Chapter 224
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I pressed my face against his chest, breathing in his cedar and mint scent, letting it steady me. “I’m scared, I admitted in a whisper. “Not
just for me. For the baby. For Nina and Mira and everyone here.”
“I know.” His hand stroked down my hair. “I’m scared too. But we’ll get through this. Together.”
I pulled back enough to look up at him. “Promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Don’t keep things from me. Don’t try to protect me by hiding information.” I held his gaze firmly. “I need to know what we’re facing. All
of it.”
He studied my face for a long moment, then nodded slowly. “Alright. No secrets. You’re my mate, my partner. You deserve the truth.”
“Thank you.”
We stood there for another moment, holding each other in the lamplight of his office. Outside, I could hear the compound settling into evening routines–healers finishing their shifts, warriors changing guard posts, the normal sounds of a functioning outpost.
But beneath that normalcy, I could feel the tension thrumming. The waiting. The sense that something was coming, dark and dangerous, and all we could do was prepare as best we could.
I touched my belly again, feeling the slight roundness there that was just beginning to show. I’ll keep you safe, I promised silently. And I’ll protect everyone here. Whatever it takes.
When Regis and I finally left the office and made our way back to our quarters, the compound was fully lit with torches and lanterns. Patrol wolves moved along the perimeter like shadows against shadows. Everyone was on edge, even if they didn’t know exactly why.
Nina was standing outside her door when we passed, wrapped in a shawl and staring up at the stars. She looked over at us as we approached, and I noticed her gaze was too sharp, too alert for someone simply taking in the night air.
“I saw the messenger,” she said before either of us could speak. “The young one–he nearly knocked me over running to the administrative wing. And then the patrol rotations changed within the hour. Her eyes moved between me and Regis with quiet precision. “Something happened. Something bad.”
Regis studied her for a moment, then gave a single, measured nod. “Elder Cornellus is no longer in custody.”
Nina’s expression didn’t shift dramatically–no sharp intake of breath, no visible shock. She simply pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders, as though the news had confirmed something she’d already been bracing for rather than surprised her. “Then he had people still working for him, besides Silas,” she said quietly. “Inside the capital.”
“That’s what it looks like, Regis replied.
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She was silent for a moment, her gaze drifting back up to the stars. “Be careful. Both of you. Whatever he’s planning, he’s had time to be angry about it.”
“We will, I promised. “You be careful too, Nina.”
She nodded and slipped back into her room, leaving Regis and me alone in the corridor.
“She’s right to be worried,” I murmured as we continued to our own quarters.
“So am I, Regis admitted. “But worrying won’t change what’s coming. All we can do is be ready.”
That night, I lay awake long after Regis had fallen into an uneasy sleep beside me. Through our bond, I could feel his restlessness even in
slumber–his wolf prowling and alert beneath the surface.
My hand rested on my belly, and I sent a pulse of calm through the bond to our child. Sleep, little one. I’m watching over you.
But even as I tried to project confidence, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were standing on the edge of something terrible. A storm
was gathering in the darkness, and when it broke, nothing would be the same.
All I could do was hope that when the time came, I’d be strong enough to face it.
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Tai Jun is a dreamer and storyteller who believes the sky is never the limit. He spends most of his time with his friend Lian, chasing new horizons and crafting tales that soar beyond boundaries.

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