DARIUS□■□■□■Callis dumped everything onto the room table like she'd just raided an ancient library and barely made it out alive. Books, scrolls, dust-covered leather binders, a stack of yellowed maps, and something that looked like a fucking drawing made in blood."Alright," I said, arms folded. "Let’s hear it."Callis didn’t even blink. She pointed to a torn page from some old record book. "The Fellblood theory? It's bullshit. I got it wrong the first time. Emmeline’s bloodline isn't connected to the Fellblood. The baby’s power doesn’t come from there either. It’s older. Cleaner. It comes from a line no one talks about anymore. The Rivenborn."I raised a brow. "Rivenborn? Sounds like a made-up story to scare pups.""No. That’s the thing. They were real. Very real. They weren’t monsters. They were guardians, protectors. Strategic as hell, stronger than most, and with instincts that bordered on precognition. They felt danger before it arrived. Could adapt mid-fight, change tactics, e
EMMELINE■□■□■□■□■I heard it before I saw it—breathing. Heavy, wet, almost... wrong. Not mine. Not the guards'.It was too low, too animalistic, like someone—or something—was half-shifted and trying hard to stay in control. My whole body stilled, every hair on my skin standing upright. The forest went quiet, too quiet, like the trees were holding their breath with me."Did you hear that?" I whispered.One of the guards to my left nodded. "Something’s out there."My stomach tightened—not out of fear, but from the sudden stir inside me. My baby. Not just moving, but shifting again, wild and alert. She—he—it—was responding to whatever was out there. That was all the warning I needed.I turned, eyes scanning the trees. That’s when I caught it. A blur.Fast. Low to the ground. Small. A wolf—but it wasn’t rogue. It was... something else. I only saw it for a heartbeat, but its fur was dark like ash, and there was a glint around its neck.A collar."Hold your ground," I said quickly. My voic
DARIUS■□■□■□The room was dim, lit only by the fire crackling in the stone hearth. I stood over the map table with Dawson, my beta, and Sylas, our estate’s head of security. Neither of them looked at me directly. That told me everything.“They’re whispering now,” Dawson said quietly, as if the walls might overhear him. “Some of the elders think Emmeline should be handed over to the Council. Before it’s too late.”I didn’t even look up. I just stared at the map, at the marked perimeter, the routes the guards were cycling, the danger points. My hand clenched on the table.“So they’re ready to trade her life for peace of mind?”“They’re scared, Darius,” Dawson said, his voice a little firmer now. “You can’t blame them entirely. A child with an awakened wolf still in the womb? That’s... unheard of. And dangerous.”I finally looked at him. Held his gaze until he glanced away.“I was scared too,” I said. “Still am, if we’re being honest. But fear is no excuse for betrayal.”Sylas shifted,
EMMELINE□■□■□■□■□I woke up slowly, like rising from the bottom of a lake. Everything felt heavy. My limbs, my head, even my breath. The ceiling above me spun just a little before it stilled. My mouth was dry. My stomach hurt.There was blood on the sheets."Hey, hey—don’t move too fast," a voice said softly beside me. I turned my head.Anastasia.She looked like hell—dark circles under her eyes, sleeves stained with blood, her hair pulled back but frizzed from stress. Still, there was something calming about her being there."What happened?" My voice was hoarse."You passed out. The baby... kicked. Hard." She let out a slow breath, like she didn’t want to say the next part. "It rattled your system. Sent your body into shock."My hand instinctively went to my belly. It was warm. Still."Is it... are we okay?"She nodded. "For now. You’re stable. The baby’s heartbeat is strong. Yours was erratic for a while, but it’s settled."There was a pause. A long one. Then I remembered.The seer
DARIUS■□■□■□I was in my meeting room, staring at half-finished reports, when the horn blew again—three sharp notes that rattled every bone in my body. My heart thudded. No one used that signal lightly.I bolted upright just as I noticed the main entrance burst open. A squad of five warriors filed in, armor clinking, axes at their sides. And behind them, an old woman—stooped, white hair in a loose braid, eyes milky and unfocused. This meant only one thing. They have sent another messenger.Their cloak soaked with rain, mud on their boots, and urgency written all over their faces. Whoever this was, he wasn’t like the other messengers they sent before. He didn’t just come bearing words. He brought an envoy—five warriors from the Northern Highlands and something far worse: a seer from the Council.The kind the Council only sends when they're done talking and want to rattle your soul instead. They didn’t wait for permission to enter. Just marched onto the estate grounds like it was the
DARIUS□■□■□■I sat in the candlelit room across from Emmeline, the seconds stretching between us like thick rope. Her once-soft hands lay limp on her lap—still stained with dried blood from last night’s terror. Her gaze stayed fixed on the floor, but I waited, silent, until she spoke.“I didn’t mean to hurt them,” she whispered, voice cracking like old wood. “I didn’t even know I’d done it until I saw them on the floor.”I leaned forward, voice low, gentle. “Tell me everything. What happened?”She nodded, eyes closed. I watched the rise of her collarbone, the tremble in her shoulders. “I couldn’t sleep. I felt… wrong. Like something inside me was screaming. I asked one of the guards to let me out—I needed fresh air, but he refused. He said you left orders. I snapped.”“I did.” I kept my tone neutral. My heart was hammering, but I needed her to say it all.She swallowed. “Then I was in the bathroom. My hands… they were shaking. There was blood on the sink. At first, I thought it was m