Chapter 4

When I first heard the news, I froze.

Kael was infertile, so whose cub was Arya carrying? Could it be a pregnancy she faked to escape being forced into mating?

Whatever the truth was, I was stunned by her boldness.

A month later, when she was due to give birth, the lions held a grand ceremony. All clan leaders were invited to witness the birth of an Aetherborn.

In the past life, I'd borne Kael a golden lion cub with Aetherblood. That must have convinced Arya she could do the same, so she'd been boasting of her Aetherborn from the moment she'd discovered her pregnancy.

The beastfolk hadn't seen such a rare bloodline in decades. So, when the day came, nearly all clan leaders gathered for the occasion.

As her sister, I was permitted into the birthing chamber to keep her company.

By the time I entered, the room was crowded with females, all fawning over her. Arya sat upright and basked in the praise with her chin held high.

When she saw me, she ran a hand across her round stomach and threw me a taunting look.

"Litha, it looks like I'll be the first to bring an Aetherborn into the world. That makes me the chieftess of the beastfolk!"

There was an old, unspoken rule among the beastfolk—for every human-beast matrimony, the bloodline status of the offspring often decided the political future of the clans.

The beastfolk who had offspring with stronger blood would be tied to the next chieftain. If the offspring shared the same bloodline, the matter was decided by whoever was born first.

Arya had conceived after me, but dragon pregnancies lasted far longer than other beastfolk's. So, it was no surprise that her cub was nearly born, while my belly had just begun to show.

No wonder she was so smug.

I gave her belly a calm, unreadable look and commented, "You might want to wait until the cub is born before you celebrate. Let's hope it doesn't disappoint you."

Her eyes widened and flashed with diffidence. "What do you mean by that? Do you know something?"

It was such a subtle probe, yet she rattled and had never been able to keep her cool.

After the brief panic, she soon calmed down and settled her hands on her belly with a snort. "I don't care what you know. As long as I give birth to an Aetherborn, Kael will take his rightful place as the chieftain."

Just after she spoke, a sharp grunt escaped her lips, and her brows knitted together.

The healers rushed in to check her and, finding the time had come, immediately cleared the room of visitors.

Outside the birthing chamber, Kael stood at the center of a crowd and was showered in praise. Everyone was eager to curry favor with him, which they believed would be the next chieftain.

"The lion clan is finally back on top. How many years has it been since we saw a rare bloodline?"

"Exactly! The lion clan will lead us to a golden age!"

Kael was glowing with pride. When he spotted me and Draken standing to the side, he made a point to walk over.

"Apologies, Lord Vorgath, but it looks like we'll be welcoming an heir before you get your turn."

His words sounded apologetic, but his eyes brimmed with smugness.

It was the first time the lions could hold their head high in front of the dragons.

"We might not be as wealthy as the dragons, but when it comes to choosing a wife, I clearly have better taste. You can't buy rare bloodlines with gold."

Others joined in and eagerly piped up.

"Too true! Lord Hawthorne clearly has the better eye! They're sisters but worlds apart; one's already giving birth, while the other's belly stays flat. Clearly, they're not from the same mother because some certain one is just useless."

I'd been pregnant for half a year, but Draken had kept it a secret, for fear I might be harmed. So, there had been no announcement of my pregnancy to outsiders.

Right then, cheers erupted from the birthing chamber.

"She's delivered! It's born!"

Everyone surged toward the doors, eager to catch the first glimpse of the Aetherborn. But seconds later, a stunned silence fell over the room.

"Wait… How did the wife of lion clan's head give birth to a cub with a fox tail?"