The Archmage stared, his face drained of color. "A pure wolf. It has been too long… far too long."
Jay trembled. The hand holding his sword shook harder than before. The baby was warm alive and undeniably not human. The small body stirred weakly, whimpering as if searching for its mother's warmth.
"Jay…" Liv's voice was barely audible. Tears streamed endlessly down her face. "That… is our child…"
And yet because of that
"The mark on her body has vanished," a mage said, his voice cold with despair. "The maternal bond has been severed. If this pure Zelthar child lives… then the mother will die. There are no exceptions."
Liv's sob broke apart. "No… please… don't kill him… don't…"
She tried to rise, but her body no longer obeyed. Blood continued to flow, her breathing growing shorter. Each inhale sounded like a blade scraping her lungs.
"Jay…" she cried. "I beg you… let him live… I—I'm willing…"
