LOGINAeliana's POV Afterward, lying tangled together as dawn light filtered through the windows, Caelan stroked my hair with gentle affection."Jolene said this would level off after the first trimester," he observed. "That's still six more weeks.""Can you handle six more weeks of this?" I asked, genuinely concerned. "I know I'm being demanding...""I love you," he interrupted. "And I love that you want me this much. Yes, it's intense. Yes, it can be exhausting. But I'm not complaining, Lia. This is us growing our family. Every symptom, every craving, every overwhelming need...it's all part of creating our child."I can feel his absolute sincerity. He wasn't just tolerating my pregnancy symptoms; he was embracing them as part of our journey together."I love you too," I said softly. "Even when I'm eating raw meat at four in the morning and demanding sex for the third time in twelve hours.""Especially then," he corrected with a smile.A knock on the door interrupted our moment. My mother
Aeliana’s POVI shove Caelan backward onto the mattress. He lands with a controlled exhale, his amber eyes already molten, his pupils swallowing the iris. His hands remain open at his sides in a deliberate surrender, giving me the reins even though we both know he could flip us in one heartbeat if he wanted.I straddle his hips, my knees sinking deep into the sheets. The oversized sleep shirt I stole from him last night rides up my thighs; I don’t bother tugging it down. I let him see the subtle changes pregnancy has already carved into me: my breasts are fuller and heavier, my nipples are peaked and dark against pale skin, and there’s a faint, gentle swell low in my belly that wasn’t there a few weeks ago.“You’re sure?” His voice is gravel dragged over velvet. His broad palm settles on my hip, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin just above the waistband of my borrowed sleep shorts. “Jolene said...”“Jolene said no Entity work and no combat stress.” I lean down until my lips blow w
Aeliana's POVTwo weeks after the battle, I woke with an overwhelming craving for raw meat."That's... new," Caelan observed, watching me devour the venison one of Sienna's hunters had brought in that morning. I hadn't even bothered to cook it; I just tore into it with an urgency that surprised us both."The baby wants it," I mumbled through a mouthful of meat, not even embarrassed by my lack of table manners. "I can't explain it, but this is exactly what I need right now."I can feel Caelan's amusement mixed with concern. "Should we tell Jolene about the raw meat cravings?""Jolene already knows. She said it's normal for werewolf pregnancies; my wolf is asserting herself, and she is demanding nutrition in her preferred form." I finished the venison and immediately wanted more. "She also said the cravings would get more intense as the pregnancy progresses. Something about the developing cub requires specific nutrients.""How much more intense are we talking?""She didn't specify. But
Aeliana’s POVI wake to voices outside the recovery room; they are low, urgent, and edged with something close to awe. I can feel Caelan through our mindlink; he is nearby, like a steady wall of controlled irritation and protectiveness. He’s standing guard again, even though he’s the one who fought for hours without rest.The door opens and Aldric steps in, scarred face softer than usual, almost reverent.“Forgive the interruption, Luna. But we have… a situation.”I push myself up on my elbows. My body still feels like wet sandbags, but the dizziness is less vicious than yesterday. “What kind?”“The Silverwood loyalists have arrived.” He pauses, letting that land. “All of them.”My brain stalls. “All of them?”“Every pack, every family, every scattered clan that kept the old oaths. Over three hundred wolves so far. More coming by the hour. They heard the king and queen were found. They heard you’re alive. They heard you’re carrying the next Silverwood heir.” Aldric’s voice roughens wi
Caelan’s POVThe eastern ridge is a slaughter pen.Blood soaks the snow red. Bodies lie twisted in the mud. The air reeks of gunpowder, burnt fur, and the sour bite of shadow magic. I rip my claws free from the last soldier who thought he could take me down, shove the corpse aside, and scan the line again.We’re barely holding our own.Through the bond, Aeliana's consciousness is thin. Jolene’s magic is still working on her. The baby’s heartbeat is there… but weak. Every second it holds feels like borrowed time.I want to run to her. Rip through anything in my path until I can touch her, feel that tiny spark inside her with my own hands.But if I leave this line, the center collapses. The Council comes through it. Her mother, who is still too weak to shift, dies in the pack house. And more of my wolves die.So I stay.And I hate myself for it.Aldric appears at my side, his armor dented, with blood streaking his face. “They’re regrouping. ”I nod, jaw locked. “Western perimeter?”“Sil
Aeliana’s POVThe bunker is cold, quiet, and suffocating.Deep inside the mountain, with a protective ward humming around me, I’m supposed to feel safe. Instead, I feel caged. Every distant explosion vibrates through the rock and into my bones. Through our mindlink, Caelan is a steady, burning presence on the front line. He is focused, lethal, and terrified for the baby and me.I hate this.Mara sits across from me, calm as ever, holding out a plate of food. “Eat, Luna. The baby needs it even if you don’t feel hungry.”My stomach growls traitorously. I pick at the bread and cheese, my eyes glued to the tactical display Theron rigged. “They’re going to hit the eastern approach hard,” I murmur. “Dad thinks so, too.”Mara nods. “He’s baiting them. Letting them commit before springing the trap.”Pride flickers through my worry. My father, even after twenty years in chains, is still the only strategist I know.Another boom rocks the mountain. It feels closer this time.Mara’s face tighten







