Chapter 2

Kael’s POV

"Celebration for the Birth of an Heir! You are warmly invited—"

I lounged on my throne in the Main Hall of my palace, with my free held, I held up an invitation that had boldly been addressed to me—Lycan King Kael Ashvorn.

Gary stood three steps back. He always kept exactly three steps back when I was reading correspondence, close enough to answer, far enough to run. After six years as my Beta, he had developed an excellent instinct for distances.

"Alpha Holt extends a formal invitation," he said. "A ceremony for the newborn. He specifically requests your presence."

"Small man," I said. "Large occasion."

Darius Holt might have been one of the Alphas within my kingdom, overruling his own pack in my stead, but he had done little since being appointed to actually earn my respect.

I knew him as a vile little snake, belly in the dirt, watching and waiting for any opportunity to steal others’ success. His predecessor had been caught entirely unaware from Darius’s petty manipulations.

The only reason I even tolerated him was because he knew better than to fuck with me.

I did not lower myself to such games. To acquire my throne, I had killed my father and older brother in challenges, earning my place on the throne with strength. I kept it with brutality and warfare. Every inch of territory in this kingdom was hard-earned and bled for. I was not too haughty to put myself on the front lines.

That was how I came to be known as The Reaper, feared by my enemy and my own people.

For this reason, the Moon Goddess cursed me, that I would never possess a fated mate, nor would any woman would be able to bear my children.

I glanced away to my Beta Gary who stood dutifully to the side of my throne, hands held behind his back.

“He wins his territory in the most cowardly way, and expects me to travel to bless his heir?”

“Alpha Holt has promised to present another strong, fertile female for your inspection at the event, Reaper,” Gary told me, his voice flat.

I huffed a sharp bitter laugh. “Another scheming woman or perhaps an outright spy this time? I should wipe out Holt pack and be done with it.”

Gary hummed a moment, as he usually did when he was about to disagree with me. His gaze slid to me, and I glowered at him. He cleared his throat, somewhat nervous, but still spoke up, “The peace treaty with the Holt pack is set to expire in 100 days, my King.”

This was why Gary was my second. He was one of the few around me who feared me but still voiced his true opinion, not just telling me what I wanted to hear. And always, he did so with the respect I deserved and demanded.

“What does the treaty matter if I plan to kill him?”

“Other packs could join forces and rebel against you.”

I laughed. “Let them try. I have yet to suffer a single defeat, and I have no intention of that changing anytime soon.”

“Even so,” Gary replied. “Perhaps needless death could be avoided. For now. There will be more people to serve you, Sire, if they are alive.”

Gary had been saying things like that lately, always in an effort to sway me away from my bloodlust. Yes, I could admit that my desire for bloodshed had been increasing in the past months, but what did it really matter? My reputation had to be maintained, and that could not be done with fear alone.

“The female might suit you,” Gary said, smartly changing the subject. “Attending the celebration might prove beneficial.”

I dragged my gaze back to the invitation. “I suppose I could attend. At the very least I could have a good laugh. I’m sure his Luna is happily celebrating not having to endure him between her thighs anymore.”

“And the female, Sire…”

“That could be amusing, as well.” I had no hope that Darius would actually be able to find me a woman who could handle my seed.

“I hope that you will seriously consider her,” Gary said. His slight blow eased the sting of the suggestion. “The elders have also been searching for a she-wolf who could bear your –”

“The elders are as useless as Darius Holt.”

Abruptly, I stood from the throne, silencing. Clutching the invitation, I moved to one of the charcoal braziers that sat at either side of my throne. I lowered the invitation into the flames, holding steady as the fire licked at one corner. When the fire mostly consumed the paper, I finally released it, watching as it turned to ash.

“Alpha Holt better know how to throw a good party, or he’ll be sorry.”

Lyra’s POV

I woke up with a start, then hissed as pain shot through me, gathering in my gut. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I realized the ground was hard beneath me and air around me was dark and musky.

Blinking my eyes, I tried to clear my vision. I could finally see as a pair of guards came closer, one carrying a flickering torch.

I was surrounded by 3 walls of hard stone and one of iron bars. This was the dungeon.

Looking down, I was still in my nightgown from the hospital, barefoot.

I had been tossed down here like trash, just to get me out of the way. Anger fueling me, I pushed myself up to my feet. My stomach hurt, but a new ache formed in my chest, splintering outward. In the distance, I swore I heard a baby cry.

“My son!” I cried out and rushed to the bars. To the guards that had come to stop outside my cell door, I said quickly, “You have to let me out. My son needs me.”

One of the guards huffed a cruel laugh. “You aren’t going to be bothering the Alpha anymore. He’s ordered you to be exiled as rogue.”

“No. Can’t you hear my baby crying? He needs me. I know he does!”

The two guards looked at each other.

“She’s lost her mind,” one said.

“We should get her out of here, the sooner the better,” said the other. He withdrew a key and slid it into the door.”

At the same time, the other immediately raised his head to his forehead. “Wait. The Alpha is saying something.”

“What?” asked the second guard.

The first guard winced. “Gods. We have to get this one to the Alpha at once.”

“My baby!” I cried. “It has to be. Something happened to him.”

“Get her,” the first guard said.

The second opened the door and grabbed my arm roughly. There was no need. I was willing to go where they wanted, if that led me to my son.

The guards dragged me up the stairs from the dungeon into the Alpha house, then through the narrow servants’ corridors up to the top floor. I knew this hallway well. It had once been my home.

Here, I could hear my baby’s crying more distinctly. This time, I dragged the guards toward the crying, into a bedroom I knew to be Darius’s.

Along the floor near the wall, a line of doctors knelt in shame and punishment.

Near the bed, Serena held my baby, who was crying himself hoarse, his face turning purplish blue.

I stepped toward my child, not noticing Darius approach me from nearer the door until he was directly in front of me. He slapped me across the face, making my knees buckle, but I did not fall. The slap stung, my cheek likely burning red. But it was nothing compared to the pain of hearing my child cry like he was dying.

“This is your fault!” Serena shouted. “You are weak. Your lowly genes have given us a sickly son.”

“The medicine the doctors tried is useless,” Darius spit in their direction.

“Alpha,” said one, his hands flat on the floor. “The child needs fed, and his… new mother… has not been able to provide.”

“Don’t you dare accuse her –”

Each of my child’s cries sliced through my heart and soul like I was being torn apart. I couldn’t bear it anymore. Not caring what the consequences were, I rushed forward and tore my child away from Serena.

He was lighter than I expected. My son—Nicholas turned into me, his cries softening as he reached greedy hands for my breast.

I bared it, and gave the child what he needed.

The baby latched on and suckled hungrily.

I had carried him for nine months. And this was the first time I had seen him — really seen him, his eyes shut, his forehead creased, his fist curled tight against my skin like he was holding on.

The blue was fading from his lips. For right now, in this room, with his weight in my arms and his heartbeat against mine.

Please be enough, I prayed. Please be okay.