Helios POV
I cannot shake the weight of what the doctor told me. Every step I take feels heavier than the last, my body moving through the halls like Iโm walking through mud.I keep hearing his words echoing in my head. Her wolf is a runt. This pregnancy... itโs too dangerous. I donโt know how to move forward from that.I canโt even imagine the look on Starโs face when I tell her that our child... the one weโve been dreaming about... might not make it. That she might not make it.The hardest part of all this is that I donโt know if I can go through with it. I donโt know if I can stand there and ask her to give up everything, to risk losing herself just to save her life. But if I donโt, what will happen? What if we lose her anyway? What if we lose both of them?I canโt even find the words to ask myself the right questions. I need to talk to someone. But who?Star's POVThe room feels heavier than usual. A heavy, dense tension that clings to the air like smoke, suffocating us both. I watch Helios, my mate, as he sits at the edge of the bed, his back straight but shoulders hunched. His face is pale, his eyes distant. He hasnโt looked at me the way he normally does in days, those deep, warm eyes that always seem to pull me in, make me feel like Iโm the only thing that matters to him. But today? Today, theyโre empty.I move across the room, trying to act nonchalant, but the lump in my throat makes it hard to breathe. Whatโs going on with him? Heโs always been so open with me, so willing to share whatโs on his mind. But now... now heโs become a stranger. A person I donโt recognize.โHeliosโฆโ My voice cracks slightly, betraying the concern I feel in my chest. I donโt like this. I donโt like him being so far away, even when heโs sitting right next
Star's POVThe silence between Helios and me stretches on, thick and suffocating. Itโs a silence that speaks louder than words, a silence that lingers like a heavy fog in our home. I try not to let it bother me, but itโs hard not to feel the distance. The distance between us wasnโt always this great, there was a time, not long ago, when we shared everything. Both our minds were filled with the words we didnโt need to say. But now? Now, thereโs only emptiness.Helios buries himself in work, throwing himself into the packโs affairs with an intensity I can almost feel from across the room. He works late into the night, long after Iโve gone to bed. When heโs not working, heโs pacing. His mind is far away, and I donโt know how to bring him back. I donโt know if I even can.And me? I spend my days indulging my pregnancy cravings. I eat, sleep, and allow myself to be consumed by the way my body
Starโs POVThe house felt too quiet. The heavy silence between Helios and me was almost suffocating, even when he was home. It was like we were both holding our breath, waiting for something to change, but not knowing how to move forward. Helios had been distracted, caught up in the middle of the decisions we were facing. I could see it in the way he moved, the way he barely looked at me. It was as if he was afraid to face me, to face what I was choosing. And I couldnโt blame him, but I also couldnโt stop.I couldnโt stop loving him, and I couldnโt stop carrying this baby. Even if it meant my life, this was my decision. But today? Today, I needed to escape the suffocating situation for just a little while. I needed to do something... anything that would remind me that life could still be about something other than death and decisions.The idea of going out felt like a breath of fresh air
Star's POVI didnโt want to think about the future too much, not today. Today, I had given myself permission to breathe, to buy things for my baby and pretend like everything would be okay. But deep down, I knew I was only fooling myself. I couldnโt ignore the truth any longer.I had already planned everything out. All of the things I'd bought, the toys and clothes, the birthday cards for milestones I might never get to see... It was all going to be delivered straight to the Moonlit Pack. It wasnโt the kind of future I had imagined, but it was the one I had to accept. The shop assistants didnโt question the address Iโd given them, oblivious to the fact that Elite Town was home to creatures far more dangerous than humans could imagine. I didnโt care. I wanted to do this for my baby. I wanted to leave something behind, no matter how little.I knew the due date was approaching. It was a da
Starโs POVThe days felt like they were passing by in a haze, a blur of uncertainty, hope, and quiet acceptance. The tension between Helios and me had begun to ease, but I could feel the weight of his worry lingering in every glance, every unspoken word. Despite it all, I tried to be the rock. The unwavering presence he needed, and I could tell my resilience was beginning to make a difference.Every time I looked at Helios and his family, I could see their doubts shifting. They no longer looked at me with the same helplessness. Maybe it was my stubborn determination or the way I kept reassuring them, but I believed, truly believed, that the Moon Goddess wouldnโt have given me this gift if I wasnโt meant to carry it through. If She had known my life would be sacrificed for this child, She would never have allowed me to find my mate.The Moon Goddess, in all Her wisdom, had brought me to Helios, and She had allowed us
Star's POVThe news of the twins spread through the Moonlit Pack like wildfire. It wasnโt just a miracle, it was a symbol of hope, a new future, a new legacy for the pack. The warriors, normally stoic and reserved, became more protective, more attentive, and for the first time, I felt their warmth. The pack was genuinely happy for me, and that was something I had never truly known until now.For so long, I had felt like an outsider, like I didnโt belong. But now, with the pack celebrating the life growing inside me, I felt an overwhelming sense of belonging. I could feel their pride, their joy, their love, and it was almost too much to bear. They were cheering for me, not just as the Luna of the Moonlit Pack, but as the woman carrying their future, their heirs. Twins.The celebration wasnโt just quiet whispers behind closed doors. It was loud, boisterous, and filled with laughter. Even Helios, though still carrying t
Star's POVThe Moonlit Pack was buzzing with activity as usual. Despite my heavy pregnancy, I still felt the tension of the upcoming meeting with our allies. Helios had been absorbed in preparations, the weight of leadership bearing down on him, and I could sense the unease within him as well. The pack was alive with energy, warriors rushing to finalize details, the pack's business moving like clockwork, but something felt different. I couldn't quite place it.I had been trying to ignore the creeping sense of foreboding that had gnawed at me for days. The shadows seemed to grow longer, the air heavier. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Even now, as I sat in my chambers, resting from the activity of the day, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. My eyelid twitched again, and I could feel the anxiety building in my chest.It was then that t
Helios' POVThe night felt suffocating. The moon, usually a guiding light for wolves like me, seemed lost behind a veil of thick clouds, as if it, too, mourned the loss of Star. My heart hammered in my chest with every breath I took. The pack was on high alert, warriors scouring every inch of our lands, sniffing the air, chasing every potential lead. But deep down, I knew it, my mate, my Luna, had vanished.I stood at the edge of the Moonlit Pack's territory, my fists clenched at my sides, staring into the vastness of the forest that surrounded us. The wind whispered, but there was no trace of her scent. No sign of her. It was as if the earth had swallowed her whole.The tracker I had sent to the eastern woods returned with nothing. His eyes were filled with defeat as he reported, "Alpha, weโve checked every corner of the land. Thereโs no sign of her. Itโs like she just disappeared."
Starโs POVThe gardens had changed so much. Once, they were a tangle of wild vines and neglected fountains. Now, they bloomed in every color the mind could conjure, a testament to years of peace, nurtured by steady hands and hopeful hearts.I sat beneath the silverleaf tree, a thick book resting in my lap, though I hadnโt turned a page in some time. Instead, I watched. Two figures stood at the edge of the training grounds, bathed in the golden haze of late afternoon.Lyra moved like liquid light, a blade in each hand, her strikes swift and sure. Kaelen countered, laughing, parrying her every move with effortless grace. Their magic pulsed between them, visible now,mwoven into every step, every breath.I smiled. They were no longer children clinging to my skirts. They were warriors. Leaders. Legends in the making. "You look proud," Helios said, dropping down onto the bench beside me. His hair was dusted with gray at the temples now, and fine lines fanned from the corners of his golden ey
Starโs POVThe great plaza of Solis Magna had never held so many. From every corner of the realm, from snow-dusted northern steppes to the emerald coasts of the south, they came.Nobles in gleaming armor. Magi in embroidered robes. Merchants in bright silks. Hunters, warriors, healers, even wandering bards. The city was a living river of humanity, all converging for one reason: To witness the birth of a new era.I stood at the center of it all, the twins at my side, Helios at my back. Today wasnโt just about us. It was about what we symbolized: Survival. Unity. A future carved from the ashes of fear.The royal dais had been draped in banners of silver and indigo, the colors of hope and rebirth. At its heart sat the Twin Thrones, two smaller seats forged from moonstone and steel, twined together by veins of shimmering crystal.An artisan's masterpiece. A promise made manifest. The twins shifted beside me, sensing the importance of the moment even at their tender age. Little Elira clut
Starโs POVThe battlefield was silent. Not with the unnatural silence of fear, but with the heavy, reverent hush of mourning.The crows had come to feast, circling high above the smoldering ruins, but even they seemed hesitant to land.It felt as if the very earth was holding its breath.I stood at the edge of the palace gardens, what remained of them, cradling the twins in my arms. The price of our victory lay all around us. Not in broken stones. Not in burned fields.But in the faces missing from the crowd.Sir Caldus, the grizzled commander who had once sworn never to serve under a "mere omega," had fallen protecting the southern gate, his body found draped over a trio of young squires he had shielded from the cult's last brutal strike.Lady Meriva, my oldest advisor and secret mentor in court politics, had refused to leave the war room even as the ceiling collapsed around her. Her sharp tongue and sharper mind, silenced.And Lord Riven, Heliosโ second-in-command, a warrior as fier
Starโs POVThe dawn rose blood-red over the battlefield. I staggered through the wreckage, every breath burning in my lungs, every muscle aching. Heliosโ hand never left my back, steadying me, grounding me. But it wasnโt over. Not yet.Above the palace, the twin beams of light pulsed stronger, not fading, not weakening but building. Growing. Drawing every soulโs attention like a lodestar. The survivors turned, warriors, mages, servants, all of them lifting their heads, faces bathed in the radiant glow.Even the enemyโs corpses, corrupted and twisted, seemed to dissolve into dust under its touch. The world itself was changing. I knew I had to get to them. Ignoring the protests of my battered body, I ran, up the crumbling stone steps, through the shattered gates, until I burst into the palace.The halls were filled with light. And at the heart of it all, in the throne room, the twins stood. No longer fragile infants. Not quite children either. They hovered inches above the ground, tiny
Starโs POVThe night before the battle, the sky wept black rain. It fell in thick sheets against the palace windows, painting the world in shadows.The twins slept fitfully in their cribs, tiny fists clenching, soft whimpers escaping their lips. Even they could feel it, the tension tightening the air, the storm gathering beyond the horizon.I stood at the highest tower, my armor a second skin, my sword strapped to my back, celestial magic humming at my fingertips. Below me, the army gathered. Wolf warriors clad in dark steel. Mages with their staffs glowing faintly. Archers stringing arrows tipped with silver and starfire.Helios was already at the front, speaking to the troops. I could feel him through the bond, calm, steady, a blazing force holding the line. I closed my eyes and let my power rise. Tonight wasnโt just another skirmish. It was the first true war cry of an ancient enemy. And we would answer it.The cult came with the storm. They poured out of the forests like oil slick
Starโs POVThe first sign was so small, so easily missed, that it almost slipped through my fingers. A scout failed to report back on time, nothing unusual, given the chaos at our borders.But then another disappeared. And then a patrol found strange footprints at the edge of the northern woods: bootprints, human, but alongside them, the scorched marks of something... other.I tightened the palace defenses that night, weaving additional layers of celestial magic into the gates, the walls, even the air itself. I didnโt sleep. I didnโt dare. Because deep in my bones, the truth was already stirring: There was a traitor among us.Three days later, it struck. The twins were asleep in their nursery, the palace humming with low, wary energy. I was reviewing troop movements with Helios when the alarms screamed through the halls, a keening, unnatural sound that made every hair on my body rise.I sprinted, Helios at my heels, instincts howling. Bursting into the nursery, I found chaos. The head
Starโs POVThe morning after the councilโs cowardice was laid bare, the sun rose blood-red over the horizon.I stood alone on the highest tower, the cold wind snapping at my hair and cloak, my heart burning with a fire no frost could quench. Below me, the courtyard buzzed with nervous energy, soldiers drilling harder, blacksmiths hammering faster, scouts galloping through the gates.We had little time. The vision the twins had shared in flashes, beasts without faces, storms that bled black rain, fires that howled like grieving mothers, haunted me.The darkness wasnโt waiting politely at our borders. It was coming.And this time, it was not a squabble over thrones or a petty rebellion. It was annihilation. Helios joined me silently, his presence steady at my side. His arm brushed mine in a silent vow: Whatever comes, we stand together.I turned to him. โItโs not enough,โ I said simply.The preparations, the drills, the polished armor, it wasnโt enough to face an ancient enemy that wiel
Starโs POVThe first sign came with the breaking of a mirror. It wasnโt just any mirror, it was the ancient obsidian looking glass that had hung in the royal antechamber for generations, unmarred by time or war. That morning, I found it split down the center, a crack as fine as a spiderโs web radiating outward like a warning whispered from the bones of the earth. The second sign was harder to ignore.Reports flooded in, whispered by trembling envoys. Reports of black storms rolling across the distant borders, swallowing rivers, rotting crops in minutes, and waking beasts from ancient slumber. Villages that had stood for centuries vanished beneath the stormsโ writhing clouds.And every time I reached out with my magic, trying to sense the twins through our invisible thread, I felt a hum of urgency. A pulsing hurry that prickled against my skin. The threat was coming. Not in months. Not even in weeks. Days.I gathered my court in the war room, a vaulted chamber carved of stone, with a
Starโs POVThe summons came at dawn. A formal decree, pressed into my palm by a pale-faced courier who refused to meet my eyes. The parchment crackled in my grip, the words stamped in wax as if the Council thought their authority alone could cage me.Helios stood beside me on the palace steps, reading over my shoulder. His growl rumbled low and dangerous. โThey dare summon you like a criminal?โ I smoothed the parchment with steady fingers, though inside, a storm brewed.โThey fear what they don't understand," I said. "And they never imagined the power they tried to bury could rise stronger than them." He squeezed my hand, silent but burning with unspoken support.The Council had demanded not only my presence, but that of my father, King Hesperion, as if dragging him into their theater of fear would lend their accusations more weight. They were wrong. So wrong.The Grand Hall of the High Council was colder than I remembered. Ancient pillars loomed overhead, carved with the symbols of e