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Chapter 251
Dorian’s POV
“What’s going on here?” Dario’s voice hit the air like a crack of thunder, sharp and demanding. His hands were clenched into fists, his gaze flicking between me and Elara as if trying to piece together a puzzle that didn’t quite make sense.
I straightened my back, my chest tightening at his tone. “Dario, listen-” I started, but his glare silenced me before I could finish.
“What is wrong with this child?” His eyes bore down on the baby in my arms, his voice rising in panic. “Lycans don’t give birth to pups that don’t have a wolf! This–this baby… he doesn’t have one. Should we call in the doctors to take a look?”
“Dario!” Elara’s voice cut through the tension, her hand pushing herself upright in the bed with a wince. She locked eyes with him. “The baby is fine.”
“But-”
I glanced at Elara. Her expression was hard but tired, her body weak, yet her eyes carried a plea I couldn’t ignore. “We need to tell him, Dorian. It’s time.”
My heart pounded in my chest. The weight of the secret hung between us, unspoken but felt by all. There was no way around it now. “Come closer, Dario,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “There’s something we need to tell you.”
Dario hesitated, his brows furrowing in confusion, but he took a slow step forward, moving closer to the bedside. His eyes fell to the baby, and his breath caught in his throat as he stared at the peaceful, sleeping child.
The baby, so small, so fragile, looked utterly helpless. His tiny face was a work of art–soft, with delicate features. His nose was button–like, and his cheeks had the faintest hint of pink. It was so beautiful, it made my chest ache with something I couldn’t quite place.
Dario reached out, almost tentatively, and brushed his finger against the baby’s cheek. The softness made him pull back instantly, as if he feared breaking the little one. But before he could withdraw, the baby’s tiny hand shot out and wrapped around his finger.
Dario froze. His eyes widened, as if the world had just tilted on its axis. His breath hitched, and his mouth opened, but no sound came out.
The silence felt thick, laden with something neither of us could name.
“This child…” Dario murmured, almost reverently, as he carefully held the baby’s tiny fingers, too stunned to pull away.
His voice was barely a whisper when I spoke again. “Dario, I need you to listen. What I’m about to tell you is…” I swallowed hard, unsure of how to finish, but there was no other way around it. “I’m not the biological father of this child.”
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Chapter 251
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Dario jerked back, his face draining of color. “What?” His voice was a mix of disbelief and confusion. “But Elara… she-”
He flicked a glanced at Elara, who gave him a small, weary nod, her eyes clouded with both sorrow and determination.
“I was already pregnant when Dorian brought me here,” she said quietly, her voice barely a whisper. “He needs an heir, and I want to keep this child… so we… we made a partnership.”
“Partnership?” Dario gasped, his face contorting with shock and disbelief. “You’re telling me that your relationship is nothing but a goddamn partnership? What the hell-”
“Lower your voice, Dario!” Dorian snapped, his tone sharp and urgent. The words felt like a slap in the silence that hung in the room. “We don’t want the whole castle to hear this.”
Dario’s jaw clenched, but he took a step back, breathing heavily, his eyes locked onto both of us with a mixture of disbelief and anger. “How could you… why didn’t you tell me?”
Elara’s eyes softened, and she turned her gaze to the baby in my arms. “I know this is a lot for you to take in, but the baby’s born. Dorian has declared me his Queen. There’s no going back. The truth is out now… and we need to protect him. We need you to help us.”
Dario stood there, frozen, processing the words like a storm inside him. His eyes darted between Elara and me, the weight of the decision gnawing at him.
“Please, Dario,” Elara whispered, her voice cracking as she looked at him with a tear–brimmed plea. “Take a look at him. The baby adores you. He needs protection, and we need you to help us. Please.”
Dario looked down at the baby, still holding his finger in a tiny, fragile grip. His heart seemed to stop. The world outside faded, leaving only this tiny, innocent life in his hands.
“I can’t,” he breathed, as though testing the words. “I can’t just help you cover up this… this lie. You’re asking me to betray everything we’ve built.”
“I’m asking you to protect them,” I said, my voice quiet but firm. “This kingdom is at risk, and the child’s safety depends on the secrecy we’re forced to keep. Can you do that? Can you protect them?”
Dario was silent for a long moment, his chest rising and falling in heavy breaths. He glanced once more at the baby, who was still holding his finger with an innocent trust that cut through the storm in Dario’s heart.
“Is it a boy or a girl?” he asked, his voice a little hoarse.
“A boy,” I said, the answer coming easy now, like I had been waiting for him to ask.
“Have you picked a name?” Dario asked, his hand hovering just above the baby’s forehead. His fingers trembled as he pushed a lock of wispy hair away from the child’s face.
For a moment, I thought he might refuse–might walk away—but then he took a deep breath and whispered, “Judith.”
He smiled, a soft, bittersweet smile that lingered in the air like a promise. “Judith… You are the heir of this
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Chapter 251
kingdom,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “And I swear to protect you… with my own life.”
Meanwhile, in the Blood Moon Pack
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The atmosphere was thick with chatter, the hum of excitement swirling in the air like a forgotten whisper. People were celebrating the birth of Princess Leira, Alpha Cael’s daughter. But none of that reached King Thorne’s ears.
He stood in the corner of the room, his eyes distant, as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He was a ghost among the living, untouched by the festivities surrounding him.
Suddenly, his back arched, and a shudder passed through him. His hand pressed against his chest as if something unseen was pressing down on him.
“King Thorne!” someone cried out, their voice tinged with concern.
“I… I feel…” he gasped, his voice rough, barely above a whisper. “It’s a bond… a connection… I feel it. But it’s not-”
He staggered, gripping the table in front of him, as though the force of what he felt might knock him to the ground. The guests around him exchanged wary glances, unsure of what to make of his words.
It felt like a mate bond, but it was different–strange, unfamiliar. His heart raced as the sensation surged through him, overwhelming his senses.
One brave guest, attempting to mask his unease, ventured, “King Thorne, it sounds like you’re speaking of a mate bond. But surely-”
Before he could finish, Thorne whipped around, fury blazing in his eyes.
“What did you just say?” His voice was a growl, low and menacing.
The guest recoiled, his face paling. “I… I didn’t mean-”
But it was too late. In one swift motion, Thorne grabbed the guest by the throat, slamming him against the wall. His grip tightened, and the room erupted into chaos.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Thorne snarled, his rage bubbling to the surface.
The guest struggled, gasping for air, but Thorne’s hold was unrelenting. The guests backed away in fear, their eyes wide as the tension exploded into violence.
And just as quickly, Alpha Cael was at Thorne’s side, spinning him around with a force that sent Thorne stumbling back.
“GET YOURSELF TOGETHER, THORNE!” Cael’s voice thundered through the room, raw and furious.
