Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed By The Lycan King: Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

Sunlight filtered through the partially drawn curtains, painting golden stripes across our rumpled bedding. I'd been awake for nearly an hour, watching Emma sleep beside me, her dark hair splayed across the pillow, one hand curled protectively over the small swell of her abdomen even in slumber. The morning after our announcement felt strangely anticlimactic… the world now knew our secret, yet here in our private sanctuary, nothing had changed. Emma still breathed the same gentle rhythm, our children still grew safely within her, and I still marveled at the miracle of it all. But beyond these walls, I knew the kingdom churned with reactions both celebratory and venomous.Aeson stirred restlessly within me, his protective instincts heightened since last night's gala. He pushed images through our shared consciousness: standing guard, teeth bared at invisible threats, our mate and unborn pups shielded behind his massive form. His anxiety translated into physical restlessness,

The news anchor's perfectly coiffed hair and practiced sympathetic expression made me want to throw something at the television. Christian and I lay propped against the headboard of our bed, his arm around my shoulders as we watched the morning coverage of Theo and Emma's pregnancy announcement. What should have been purely joyful news had predictably become fodder for political debate, with the anchor's voice maintaining a veneer of neutrality that barely masked the sensationalism beneath. "While many celebrate the historic announcement," she intoned, "others have raised concerns about the implications of mixed-blood heirs to the throne." I felt Sierra stir within me, her golden presence bristling with indignation that matched my own."Concerns," I echoed bitterly. "Such a polite word for bigotry."Christian's fingers tightened on my shoulder, his own jaw clenched as the broadcast cut to an interview with Lord Kensington, his silver hair immaculately styled, his e

I stared at the screen, watching it again—the moment when that Lycan usurper placed his hand possessively over Emma's swollen belly. My fingers tightened around the remote until the plastic creaked in protest. The grand fireplace cast dancing shadows across the living room, turning the luxurious space into something more primal, more fitting for the rage bubbling beneath my skin. Orion pushed against my consciousness, his fury matching mine as we watched what should have been ours claimed by another. Two children. My Emma carried two children that weren't mine."Twins," I spat the word like a curse, rewinding the footage once more. The news anchor's voice grated against my ears, her tone sickeningly reverent as she described the "historic announcement" and "momentous occasion for the kingdom."Historic abomination was more like it.On screen, Emma stood beside the false king, her green eyes bright with a happiness that should have been directed at me. The

I felt Victor and Nathaniel's presence like twin shadows at my back, their footsteps falling into perfect rhythm with mine as we moved through the palace corridors. Two weeks since the announcement, and I still wasn't used to the constant company, the watchful eyes that tracked my every movement. My hand drifted unconsciously to my stomach, the small swell now more pronounced at fourteen weeks. Artemis stirred within me, her golden presence warm and protective around the twins, though even she had grown wary since the flood of hatred had begun pouring in from across the kingdom."Your Majesty," Victor murmured, his voice professionally neutral as he gestured toward a sunlit archway ahead. "Lady Humphreys awaits you in the eastern gardens."I nodded, not trusting my voice. The morning's newspapers were still fresh in my mind – another editorial calling for my removal from the throne, another series of quotes from noble houses suggesting I step aside "for the good of

I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that justice would prevail, that my children would be safe, that the kingdom would eventually accept them. But the weight of the past two weeks pressed down on me – the headlines, the editorials, the careful distance even some staff members now maintained from me, as if my condition might somehow be contagious."What if it never gets better?" I asked, my voice barely audible. "What if they're always hated for being who they are? For being part of me?""Then they'll have you and Theo to show them that love matters more than hatred," Lola said firmly. "They'll have Christian and me, and Elijah and Elena. They'll have an entire community of people who see them for the miracle they are."A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it, then another. I tried to wipe them away discreetly, aware of Victor's watchful gaze, but they came too quickly."I'm sorry," I gasped, hating the weakness. "The hormones