125Ian’s POVI walked out of the chamber, going after Sophia, my chest rising and falling heavily while I made sure to keep my senses alert just in case Aldric wanted attack from behind. I wouldn’t put it past him. It was something he could do. In his moment of rage he could forget that Sophia was with me and she was not tm be harmed.I sucked in my lower teeth, my heart pounding hard and loud in my ear. Truth be told, Sophia had been very reckless. Very reckless with the stunt she just pulled. Didn’t she understand that I was doing my best to keep her safe and so that the council wouldn’t see her as a threat? Why did she have to go and destroy my efforts with that stunt? Why didn’t she realize that it was exactly what they wanted, and she fell for the trap.I ran my hands through my hair as I finally found her standing in the balcony of her room.I opened my mouth to speak but she beat me to it. “If you’re here to scold me, just do it and get on with it please,” she murmured icily.
126Sophia’s POVThe darkness of the night surrounded us, thick and silent. Ian and I had fallen asleep in the vampire realm’s castle, wrapped in the warmth of each other’s arms. For once, everything seemed peaceful. The council’s constant pressures, the growing threat of rebellion—it all felt non-existent. In this room, it was just Ian and me.But peace, I was learning, never lasted.I stirred awake, not because of a sound, but because of a feeling. Something wasn’t right. My instincts had been sharpening ever since I became a vampire, and right now, they were screaming at me. I sat up slowly, blinking into the darkness, my heart pounding. I glanced over at Ian, still sleeping beside me, his face calm and unbothered.That’s when I heard it.A low, guttural growl echoed from just outside the window, followed by the sound of something—or someone—scraping against stone. My breath hitched, and I moved to shake Ian awake when the window shattered.Glass rained down on us as dark, hulking
127Ian’s POVThe pain in my shoulder throbbed, a dull ache spreading through my entire body as I pushed myself upright. My vision blurred for a moment, the effects of the werewolf bite still lingering. Everything felt wrong. Sophia was gone, taken, and I had been left behind. The thought of her, out there with those monsters, twisted my insides with a mix of anger and fear. I could sense Jacob and Jenny here with me but I didn’t know when they had come in here.“Where is she?” I muttered, my voice hoarse as I tried to push away the haze of pain.Jacob appeared in front of me, his face tight with worry. “We don’t know. The werewolves retreated after they took her.”That statement alone ignited a burning rage within me. I staggered to my feet, gripping the edge of the table for support. My body screamed at me to stop, to rest, but I couldn’t afford to. Sophia was out there. Alone. In danger. And I had failed to protect her.I swore under my breath, the bitterness of it sitting heavy on
128Sophia’s POVMy head throbbed as I slowly came to consciousness, the world around me spinning in a haze of confusion. My body felt like it was on fire, every nerve screaming in pain. I tried to move, but my arms were bound tightly behind my back, my wrists raw from the rough rope. A sharp metallic taste lingered in my mouth—blood, my blood.Where am I?The room around me was dark, cold, and smelled of damp earth. I struggled to focus, but my mind was clouded, drifting in and out of consciousness like a bad dream. Every time I tried to concentrate, the fog pulled me back under. I didn’t know how long I’d been here or how many times they had moved me. I only knew one thing: I was in deep trouble.A sudden movement snapped me back to awareness. Footsteps. Heavy, deliberate. I tensed, my heartbeat quickening. I couldn’t see them, but I knew they were close. My captors. Whoever they were, they’d been keeping me in this state for what felt like days—dosing me with some kind of drug that
129Ian’s POV.I was losing my mind.Days had passed since Sophia had been taken, and every moment she was gone felt like a thousand knives twisting inside me. The search parties I had sent out were turning up with nothing. We had scoured every inch of the vampire realm and beyond, using every resource, every contact I had, but still, nothing.I couldn’t even focus. My thoughts were a constant barrage of worst-case scenarios. The thought of her being hurt, tortured, or worse—dead—was a poison spreading through my veins. I’d promised to protect her, and now she was out there, somewhere, suffering because of me. I was her king, her protector, and I’d failed her. It was a failure I couldn’t accept.“Anything new?” I asked Jacob, my voice tight with desperation as he walked into the room. I could tell from his face that the answer was no.Jacob shook his head, his expression grim. “We’re still searching, but—”“I don’t want to hear excuses,” I snapped, my voice louder than I intended. The
130Ian’s POVWe found her.The moment I caught her scent, faint but still there, it was as if the world narrowed down to that one thing—Sophia. Her pain, her suffering, all of it came crashing down on me, sharper and more real than anything I’d felt in my life. I didn’t say a word as I surged forward, faster than I ever thought possible, driven purely by the need to get to her. To save her.The place where they kept her was a decrepit warehouse, reeking of blood and decay. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered except her. I could hear the low voices of the men inside, smug and unbothered, unaware that death was coming for them. I could feel both Jacob and Jenny behind me along with some of my most trusted men. I closed my eyes tight, inhaling and trying to get my mind in the right place before I barged in and killed them all. I kicked the door in with a force that sent it flying off its hinges.The room was dimly lit, filthy, and reeking of pain. And there she was, chained in the cor
131Jacob’s POVThe tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Jenny was pacing back and forth, her hands balled into fists, while Ian sat, his face buried in his hands. He wasn’t used to being this... helpless. None of us were. We had spent days searching for Sophia, and now that we finally had her back, broken but alive, the adrenaline that had been keeping us moving was wearing off.Sophia was in the other room with Lyanna, who was working to stabilize her. Jenny had barely been able to look at her without tears welling up, and Ian had been on the edge of losing it the entire time. But we had something else to deal with.I glanced at Ian. He still hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken since Lyanna had reassured him that Sophia would make it through the night. “Ian,” I said, my voice low. “We need to go. We’ve got him locked up, and we need answers.”His head lifted slowly, bloodshot eyes locking with mine. For a second, I wasn’t sure he even heard me. But then he nodded, stand
132Lyanna’s POVThe quiet hum of magic surrounded me as I sat by Sophia’s bedside, watching her chest rise and fall in slow, shallow breaths. The lightening of the room was dim and I was very exhausted, but I couldn’t leave her side. Not now.Sophia had been through hell, and though her physical wounds were healing, there was a darkness that clung to her spirit. I could sense it in the way her aura flickered, unstable and bruised. I had done everything I could to stabilize her, but the damage inflicted by her captors went deeper than mere flesh. It was as if they had tried to break her from the inside out.But there was something else, something I hadn’t noticed before. A faint scent lingered in the air, just barely detectable over the usual metallic tang of blood and the earthy smell of herbs. It was… different. New. I frowned, my senses sharpening as I inhaled again, trying to pinpoint it.What is that? It wasn’t anything I’d smelled on her before, nor did it belong to the werewolv
191Ian’s POVThe weight of my child in my arms was heavier than I expected, but not in a way that tired me. It was a weight that filled me with awe, a kind of responsibility I had never imagined could feel so peaceful. Ava’s tiny fists curled against my chest, soft breaths rising and falling in the perfect rhythm of sleep. For the first time in what felt like forever, everything was still, everything was peaceful.I sat in the rocking chair near the window, dim light filtering thought the curtain. The house was quiet—Sophia was resting in the bedroom, exhausted but content after the birth. I had barely left her side since she’d gone into labor, unable to help the overwhelming sense of protectiveness that surged through me.But now, as I held this tiny life in my hands, all the fear and chaos we had gone through seemed to fade away. It was just us—our family.“Hey there,” I whispered softly, my voice barely more than a breath as I gazed down at my child. “You’re finally here.”I felt
190Jenny’s POVThe news hit me like a tidal wave. I stared down at the test in my hand, my heart pounding in my chest, unsure whether to scream in shock or laugh in disbelief. Pregnant. I was pregnant.Jacob was in the kitchen, making us a late breakfast. I could hear the soft clatter of pans and the gentle hum of music from the living room, but I couldn’t move. For a moment, I felt frozen in place, my thoughts racing.We weren’t trying for a baby. We weren’t ever going to try. I was a vampire and even though Sophia was able to get pregnant, it didn’t mean I could too. But here it was, plain as day. The test didn’t lie.I felt a mixture of emotions swirl through me—happiness, fear, excitement. All at once, it seemed like everything in my life was about to change. But most of all, I was happy. I was so happy. Everything that had happened the past year ran through my mind all at once. The attacks, falling in love with Jacob, turning into a vampire, fearing that Jacob would leave me for
189Sophia’s POVIt was happening. It was really happening. After months of waiting, months of uncertainty, fear, and hope, she was finally here. My body was aching but not as much as I guessed it should be.I glanced over at Ian, who stood by my side, his hand gripping mine tightly. His face was filled with anxiousness. His thumb rubbed small circles against my palm, trying to soothe me, but I could feel the tension in his grip. This was a moment that neither of us could control, a moment we could only experience.“You’re doing amazing, Sophia,” Ian whispered, his voice low and steady, although it was trembling. His eyes met mine. “Just breathe.”I nodded, though the pressure in my abdomen made it hard to do anything other than focus on the next breath. I squeezed his hand in response, letting him know I heard him, even if I couldn’t find the words right now.The room around us was a blur. I barely registered the blur of voices—the midwife, a nurse—guiding me through the process. My
188Jenny’s POVThe day had finally come—my wedding day. I should’ve been nervous, or maybe overwhelmed by everything, but instead, I felt oddly calm as I sat in the small room at the back of the church, waiting for my moment to walk down the aisle. My fingers traced the intricate lace on my wedding dress, a soft white gown that had been perfect the moment I saw it. It was exactly how I had imagined my wedding to be—simple, intimate, and with the people I cared about most.Sophia sat next to me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “You look incredible, Jenny,” she said with a smile that reached her eyes.“Thanks, Soph,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant, but there was a catch in my throat. “It’s kind of crazy, isn’t it? That I’m actually doing this?”She laughed softly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “A little bit, yeah. I thought you were joking last week when you said you and Jacob are getting married. But you and Jacob are meant to be. I’m just happy you’re doing
187Ian’s POVThe sun was setting, making the vampire realm look pale. It used to be pretty to look at, but now the usual beauty felt hollow. Some parts of the ground was still red from all the blood that had dried on it, and though the air was quieter, it felt heavy. I stood in the middle of the courtyard, watching as the survivors moved about, trying to restore what had been broken.It wasn’t just the buildings that needed rebuilding. It was us—me, Sophia, the council, everyone.As the king, I had always known the weight and responsibilty of leadership but never like this. The battle exhausted on all of us, but there was a strange sense of relief hanging in the air, as if the worst had finally passed. The constant fear was gone. For now, at least.I felt Sophia approach before she spoke. Her presence felt like a soft, steady energy that I could feel even when I wasn’t looking. She stepped beside me, her hand slipping into mine, and for a moment, we just stood there, side by side, lo
186Sophia’s POVThe air in the realm felt different after the battle settled down. The energy that pulsed through the vampire realm seemed dulled, weighed down by loss and grief. The rogue faction was defeated, but the victory felt hollow. So much had been sacrificed. Too much.I stood on the edge of the courtyard, looking out over the horizon. The sun was setting but I barely noticed its beauty. My thoughts were heavy with the weight of everything that had happened. Lyanna was gone. The thought of it felt like a punch to the chest every time it crossed my mind. She had saved us, saved me and our baby, but the cost was her life.“I can’t believe she’s gone,” I whispered to Ian, who was standing beside me, his hand resting on my shoulder.Ian’s expression was hard, his jaw clenched as he stared out at the horizon. He hadn’t said much since the battle ended, the stiffness in his body telling me how much he was struggling to keep his emotions in check.“She was one of the strongest witc
185Lyanna’s POVThe visions had been coming in waves—dark and scary. I’d seen this battle long before it arrived, the pieces falling into place, the danger coiling around us like a snake waiting to strike. But no vision had prepared me for this.The air was thick with the stench of blood and fury, and the sounds of bodies coliding with each other filled my ear. I was at the edge of the battlefield, my senses tingling with the power I held. Magic pulsed in my veins, begging to be released, but I held it back, waiting for the right moment. Timing was everything.In the distance, I saw Ian fighting Mike, lunging at each other, blow after blow. Ian was struggling, that much was clear. Mike was pushing him to his limits, and it took everything in Ian just to stay on his feet.And then there was Sophia. I could feel her fear from here, her desperation. She was with Jacob, fighting off a swarm of rogue vampires, her body slower than usual. Her own power was wearing out. The pregnancy was ta
184Ian’s POVIt felt as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for the battle to begin. We were in a neutral territory, a clearing deep in the forest that was between the vampire realm and the outskirts of the human world. I could tell that the place had seen conflict before, the ground stained with the blood of wars long past. Now it would see another.I could hear the sounds of my forces assembling behind me—vampires sharpening their blades and stakes, speaking in low, tense whispers as they prepared for the fight that would start any moment from now. The weight of responsibility hung heavy on my shoulders. I had never wanted this, to be a king at war. But here I was, leading an army to stop a rebellion that threatened everything I had fought to protect.Sophia stood at my side, her eyes scanning the area. She was pale but resolute, and I could see the fire burning in her. Even now, pregnant with our child, she refused to leave my side. I had argued, pleaded with her t
183Ian’s POVI paced about in the room, my heart beating hard and fast and my mind running through different thoughts. Every moment felt like a taut wire, stretched thin between the safety I wanted for Sophia and the threats that I couldn’t fully shield her from. The attacks had slowed, but that only made me more nervous. It was like the calm before a storm, and I could feel the storm brewing.Sophia was sitting on the couch, her hands resting on the gentle swell of her stomach. Our child. It only made me think harder about all the different things I could do to keep Sophia out of danger.“We need to talk,” I said, breaking the silence.Her gaze met mine, steady but expectant. “I know what you’re going to say.”“I don’t think you do,” I replied, running a hand through my hair, frustration leaking into my voice. “Sophia, I need you to stay in the human realm. You and the baby—”“No,” she cut me off, her voice firm. “We’ve talked about this already, Ian. I’m not staying behind while yo