice fierce. “You’re still you. Lycan. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever known.”

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‎I shook my head, my throat tight. “You don’t understand. I’m cursed, Rex. I always have been. This—” I touched my stomach, my voice breaking, “this is just another curse.”

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‎He knelt before me, his eyes level with mine, raw and open. “You’re not cursed,” he said, his voice low, fierce. “You saved us tonight. You fought like a warrior. And this child…” He hesitated, his hand hovering near mine. “It’s yours, Talia. Not his. I’ll protect you both.”

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‎My heart twisted, torn between pain and something softer, something I didn’t want to name. “Why?” I asked, my voice barely there. “Why do you care?”

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‎He looked away, his jaw tight, like he was fighting something inside. “Because I can’t lose you,” he said finally, his voice rough. “Not like the others. Not like…” He stopped, his eyes closing, pain etched deep in his face.

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‎I stared at him, my breath catching. The others. His pain. It was tied to them, to me, to this place. “Tell me,” I said, my voice firm despite the tears. “What happened to them?”

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‎He stood, his shoulders tense, his eyes distant. “They were brought here, like you,” he said, his voice low. “For the prophecy. To wake the Lycan blood. But they weren’t strong enough. They… broke.”

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‎My stomach twisted, fear and anger mixing. “And you let them?” I asked, my voice sharp. “You let them die?”

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‎He flinched, like I’d struck him. “I didn’t want this,” he said, his voice breaking. “I tried to save them. But I was too late. Every time.”

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‎I wanted to hate him, to blame him, but his pain was real, as deep as mine. I stood, my legs shaky, and faced him. “I’m not them,” I said, my voice steady now. “I’m still here. And I’ll fight, for me, for this child.”

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‎His eyes met mine, fierce and proud. “I know,” he said, his voice soft. “That’s why you’re different.”

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‎The warmth in my chest flared, not just the bond, but something more—strength, mine, not his. I wasn’t the cursed daughter anymore. I was Lycan, a warrior, a mother. The prophecy could wait. For now, I had to survive, for the child growing inside me, for the pack, for myself.