LOGINAuthor’s POVThe labor stretched into the darkest hours of the night, each minute feeling like an eternity. It's been six hours of agony, of Lila’s screams echoing through the isolated ranch house, of Marcus’s steady commands and Joan’s desperate attempts to help without using magic that would only make things worse.This wasn’t normal childbirth, the twins weren’t just being born. They were fighting their way into existence, with their divine powers clashing against the mortal limitations of Lila’s body. Every contraction brought waves of supernatural energy that made the air itself crackle with electricity.Around the fourth hour, when Lila thought she might actually die despite Eryndra’s assurances, when the pain had become so overwhelming that she could barely draw breath, it happened.Her power surged.It wasn’t Eryndra’s power or the twins' power. It was Lila’s power- all the elemental abilities she’d been learning to control,
Moon Goddess’s POVFrom her realm beyond the mortal plane, where starlight sat together like pools of liquid silver and time moved as fluid as thought, the Moon Goddess watched. Her attention had been fixed on the small ranch house in Montana since the moment Lila and her companions had crossed its threshold. “It is time,” she murmured, her voice resonating through the celestial realm like a bell that only the divine could hear. Her brother, the Eclipse King, had been growing bolder. His forces had nearly captured Lila twice in one day, the first time was on campus, and then during the escape. If she allowed the pattern to continue, if she let Lila hide for five years as planned, her brother would find them. He would find a way around it. He always did. He was patient, methodical, and he had centuries of practice hunting her chosen ones. No. Five years was too long. The twins needed to be born now,
Lila’s POVIt was late in the night now, and the darkness beyond the car was absolute although they were occasionally broken by farmhouse lights in the distance.We’d been driving for hours, first we went through Oregon, then crossing into Idaho, and now deep into rural Montana. Marcus hadn’t stopped except for gas, and even then he’d made us stay in the car with the engine running, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.I sat in the backseat now, having switched places with Joan somewhere around the Idaho border. My swollen stomach made the cramped space even more uncomfortable, but Joan insisted she needed to be able to monitor me and the twins more closely. Occasionally her hands would rest lightly on my stomach, warm pulses of magic flowing through the contact as she constantly checked our vital signs.“Heart rate’s still elevated,” Joan murmured, more to herself than to me. “Yours and theirs. Lila, you need to try to calm
Lila’s POVJoan found the hidden release and the bookshelf swung open, revealing a dark passage. She pulled me in and I went although every instinct in me screamed for me to stay and fight beside Dante. “I’ll hold them,” Dante said, and I heard the strain in his voice as his power continued to press against the invaders. “But Lila, you need to run. Please run and don’t look back. Please get to safety. That’s all that matters now.”“Dante….” I started, but Joan yanked me into the passage. The last thing I saw before the bookshelf swung shut behind us was Dante facing down the Council and government agents alone, his power blazing around him like a silver-blue inferno, his eyes locked on mine with an intensity that felt like this was not goodbye.It was just until next time.Then the bookshelf clicked shut, plunging us into darkness.“Move,” Joan urged, her hand finding mine in the dark. “We need to move, Lila. Dant
Lila’s POV “The Council,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Joan said they’re here. Are they really…” “Yes,” Dante cut me off, his expression grim. “I felt them arrive on campus about ten minutes ago. Multiple powerful presences converging on the administration building. They’re not just here, Lila. They’re organized and prepared. This isn’t a casual investigation, this is a coordinated strike.” My stomach dropped, the twins shifting restlessly as if they could sense my fear. “How long do we have?” “Minutes,” Joan said, still leaning against the desk for support. “Maybe less. Once they get access to the student database, once they confirm you’re enrolled here, they’ll start a building-by-building search. And Dante’s office will be one of the first places they check because…” “Because I’m the Alpha King,” Dante finished grimly
Lila’s POV “There’s one more person I need to see,” I said finally. “Dante. I need to say goodbye to him too.” Joan’s expression became unreadable. “The Alpha King. Are you sure that’s wise? He’s going to have questions, Lila. Questions you can’t answer.” “I know. But I have to try.” I stood, steadying myself as the twins moved inside of me. “Will you come with me? To his office?” “Of course,” Joan said immediately. “If you’re doing something potentially stupid, someone should be there to pull you out of the fire.” Despite everything, I smiled. “Thank you.” We left her dorm together, drawing some curious looks from students who probably wondered why Joan looked like she’d been crying. The walk to Dante’s office in the academic building felt too short, like the universe was rushing







