Court Whispers

"Stand tall," Vesperian murmured against my ear as we approached the heavy council doors. His hand rested possessively on the small of my back. "They need to see you’re strong. That our son is strong."

I swallowed hard, one hand instinctively cradling the noticeable swell of my belly under the deep crimson silk. "I feel like a prize cow on display."

The doors swung open before he could reply. The council chamber fell into tense silence as we entered. Dozens of powerful Alphas turned to stare. Their eyes burned over my body, my rounded stomach, the faint golden glow visible at my collarbone and wrists, the way I walked with one hand protectively over our child.

Whispers erupted immediately.

"Look at him... already swelling like that."

"An abomination. Male Omega carrying the king’s get."

"The king looks... diminished. Did you see how he moves?"

I flinched. Pregnancy hormones made every word feel like a slap across the face. My cheeks burned. The child kicked hard, sensing my distress.

Vesperian’s arm slid around my waist, pulling me closer to his side. "Enough," he said, voice cutting through the chamber like a blade. "My Omega and I are here to end these pathetic rumors. The heir is viable. The pregnancy is progressing stronger than expected."

He guided me to the raised platform beside his throne. I had to stand there, on display, while the council members stared. One older Alpha leaned toward another.

"Prophecy says the child will shatter the empire. Look at the glow on his skin. It’s unnatural."

Another muttered, "And the king... he’s weaker. I saw him in the training yard yesterday. Slower than before."

Tears pricked my eyes. I wanted to scream at them. Instead, I just stood there, feeling stripped bare. Every whisper crawled over my skin like insects. The bond pulsed with Vesperian’s rising anger, but underneath it I felt his exhaustion. He was hiding it well, but I could sense it clearly now.

Lord Caelum rose from his seat near the front. His silver hair caught the torchlight as he spoke, voice calm and authoritative. "The king has produced an heir where none thought possible. This demonstrates strength, not weakness. We should be celebrating the future of our bloodlines, not spreading fear like frightened pups."

A few Alphas nodded. Others looked unconvinced. Caelum met my eyes for a brief second. The warning in them was unmistakable: *Stop the draining. He’s fading faster.*

I looked away, throat tight.

Vesperian spoke again, hand never leaving my waist. "The Challenge from my brother changes nothing. The heir will be born. The empire will be stronger for it. This session is concluded."

The Alphas filed out slowly, still whispering. One brushed past close enough to mutter, "Freak," under his breath.

I trembled. Vesperian felt it and pulled me tighter against him.

~~~~

The moment the chamber doors closed behind us, Vesperian had me by the arm, guiding me quickly back to the royal wing. The second we were inside our chambers, he slammed the door shut and spun me to face him.

"They had no right to look at you like that," he growled, eyes blazing. His hands roamed over my belly, possessive and frantic. "You’re mine. Both of you."

The child kicked hard, stronger than ever, right under his palm. I gasped at the force of it.

Vesperian dropped to his knees in front of me, pressing his face against my swollen stomach. "Feel that? He’s fighting for us already."

The intensity of his touch, the raw protectiveness, the way the bond surged between us... it broke something in me. Tears spilled down my cheeks as another powerful kick rippled through my belly.

"Alpha," I whispered, voice shaking. "Please. I need you."

He rose and kissed me hard, backing me toward the bed. Clothes came off in a rush. He was careful with my belly but no less desperate, laying me on my side and sliding into me from behind in one smooth thrust.

"Fuck," I moaned, pushing back against him. "Harder."

He gave it to me, deep and possessive, one hand wrapped around to cradle my belly while the other gripped my hip. Every thrust made the child kick in response, like he was part of this too.

"You’re mine," Vesperian growled against my neck, teeth grazing my skin. "No one else gets to look at you. No one else gets to question us."

I cried out as his knot started swelling, pleasure mixing with the overwhelming emotions. The draining magic stirred but I kept it gentle, balanced. I clung to him, lost in the feeling of being wanted so fiercely.

His knot locked us together with a wet pop. We came hard, shaking, his release flooding me as I clenched around him. The child kicked again, strong and steady, almost like approval.

Vesperian stayed buried deep, arms wrapped around me from behind, hand still protectively over our son. "I will destroy anyone who threatens you," he whispered fiercely. "Kieran. The council. Anyone."

I believed him. But as the pleasure faded, the weight of everything crashed back down. The court’s disgust. Caelum’s warning look. Vesperian’s fading strength that he tried so hard to hide.

I turned my head and kissed him desperately, chasing the feeling of safety in his arms even as terror gnawed at my insides.

The Challenge was coming. And I wasn’t sure our fragile little family would survive it.