Chapter 227

Chapter 227
WREN

The pain came in waves, sharp, pulsing, and constant. Every breath felt like a battle. Cassian carried me down the hallway, his grip iron-strong, his scent the only thing keeping me grounded.

The annex had been transformed in preparation for the birth. Bright white sheets hung along the walls to give privacy, the scent of antiseptic and herbs filling the air. The soft beeping of machines replaced the usual stillness. It wasn’t a home anymore. It was a makeshift hospital.

Doctors moved around quickly, voices low but tense. Reed stood at the door barking orders, trying to keep the worried pack members out.

Cassian set me gently on the bed as the pack doctor came forward.

“As you already know, we will be going through with the C-section, she's fully dilated but too weak to push,” he said to Cassian, his voice brisk.

Cassian nodded, his hand still clutching mine. “Do whatever you have to. Just keep them both safe.”

The doctor met his gaze. “We’ll do our best, Alpha.”

I tried to steady my breathing, but fear pressed heavy on my chest. My whole body trembled. “Cassian…”

He turned to me immediately, brushing the damp hair from my forehead. “I’m here, Wren. I’m not going anywhere.”

“What if..." I swallowed hard. “What if something happens?”

He cut me off softly, shaking his head. “Nothing’s going to happen. You hear me? You’re the strongest person I know. You’ve survived everything life’s thrown at you. You’re not leaving me now."

Tears welled in my eyes. “Promise me you’ll protect her, Cassian. No matter what happens.”

His grip on my hand tightened, his voice rough. “Don’t talk like that. You’re both going to be fine.”

The nurses began prepping me, adjusting the machines and setting up the sterile instruments. The lights above me blazed white, and everything felt distant, echoing.

The doctor leaned over me. “We’ll start the anesthesia now, Luna. You’ll feel pressure, not pain. Alpha, you can stay by her side.”

Cassian nodded, lowering his head beside mine as the nurse placed a mask over my face.

“You’ll feel sleepy soon,” the nurse whispered.

I tried to focus on Cassian’s eyes, that dark, steady warmth that had become my anchor.

“Cassian?” I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.

“I’m right here,” he said, pressing a kiss to my hand. “Always.”

The lights blurred, and the world began to fade into a dull hum of voices.

.............................

When I opened my eyes again, everything was quiet, too quiet. For a split second, fear clawed through me.

Then I heard it, a small, piercing cry that shattered the silence.

My heart leapt.

“She’s here,” Cassian whispered, his voice trembling. I turned my head, and there she was, a tiny bundle in the nurse’s arms, pink and crying and absolutely perfect.

“She’s beautiful,” Cassian breathed. His eyes glistened as he reached out to touch her hand. “Our daughter.”

The nurse placed her gently in my arms. I could barely breathe as I looked down at her. She had a small tuft of dark hair and the faintest little ears that flicked at the top of her head before disappearing again, a sign of her wolf heritage.

“She’s… she’s so small,” I whispered, tears spilling freely now.

Cassian smiled through his own tears. “She’s perfect.”

“What should we name her?” I asked softly, brushing my thumb over her tiny fingers. Cassian and I had deliberated on names for weeks on end, we hadn't settled on any yet.

He looked at me, then at our daughter. “You choose.”

I thought for a moment, the name forming in my heart before I could even speak it. “Eliana,” I said finally.

Cassian’s smile deepened, warm and proud. “Eliana. Our little light.”

She blinked up at us with wide, curious eyes, the same amber color as his. My chest ached with love so strong it hurt. Every part of me wanted to protect her.

But somewhere deep down, beneath all that warmth, I knew what I had to do.

.............

The priestess arrived later that night, her robes whispering against the floor as she entered the annex. She bowed slightly to Cassian before turning her sharp eyes to me.

“How is she?” she asked softly.

“Sleeping,” I said, my voice quiet. Eliana lay in the bassinet beside me, her little chest rising and falling in steady rhythm.

The priestess smiled faintly. “A healthy child. You are blessed, Luna.”

Cassian sat near the bed, his hand never leaving mine. He hadn’t slept since the operation. His gaze shifted between me and the priestess, wary.

But I had made up my mind.

“Priestess,” I began quietly. “I need to speak with you alone.”

Cassian frowned instantly. “Anything you have to say, you can say in front of me.”

I looked at him, my voice gentle but firm. “Please, Cass. Just a moment.”

He hesitated, then nodded slowly. “I’ll be right outside,” he said. He brushed his fingers across my cheek before stepping out, closing the door behind him.

The priestess turned back to me, her expression patient. “What troubles you, child?”

I took a slow breath. “I want to break the curse.”

She froze. “Wren… you know what you’re saying?”

“Yes.”

Her eyes widened, her voice dropping. “There are only two ways the curse can be broken. Alexander must willingly undo it, or..."

“Or I must give my blood,” I finished for her. “My life.”

The priestess stared at me in stunned silence. “You cannot mean that. You have a child now. A family. To give your life would...”

“Save them,” I interrupted softly.

She shook her head, stepping closer. “You do not understand what you’re offering. To break the curse as a nine-tailed fox means sacrificing everything, your soul, your essence. You would cease to exist.”

Tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t look away. “If that’s the price, I am willing to pay it.”

“Wren…” Her voice broke. “Think of Cassian. Think of Eliana.”

“I am thinking of them,” I whispered fiercely. “That’s why I have to do this. The curse took so much from Cassian’s bloodline. It destroyed families before ours. I can’t let it take our daughter too. Not her.”

The priestess sank to her knees beside my bed, grasping my hand. “Child, please. There may still be another way..."

“There isn’t,” I said softly. “You know it as well as I do. Alexander will never break it willingly."

Silence filled the room, thick and heavy. Eliana stirred in her bassinet, a small whimper escaping her lips. I reached over, brushing my fingers against her cheek.

“She deserves a life free from fear,” I whispered. “She deserves to grow up without a curse hanging over her head. She deserves to grow up and not fear such wretched curse. I want to give her the world."

The priestess’s eyes glistened. “Wren, if you go through with this, Cassian will never forgive me.”

“He will,” I said quietly. “In time. He’ll understand.”

She shook her head, voice trembling. “No mother should have to make this choice.”

I smiled weakly, tears spilling down my face. “Maybe not. But if it means she lives… then it’s no choice at all.”

The priestess pressed her lips together, clearly torn. “You are brave beyond words, Wren. But I beg you, give yourself time. Think about this. Let your body heal first."

“There isn’t time,” I whispered. “The curse could strike any day. I won’t take that chance.”

She wiped at her eyes, then bowed her head. “I will do as you ask. But may the Moon Goddess forgive me for helping you.”

“She will,” I said softly, glancing at Eliana. “Because I’m doing this out of love.”