Cursed Heir: Bloodline Of The Damned のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

The pain hit again, sharper this time, like a knife twisting low in my belly. I doubled over on the bed, clutching Vesperian’s arm hard enough to leave marks.“Eli!” His voice cracked with something I’d never heard in it before, real fear.The messenger was still standing just inside the door, pale and shifting nervously. “Prince Kieran has issued the formal Challenge, Your Majesty. He claims the throne on grounds of your... unnatural weakness. He says the Omega and the cursed child must be destroyed before they bring ruin to all Lycans.”Another stab of pain made me gasp. The child thrashed violently inside me, like it was trying to fight the threat itself. “It hurts…fuck, it really hurts…”Vesperian roared at the messenger, “Get the healer! Now!” Then he was on the bed with me, pulling me carefully into his arms, one big hand splayed protectively over my rounded belly. “Breathe, little Omega. I’ve got you. Just breathe through it.”I leaned into his chest, sweat already beading on m

"Stand tall," Vesperian murmured against my ear as we approached the heavy council doors. His hand rested possessively on the small of my back. "They need to see you’re strong. That our son is strong."I swallowed hard, one hand instinctively cradling the noticeable swell of my belly under the deep crimson silk. "I feel like a prize cow on display."The doors swung open before he could reply. The council chamber fell into tense silence as we entered. Dozens of powerful Alphas turned to stare. Their eyes burned over my body, my rounded stomach, the faint golden glow visible at my collarbone and wrists, the way I walked with one hand protectively over our child.Whispers erupted immediately."Look at him... already swelling like that.""An abomination. Male Omega carrying the king’s get.""The king looks... diminished. Did you see how he moves?"I flinched. Pregnancy hormones made every word feel like a slap across the face. My cheeks burned. The child kicked hard, sensing my distress.

The garden walk was supposed to be short and supervised. Instead, the guards suddenly “remembered” they had new orders from Lord Caelum himself about checking the perimeter. I knew it was arranged the moment I saw him waiting near the stone fountain, hands clasped behind his back.“Omega,” he greeted me calmly, like we were discussing nothing more important than the weather. “The king asked me to review security arrangements around you and the heir.”The guards moved far enough away to give us the illusion of privacy. I stopped beside him, one hand resting on my rounded belly. The child gave a strong kick, as if sensing the tension.“You’re getting bold,” I said quietly. “What if someone sees us talking like this?”“They see what I want them to see.” Caelum’s eyes flicked to my belly, then up to the faint glow on my skin. “He’s worse, Eli. I watched him in the training ring this morning. His sword arm trembled. For the first time in a century, Vesperian looked... mortal. You have to s

I waited until the corridor outside went quiet. Vesperian had been pulled away hours ago for urgent meetings about Kieran’s approaching army. The bond tugged at me, faint but persistent, letting me know he was still deep in the war room. Good. That gave me time.My belly felt heavier today, the round swell making every movement more noticeable. But my senses were sharper than ever. I could hear the guards two halls away breathing, smell the faint oil on their weapons. I slipped out of the chambers like smoke, bare feet silent on the stone.The restricted archives door gave way easier this time. My fingers tingled with stolen power as I twisted the lock. I stepped inside, heart hammering, and pulled the door almost closed behind me.Dust danced in the thin shafts of moonlight coming through high slits in the wall. I moved quickly, following the pull of familiar cursed energy until I found the section on parasitic bloodlines. My hands shook as I pulled down a newer-looking tome, its pag

"Read it again," Vesperian snarled, slamming the scroll onto the table so hard the inkwell jumped.I stood just outside the half-open door to the war room, hidden in the shadows of the corridor. My enhanced hearing picked up every word. The child pressed heavily against my ribs, as if he too was listening.The envoy’s voice shook slightly. "Prince Kieran demands the immediate execution of the male Omega and the abomination he carries. He states that the prophecy child will bring ruin to all Lycan bloodlines. He offers mercy only if you step down and name him regent until a proper heir can be produced from clean lines."A heavy silence fell.Then Vesperian’s laugh, cold and dangerous. "My brother grows bold. Tell him I will see his head on a spike before I let him touch what is mine."The tension in the palace had thickened like smoke over the past two days. Extra guards everywhere. Messengers running constantly. Weapons being sharpened in the courtyard. Kieran’s army was two days’ mar