Chapter 261: The Alpha's Heir

A heavy silence hung in the hallway until the soft padding of heavy boots announced the healer. He rushed in, eyes wide, and Felda was lifted swiftly, her limp form carried into the inner healing chambers.

King Daze didn't let go of her hand until the healer firmly motioned them back. Even then, neither the king nor Tovanna would leave the room. They pulled two heavy wooden chairs right against the side of the low bed, sitting so close their knees brushed the mattress, refusing to move an inch.

The healer examined her pulse, his fingers pressing against her thin wrist. Then he checked her lower stomach, his hands glowing with a faint, warm silver aura of wolf magic. When he pulled back, a wide, relieved smile broke across his face, an expression so unusually bright it caught the king off guard.

King Daze narrowed his eyes, his deep voice dropping to a low, commanding growl. "Spill it out. What was wrong with her?"

The healer bowed his head quickly, a grin still tugging at his lips. "Congratulations, your majesty. She is eight weeks pregnant."

The King froze. He sat completely still on the edge of the bed, his massive frame rigid.

Beside him, Tovanna let out a loud, breathless shriek of pure joy. "Finally! I'll have a sibling after all these years!" In her excitement, she lunged forward to hug Felda, who lay pale and still on the blankets.

The healer threw his hands up, his voice sharp with warning. "Careful, princess! Be gentle with her!"

Tovanna caught herself mid-motion. Her eyes widened, and she quickly adjusted her weight, pulling back with a nervous breath. A huge, toothy smile stayed plastered across her face as she looked down at Felda’s flat stomach.

King Daze stared at her face; beneath his hardened exterior, a warm, foreign weight settled in his chest. True, things between them had been broken, bitter, and cold for so long. But the crushing label of barren, the shadow that had hung over her name in the pack, was gone.

She was carrying life. His blood. His real, true flesh and bone. Looking at her pale face, a strange surge of fierce protectiveness twisted deep inside his ribs.

He leaned forward, pressing a slow, heavy kiss onto her sweaty forehead. Then, he looked up at the healer, his voice dropping into the deep, echoing tone of an Alpha issuing a decree. "Give her everything she needs. Burn every herb, fetch every remedy. If so much as a speck of dust touches my child, I will hold you responsible."

The healer swallowed hard and nodded, backing away slowly. "Yes, your majesty."

Tovanna’s smile faltered slightly. She looked up at her father, her eyes lingering on the way he had said my child. A cold knot formed in her chest. She couldn't help the small, bitter thought that crept into her mind... he hadn’t called her that in a long time. Not since she had arrived here, not since the tension filled the halls. Did he only care about the new blood? Was she pushed aside now?

The words spilled out of her mouth before she could swallow them back. "What about me, father? Am I not your child?"

King Daze turned his head, his sharp green eyes softening as he looked down at his daughter. He reached out, placing a heavy, warm hand on her shoulder. "You're my daughter, Tovanna. You'll always be my child, my princess."

Tovanna let out a long breath, a small smile returning to her lips as she looked back down at her sleeping mother. It was rare for him to offer reassurance like that, and for the first time in years, the simple words felt warm against her skin.

•••

Minutes blurred into hours until a soft groan broke the quiet of the room.

"Where am I?" Felda muttered, her voice rough and dry as sandpaper. She stirred, her eyelids fluttering. She rolled heavily to her side, her fingers brushing against warm fabric and solid muscle. Panic flared in her chest. She jerked back, her hands clawing blindly at the blankets. "Am I back in the evil forest? Did they bring me back?"

King Daze’s heart clenched hard against his ribs. The mere mention of that dark, freezing place sent a sharp spike of guilt through his veins. He reached out instantly, his large, calloused hand wrapping firmly around her trembling fingers to stop her thrashing. "No. You’re not there. You’re here with me. I couldn't let you leave again."

She froze. The rough, deep rumble of his voice, a voice she had memorized in her nightmares and her loneliest nights, vibrated right through her bones.

Slowly, she forced her heavy eyelashes open. The dim stone walls of the royal chamber came into focus, and beside her sat the massive, imposing silhouette of the Alpha king himself.

She blinked hard, as if testing if he were a ghost. "Your Majesty?"

"Yes, it's me, Felda," he said softly, a tone he reserved for no one else. He slid his arm behind her shoulders, lifting her easily against the plush pillows.

Her eyes darted around the grand room. The rich furs, the heavy mahogany pillars- she knew this place too well. "Didn't you... didn't you chase us away again? How did I get here? Why am I in your chamber?"

Before she could pull away or ask another question, King Daze leaned in. He cupped the back of her head and pressed his lips hard against hers.

Felda froze in absolute shock. Her eyes stayed wide open for a second, her breath catching in her throat. But the familiar warmth of him, the scent of cedar and smoke that she had craved for years, melted her resistance. Her shoulders slackened, and she let him in, her lips parting softly as she surrendered to the heavy pull of his kiss.

When he finally pulled back, his chest was rising and falling heavily. He didn't let go of her face, his thumb gently stroking her high cheekbone, wiping away a stray tear she hadn't realized was falling.

"You're pregnant with my child, Felda," he whispered, the words thick with an emotion he rarely let the pack see. "After all these years of them calling you barren... you're carrying my heir. You're an amazing woman, Felda."

Felda stared at him, her breath hitching as the words settled deep into her soul.