The wolfless Heir

The Wolfless Heir

Kaelen's eyes remained locked on Mallory. She was holding the baby close to her chest with intense care, as if she never wanted to let go of her precious newborn.

Slowly, Kaelen's hand loosened from the door handle. The memory of standing outside that exact same door years ago flashed in his mind, listening to Mallory scream in agonizing pain during Aria's birth, praying hopelessly to the Goddess to grant his wife a safe delivery so both mother and child would make it out alive.

Now, once again, he had stood outside that very door awaiting his child and his mate.

Finally, she was here.

Alive.

He stood frozen for a moment, imagining how he would teach his son to hunt in the Redclaw Mountains, how to run faster with his inner wolf, and how to train him to become the ultimate future Alpha and a strong leader for the pack.

A sharp smile of pure relief broke across his lips.

His eyes lifted and fixed on Mallory once more. He looked at her exhausted body and her hands, which were still shivering from the immense trauma of labor. Slowly, the fear that had hunted him moments before faded away piece by piece. His shoulders dropped from relief, and his trembling legs and arms regained their strength.

Mallory looked down at the child in her arms. His eyes shone brightly beneath the eerie glow of the BloodMoon, and for a long moment, she couldn't look away.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

She had carried him for nine grueling months, feeling his little legs kick and feeling him move deep inside her. She had spent every single day waiting for the moment she could finally hold him in her arms, watch him kick, and witness his first steps.

And now he was finally here.

Alive.

His tiny legs and fingers wrapped gently around her finger. She smiled weakly at him, her cheeks lifting. The terror that had haunted her throughout labor finally subsided—she was alive, and her baby had made it safely into the world despite every struggle.

But as she stared down at her child again, a cold wave of dread suddenly gripped her mind.

The elders' ominous warning echoed relentlessly in her ears.

A blessing... or a curse.

Fear struck her like lightning. Her exhausted inner wolf whispered that the elders' prophecy might actually be true. Panicking, she pulled the child tighter against her chest, her heart skipping a beat as she lowered her head and kissed his forehead through falling tears.

Kaelen stepped closer to Mallory, his eyes locked on her face as his lips trembled. “Are you okay?”

Resting his hands gently on her shoulders, he pulled her into a soft embrace. “You scared me to death. Thank the Goddess you made it out alive.”

Looking up at his shaking lips, Mallory squeezed his hand. “See? Our precious son is here. His eyes look exactly like yours,” she whispered with a small smile.

Kaelen slowly looked down at the infant. A fond smile touched his face as he stroked the baby's head, carefully scooping him up and lifting him close to his chest. Hearing the baby's soft giggles and feeling tiny fingers wrap around his own finger, Kaelen beamed with pride.

For a brief moment, he forgot everything else in the world. Staring down at his son, his mind drifted back to tracking prey through the Redclaw forests and teaching the boy the heavy responsibilities of an Alpha.

Noticing how happy Kaelen looked, Mallory whispered, “I hope to see you smile this way always.”

Wanting to bond immediately with their heir, Kaelen gently cradled the baby closer and reached out with his inner wolf to connect with the child's inner wolf. A proud smile still lingered on his face as he waited to feel that familiar, vibrant surge of young werewolf blood, no matter how faint it should be.

Instead, he felt absolute nothingness.

His expression tightened instantly, and his smile faded piece by piece.

He stood frozen in sheer confusion, telling himself he was simply exhausted from the harrowing night. The profound relief of fatherhood vanished from his mind in an instant.

Hh—maybe I'm just tired, he thought to himself.

Closing his eyes tightly, he tried a second time, pushing his inner wolf forward to search every corner of the infant's spirit for the latent pulse every werewolf child possesses.

Nothing.

His smile completely vanished.

His fingers clenched tightly around the baby as his inner wolf reared up in violent restlessness. Kaelen slowly opened his eyes, staring down at the child with sudden horror.

His inner wolf was screaming that something was fundamentally wrong.

As his wolf forced a deeper mental probe toward the child, a sudden, violent wave of dark energy recoiled from the infant, slamming straight into Kaelen's chest.

He staggered backward, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

What?!

His eyes fixed on Mallory as his voice boomed thunderously against the stone walls. “He has no wolf!”

His eyes flashed a furious crimson, his face twisting in rage as he bared his teeth.

Mallory froze completely.

She convinced herself she must have heard him wrong. Her wide eyes darted from Kaelen's terrifying face down to the baby in his arms. The warmth and happiness from moments before were entirely gone, replaced by a chilling nightmare.

“No...” she whispered weakly.

Her broken body shook violently. She shook her head over and over as heavy tears flooded her eyes.

“Please... no... there has to be a mistake.”

“It can’t be.”

The elder's dark warning echoed mercilessly in her mind once more.

A blessing... or a curse.

An icy chill rushed through her veins. Shivering uncontrollably, she dragged herself off the bed, her trembling hands reaching out to grab the hem of Kaelen's garment.

“Please...” her voice cracked completely, fresh tears streaming down her face.

Lifting her tear-soaked eyes to meet his cold, ruthless gaze, she sobbed, “Give me my child back.”

Kaelen looked down at her with a face carved from stone.

“Lucy!”

He roared her name so loud the chamber walls shook.

Terrified, Lucy stepped out from the adjoining room, her hands tightly clasped and her legs shaking under her weight. Did I do something wrong? she thought in sheer panic as she looked up and saw Kaelen's murderous expression.

Kaelen strode toward her, roughly shoving the infant into her arms. His inner wolf seething with utter disgust, he turned his back on them without a backward glance.

“Get rid of that child,” he commanded coldly, his voice dripping with venom. “An Alpha's bloodline cannot be wolfless.”