His Broken Luna

Chapter 4: The Alpha's Heir

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The silence stretched between us like a living thing.

I stood beside the sofa, my hand resting protectively on Aria's shoulder, watching Kade's rigid back as he stared out the window. The afternoon light cast long shadows across the room, and somewhere in the distance, I could hear the sounds of the pack going about their day. Laughter. Footsteps. The clang of metal from the training grounds.

It all felt so normal.

So oblivious to the storm raging inside this room.

"Five years," Kade finally repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "You hid her from me for five years."

I swallowed hard. "I did what I had to do."

He turned then, and the look in his eyes made my breath catch. It wasn't anger I saw there. It was something rawer. Something that looked almost like pain.

"Did you hate me that much?"

The question caught me off guard.

I opened my mouth to answer, but the words tangled in my throat. Did I hate him? I had spent so many nights asking myself that same question. I had replayed that night in the great hall over and over again, dissecting every word, every look, every cruel silence.

And the truth was, I didn't know anymore.

"I didn't hate you," I said quietly. "I was broken, Kade. You broke me. And when I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified. I thought if you knew, you would take her from me. Or worse, you would reject her too."

His jaw tightened. "I would never reject my own child."

"You rejected me," I reminded him, my voice hardening. "And I was carrying your child. So forgive me if I didn't trust you."

The words hit him like a physical blow.

For a long moment, he said nothing. He just stood there, his grey eyes locked on mine, his chest rising and falling with slow, measured breaths. Then, without warning, he crossed the room and knelt beside the sofa.

I tensed, every instinct in my body screaming at me to pull Aria away from him.

But I forced myself to stay still.

He wasn't going to hurt her.

At least, I prayed he wasn't.

Slowly, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from Aria's flushed face. His hand trembled slightly, and I saw something flicker in his eyes as he studied her features.

"She has my eyes," he said hoarsely.

I nodded, my throat tight. "And your stubbornness."

He let out a shaky breath. "What's her name?"

"Aria."

"Aria," he repeated softly, as if testing the name on his tongue. Then he looked up at me, and for the first time since I arrived, I saw the Alpha in him crack.

"She's beautiful," he said. "She's so beautiful, Layla."

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "She's dying, Kade. And I didn't come here for your approval. I came here to save her."

He rose to his feet, his expression hardening with resolve. "Then tell me what you need."

"I need the pack's healer," I said. "I need someone who understands the Alpha bloodline. Whatever this illness is, it's connected to her wolf. Her wolf hasn't emerged yet, but the fever is burning her from the inside. The human doctors can't fix that."

Kade nodded. "I'll call for Maeve immediately. She's been the pack healer for decades. If anyone can help, it's her."

Relief washed over me, but I didn't let it show. "Thank you."

He held my gaze for a long moment, as if he wanted to say something more. But instead, he turned and walked toward the door.

"Stay here," he said. "I'll be back."

And then he was gone.

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The minutes stretched into what felt like hours.

I sat on the edge of the sofa, stroking Aria's hair as she slept fitfully. Her breathing was ragged, each exhale a soft wheeze that made my chest clench with fear. The fever hadn't broken. If anything, it seemed to be getting worse.

"Come on, baby," I whispered. "Hold on a little longer."

The door opened, and I looked up to see an older woman with silver-streaked hair and kind, weathered features. She wore a simple grey dress with a leather satchel slung over one shoulder, and her eyes immediately went to Aria.

"Maeve," I said, rising to my feet.

She gave me a sad smile. "Luna Layla. It's good to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Just Layla now."

She nodded, her expression gentle. "The Alpha told me about your daughter. May I take a look at her?"

I nodded and stepped aside.

Maeve approached the sofa and knelt beside Aria, her hands moving with practiced ease as she checked her pulse, her breathing, and the heat radiating from her small body. After a moment, she frowned and opened her satchel, pulling out a small pouch of herbs.

"This is no ordinary fever," she murmured. "It's the Bloodline Sickness."

My heart lurched. "Bloodline Sickness?"

Maeve nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration. "It only affects those born of Alpha blood. Their bodies are too strong for their human forms, especially before their wolf emerges. If the wolf is suppressed for too long, the body begins to burn from within."

I felt the floor drop out from under me. "Can you cure her?"

Maeve hesitated. "There is a ritual. It's old magic, passed down through the generations. But it requires the blood of her Alpha parent."

"Kade."

She nodded. "The Alpha must willingly give his blood to awaken the child's wolf. It's the only way to stop the sickness from consuming her."

I swallowed hard. "Will he do it?"

Maeve's eyes flickered toward the door. "He's already preparing."

Before I could respond, the door swung open and Kade walked in.

His sleeves were rolled up, his forearms bare, and his expression was grim. In his hand, he held a small ceremonial knife, its blade gleaming in the light.

"Tell me what I need to do," he said.

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The ceremony took place in the packhouse's sacred chamber.

I had never seen this room before. It was hidden beneath the main house, accessible only through a narrow staircase that wound deep into the earth. The walls were carved from stone, covered in ancient symbols that seemed to glow faintly in the dim candlelight.

In the center of the room was a raised altar, and on that altar, Aria lay sleeping.

I stood at the edge of the chamber, my hands clasped tightly in front of me, watching as Maeve prepared the ritual. She had changed into a long white robe, and her hair was pulled back from her face, revealing the sharp lines of her features.

Kade stood on the opposite side of the altar, his shirt removed, his chest bare. The knife gleamed in his hand.

"The blood must be given freely," Maeve said, her voice echoing in the chamber. "And the bond between father and child must be acknowledged. This is the first step in awakening her wolf."

Kade nodded. He didn't look at me. His eyes were fixed on Aria, and there was something raw and desperate in his gaze.

"Begin," he said.

Maeve began to chant in the ancient tongue, her voice rising and falling like a wave. The symbols on the walls seemed to pulse with light, and the air grew thick with energy. I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

Then, with a single fluid motion, Kade drew the blade across his palm.

Blood dripped onto Aria's forehead, and she gasped.

Her tiny body arched off the altar, her eyes snapping open for the first time in days. They were glowing—bright silver, just like her father's. A sound escaped her lips, something between a whimper and a growl, and I felt my own wolf surge inside me, responding to the awakening of her pup.

"Hold her," Maeve commanded.

I rushed forward and gripped Aria's small hands, tears streaming down my face. "I'm here, baby. I'm here. Don't be scared."

She looked up at me with those glowing eyes, and for a moment, I saw the wolf inside her. Fierce and wild and beautiful.

Then the light faded, and she went limp.

I screamed.

But before I could panic, Maeve placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's done. The fever is breaking. She'll be weak for a few days, but she'll survive."

I sobbed with relief, pressing my forehead against Aria's tiny hands.

"Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you."

Maeve smiled softly. "Thank the Alpha. He gave his blood willingly. The bond is formed now."

I looked up at Kade.

He stood motionless, his wounded hand still raised, his eyes locked on Aria. The blood dripped down his arm, but he didn't seem to notice.

He looked like a man who had just found something he never knew he'd lost.

And I knew, in that moment, everything had changed.

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### End of Chapter 4

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