MasukThe broken glass was still scattered across the hallway floor.Servants had tried to clean it earlier, but Damien stopped them.He wanted the damage visible.A reminder.Someone had been bold enough to enter his territory and threaten his family.That mistake would not go unanswered.Aria sat quietly on the edge of the bed in their room, her fingers resting gently over her stomach.The warmth inside her had settled again after the burst of power earlier.But she could still feel it.The child inside her was stronger than any wolf had expected.And that truth made the world outside suddenly far more dangerous.Damien stood near the window, staring out into the darkness beyond the estate grounds.His mind was already moving several steps ahead.Planning.Calculating.Hunting.“You’re thinking about going after them,” Aria said softly.He didn’t turn around.“Yes.”Her voice remained calm.“You don’t even know who sent them.”“That doesn’t matter.”Now he turned.His eyes were darker tha
The estate was quieter that night.Not peaceful.Just quiet in the way a forest becomes silent before a predator moves through it.Aria felt it the moment the sun disappeared beyond the horizon.She stood near the tall windows again, her arms folded loosely over her stomach as she watched the darkness settle over the territory.Since the council meeting, the warmth inside her had become steadier. Stronger. It pulsed at intervals now, almost like the child was reacting to the world around them.It was strange.But not frightening.If anything, the feeling brought her comfort.Behind her, Damien sat at the large desk across the room, reviewing several documents Jay had brought earlier. His eyes moved over the pages quickly, though his attention wasn’t truly on them.Not when Aria was across the room.Not when she carried his child.He set the papers down eventually and leaned back in his chair.“You’ve been standing there for ten minutes.”Aria didn’t turn.“I like the quiet.”Damien st
The courtyard did not move.Not one wolf spoke.The ripple of energy that had surged from Aria moments ago still lingered faintly in the air like the echo of thunder long after lightning strikes.Several of the gathered Alphas stared openly now.Not with curiosity.With calculation.Damien felt it immediately.His arm slid protectively around Aria’s waist, drawing her slightly closer to him.Instinct.Possession.Protection.Aria was still trying to understand what had just happened.Her heart raced, but not from fear.The warmth inside her had changed again.It was no longer just a quiet pulse.It felt… awake.“Aria,” Damien murmured softly near her ear.“I’m okay,” she whispered.But the truth was she wasn’t entirely sure.Across the courtyard, Liam slowly stepped forward.For the first time since the council began, the Alpha looked unsettled.His golden eyes moved from Aria… to Damien… then back again.“You felt that,” one of the Alphas said quietly.It wasn’t a question.Everyone
The estate had never felt so restless.Even before the sun rose, wolves were already moving through the grounds. Guards rotated shifts more frequently than usual. Messengers arrived and departed in quiet urgency. The pack could sense something brewing, even if most of them didn’t yet know what it was.Inside the private suite, Aria stirred awake slowly.For a moment she simply lay still, listening to the steady rhythm of Damien’s breathing beside her.His arm rested protectively around her waist, his warmth seeping into her skin like a shield against the cold unease lingering in the air.But the moment she shifted slightly, his eyes opened.Sharp.Alert.Damien never truly slept deeply anymore.“Morning,” she whispered.His expression softened immediately when he saw her awake.“Morning.”His hand moved instinctively to her stomach, resting there with a quiet possessiveness that still made her heart flutter.It had only been a short time since they discovered the pregnancy, yet someth
The tension in the estate had changed.It was no longer the quiet caution that had followed Aria’s arrival.Now it was sharp.Electric.Every wolf within the territory felt it even if they did not understand why. Guards stood a little straighter. Conversations stopped the moment footsteps approached. Even the air seemed heavier, as though the world itself was waiting for something inevitable.Inside their private suite, Aria stood near the tall windows, watching the pale morning light creep across the grounds.Her hand rested lightly over her stomach.The warmth there had not faded.If anything, it had grown stronger since dawn.She could feel it now in small pulses, like faint ripples moving through water. Not painful. Not frightening.Alive.Her wolf stirred again, alert and watchful.Behind her, Damien adjusted the cuffs of his dark shirt with deliberate calm. To anyone else he would appear composed, even indifferent.But Aria knew him well enough now to see the truth.He was prepa
Aria woke before dawn.Not from fear.From power.It surged through her veins like silver lightning, quiet but undeniable. Her wolf stretched inside her mind, not restless… not angry… but alert in a way she had never felt before.She inhaled sharply.The air tasted different.Sharper.Layered.Alive.Beside her, Damien stirred instantly.He was awake in seconds. “What is it?”She sat up slowly, pressing a hand to her abdomen.“I don’t know.”But she did.The warmth had changed.It wasn’t just an ember now.It pulsed.Strong.Damien rose with her, eyes scanning her face, reading every micro-expression.“Are you in pain?”“No.”Her voice trembled slightly, not from weakness but from awe.“It feels like… like my wolf is expanding.”His brow furrowed.“That’s not how pregnancy works.”A breathless laugh escaped her. “We’re not exactly normal.”True.Very true.She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood.The moment her bare feet touched the floor, the world sharpened again.She







