Chapter 83 Aurelia And Thunder Howl To Walk The Same Path

Chapter 83 Aurelia And Thunder Howl To Walk The Same Path
APOLLO'S POV

The night after Caelum’s naming ceremony, the council convened once more. The banquet had filled the forest with laughter and music, but now the chamber of Aurelia’s council was filled with tension. I could feel it in the air before a single word was spoken.

Reika and I sat side by side at the long, black stone table, our son cradled in her arms, his tiny breaths soft against her chest. The council members sat in a half-circle before us, their robes heavy, their eyes sharp. King Theoron presided from his throne, his expression unreadable, though I could sense the conflict within him. He was not just a father tonight; he was the Lycan King, and his council would hold him to that role.

Lord Kaelen, Master of Arms, was the first to speak. His voice was deep and unyielding. “The heir has been named. But now we must discuss his future. Caelum is Aurelia’s blood, and Aurelia’s throne must shape him. He will remain here, in the empire, where he can be raised as a Lycan king.”

The words struck me like a blow. I leaned forward, my voice steady but laced with iron. “Caelum is my son as much as he is Reika’s. He is also the heir to Thunder Howl. He cannot be stripped of his birthright. He will grow with me, with his pack. I will not leave him behind.”

Murmurs rippled through the council. Lady Seraphine, Keeper of Lore, raised her hand gracefully, silencing the chamber. Her eyes bore into mine, sharp and knowing. “Alpha Apollo, the child carries Lycan royal blood. Aurelia has waited for this moment for generations. He must be raised among his people, taught our ways, and prepared for the throne. Would you deny Aurelia its rightful heir?”

Before I could speak, Reika rose to her feet, her voice ringing out clear and firm. “Do not make this harder than it has to be. Caelum is still young. He needs his parents, not a crown on his head, before he can walk. Do not speak as if he belongs more to Aurelia than to us.” She clutched Caelum closer, her protective instinct radiating from every word.

Lord Kaelen frowned, slamming his fist against the table. “Princess, with respect, he is no ordinary child. He must be prepared now. If he is to inherit Aurelia, he cannot be raised in a wolf pack far from our influence.”

I pushed back my chair and stood, my wolf, Ragnar, snarling within me. “Thunder Howl is not some distant, lesser place. My son will know what it means to be Alpha. He will know the loyalty of a pack, the strength of wolves, the blood of battle. You will not keep him caged in Aurelia like a bird stripped of its wings.”

The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. Half the council looked at me with disapproval, the other half with uncertainty. My words carried weight, but they also carried defiance.

At last, all eyes turned to Theoron. He had remained silent through it all, his hands clasped tightly on the arms of his throne. Now he rose slowly, his presence commanding silence.

“My council speaks with duty,” he said, his voice heavy. “They are sworn to Aurelia, and their loyalty is to this kingdom above all else. But I am also a father, and I will not dismiss my daughter’s plea, nor the bond she shares with Apollo. Still, Caelum is no ordinary child. He is the bridge of two legacies, and that truth cannot be ignored.”

He paused, his eyes sweeping across the chamber, before finally settling on me. “This matter cannot be decided in haste. For now, Caelum will remain with his parents. But the council is correct, his future belongs to Aurelia as well as Thunder Howl. When the time comes, he will be shaped by both.”

The council murmured, some dissatisfied, others resigned. Reika exhaled in relief, but I remained tense. I knew this was not the end of the battle. Caelum’s future was already being pulled in two directions, and though the King had spoken, the council’s eyes told me they would not let this matter rest.

I placed my hand over Reika’s, feeling Caelum stir softly against her chest. My voice dropped low, meant only for her. “No matter what they say, I will not let them take him from us.”

Her eyes met mine, steady and unwavering. “Nor will I.”

And in that silent vow, I knew we were united, not just as Alpha and Luna, but as parents who would fight the world itself for their son.

The council chamber had finally emptied, but the weight of their words lingered long after the echo of footsteps faded. I stood at the window, my jaw tight, watching the torches flicker in the palace courtyard below. Behind me, Reika shifted Caelum in her arms, rocking him gently as if to shield him from the storm that had just erupted.

Theoron remained seated on his throne, though he no longer looked the part of the unyielding Lycan King. In that moment, he looked older, wearier, as though the centuries weighed on him all at once. His eyes lingered on Caelum, and there was something vulnerable in his gaze, something that reminded me he was not just a king but a father and a grandfather.

“You must understand,” he said finally, his voice low but firm, “I am not merely a man who wants to see his grandson close. I am a king who has guarded Aurelia for centuries. I will not live forever. My line has been thin, with only Reika to inherit my crown. And now Caelum has been born, with both my blood and yours. He is a hope for my people. Hope for a future I may not live to see.”

I turned, my hand tightening into a fist. “And you would bind him to a throne before he has learned to walk? You would raise him on duty instead of love? No, Theoron. He is mine as much as Reika’s. He will not be shaped into a pawn of your council.”

Reika’s voice broke through the tension, calm but carrying steel beneath it. “Father,” she said softly, “you know I honor my duty. I know what it means to inherit Aurelia’s throne. But I am not ready to rule yet. I need time to train, to learn, to grow into the leader my people deserve. I will not abandon them, but nor will I abandon Apollo or our pack. My path is bound to both.”

Theoron’s eyes closed briefly, as if her words cut deeper than any blade. 
When he opened them again, his voice carried both pain and pride. “You speak as your mother once did, torn between duty and love. I will not deny your truth. But Reika… Aurelia cannot wait forever. My years are long behind me. I have ruled for over four centuries. Though I still carry the strength of fifty, I feel the Goddess’s shadow drawing near. I had hoped Caelum might carry the weight sooner, that I could see him stand where I stand before I am gone.”

His words silenced even my anger. For the first time, I saw him not as the commanding king who tested me at every turn, but as a man who feared leaving his people without a protector.

Reika stepped closer, laying her hand on his arm. “Then let me be that bridge, Father. I will rule when the time comes. But let me grow into it. Let me remain Apollo’s Luna while I prepare myself as Aurelia’s heir. And let Caelum be a child—our child—until he is grown. Please, don’t take that from him.”

Silence stretched between us. Theoron’s gaze shifted from his daughter to me, and for a moment, it felt as though the weight of centuries rested in his decision. Finally, he exhaled, his shoulders lowering.

“Very well,” he said, his voice heavy but resolute. “Caelum will remain with you, in Thunder Howl. He will grow under your guidance, learn the strength of wolves and the bond of a pack. But when he comes of age, when he reaches eighteen, we will revisit this. Then, and only then, will we decide if he inherits Aurelia’s crown, or if Reika carries it alone.”

Relief surged through me, though I kept my expression hard. I inclined my head slightly, acknowledging the compromise. “That is all I ask, that he be given the freedom of choice when he is grown. Not the burden of chains before he has lived.”

Reika let out a trembling breath, her grip tightening protectively around Caelum. Theoron reached out then, his hand brushing his grandson’s tiny head with surprising tenderness.

“He has my blood,” Theoron murmured. “But he also has yours. Perhaps the Moon Goddess knew what she was doing when she joined you both. Perhaps she meant for Aurelia and Thunder Howl to walk the same path.”

I met his eyes, and for once, there was no challenge between us. Only understanding. “Then let us honor that path, together.”

And in that dimly lit chamber, with our son asleep between us, we forged a fragile truce, not just for Aurelia or Thunder Howl, but for Caelum’s future.