Masuk~Seven Months After Waking — Present Day~I stood on the balcony of my chamber, looking out over the Twilight Court.Six months since I woke up.Seven months since I died and came back.Seven months since I lost everything.My hand rested on my very pregnant belly—now seven months along. The baby was growing faster than normal. Morvella said Shadow Wolf pregnancies are often shorter, usually about eight months instead of nine.One more month until I met the child who saved my life.One more month until I held the only piece of Damon I had left.“You’re brooding again.”I didn’t turn around. I already knew Aldric’s voice.“I’m not brooding. I’m thinking.”“About?”“About what comes next after the baby is born.”He stepped up beside me. Even now, his presence felt strong—magnetic, dangerous, not quite human.“What do you want to happen next?” he asked.“I don’t know. Stay here? Go back? Hide forever?” I glanced at him. “What would you do?”“I would burn the Council down for what they di
~Three Months After Waking~ “Again,” the vampire trainer said. I pushed myself up from the ground for the tenth time, breathing heavily. Combat training. Aldric had insisted on it. “You’re pregnant, not weak,” he had said when I complained. “Your people need a queen who can fight. Your child needs a mother who can protect them. So you will train.” The vampire in front of me—a warrior named Kieran—moved incredibly fast. He wasn’t hitting hard enough to harm the baby, but just enough to teach me. “You’re showing your moves too early,” he said. “I can tell what you’re about to do before you even do it.” “That’s because I don’t have my wolf anymore! I can’t move like I used to!” “Then change how you fight. Use what you have—your size, your speed, your mind.” Kieran walked around me slowly. “You’re smaller than most of your enemies. Faster too—or you will be once you’re not carrying extra weight. That can be an advantage if you use it well.” I wiped sweat off my face. “I’m
~Two Months After Waking - The Twilight Court~ ~Selene pov~ I stood in front of the mirror, staring at a stranger. My hair was longer now, and it looked darker in the dim light of this place. My silver eyes looked tired and sad. And my stomach— I turned to the side and gently touched the small bump. I was three and a half months pregnant. Carrying my dead mate’s child. Damon… I thought again, like I always did, trying to feel the bond that was no longer there. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. “Selene?” Morvella’s voice came through. “The King wants you at dinner.” I let out a tired sigh. King Aldric had been very… persistent. Always inviting me, always showing up, always watching. “Tell him I don’t feel well.” “You’ve been saying that all week. He’s starting to take it personally.” “Maybe he’ll finally stop asking.” But the door still opened—Morvella never cared about privacy—and she stood there with her arms
~The Fountain of Vitalis~The Fountain chamber was deep inside the Court, carved straight into living stone.The Fountain itself was ancient—older than vampires, witches, maybe even werewolves. Pure magic rose from the earth, glowing with a soft blue light that never faded.Its water could heal any injury, cure any sickness, even pull someone back from the edge of death.But it always demanded a price. Life force had to be given in return.Normally, the person being healed paid with their own years. But Selene was unconscious. She couldn’t choose.So the Fountain would take from someone else instead.“I’ll pay,” I said immediately.Cassian, the head healer, looked worried. “Elder Morvella, you’re already over three hundred years old. If it takes too much—”“Then I die saving someone worth it.” I placed Selene into the pool at the Fountain’s base. “Do it.”The moment she touched the water, it began to glow brighter.I felt it immediately—the Fountain pulling on life force to power the
~The Twilight Court - Arrival~The Twilight Court existed between worlds—neither fully mortal nor fully magical. A place where vampires and witches had built a fragile peace long ago.We arrived in the entrance hall, and guards immediately moved in around us.Vampires. Fast. Dangerous. Armed with silver and enchanted weapons.“Elder Morvella,” the captain said, recognizing me. “We weren’t expecting you.”“I need to see King Aldric. Now. It’s urgent.”“The King is—”“Will see me,” I cut in, pushing forward. Selene floated beside me, held by a transport spell. “Lives are on the line.”They didn’t stop me. They knew better.I walked through the palace—tall gothic arches, dark stone, and endless magical flames that never went out—until I reached the throne room.And there he was.Aldric, Vampire King of the Twilight Court.He was striking in a way only immortals could be. Tall, perfectly shaped, with a face like carved marble—sharp cheekbones, a strong jaw, and lips that could look either
FLASHBACK - Five Months Ago - The Night of the Battle~Morvella’s Pov~I felt her die.I felt the Shadow Wolf’s life force flicker and fade like a candle in the wind.I was halfway through the portal when it happened, and the shock almost knocked me down.“No,” I whispered. “No, I’m too late.”But even as I thought it, I felt something else.A small spark. Very weak. Not from her—her wolf was gone, her bond broken, her body dying.The spark came from deeper.From her womb.The child, I realized in shock. She’s carrying a child.And that child—that impossible, powerful child—was refusing to let its mother go.I ran faster.The Lycan Court was full of chaos when I arrived. Council soldiers were everywhere, acting like they had already won. Bodies were scattered across the courtyard. There was smoke, blood, and the heavy smell of death in the air.In the throne room—I felt her there. The Shadow Wolf. She was lying on the floor, covered with a Council banner. Guards stood around, already
Inside the Inner WallsWe barely made it inside before the gates closed behind us.The inner courtyard was full of people—civilians, injured warriors, anyone who had escaped the retreat.Outside the walls, the Council army had completely surrounded us.And the Shadow Beast was still out there, movi
The courtyard suddenly became chaos.“BETRAYAL!” someone shouted, and wolves began turning on each other, confused and scared, not knowing who to trust."STAND DOWN!" Damon’s Alpha command thundered through the air. “ALL OF YOU!”The fighting stopped at once, but the air was still tight with fear a
The Next MorningI woke to find Damon already gone, a note left on his pillow:‘Emergency council meeting. Didn't want to wake you. Stay in our chambers until I return. This is not a request. - D’I crushed the note in my hand, annoyed.I was the Queen, not a prisoner.But before I could leave, Zar
That Evening - A DiscoveryLyra was in the library, researching Shadow Beasts and coven magic, when she found something that made her blood run cold.An old journal, hidden among the restricted texts.She opened it and began to read:Day 47 of Experimentation:‘The Shadow Wolf subject continues to







