Chapter 29 Amber’s POV I was in my final month, my belly heavy and full with the life we had created. Raymond had been nothing but wonderful, always hovering, always making sure I was comfortable. Tonight, we sat together on the bed, his hand absentmindedly tracing circles on my swollen stomach as we planned aloud how we’d spoil our little girl and take her traveling one day. “First stop, Paris,” he teased, grinning. “Even if she’s just three months old. We’ll put her in a tiny stroller and let her scream at the Eiffel Tower.” I laughed. “You mean you’ll be the one carrying the stroller up those endless stairs while she cries. I’ll just be there eating croissants.” He groaned dramatically, making me laugh harder, then leaned down to kiss my belly. “You hear that, princess? Your mother’s already abandoning us.” The sweetness of the moment almost made me forget the weight on my chest. Almost. Because the truth was, while my heart dreamed of our little family, my mind still d
Chapter 28 Amber’s POV I left. I had to. I can’t sacrifice my child. I can’t sacrifice my happiness. Maybe that makes me selfish—but I want to be happy, and I will be. Still, knowing the pack suffers because of me… it tears at my heart. This isn’t the kind of happiness I imagined, the peace I hoped for. He told me not to say goodbye to the pack. I didn’t even encourage them—I just walked away. What kind of person am I? Maybe I wasn’t meant to be a leader after all. When I finally reached Raymond, I couldn’t hold it in. “Maybe I’m not cut out to be a leader,” I admitted quietly, the weight of the Vale pressing on me even as I returned to the human world. Raymond wrapped his arms around me. I rested my head against his chest, letting out a shaky breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “Honey…” he murmured softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head. “You’re not weak. You’re the strongest person I know. You’ve done what no one else could—you protected our chil
Chapter 27 Amber’s POV “Guys… as you can see, I’m heavily pregnant,” I said, placing a hand on my swollen belly as the murmurs of the pack quieted. “You all need to calm down. Please.” I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “I will speak with Damian. I know the pack isn’t what it should be right now. I can see the exhaustion in your eyes, the hunger in your families, the unease in your hearts. We are tired. We are suffering.” Voices rumbled in agreement, anger mixed with despair. A growl rose from the back of the crowd. One of the older wolves stepped forward, his voice raw with anger. “Amber, it’s not just that we’re tired—we are broken! Damian hasn’t strengthened our borders, and rogues slip in and out as they please, killing and stealing. He hasn’t organized the hunting parties, and now families go hungry while he feasts like a king. He doesn’t call for the sacred gatherings anymore, so our voices are silenced. Our pups are growing wild, without training, without gui
Chapter 26 Amber’s POV I made my way back to the human world, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. I sat with Raymond that evening, my hands resting on my swollen belly after I told him what had happened in the supernatural Vale. He looked at me with concern. “But why is Damian that way?” he asked, his voice laced with frustration. I sighed deeply, memories flooding back—memories I had buried but never forgotten. “Because Damian has always been that way, Raymond,” I said softly. “Mean. Cunning. Envious. But he hides it so well that everyone else only sees the perfect son, the dutiful heir, the victim who always needed love.” I closed my eyes, and the past replayed itself in sharp detail. ⸻ When we were children, Damian had the talent of twisting stories in his favor. I remembered one night, maybe when we were no older than six or seven, when he sneaked into the food storage and spilled an entire barrel of honey wine. The next morning, when the Alpha came s
Chapter 25 Amber’s POV “My attention was called from the Supernatural Vale by one of my closest friends. Something bad is happening there, and I need to go help,” I told Raymond softly. His expression changed immediately, his hand tightening around mine. “Babe, you’re seven months pregnant. It’s too dangerous. I don’t want you caught up in all of this right now—you need to stay safe.” His words pierced me because they were true. I wasn’t just carrying myself anymore, I was carrying our child. But still… I couldn’t ignore my people. I took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. “Raymond, these are my people. My family. I have to go. I promise, I’ll be safe. There’s no war happening there right now, only unrest. I just need to help, and then I’ll come back.” He pulled me into his arms, holding me so tightly it felt like he never wanted to let go. His lips brushed against mine before he spoke, voice thick with worry. “I won’t hold you back, honey. But please… please come bac
Chapter 24Raymond’s POV I watched Amber’s face glow as she smiled at the screen, our baby’s tiny form moving inside her. The scan lit up with little details—the flicker of her heartbeat, the outline of her head—and then the doctor pointed. “And that’s her leg,” he said. I couldn’t breathe for a moment. A daughter. I was really going to be a father to a little girl. Amber’s belly had grown so beautifully round now, Seven months into the pregnancy. Five months since she had laid down her crown and walked away from her title to live with me. She only returned to the Supernatural Vale once—for Damian’s ascension ritual—the coronation they called it. It had been chaos at first, packs fighting for who would rule, but eventually Damian was chosen. Since then, our lives had been… normal. Ordinary. Human. And honestly? I loved it. No werewolf councils, no supernatural drama—just us. Just love. We even had a small wedding, just a simple ceremony with a few friends and my mother there