Brigid had seen everything. That time Toran shot Arianna from the sky—in hindsight, she had wanted to stop him. She didn’t want Toran to have Arianna’s blood on his hands. But she had frozen... and watched everything happen.Everything fall. And now, it all came back to haunt her.But nothing could have prepared her for this twisted shock. Toran hadn’t been hallucinating when he said he had seen her—the devil who came to hunt them.Arianna was alive.Or perhaps she was hallucinating too."How...?" A broken whisper left her lips."The heavens saved me," Arianna replied, stepping away from the shadows.The slow echo of her boots mingled with the soft cry of her child.Brigid didn’t move. She couldn’t. The power froze her. Emotions swirled inside her, crashing and breaking the parts of her she thought had long gone numb."Aria..." she sobbed. "I'm sorry.""Save the apologies. That’s not what I’m here for," Arianna said, crouching to her level.Those eyes held no warmth like they did seve
That night, Brigid went to visit Yvonne. The baby was asleep while the mother had just finished being treated by the palace’s head healer, who bowed and quietly left the room.“My Queen,” Yvonne said, attempting to sit up. Her face tightened as though in pain, and even though Brigid knew it was a lie, she still offered comfort.“Don’t bother. You must still be recovering.”Yvonne gave a small, awkward smile and laid back down, whispering a thank you.“I came to congratulate you. You’ve finally borne the king an heir.”“Yes, Your Highness. It... was worth the trouble.”“May I hold him?”Yvonne’s smile faltered. “Uhm... he’s asleep. Cried a lot before we could get him to settle.”“I’m good with babies,” Brigid said softly, her voice tinged with something deeper. “Even though I never got to hold mine.”Yvonne stiffened but nodded. “Sure. You can hold him.”As Brigid walked to the side, she noticed Yvonne stiffened at the corner of her eyes.Gently lifting the sleeping baby into her arms,
While Yvonne was all tensed to give Valoreth the baby to check, a knock sounded and a guard stepped in. Urgency in his voice.“My Lord. The warriors sent to the Dragon realm have returned.”Valoreth's ears perked with interest while Yvonne secretly let out a breath of relief, drawing her baby close.Without wasting a moment, Lord Valoreth left the room to meet the soldiers. His steps urgent as he made his way through corridors. He swung the door open.He expected to see Rodaric but instead met an old werewolf warrior waiting. Damaris also appeared, seeming to have rushed over as well.“Where is your commander? And why the hell did it take you guys so long?” Valoreth asked, stepping forward.“I’m sorry, your highness. They turned out to be stronger than we expected. Their goddess still has a trace of her power, even though she was frail and quite drained. We lost our commander and more than seven thousand men before we could wipe them all out,” the male Lycan warrior replied while Valo
Valoreth walked into a room, seeing the mother and her newborn child cradled in her arms. The maids tending to her paused their work and bowed.He approached, his steps slow and deliberate.“G—good evening, your Grace,” Yvonne greeted in a shaky voice.The man stayed silent, staring at the child sucking her mother's breast.“I heard you bore the king's heir,” Valoreth said, still not shifting his gaze away from the child.“Yes, my Lord,” she replied.Yvonne swallowed her excess saliva. Her fingers trembled slightly, but she recalled Gatha’s warning. If they found out she lied, they would kill both her and her baby. But how long could she pretend like this?“The announcement will be made. This king has an heir. That way, Toran’s stance at the throne will be certain. And once the child turns five, he shall be the king of the realm.”Yvonne's face lit up, the knot in her stomach loosening, replaced by delight. Her child would become king.Risky, Scary but intriguing. If this will happen.
A scream echoed off the four walls. Yvonne’s face tightened, her hands trembling as she gripped the sheets. Sweat soaked her body, and her legs were parted as the maids tended to her.Gatha looked up. “Push harder, my lady. You're almost there.”Yvonne screamed, pain tearing through her guts, and in the next moment, the cries of a baby echoed.Gatha held the child in her arms and gave Yvonne a look.“Please don't hurt my child,” she breathed, her chest heaving.“Why? The king impregnated you to bare a male child and you've failed that task.”“No,” Yvonne shook her head. “I don’t care about the king anymore. I just want my child, Gatha. You promised! You promised to help me!” she yelled, ignoring the sting that slammed through her bones.“Sure,” the old maid said flatly. “Prepare a bath,” she told the other maids, who bowed and left.When it was only the two of them, Gatha approached with the child.“So what are you going to do now, sweetheart? Are you going to stay until the king find
He had woken up an hour ago.He stared at his mate for what felt like forever. Shocked, bewildered, confused whether he was dead.Everything felt out of order. So he went out, but it only worsened his confusion. Mountains and buildings he didn't recognize surrounded him.He wandered until he found no point in it. But just as he made to return, several females gathered around him. Silver hair, silver eyes. The kind he had thought were extinct.Then he scented her. Heard his name."Lylah."She crashed into him. Her frame trembled against his. Her scent, voice, and touch. Everything overwhelmed him.Only then did the memories flood in. The betrayal, the poison, the devious plans of the enemies.But as he opened his mouth to speak, pain struck his chest. His head spun, and he winced.Lylah broke the hug and wiped her tears. "Let me get you back."Her room was comfy, bright, and furnished with only the essentials. Lucas watched her prepare some kind of herb that smelled like chamomile.So