Chapter 16_THE HEIR IS BORN
1209 Words
THE HEIR IS BORN
The antidote felt heavier than steel.
Commander Megan tightened his grip around the small crystal vial as he tore through the stone corridors of the Midnight Pack House.
His breathing was uneven.
Not from exhaustion.
From fear.
Every heartbeat reminded him of the tiny life fighting against death.
"Hold on..."
His wolf surged beneath his skin, urging him to run faster.
"Hold on, my son."
He could already picture Viera's tear-stained face.
The blue veins spreading beneath the infant's delicate skin.
The helpless cries.
The fear in a mother's eyes.
"No..."
His pace quickened.
"Your father is coming."
For the first time in years, Midnight Blade was not thinking like the Pack's commander.
He was simply...
A father racing against time.
The familiar path leading toward Viera's secluded quarters finally came into view.
Relief washed over him.
Just a little further.
Then,
Three figures dropped from the rooftops.
BOOM!
They landed before him with enough force to c***k the stone beneath their boots.
Red Claw warriors.
Each towering.
Each radiating a murderous wolf aura.
Each blocking the only path forward.
Megan stopped abruptly.
His golden eyes narrowed.
Then...
A memory flashed through his mind.
Alpha Darius' cold smile.
Understanding struck him instantly.
His jaw tightened.
Rage exploded inside him.
"You dare..."
His wolf aura burst outward like a violent storm.
The corridor trembled.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Without another word, Megan charged.
Steel collided.
Clang!
The first warrior barely managed to block before Megan's strike sent him crashing into a pillar.
The second attacked from behind.
Megan spun.
His elbow slammed into the man's jaw before his knee buried itself into the warrior's ribs.
Bones cracked.
The third lunged.
Megan caught the blade with his own and drove his shoulder forward.
The impact launched the man across the hallway.
But they rose again.
Not to defeat him.
Only to slow him.
Every second...
Every exchange...
Every heartbeat...
It was another heartbeat stolen from his son.
His breathing became ragged.
"No..."
His eyes flickered toward Viera's quarters beyond them.
"Move!"
The warriors answered with another coordinated assault.
Megan's wolf roared.
The sound thundered through the corridor like an awakened beast.
Enough.
A terrifying surge of Midnight Aura erupted from his body.
The force alone blasted the three warriors backward.
Their feet left the ground.
They crashed violently into opposite walls before collapsing in broken heaps.
Megan didn't wait to see whether they rose again.
The instant the path cleared—
He ran, but they still managed to run after him as the mission was to prolong the distraction.
Far away...
Inside the royal dining chamber...
Peace still lingered.
Silver lanterns bathed the room in a warm glow.
A long polished table stood elegantly prepared.
Every plate.
Every goblet.
Every meal.
Perfect.
Not far away stood Omega Dawn.
Or rather...
The Red Claw shaman wearing Dawn's face.
Her hands rested politely before her.
Her smile never faltered.
But beneath that gentle expression...
She watched.
Patiently….. Waiting.
The grand doors opened.
Alpha Kael Blackthorne entered beside Luna Seraphine.
The servants immediately bowed.
"My Alpha."
"My Luna."
Kael acknowledged them with a nod before pulling a chair out for Seraphine.
She smiled warmly.
"You've hardly rested these past few days."
Kael allowed himself a faint smile.
"I'll rest when Midnight rests."
"You always say that."
"And it's always true."
She laughed softly.
Even after years together...
She still admired the man beneath the Alpha.
The man who carried an entire Pack upon his shoulders.
Kael reached for the silver goblet before him.
The disguised shaman watched without blinking.
Slowly...
He lifted it.
Then drank…..
The liquid slid down his throat.
For one heartbeat...
Nothing happened.
Then,
His wolf froze.
Not in pain.
Not in fear……. Instinct…… Ancient instinct.
Something deep inside him stirred violently.
A warning.
His fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around the goblet.
Seraphine noticed immediately.
"Kael?"
He blinked.
"Hm?"
"You stopped."
He looked down briefly before forcing a calm expression.
"It's nothing."
Yet even to himself...
The words sounded uncertain.
Somewhere beneath his skin...
His Alpha wolf remained restless.
Growling.
Warning.
Danger.
Danger.
Danger.
Still...
Nothing around him appeared unusual.
He slowly placed the goblet back upon the table.
"I'm fine."
Before Seraphine could respond...
A sharp pain suddenly gripped her stomach.
She inhaled sharply.
"Kael..."
Another contraction followed.
Far stronger.
She clutched the edge of the table.
Water spilled across the polished floor.
Kael was beside her instantly.
"Seraphine!"
She grabbed his arm, her breathing becoming uneven.
"I think..."
Another contraction stole the rest of her words.
The chamber erupted.
"Call the royal midwives!"
"Summon the healers!"
"Protect the Luna!"
Warriors hurried through the corridors.
Servants rushed in every direction.
Within moments, the royal midwives arrived and carefully guided Seraphine toward the birthing chamber.
Kael never left her side.
The meal remained untouched upon the table.
Only the goblet had been disturbed.
Hidden among the gathering servants...
The disguised shaman's eyes widened.
No...
Not tonight.
She had expected chaos.
She had expected the Alpha to weaken.
She had not expected the Moon Goddess to choose this very night for the birth of Midnight's heir.
If the child arrived now...
It could complicate everything.
She quietly slipped farther into the shadows, masking the alarm rising within her.
Time seemed to stand still.
The Pack House echoed with Seraphine's cries.
"Push, my Luna!"
"You can do it!"
"One more!"
Outside the chamber, Kael paced relentlessly.
He had faced battlefields without fear.
He had stared down rival Alphas without hesitation.
But tonight...
He could do nothing.
His fists tightened.
His wolf paced as helplessly as he did.
Every cry from within tightened something inside his chest.
Minutes felt like hours.
Then...
Silence.
One heartbeat.
Two.
Three.
A newborn's cry shattered the stillness.
Strong……. Clear……. Alive.
The entire Pack House froze.
Servants smiled.
Warriors released breaths they hadn't realized they were holding.
Even the air itself seemed lighter.
The chamber doors slowly opened.
An elderly birthing specialist stepped out, her eyes glistening with joy.
She bowed deeply.
"My Alpha..."
A smile spread across her face.
"Congratulations."
"The Moon Goddess has blessed Midnight."
"You have a son."
For a brief moment...
The weight of leadership left Kael's shoulders.
He closed his eyes.
Relief washed over him.
"My Luna?"
The birthing specialist smiled.
"She is well."
Without another word, Kael entered.
Seraphine lay exhausted upon the bed.
Yet despite her weariness...
She smiled.
Nestled carefully within her arms was a tiny infant wrapped in midnight-blue cloth.
Kael approached slowly.
Almost reverently.
He knelt beside his mate.
Their eyes met.
No words were needed.
He reached out carefully...
And gently touched his son's tiny hand.
The newborn instinctively wrapped his little fingers around Kael's thumb.
A faint smile crossed Alpha's face.
"Our son..."
Seraphine's voice was barely above a whisper.
"He has your eyes."
Kael looked down at the child.
"No..."
His smile deepened.
"He has Midnight's future."
Outside the chamber...
The Pack House erupted into celebration.
Their Alpha had an heir.
The Blackthorn
e bloodline had welcomed its next generation.
And although none of them understood why...
Every wolf within Midnight felt something stir deep inside their soul.
As though destiny itself...
Had quietly shifted beneath the light of the moon.
- Writer
