Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Prince Lucien Aster’s POV

A few moments later, when everything settled and the oppressive air cleared, I was left alone with my stepbrother, Sylvian.

“I heard Prince Azrael of Nathulous is ruthless—far worse than his father,” Sylvian mused, breaking the silence. “Some even say their bloodline carries a secret.”

“What secret?”

“An Enigma.”

I froze. So that explains it… but how?

Enigmas no longer existed. Yet the words of a crazy old lady replayed in my head: “…The S-Class Omega possesses strength equal to an S-Class Alpha! They cannot father children because they were born to carry the seed of an Enigma! Their blood heals… their tears cure… and their scent is worth kingdoms… The Enigma and the S-Class Omega never disappeared! They are with us! And when an Enigma is born… an S-class Omega is never far behind!”

“Impossible!” I blurted out.

“It’s just a rumor—a joke, really.” Sylvian burst into a soft laugh.

“Huh?”

“You should see your face! Did you really believe Enigmas exist? Nah.”

I forced a weak laugh, trying to play it off. “Right. Of course they don’t.”

“I want you to know I care more about you than myself,” Sylvian said, his tone turning gentle. “So if the Prince of Nathulous is bullying you, let me know. I will take him down for you.”

“And who says he was bullying me? I just wanted to provoke him so he’d abandon the idea of marrying our sister, Mia. That’s all.”

“I see.”

“I just remembered I have a meeting, brother. I need to go.” I used it as an immediate excuse to make him leave.

How could I tell my brother that I was brought low by another man? How could I explain that I was carrying the child of the Prince of Nathulous?

“Don’t overstress yourself. And remember, your engagement is around the corner.” Sylvian ruffled my hair affectionately before taking his leave.

The moment he stepped out, I locked the door behind him.

What do I do? I can’t lose my throne because of that idiot. Everything was happening so fast, and I was completely clueless on how to fix it.

I touched my lower abdomen, a desperate thought taking root in my mind: Get rid of the monster child. After that, I’ll find a way to wrap Azrael around my finger, save my throne, and marry my Omega without ever being beneath that monster again.

A few hours later, I was with my best friend Kayden, a regular Beta and my personal doctor , telling him to terminate the pregnancy.

“Hell no, Lucien! I refuse to lose my friend!” Kayden slammed his hand onto the desk angrily.

“Why are you getting so worked up about it? Who said you’re going to lose me?” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “I’m in a nightmare right now! To fight this, I need to get rid of the baby… This shouldn’t be happening to me!”

“I know this is insane. It’s unheard of for an S-class Alpha like you to get pregnant,” Kayden said, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve been digging through every research paper I can find, and everything says the same thing: trying to abort this baby will get you killed.”

I let out a harsh laugh. “I’m stronger than you think, Kayden. I’ve seen Omegas survive abortions before.”

“Your case is completely different.”

I paused, catching the hesitation in his voice. The look in his eyes told me he knew something he was holding back.

“Is there something you aren't telling me?”

“An S-class Omega has strength equal to an S-class Alpha so they might think they are also alphas. They are destined solely for Enigmas and can only carry an Enigma's seed,” Kayden explained carefully. “In the early stages of pregnancy, their body changes—they glow, becoming remarkably more striking. And if an abortion must happen, it requires the Enigma’s explicit consent…”

He kept talking, but my mind lagged behind, echoing what Sylvian had said earlier: “You’re getting prettier by the day. What’s your secret, brother?”

I slammed my hands on the desk and stood up angrily. “Are you trying to imply I’m an S-class Omega? My father is an S-class Alpha and my late mother was an A-class Omega! I can never be an S-class Omega, so stop this nonsense!”

“It’s only a theory! But to confirm it, we need to run a secondary gender test.”

“Fine! Let’s do it.”

The moment the words left my mouth, the mark on my neck flared violently. I cried out in pain, collapsing as Kayden rushed around the desk to hold me.

“Your eyes are changing…” Kayden gasped, checking my pulse. “Lucien, you need to be with the one who marked you. Now.”

“I’d rather die than go to him! You’re my best friend and my doctor—there must be pills I can take to stabilize this!”

“I wish I could! Right now, I can only figure out a treatment after the test results come back. But if it turns out you are…” He trailed off, looking at me with deep concern.

“I’m fine,” I gritted out, forcing myself to stand and acting tough despite the fire burning through my veins. “Run the test. You’ll see I’m no Omega.”

He drew my blood samples and urged me to stay for observation, but I refused.

Leaving the hospital , I ordered my driver out of the car and took the wheel myself, driving off in sheer frustration. Within minutes, my vision started blurring behind the steering wheel. The mark on my neck ignited with unbearable agony, and my submissive pheromones leaked out of control.

I heard screaming, blurred lights, and then—in a terrifying flash—the car veered off the road, crashing hard into a tree deep in the brush.

I managed to drag myself out of the wrecked car, tearing at my shirt collar as the heat spiked. I was going insane, completely out of my mind. Do I really have to crawl back to that monster?

Suddenly, an eclipse bloom filled the air, and before I could fall, I found myself wrapped in his arms. His eyes glowed a lethal red, and his overwhelming scent—sweet black amber and icy cold cedar—swept over me, instantly cooling the agonizing fire in my blood.

“You want me, feisty little one…” Azrael purred, hovering over my lips. “Say it.”

Like a starving animal, I reached up and pulled him into a desperate kiss.