Confirmation

Dawn light cut through the high windows like blades, painting the chamber in cold gold. I lay on the long examination table the servants had dragged in, heart slamming against my ribs so hard I could barely breathe. The royal healer, Asterin, moved around me with quick efficiency, his silver robes whispering against the stone floor.

"Easy, Omega," Asterin said, not unkindly. He uncorked a small vial and waved it under my nose. "Breathe normally. I need to read the changes in your scent."

Vesperian stood at the head of the table like a statue, arms crossed, golden eyes locked on my bare stomach. He hadn't said a word since he arrived, but his presence filled the entire room.

I swallowed hard. "This is pointless. I already know…"

"Quiet," Vesperian cut in, voice low. "Let him work."

Asterin pressed cool fingers to my wrist, then my neck, murmuring to himself. He placed another vial against my skin that tingled with magic. "The scent shift is profound. Richer. Layered with new life essence." He glanced at Vesperian. "Your Majesty, if I may?"

Vesperian nodded once.

The healer lifted my silk robe higher, exposing my still-flat belly. His hands hovered, glowing faintly with diagnostic magic. I flinched when the warmth touched my skin.

"Does it hurt?" Asterin asked, pausing.

"No," I muttered. "Just... weird."

Weird didn't cover it. My body felt different already. Warmer. Protective in a way that made my skin crawl with conflict. Part of me wanted to curl around my middle and snarl at anyone who came near. Another part screamed that this was a death sentence, for me, for the king, for whatever was growing inside.

Vesperian stepped closer. "Well?"

"Patience, my king." Asterin moved his hands in slow circles. "The signature is unusually strong for such an early stage. Barely a month, but already..."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Just say it."

The healer's magic pulsed brighter. A soft gasp escaped him. "It's confirmed, Your Majesty. He carries your child. The magical resonance is powerful…stronger than any I've seen in decades. This is no ordinary pregnancy."

The words landed like stones in still water.

Pregnant.

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling, chest tight. A baby. Vesperian's baby. The abomination the prophecies warned about. My hands trembled where they rested at my sides.

Vesperian let out a slow breath. Triumph flashed across his face, raw and possessive. "Good."

"Good?" I choked out, voice cracking. "You call this good? I'm carrying the thing that's supposed to shatter your empire and you're standing there like you just won a war."

Asterin cleared his throat uncomfortably. "The child’s magic is feeding off both of you already. The bond is accelerating everything. You’ll need constant monitoring, Omega. This pregnancy will not be gentle."

I turned my head toward Vesperian. "You planned this. Every forced heat, every breeding. You knew it could happen this fast."

He didn’t deny it. Instead, he moved to my side and placed one large hand on my belly, fingers splayed possessively across the skin. The touch sent a jolt through me, warm, claiming, terrifyingly right.

"The heir is secured," he said, voice rough with satisfaction. "You’ve done well, Eli."

His praise hit somewhere deep and unwanted. Before I could snap back, something moved under his palm.

A real flutter. Stronger than last night. Distinct. Like a tiny kick answering his touch.

I gasped sharply. Vesperian’s eyes widened slightly, the first crack in his control I’d seen in days.

"Did you feel that?" I whispered, voice shaking.

He pressed his hand firmer, golden eyes darkening. "Yes."

The movement came again, a little stronger, as if the child recognized its father. Protective instinct surged through me so hard my vision blurred. I wanted to shove his hand away and pull it closer at the same time. This tiny life was already tangled in our mess, my draining magic, the soul resonance, the prophecy.

And now the draining wasn’t just feeding me anymore.

I could feel it shifting, splitting, pulling strength from Vesperian for two. The glow under my skin flared briefly, hidden from the healer but burning hot in my veins. Guilt and dark satisfaction twisted together in my chest.

"You’re taking from him," I thought desperately at the child. "But what if it kills him before you’re even born?"

Vesperian leaned down, forehead nearly touching mine. "This changes everything. You will be guarded every moment. Nothing touches you or the child. Understand?"

I stared up at him, throat tight. "And when the prophecy comes true? When this baby destroys everything?"

His hand stayed on my belly, thumb stroking slow circles over the spot where the movement had been. "Then we control it. Together."

Together. The word should have made me sick. Instead, the bond hummed warmer, pulling me toward him even as terror clawed at my insides. The draining magic pulsed stronger now, feeding two lives instead of one. My revenge wasn’t just dangerous anymore.

It was lethal.

Asterin packed his instruments quietly. "I’ll return daily for checks. Congratulations, Your Majesty."

The healer left, but Vesperian stayed, hand still possessive on my belly. Another tiny flutter answered him.

I closed my eyes, tears slipping down my cheeks. Everything had just become so much more complicated. And I had no idea how to stop any of it.