"You hear that, little one? The council will have a coronary. A true-blood vampire, Alpha King Magnus." She kissed the boy’s forehead, laughter bubbling softly from her chest. "Imagine the looks on their faces."
Kyllian’s gaze lingered on the boy, an idea forming in his head, then shifted to the queen mother. "Do you think it’s possible?" he asked quietly. "To unite our kingdoms under the rightful heir? The Sinclairs will still have the throne."
"A vampire cannot rule us, Kyllian. It doesn’t matter how noble your intention is," Ravena said firmly. "But unity is a beautiful thing, and I am glad you are on board with it."
Kyllian nodded, his head bowing slightly in acknowledgement. He knew Ravena was right—wolves would never accept a vampire as their ruler. It didn’t matter that Magnus was of the lineage of an Alpha King. In their eyes, his fangs would forever damn him.
Magnus fussed in Ravena’s arms, his tiny body wriggling as he let out a high-pitched cry. Ravena rocked him gently, humming under her breath—an old lullaby. The child’s cries softened. "Hush, my darling," Ravena whispered.
Kyllian’s gaze softened against his will. He wanted to shield the child, to raise his sword against every threat. His mouth opened to say something but movement caught his attention.
The fingers of the unconscious woman twitched again. At first, he thought he imagined it. But then, the subtle flex of tendons, the slight curl of her knuckles, was undeniable. His chest tightened, eyes narrowing as he snapped toward the doctor. "Did you see that?"
"Yes, your highness," the doctor confirmed quickly, already moving toward the bedside. Then, like the breaking of dawn, the woman’s eyes fluttered open.
"She’s... she’s awake," the doctor whispered.
Kyllian and Ravena moved closer in unison, drawn by instinct.
"You saved me..." Her eyes found Kyllian’s, locking onto him.
Kyllian stiffened, unused to such direct vulnerability aimed at him. A strange warmth stirred low in his chest, and he quickly shoved it down before it could grow roots. "Thank you," she rasped again.
"Get her some water," Ravena ordered crisply. The doctor scrambled to obey.
"Now is not the time to talk," Kyllian said firmly, leaning down. "I’m glad you are awake. You get better, and you can tell me what happened to you."
The woman blinked slowly, her lashes trembling.
"My baby?" the woman asked.
"Your baby is fine," the doctor soothed quickly, pressing the rim of a cup to her lips
Her trembling fingers wrapped around the cup with effort, and she drank greedily, water spilling down her chin. "Oh thank the goddess..." she whispered, shoulders sagging against the pillows. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, relief so raw it twisted the room around her.
Kyllian forced his features back into the mask of a king. "I’ll leave the doctor to attend to you. I will check on you later, okay," he said.
He turned on his heel and rested a guiding hand on Ravena’s back, leading her out of the room.
The door had barely closed when Magnus erupted into a violent screech.
"I think he is hungry. I’ll go feed him," Ravena said, patting his back with firm, practiced motions.
"Are his parents back yet?" Kyllian asked,.
"I haven’t seen them. No matter," Ravena said with a sly grin, kissing the crown of Magnus’s head. "I love having him all to myself." The boy howled louder, and she chuckled softly. "See? He agrees." With that, she swept down the corridor.
Damien and Luna arrived back at the palace closer to noon. They had spent the night in the woods, tangled in each other until dawn, and the morning wandering through the town—just another couple strolling hand in hand.
But the moment their boots touched the castle steps, reality came rushing back. As they neared the entrance, the piercing sound of Magnus’s cry split the air.
Luna’s heart clenched instantly. Hiking her dress, she sprinted into the castle, her pulse thundering in rhythm with her son’s cries.
She found her mother in the grand parlour, standing regally in the center of the room with the wailing child in her arms.
"Mother? What’s going on?" Luna asked.
"I don’t know," Ravena admitted, cheeks flushed and eyes frantic, her arms aching from holding the wriggling infant. "He has been crying all morning. I’ve tried everything. Nothing works. I have done everything I can."
Damien appeared, his gaze cut through the room and landed on his son. Luna turned instinctively, as if Damien’s shadow could shield her from the panic curling in her chest. She reached out and took Magnus into her arms, pressing him close. "Hey, Magnus... mummy is here. It’s okay." The crying didn’t stop.
"When did this start?" Damien asked, his eyes flickering with unease..
"Just this morning," Ravena explained, wringing her hands. "He was fine—perfectly fine. I went to check in on the injured lady. She woke up. We decided to leave so the doctor could work. And then it began. Out of nowhere. I thought he was hungry, but he refused the bottle." Panic sharpened her voice.
"What?" Luna demanded, eyes snapping to Damien. His face had changed—the sharp lines of his jaw were drawn tighter. His nostrils flared. "What, Damien? Say it. Don’t keep me in the dark."
"I don’t know, Luna. This is odd. Too odd for a true blood child. Raising one is easy. They sleep when they should, feed when they should, never get sick. But this..." He gestured helplessly at Magnus. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NovᴇlFire(.)nᴇt
"You said you were in the injured woman’s room? You think her aura wants him to submit?"
Luna’s heart stuttered. She adjusted Magnus against her chest, almost snarling in instinct. "Well, Magnus isn’t a werewolf," she countered. "If she didn’t affect you..." She faltered.
"But she affected you. And you are his mother," Damien pointed out.
"She affected you?" Ravena’s gaze narrowed, shifting to her daughter.
"Yes," Luna admitted. "I felt the sudden urge to submit as soon as I stepped in."
Things are beginning to wrap up in the Vampire’s Luna. I’m going to miss these characters. Phew