The next morning, I couldn't get out of bed.
Not just emotionally. Physically. I tried to sit up and my stomach rebelled—cramping, nausea, dizziness all hitting at once.
I barely made it to the chamber pot before I was sick.
Astrid appeared in the doorway, a cup of steaming tea in her hands.
"I was wondering when you'd notice."
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, embarrassed. "Notice what?"
"That you're not just tired, child." She set the tea down on the small table beside my bed. "You're pregnant."
I froze.
"I... I can't be."
"You can." Astrid sat on the edge of the bed. "And you are."
"How do you know?"
"Your scent." She smiled. "It changed overnight. From heartbreak... to life."
I pressed a hand to my stomach, confused and terrified and...
*Something.*
A flutter? A movement? Or was that just my imagination?
"How far along?" I whispered.
"Conceived yesterday, during the bond." Astrid's expression softened. "Lycan pregnancies are accelerated. The bloodline... it's impatient."
"The bond." My voice cracked. "But Kael rejected me. He—"
"The bond snapped into place for hours before he rejected you, child. That's all it took."
All it took.
Hours. Maybe less.
And now I was carrying the children of the man who'd broken my heart in front of our entire pack.
Who'd humiliated me. Rejected me. Chosen someone else.
"I can't be pregnant," I said, like saying it would make it true. "I just can't be."
"You are." Astrid handed me the tea. "Drink this. It'll help with the nausea."
I took the cup, my hands trembling. "How... how many?"
"Twins." Astrid's eyes crinkled at the corners. "I can feel both heartbeats. Two distinct rhythms, both strong."
Twins.
The cup slipped from my fingers, splashing tea across the blanket.
"I'm sorry—"
"It's fine." Astrid waved it away. "Accidents happen."
"I'm having twins."
"Yes."
"With Kael."
Her expression softened even more.
"This is a lot, isn't it?"
"I don't... I don't know if I can do this."
"You can." Astrid squeezed my hand. "You will. And you won't be alone."
"My babies..." My voice broke. "Their father... he doesn't even know. He doesn't care."
"Then he doesn't deserve them."
"But they deserve to know him. To have a father—"
"Kael made his choice, Elena." Astrid's voice was firm. "He chose politics over you. He chose alliance over love. He chose the easy path over the right one."
"But—"
"No." She squeezed my hand harder. "Listen to me. Your father—he was my best friend's mate. The love of her life. And when she died, he was so destroyed he couldn't even look at you."
I stared at her.
"My... my father?"
"Gave you up because you reminded him of what he'd lost. Left you with relatives who didn't understand you. Who didn't know what you were."
I'd never known that. My aunt and uncle had raised me, but they'd always been distant. Cold. Ashamed of the Wolfless girl in their family.
"They didn't know," Astrid said. "They couldn't know. They thought you were defective. Broken. Worthless."
"Weren't I?"
"No!" Astrid's voice rose. "You were Lycan dormant. Your blood was waiting. And now..."
"Now?"
"Now it's waking up." She smiled. "Now you're becoming who you were always meant to be."
I pressed both hands to my stomach.
"My babies," I whispered.
Astrid was right. I could feel it now. Not just one life, but two. Tiny, fragile hearts beating in perfect sync with mine.
*Don't worry,* I thought at them. *I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.*
And deep inside, that ancient presence seemed to purr.
*Good,* it said. *Something to protect.*
***
I spent the day in bed, recovering from the shock.
Astrid brought me food, tea, more information about Lycans, about the pregnancy, about what to expect.
"The birth will be difficult," she warned. "Your body isn't ready for Lycan powers yet. They'll activate during labor. It'll be... intense."
"How intense?"
She didn't sugarcoat it.
"You'll feel like you're dying. Like your body is tearing itself apart. The bones will break and reform. The muscles will rip and knit. It'll be the most pain you've ever felt in your life."
I swallowed hard.
"And I'll survive?"
"You will." Astrid's expression was fierce. "Because you'll have no choice. Because your babies need you. Because you're stronger than you think."
"Strong." I laughed bitterly. "I don't feel strong. I feel broken."
"You're not broken, Elena. You're being reshaped. Reborn. There's a difference."
"Feels the same from where I'm standing."
She smiled. "It won't. Soon enough, you'll understand."
By evening, I could move without wanting to vomit. By nightfall, I could sit up, walk around the small cottage.
I needed to get out. Needed to move. Needed to...
I don't know what I needed. Just something other than this bed.
"Can I... can I go outside?" I asked Astrid.
She looked up from her book. "Outside?"
"For a walk. Just... around the cottage."
She studied me for a long moment, then nodded.
"Stay close. Don't go far. And call if you need anything."
"I will."
I stepped outside into the cool night air and took a deep breath.
Freedom.
Not the fake kind I'd had in the pack—the freedom to leave, but not to really belong. This was different. Real freedom. Freedom to be me. Freedom to exist without shame.
I walked around the cottage, my hand on my stomach, and tried to process everything.
Pregnant.
With twins.
With Kael's children.
The man who'd rejected me in front of everyone.
The man who'd chosen another woman.
The man who'd ordered me to leave.
I still couldn't believe it. Couldn't wrap my head around it.
How could he do that? How could he look at me, feel the bond, and choose... politics?
*He chose wrong,* the ancient presence whispered. *He chose badly.*
*I know,* I whispered back. *I know.*
*But that doesn't make it hurt less.*
No. It didn't.
And I still cried every time I thought about him.
***
I was walking back to the cottage when I heard it.
Voices.
Men's voices.
Kael. And someone else.
Seraphina.
I froze.
They were close. Too close. The cottage was isolated, but the pack territory wasn't that far—maybe an hour's walk through the forest.
They were coming. Here.
Why?
I moved closer, staying in the shadows, staying silent. Astrid had taught me how to walk without making a sound, how to disappear into the trees.
"The Wolfless girl is still a problem," Seraphina was saying.
My heart stopped.
The Wolfless girl. Me.
"Being a problem is a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?" Kael's voice sounded tired.
"Is it?" Seraphina's voice was cold. Calculating. "She's carrying your heir, Kael. The question is—are you going to let her raise it?"
"I don't—I don't know that she's—"
"Don't lie to me. You can feel it. The pack bond. You know there's a child."
Silence.
I pressed my hands to my stomach, fear rising like bile in my throat.
*They know,* I thought. *Oh goddess, they know.*
"My father won't accept this, Kael. You know that."
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."
"That's where you're wrong." Seraphina's voice dropped. "Your father? He knows everything. He has spies everywhere. He'll know about the pregnancy within days."
"So what do you expect me to do about it?"
"Handle it."
The word dropped like a stone.
"Handle it?"
"Send someone." She said it so casually. Like she was discussing dinner plans. "Make it look like an accident. A rogue attack. A fall. Anything."
Kael made a sound of shock.
"Send someone? You mean... kill her? My mate's... my rejected mate?"
"She's not your mate anymore." Seraphina's voice hardened. "You rejected her. In front of everyone. The bond is broken."
"That doesn't mean I want her dead!"
"It doesn't mean you want her alive either." She stepped closer. "Think about it, Kael. She's carrying your bastard children with a Wolfless servant. Do you think the pack will accept them? Do you think my father will?"
"I—I haven't thought about it."
"Well you'd better start thinking." Her voice softened, became persuasive. "Because this is about more than just Elena. This is about the alliance. About the pack. About your future."
"My future is with the pack."
"Is it?" She challenged him. "Is your future with a pack that has to accept your bastard children with a servant? Or is your future with me, with Northern Pack, with an heir who's actually legitimate?"
Kael didn't answer.
"Handle the girl, Kael. Or I will." Seraphina's voice dropped to something dangerous. "And trust me... my methods won't be as kind as yours."
Silence.
I could barely breathe.
*She's going to kill me,* I realized. *She's going to kill my babies.*
"We'll discuss this later," Kael said finally.
"There's nothing to discuss." Seraphina started walking back toward pack territory. "Either you handle it, or I will. But don't take too long. The longer she's out here... the more dangerous she becomes."
Her footsteps faded into the distance.
Kael stayed where he was for a long moment.
I could feel him through the broken bond—conflicted, exhausted, frustrated.
Then he turned and walked away too.
I waited until I was sure they were gone. Until I couldn't hear them anymore.
Then I ran back to the cottage.
***
"Astrid!"
She was in the main room, arranging herbs.
"Astrid!" I slammed the door behind me.
She turned, saw my face, and her expression hardened.
"What happened?"
"They know."
"Who knows what?"
"Kael. Seraphina. They were just outside." I was shaking so badly I could barely get the words out. "They know I'm pregnant. And Seraphina... she ordered Kael to kill me."
Astrid's eyes flashed.
"She what?"
"She said... she said he has to 'handle it.' Make it look like an accident. Or she'll do it herself."
Astrid moved toward the door.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"To protect my investment." She grabbed a small bag from the shelf. "And my friend's daughter."
She returned a moment later with a knife belted at her waist.
"We need to leave. Now."
"Leave? But—"
"They know where you are, Elena. Or they'll find out soon enough. If Seraphina's serious about killing you—and she is—we can't stay here."
"But where will we go?"
"North." She adjusted the bag. "To the old Lycan territories. To the ancestral lands. No one goes there anymore. We'll be safe."
"But what about... what about the pack? What about—"
"What about them?" Astrid turned to me. "They made their choice, Elena. They rejected you. They stood by while their Alpha humiliated you. They laughed while you crawled away."
She stepped closer.
"Those aren't your people anymore. Your people are the ones you choose. The ones who choose you back."
She rested her hands on my shoulders.
"And your babies? They're your people now. They're your pack. Protect them."
"My pack." I pressed my hands to my stomach. "Yes. My pack."
"Then let's go."
I hesitated just for a moment.
One last look at the cottage. At the safety I'd found.
Then I nodded.
"Let's go."
We stepped out into the night, Astrid leading the way, me following with my hands on my stomach.
*We'll come back,* I promised my babies. *Someday. When we're strong enough. When we're ready.*
*They'll regret this.*
*All of them.*
***
We walked for hours.
Through the forest, away from pack territory, away from everything I'd ever known.
My feet were bleeding by the time we stopped. My body was exhausted. My mind was reeling.
But I didn't stop.
Couldn't stop.
Had to keep going. Had to—
Astrid stopped suddenly, holding up a hand.
"Wait."
"What is it?" I came up beside her. "What's wrong?"
"Someone's coming." Her eyes narrowed. "Fast. Too fast to be normal."
"Is it Seraphina? Is it—"
"No." She relaxed slightly. "It's a guard. From your pack. Lost."
"A guard?"
"Just one?"
She nodded.
"What do we do?"
"Hide." She pushed me behind a tree. "Let him pass."
I scrambled behind the tree, pressing my back against the bark, holding my breath as footsteps approached through the darkness.
"Going somewhere, Wolfless?"
I froze.
That voice. I knew that voice.
Reese. The Delta Commander who'd bullied me for years.
I wanted to run. Wanted to hide. Wanted to disappear.
But Astrid's hand gripped my shoulder.
"Not this time," she whispered in my ear. "Not anymore."
"Come out, come out, wherever you are." Reese's voice was mocking. "I can smell you."
He stepped around the tree, spotted me, and grinned.
"There you are. Running away?" He laughed. "That's cute. But wrong direction, sweetheart. Pack's that way." He pointed back toward the territory. "In case you forgot."
"I'm not going back."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And where will you go? Who would take in a Wolfless Runt? No one, that's who. You're nothing without the pack. You'll die out here alone."
"I'm not alone."
"Really?" He looked around exaggeratedly. "Because I only see you. One broken little—"
"Don't call me that."
"Call you what? Broken? That's what you are." He stepped closer. "Face it, Elena. You're defective. Useless. The pack did you a favor by keeping you around as a servant. You should be grateful."
"I'm not defective."
"You can't even shift." He was right in front of me now, close enough that I could see the individual whiskers on his face, the cruelty in his eyes. "You're nothing. You'll always be nothing."
*Something inside me snapped.*
Not a snap like the bond. This was different.
This was a snap like a bone breaking. Like a door opening. Like—
My eyes burned.
"GET AWAY FROM ME."
The voice that came out of my mouth wasn't mine.
It was older. Deeper. Powerful.
Reese froze.
Not just stopped—FROZE. Like he'd been turned to stone.
He couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Could only stand there, eyes wide with terror.
"Elena?"
Astrid's voice sounded... impressed.
"What did I do?" I stared at my hands, then at Reese. "What's happening to him?"
"You're commanding him." Astrid stepped up beside me. "With the Royal Voice."
"The what?"
"The Lycan Queen's voice." She studied Reese. "It's dormant in you, but it's there. The ability to command other wolves. To make them obey without question."
"This is... this is permanent?"
"For now." Astrid nodded at Reese. "He'll be frozen for a few minutes. Maybe an hour. Long enough for us to get away."
"Can he... will he remember?"
"He'll remember." Astrid started walking. "That's the point."
"You're coming?"
I looked back at Reese one last time.
Frozen. Terrified.
*I'm not nothing,* I thought at him. *I'm not defective.*
*I'm something you've never seen before.*
And I walked away, leaving him frozen in the darkness.
***
We walked until dawn.
By the time the sun started to rise, I was ready to drop.
"We'll stop here to rest," Astrid said. "Just for a little while."
I sank to the ground, leaning against a tree, pressing my hands to my stomach.
"Are you okay?" Astrid asked.
"Pregnant. Tired. Confused." I looked up at her. "Astrid... what happened to me? My eyes... they felt like they were burning."
"Lycan manifestation." She sat across from me. "Your eyes turned violet-gold. That's the royal color. The sign of Lycan royalty."
"They did?"
"You didn't see?" She seemed surprised.
"No. I just... I felt something. And then I told him to get away, and he froze."
"Hm." She studied me. "Interesting. The power is already manifesting. Earlier than I expected."
"Is that... is that bad?"
"It's powerful." Astrid's voice was serious. "Power is neither good nor bad, Elena. It just is. It's how you use it that matters."
"What did I do? Was it wrong to defend myself?"
"No." Astrid shook her head. "You were protecting yourself. Your babies. That's never wrong."
"Then why do I feel so... scared?"
"Because you're experiencing power for the first time." She rested her hand on my knee. "And power is always scary at first. Like holding a loaded weapon. You learn to be careful with it."
I nodded slowly. "I can learn."
"Yes. You will."
"Will you teach me?"
"Everything." She squeezed my knee. "Everything you need to know about being Lycan. About our history. About your powers."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." Astrid's expression turned grave. "We have a long way to go, Elena. And the hardest part is still ahead."
"The birth."
"The birth." I swallowed hard. "You said it would be... intense."
"I did." She didn't sugarcoat it. "It'll be the hardest thing you've ever done. But you'll do it. Because you have to."
"Because they need me."
"Because they need you." Astrid nodded. "And because you're stronger than you think."
I rested my hands on my stomach.
*Don't worry, babies,* I thought at them. *Mama's going to protect you.*
*No matter what.*
***
We continued north for three more days.
Three days of walking, of hiding, of Astrid teaching me about Lycans, about our history, about what I was becoming.
"Your ancestors were kings and queens," she explained one evening as we walked. "Rulers of all wolf-kind. Not because they were cruel. Because they were wise. Because they could command respect without demanding fear."
"What happened?"
"Humans happened." Astrid's voice grew dark. "Fear. Jealousy. Other wolves wanted that power for themselves. So they made stories. Called us monsters. Called us unnatural. Said we needed to be destroyed."
"Were we?"
"Some." Astrid was honest. "Some Lycans became cruel. Abused their power. Lost control of their hunger." She shook her head. "But not all. Not even most."
"My mother?"
"Your mother was kind." Astrid's voice softened. "Gentle. She fell in love with your father—a normal wolf from a small pack. She chose love over power. She chose to hide rather than rule."
"Is that why she died?"
"In part." Astrid sighed. "But also because... you were too powerful. Her body couldn't handle carrying a royal heir."
"Is that why I never shifted?"
"Yes." Astrid nodded. "Your Lycan blood needed... trauma to awaken. Emotional trauma. Heartbreak. Loss."
I laughed bitterly.
"Well, I've got plenty of that."
"Yes, you do." Astrid stopped walking and faced me. "And the rejection? That was the final trigger. Your heart broke, your wolf died, and in that space... something else woke up."
"Something ancient."
"Exactly."
"What happens when I give birth?"
"You'll fully shift for the first time." Astrid's eyes flashed. "Into a Lycan. Twice the size of a normal wolf. Standing on two legs like a human. Incredibly powerful. Incredibly dangerous."
"Dangerous how?"
"The hunger." Astrid's voice was grim. "The urge to kill. To destroy. To dominate. It's part of being Lycan. Part of our power. And if you can't control it..."
"I'll become a monster."
"Yes." She didn't lie. "But you won't."
"How do you know?"
"Because I know whose daughter you are." She smiled. "And I know what you'll do to protect your babies."
I rested my hands on my stomach.
"I won't let them down."
"You never could." Astrid turned to continue walking. "Come. We're almost there."
"Almost where?"
"The ancestral lands." Her voice dropped. "The place where your mother grew up. Where the Lycan kings and queens ruled."
"Is it far?"
"One more day."
One more day.
I could do that.
I had to do that.
For my babies.
For myself.
For the future I was going to claim.
***
We reached the ancestral lands just as the sun was setting.
And my breath caught.
It was... beautiful.
Green valleys stretched out before us, surrounded by mountains on all sides. A waterfall cascaded down a cliff in the distance, rainbows dancing in the spray.
In the center of the valley stood ruins.
Old buildings. Crumbling walls. But even in ruins, I could feel the power. The history. The magic.
"This was..." I couldn't find the words.
"Home." Astrid finished for me. "This was where your mother was born. Where her ancestors ruled for a thousand years."
I walked toward the ruins, my feet moving without me telling them to.
"The main hall." Astrid pointed to a large structure, mostly intact. "That's where the kings and queens held court."
I walked through the entrance, my heart pounding, and...
*stopped.*
Images flooded my mind.
My mother, young and beautiful, sitting on a throne.
My father, standing beside her, looking at her with such love.
My ancestors—dozens of them—ruling, judging, commanding.
All Lycan. All violet-gold eyes like mine.
All gone now.
All murdered.
"We're the last," Astrid said softly behind me. "You and your babies. The last of the Lycan royal bloodline."
"This is..." I turned to her. "This is too much."
"It's a lot." Astrid nodded. "But it's your heritage, Elena. Your birthright. Your family."
I walked through the ruins, touching the walls, feeling the echoes of the past.
"I don't know if I can do this," I admitted. "I don't know if I'm strong enough."
"You don't have to be strong right now." Astrid rested her hand on my shoulder. "You just have to survive."
"Survive what?"
"Survive the birth." Her voice was grave. "The rest will come after."
I pressed my hands to my stomach.
"The birth."
"Yes." Astrid led me toward a smaller building. "This will be our home. And when the time comes... we'll do it here. In the birthing chamber. Where your mother was born. Where her mother was born. Where your ancestors were born for a thousand years."
I walked into the building and looked around.
Simple. Clean. Sacred.
"This is where I'll have them?"
"If you choose." Astrid started gathering supplies. "Though we have about three weeks until the birth. Maybe more."
"Three weeks." I pressed my hands to my stomach. "Just three weeks."
"You'll need to prepare."
"Prepare how?"
"Training." Astrid turned to me. "Mental preparation. Emotional preparation. Physical preparation."
"What kind of training?"
"All of it." She smiled slightly. "Because the birth will be... intense. And you'll need to be ready."
"Ready for what?"
"Ready for pain." Astrid's voice dropped, became serious. "Ready for power. Ready for the hunger."
"The hunger."
"Yes." Astrid didn't flinch. "The Lycan hunger. The urge to kill. To destroy. It'll come for you during the birth. During the transformation. It'll try to consume you."
I swallowed hard.
"And if I can't control it?"
"Then you'll become the monster everyone fears." Astrid's expression was fierce. "So you'd better learn to control it."
I nodded slowly.
"I can do this."
"You can." Astrid smiled. "And I'll help you."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." She gestured toward the bed. "Get some rest. Tomorrow... we begin."
"Begin what?"
"Your training." Astrid's eyes flashed violet-gold. "The rest of your life."
I curled up on the bed, exhausted but hopeful, and pressed my hands to my stomach.
*Three weeks,* I thought at my babies. *Just three weeks until you're here.*
*Until we're all together.*
*Until we're all safe.*
*Until we're all... home.*
And deep inside, that ancient presence stretched and smiled and whispered:
*Ready.*
*Because the world isn't ready for us.*
*But they will be.*
*Oh, yes... they will be.*