Chapter 62: Unborn Child’s Bond

REIKA'S POV

My heart pounded in my chest as I stood among them, unable to look away from Apollo and Jupiter. The tension was suffocating, like the moment before a storm split the skies apart.

I wanted to scream for this to stop, for Apollo not to give in to his cousin’s arrogance. But when I looked at him, his sharp jaw clenched, his eyes burning with unshakable resolve, I knew there was no turning back. This was inevitable. Apollo had no choice.

Jupiter smirked with his usual arrogance, puffing out his chest as if he had already won. His mate clutched their son close, her eyes darting nervously around the crowd. The boy, however, stared at his father with fascination, his small hands gripping his mother's dress tightly.

Innocence did not belong here, but Jupiter had brought him anyway.

The crowd gasped as Jupiter began his shifts. The crack of bones

snapping echoed into the night. I held my breath, my heart lurching at the sight.

Jupiter’s shift was fast, almost desperate. His pale skin stretched, fur sprouting into a silvery-gray coat. His wolf was large, larger than most, but nowhere near Apollo’s sheer power. His eyes burned golden, wild with hunger for recognition and validation. He growled viciously, snapping his fangs as if trying to prove himself worthy.

Apollo followed, his body shuddering violently, his clothes tearing as his massive frame stretched and morphed. Fur as black as the void itself rippled across his skin, swallowing the man into the beast. His wolf, Ragnar, stood taller than any other, his muscular body brimming with power. His crimson eyes glowed like molten fire, filled with fury and the promise of destruction. His presence radiated dominance, making even the strongest pack warriors lower their gaze instinctively.

I swallowed hard. I had seen Ragnar before, when Apollo fought Nyx, but each time, it still left me breathless. He was terrifying and magnificent, a creature forged from shadows and blood.

The contrast between them was undeniable. Ragnar looked like a king born of fire and darkness, while Jupiter’s wolf looked like an ambitious pretender, all bark with little weight behind it.

The pack reacted instantly; some gasped, others whispered, the fear and awe mixing in the air. I could feel their loyalty tilting toward Apollo, even before the first strike.

The ground shook as Ragnar lunged forward, a blur of black fur and burning crimson eyes. The sound of his snarl reverberated through my bones. Jupiter met him head-on, his silver coat gleaming under the moonlight as their massive bodies collided with earth-shattering force.

Dust flew into the air, the ground cracking beneath the weight of their power. Their claws raked against each other, their growls and snarls echoing like thunder across the territory. Ragnar bit down hard on Jupiter’s shoulder, forcing a yelp from him, but Jupiter twisted free,

snapping his jaws dangerously close to Ragnar’s throat.

The pack erupted in cries and howls, the energy so high I could barely

breathe. I wanted to run to Apollo, to shield him somehow, but I knew that was impossible. This was not just a fight; it was a battle for his honor, his pack, his life.

My hands trembled as I whispered under my breath. “Please, Apollo…win this.”

Ragnar growled, his crimson eyes flashing as he pressed Jupiter into the ground with merciless force. But Jupiter fought back, his claws tearing fur and flesh. Blood spilled into the dirt.

The sight sent a chill down my spine. My mate, my Alpha, was in the fight of his life. And I could do nothing but watch.

I wasn’t expecting Jupiter to be so strong. I had seen Apollo fight before against Alpha Nyx, and in that battle, Apollo’s strength had been unmatched. Nyx hadn’t stood a chance against him. But now, as Jupiter’s wolf clashed with Apollo’s Ragnar under the moonlit sky, I could see this wasn’t the same. Jupiter wasn’t Nyx. His speed, his savagery, and the way he matched Apollo blow for blow sent chills through me.

My heart pounded in my chest so hard I thought it might burst. I clutched my tummy protectively, feeling the tiny life inside me, my pup. The ground shook with each impact of their massive bodies colliding. Ragnar’s black fur shimmered like steel under the torchlight, while Jupiter’s silver coat gleamed with a fierce brilliance. The two were locked in a deadly dance, teeth snapping, claws slashing, growls echoing across the night.

Apollo lunged, sinking his teeth near Jupiter’s shoulder, but Jupiter twisted out of it and slammed his weight into him. Ragnar stumbled back, claws digging into the earth to hold his ground.

The crowd gasped. My breath caught. Never had I seen anyone push Apollo this far. Jupiter was truly a monster.

I whispered to myself, “Please, Apollo, don’t lose. My pup and I need you.”

Then something strange happened. Heat bloomed in my belly, warm, radiant, almost unbearable. I gasped, stumbling as a faint glow pulsed from me. At first, I thought it was the moonlight playing tricks on my eyes, but then the light grew brighter, spilling from my stomach in waves. The pack murmured in confusion, and I wrapped my arms around myself, trembling.

The light stretched outward, forming a shimmering thread that shot across the air and connected directly to Ragnar. Apollo froze for a fraction of a second as the bond touched him, his crimson eyes widening in shock.

“What is happening?” I whispered, voice breaking. "My pup..." I clutched my belly.

The pack stirred restlessly, their whispers growing louder. None of us had ever seen anything like this before. It was as though the Moon Goddess herself had descended and chosen this very moment to bless the battlefield. It looked like a ritual, something ancient and sacred.

Then I felt it, the presence of our pup. Our child wasn’t just inside me; their power, their essence, was reaching out to Apollo. The light that flowed from my belly wrapped around Ragnar like armor, seeping into his black fur and igniting it with a crimson glow. His body seemed to grow stronger, his posture surer, his snarls more powerful.

Jupiter lunged again, but this time Ragnar caught him midair, his jaws locking around his cousin’s throat with a strength I had never seen before.

He slammed Jupiter into the ground with such force that the Earth cracked beneath them. The crowd roared in awe, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Tears filled my eyes as I realized the truth. Our pup, our unborn child, was giving Apollo strength. This bond between us, between all three of us, was something Jupiter could never understand.

Apollo rose, crimson eyes blazing with renewed fury, and for the first time since the fight began, I felt hope.