The chamber was quiet when Feng Lihan returned.
The outer territories had accepted the alliance. Order was stabilizing. The world was finally beginning to breathe again.
He pushed open the stone door—
And froze.
On the bed of soft beast hides, Lin Yue was asleep.
Mo Shan lay beside him.
Close.
Too close.
One arm draped protectively around Lin Yue's waist.
For a long second, the air in the room dropped several degrees.
Feng Lihan's golden eyes darkened.
His aura flared instinctively—hot, sharp, territorial.
Mo Shan's eyes opened immediately.
They locked eyes.
Tension sparked.
Neither spoke.
Feng Lihan walked forward slowly.
Then—without warning—
He kicked Mo Shan off the bed.
Hard.
Mo Shan landed on the stone floor with a heavy thud.
Lin Yue stirred. "Mm… what—?"
Before he could fully wake, Feng Lihan climbed onto the bed and pulled Lin Yue firmly into his chest, wrapping both wings around him like a shield.
Mine.
Mo Shan pushed himself up from the floor, expression flat but eyes faintly amused.
"You're back," he said calmly.
Feng Lihan didn't answer.
He simply tightened his hold around Lin Yue and closed his eyes.
Lin Yue blinked sleepily between them.
"…You two are impossible."
But he didn't move away.
Mo Shan huffed softly and lay down on the other side again, though this time keeping a slight distance.
The room settled.
Three heartbeats.
One family.
—
A week later—
Lin Yue leaned over the stone basin outside the chamber.
He gagged again.
Mo Shan held his hair back gently.
Feng Lihan stood nearby, tense.
This was the third morning in a row.
"Is it poison?" Mo Shan asked lowly.
"No," Feng Lihan replied, but his voice carried concern.
Lin Yue wiped his mouth, breathing uneven.
"I feel… strange."
They didn't waste time.
Seven—the clan's most skilled healer—was summoned immediately.
The fox healer examined Lin Yue carefully, tail swaying thoughtfully behind him.
He checked his pulse.
His scent.
The faint aura around his abdomen.
Then Seven's eyes widened slightly.
"Well," he said slowly, looking between the two Alphas. "It seems peace has made you very productive."
Feng Lihan frowned. "Speak clearly."
Seven smiled faintly.
"Lin Yue is pregnant."
Silence.
Mo Shan blinked.
Feng Lihan's wings stiffened.
Lin Yue froze. "…Again?"
Seven nodded calmly. "The life aura is strong. Very strong."
Mo Shan was the first to react.
His hand slowly moved to rest over Lin Yue's stomach.
Careful.
Almost reverent.
Feng Lihan stepped closer too, golden eyes intense.
Another child.
Another life.
Lin Yue stared at both of them.
"You two look like you're preparing for battle again."
Mo Shan exhaled softly. "We are."
Feng Lihan nodded once. "This time, we protect before danger even appears."
Lin Yue laughed weakly despite the nausea.
"Relax. There's no Demon Lord this time."
Feng Lihan's gaze softened slightly.
"There doesn't need to be," he said quietly. "Anything that threatens you will fall."
Mo Shan's voice was lower, steady. "Both of you."
Lin Yue looked down at his stomach.
A warm, familiar feeling spread through him.
Life again.
Not prophecy.
Not destiny.
Just family.
In the distance, the Golden Child ran across the training field, laughing with cubs under the sun.
Peace still held.
And this time—
They would protect it from the very beginning.