Chapter 129 Yes, My Wolf
With the immediate, suffocating weight of the crisis finally averted, the chaotic energy in the house began to settle into an exhausted quiet. Downstairs, Ginny was finally resting comfortably, her breathing even and deep beneath the heavy quilts. Jax sat vigil beside her, his broad shoulders hunched as he kept a watchful, tear-filled gaze fixed on her sleeping face, silently promising never to let her out of his sight again. Satisfied that they were stable, Magda quietly snapped her weathered leather bag shut. She hauled herself up the wooden stairs, her own bones aching, forcing her mind to pivot from the trauma below and turn her sharp, clinical focus toward Leela.
The faint scent of decay and dark magic still clung to the upstairs bedroom. Magda worked with quiet, methodical efficiency. Using a basin of warm water infused with soothing herbs, she began the painstaking process of washing away the vile, foul-smelling necrotic clay that had caked across Leela’s chest and stomach. The dark sludge was stubborn, finally sloughing off to reveal the angry, mottled bruising beneath—a fierce, painful testament to where the defensive crimson flowers had bloomed and burned her skin in their desperate bid to protect her life.
Once the physical taint was cleared, Magda called upon her own reserves. She hovered her hands over the Luna’s womb, letting a soft, luminescent golden glow seep from her palms to read the delicate auras within. The healer's brow furrowed in deep concentration.
"Your elemental core is completely depleted, Luna," Magda scolded, her tone gentle but threaded with undeniable authority as she pressed a warm, soothing palm flush against the center of Leela's stomach. "You practically emptied yourself, down to the very dregs of your spirit, to fuel that crystal. You are running on nothing but willpower."
She met Leela's exhausted, pale eyes. "I want you doing absolutely nothing for, and I mean it, at minimum the next three days. You will eat Elana’s heaviest, most calorie-dense meals and you will sleep. That is a medical order. Let your magic slowly, naturally refill. Thankfully, the baby is perfectly insulated by your remaining ambient energy. Completely unharmed, though..."
Magda paused. A small, knowing smile touched her lips, crinkling the corners of her eyes as she tuned into the tiny, thrumming lifeforce vibrating just beneath Leela's skin. It was a strong, rhythmic pulse, echoing like a tiny drum in the magical current.
She looked up, her gaze flicking between the exhausted Luna and Fennigan. He was sitting as close as he physically could on the edge of the mattress, his hands enveloping Leela's pale fingers, his jaw still tight with the lingering terror of almost losing her.
"And by the way," Magda added casually, her smile widening into something genuinely radiant as she began to pack her supplies away for the second time that night. She allowed the golden healing light to fade from her hands. "From the deep, steady resonance of this heartbeat... this one is definitely a boy."
Down the hall in the Alpha's suite, the heavy oak door finally clicked shut, sealing away the chaos, the Elders, and the political fallout of the morning.
Fennigan had hauled the twins' large, plush floor bed all the way from the nursery, situating it right on the rug beside their own mattress. It was the perfect compromise—Caspian and Briar were already dead to the world, safe and close enough to hear their parents breathing, but Leela wouldn't have to deal with rogue, kicky baby feet to her bruised ribs while she desperately tried to rest and recover her magic.
Fennigan pulled the heavy comforter back and gently supported Leela's waist, helping her carefully crawl into the center of the massive bed. She sank into the soft mattress with a heavy, deeply contented sigh, the bone-deep ache finally catching up with her.
"Alright," Fennigan murmured, his voice a soothing rumble as he brushed a stray, exhausted curl from her pale forehead. "I'm going to run down to the kitchen and get you a massive plate from Mom. You need food, Sparky."
He leaned down, intending to press a soft, quick kiss to her lips before he left.
But the moment their mouths brushed, Leela's hand darted up. Her fingers tangled firmly into the thick hair at the nape of his neck, and she pulled him down, capturing his mouth in a much deeper, lingering kiss. The sudden, intense surge of heat completely bypassed her physical exhaustion. It was a primal, undeniable spark of life demanding to be felt after hours of suffocating death magic.
Fennigan caught his breath, his hands instinctively bracing against the mattress on either side of her shoulders to keep his heavy weight off of her. He pulled back just an inch, his golden eyes wide with a mixture of sudden, heavy desire and sheer, protective shock.
"Lee... now?" Fennigan rasped, his gaze dropping worriedly to her stomach. "You're completely drained. The baby..."
Leela let out a soft, breathy laugh, a tired but undeniably wicked twinkle lighting up her vivid green eyes.
"You heard Magda," Leela whispered, her thumb gently stroking the strong line of his jaw. "Zephyr is perfect. He's insulated. And right now... something is telling me I need you. Now."
It wasn't just physical desire; it was the raw, undeniable mate bond crying out for the ultimate, grounding reassurance that they had both survived the dark. It was a desperate need to replace the lingering chill of the Whisper Wind with the absolute, consuming fire of her Alpha.
Fennigan swallowed hard, his fierce control immediately fracturing under the heavy, intoxicating scent of her arousal mixing with the lingering sweetness of the twins' baby shampoo.
"Sparky..." Fennigan hesitated, his voice a low, strained groan. He was completely at her mercy, but still terrified of pushing her recovering body too far.
Leela didn't let him finish the thought. She pulled him right back down, her lips parted as she kissed him again, kissing the last of his hesitation right out of his chest.
"Yes, my wolf," she whispered softly into his mouth.