The world wouldn't stop spinning.
I pressed my hand to my neck where his teeth had broken skin. The mark burned like fire, but that wasn't the worst part.
The worst part was feeling him. Everything.
His worry. His anger at Threx. His protectiveness toward me and the twins. His guilt for forcing the claim.
All of it was flooding through me like someone had opened a dam in my head.
"Breathe." Vaelor's voice cut through the chaos. "Just breathe."
"I can't….there's too much—"
"I know. It'll settle. Give it time."
Threx was still standing there, watching us with those cold calculating eyes. Like we were insects under glass.
"Well," he said slowly. "That was quite the display."
Vaelor's arm wrapped around my waist, holding me upright. "You got what you came for. She's claimed. The twins are protected under Moon law. Now leave."
"Not quite yet." Threx moved closer to where we stood holding the babies. "I'd like to examine them. Since they're now officially recognized heirs."
"No," I said. My voice came out stronger than I felt.
"My dear girl, I'm not asking to harm them. Simply to look. Surely you can allow that."
I wanted to tell him to go to hell. But Vaelor's hand squeezed my waist.
"She said no," Vaelor told him. "But I'll allow you to observe. From a distance. No touching."
Threx's thin lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "How generous."
He circled us slowly. His eyes are on Caelum in Vaelor's arms, then Lyra in mine. Studying them like they were specimens.
I held her tighter.
"Interesting," he murmured. "Very interesting. The boy has your eyes, Your Majesty. And the girl has her mother's bone structure."
"They're babies," I said flatly. "They look like babies."
"Ah, but they're not just any babies, are they?" He stopped circling, and met my eyes. "The prophecy was more accurate than we thought."
My stomach dropped. "What prophecy?"
"You'll find out soon enough." He looked at Vaelor. "The Council will expect a full report. And we'll be summoning you to the Crownlands within the week."
"I'll come when I'm ready."
"You'll come when we say." Threx's voice went hard. "Or we'll come to you. With force."
He turned and walked away. His entourage followed. The black carriage rolled out of camp.
I didn't realize I was shaking until my legs gave out.
Vaelor caught me with his free arm. "I've got you."
"I can't….I need to sit—"
He carried me back to the tent. Laid me on the bed carefully, Caelum still in his other arm.
The healer rushed in. "What happened?"
"The claiming," Vaelor said. "It hit her hard."
"Of course it did. The bond formed all at once like that—" She started checking me over. Pulse, eyes, breathing. "How do you feel?"
"Like my head's going to explode."
"That's normal. The bond is overwhelming at first. Your minds are connecting, adjusting to each other." She pressed her hands to my temples. "Try to relax. Let it flow instead of fighting it."
"How do I do that?"
"You don't. You just survive it."
Great advice.
She checked the claiming mark on my neck. "It's already healing. Silver scar tissue that's a good sign. Means the bond was taken properly."
"What if it hadn't?" I asked.
"Then you'd be dying right now. So count yourself lucky."
She left. Just me and Vaelor and the twins.
He sat on the edge of the bed, still holding Caelum. Our son had fallen asleep against his chest.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"For what?"
"For forcing it. For not giving you a choice."
I looked at him. Really looked. And through the bond, I could feel what he felt. The guilt eating at him. The fear that I'd hate him for it.
"I had a choice," I said. "I chose this. For them."
"Not for me though."
"No. Not for you."
He flinched. I felt it through the bond before I saw it on his face.
"But maybe," I added, "that'll change. Eventually."
His eyes met mine. "Yeah?"
"Don't push it. I'm still mad at you for leaving me in that cave."
"Fair enough."
Lyra started fussing. I adjusted her, helped her latch to feed.
We sat there in silence. Him holding our son. Me feeding our daughter. Connected by this bond I didn't ask for but couldn't escape.
I could feel his location now. Like a compass in my head always pointing toward him. Could sense his emotions, his general thoughts. It was invasive as hell.
"Does it ever stop?" I asked. "This feeling of being inside someone else's head?"
"You learn to filter it. Build walls. Give each other privacy." He looked at me. "But the awareness is always there. You'll always know where I am, how I'm feeling. And I'll always know the same about you."
"That's horrifying."
"Or comforting. Depends how you look at it."
I wanted to argue. But exhaustion was pulling at me. The claim had taken everything out of me.
"You need to sleep," he said. "I'll watch them."
"You need sleep too."
"I'm fine."
"You haven't slept in days. I can feel how tired you are."
He paused. "That's going to take getting used to. You feel what I feel."
"Tell me about it."
Lyra finished eating. I burped her, then laid her in the bassinet next to her brother. They both looked so peaceful. So small.
So vulnerable.
"What did Threx mean?" I asked. "About the prophecy?"
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out." He stood, moved toward the door.
Through the bond, I felt his intention. He was leaving.
"Where are you going?"
"To send messages. Call in favors. Figure out what the Council is planning."
"Can't it wait until morning?"
"No."
I wanted to tell him to stay. But that was stupid. We weren't like that. This bond didn't make us a real couple.
Except I could feel his reluctance to leave. He wants to stay here with us.
"Go," I said. "Do what you need to do."
He hesitated at the tent entrance. "If you need me—"
"I'll call. Through this stupid bond thing."
That almost-smile again. "It's not stupid. But okay."
He left.
I laid down on the bed, staring at the tent ceiling. My neck still burns. My head still felt too full.
I reached up and touched the claiming mark.
Through the bond, even with distance between us, I felt him. Felt his concern. His protectiveness.
His affection.
"Damn it," I whispered.
This was going to be complicated.
I must've fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes, it was dark.
The twins were quiet. Both sleeping peacefully.
But something felt wrong.
I sat up slowly. My body ached but in a different way than before. Stronger. Like energy was humming under my skin.
I looked at the babies. And froze.
They were glowing.
Faint, but there. Silver light around Caelum. Gold around Lyra. Both hovering a few inches above their mattresses.
"What the—"
I scrambled out of bed, rushed to the bassinet. Reached for them but stopped. What if touching them while they were like this hurt them?
Through the bond, I felt Vaelor's alarm. He'd felt my panic. Was already running back.
The tent flap burst open. He took one look at the floating, glowing babies and went very still.
"How long have they been like this?" he asked.
"I just woke up and what's happening to them?"
He moved closer, studying them. "They're manifesting. Showing their power."
"They're two weeks old. How can they—"
"Lycan royal blood. It shows early." He reached out carefully, touched Caelum's tiny hand.
The glow faded immediately. Our son settled back down onto his mattress, sleeping peacefully like nothing had happened.
I did the same with Lyra. She stopped glowing, stopped floating. Just a normal sleeping baby again.
"They shouldn't be able to do this for months," Vaelor said. "Maybe a year."
"Is something wrong with them?"
"No. They're just powerful. More powerful than I expected."
I sat down hard on the bed. My hands were shaking. "This is bad, isn't it? The more power they show, the more the Council will want to—"
I couldn't finish the sentence.
Vaelor sat beside me. Pulled me against his side. I should've pushed him away but I was too tired.
"I won't let them take our children," he said. "I don't care what I have to do. They're not touching them."
Through the bond, I felt the absolute truth of his words. The steel in him. The willingness to burn the world down to protect them.
It should've scared me. Instead, it made me feel safer.
"I'm scared," I admitted.
"I know. I can feel it."
"Do you ever wish you couldn't? Feel everything I feel?"
He was quiet for a moment. "No. Because it means I know when you need me. Even when you're too stubborn to ask."
"I'm not stubborn."
"You're the most stubborn person I've ever met."
"Take one to know one."
He laughed. Actually I laughed. The sound was warm and real and I felt it through the bond of genuine amusement.
Made me smile despite everything.
"We should sleep," he said. "Before they wake up again."
"You're staying?"
"If you want me to."
I should've said no. Should've kept distance between us.
But I could feel how exhausted he was. How worried I am. How much he needed to be close to his family.
"Stay," I said. "Just for tonight."
He settled on the bed beside me. Not touching, but close.
Close enough that I could feel his warmth.
Close enough that the bond hummed content between us.
I closed my eyes. Started to drift off.
A commotion outside jerked me awake.
Running footsteps. Shouting.
Vaelor was up instantly, moving to the tent entrance.
A guard burst through. "My King! The border scouts just reported there's an army approaching."
My blood went cold. "What?"
The guard's face was pale. "The Moon Council. Five hundred soldiers. They'll be here in two days."
Through the bond, I felt Vaelor's rage. Cold and controlled and absolutely deadly.
"Let them come," he said quietly. "We'll be ready."