Chapter 220: The Worries of the Eighth Month

Sacred Moon Hospital – Office of the Medical Director

The matte white walls were barely warmed by the screens displaying real-time biometric data. In the hushed silence of the office, only the soft hum of analysis modules hinted at the intensity of the recent evaluations.

Bastien, seated at his desk, stared at the charts sent by the lycan doctors. With a swift motion, he enlarged a growth curve. It was rising. Too fast.

“The cranial perimeter increased by another two centimeters,” he murmured. “And the estimated mass already exceeds the projections for a standard hybrid baby at this stage.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated.

“At this rate, the delivery’s going to be complicated. Even for Lya.”

Behind him, Myrria replied calmly, bringing up Kaelan’s latest energy projection on another screen:

“This is a child of high lineage, Bastien. His growth isn’t abnormal. It’s exceptional.”

“And that’s exactly what worries me,” Bastien replied bluntly. “The data from Zeberta is clear. The energy is stable, yes… but it’s radiating farther and farther. This level of intensity could trigger premature reactions.”

“Except it hasn’t,” Soraya interjected from where she was leaning against the glass wall, arms crossed. “He’s stable. And calm.”

“For now,” Bastien insisted. “Lya’s starting to feel stronger back pain, her nighttime heart rate is disrupted, and—”

“Bastien,” Myrria interrupted, turning to him. “There’s no sign of fetal stress. His energy isn’t unstable, it’s... harmonic. It resonates with his mother’s. And it’s that resonance that grounds him.”

He fell silent, glancing toward the floating image. Kaelan’s energy imprint pulsed like a contained sun, softly glowing.

“She already refuses to be away from Caleb or Loric,” Bastien added more quietly. “That’s not a good sign, psychologically. If she starts feeling cornered…”

“She’s not cornered,” Soraya cut in. “She’s following her instincts. And for a dragoness, that’s the best thing she can do. She knows exactly what she’s doing.”

A silence lingered.

“I’m keeping her under close observation,” Bastien concluded, resigned. “I really don’t want to be right in a few weeks. This isn’t going to be a standard delivery. And I can’t afford to be wrong.”

“You’re right to be cautious,” Myrria admitted. “We’re monitoring him, too. In our own way. But this baby won’t fit into any standard medical expectations.”

“He was born to surpass them,” Soraya added with a sly smile.

Sacred Moon Hospital – Private Consultation Room

The room was spacious, bathed in soft natural light filtered by smart blinds. On the wall, a screen displayed the latest biomedical readings of the royal fetus, accompanied by slow holographic projections, as if to soften the harshness of the raw data.

Lya sat on the exam bench, her back straight despite the visible tension. Caleb stood beside her, one hand resting gently on her shoulder, his eyes scanning each face with quiet vigilance.

In front of them, Bastien looked worried. Next to him, Soraya and Myrria wore more tempered expressions—between reason and reassurance.

“Well…?” Caleb asked, breaking the silence.

Bastien cleared his throat.

“To start with, Kaelan’s growth is exceeding all reference curves. He’s already approaching full-term newborn size… and there’s still a full month to go. Objectively, this needs to be watched closely. Even for you, Lya.”

“I’m a dragoness, Bastien,” she replied, without raising her voice. “My body can take more than a human’s. Or a wolf’s.”

“I don’t doubt that,” he said quickly. “But it’s not just about physical strength. It’s about anticipating risks. Thinking about recovery after the birth, too.”

“We’re not talking about a C-section, I assume?” Caleb asked, jaw tight.

“It’s too early to say, but… if growth continues at this pace, we’ll need to consider all options,” Bastien answered frankly. “It’s not a weakness. It’s caution.”

A heavy silence fell.

Then Myrria stepped forward, her voice calm.

“We’ve studied his energy,” she said. “Bastien’s right to be vigilant. But we’re seeing something else. This baby… he’s not unbalanced. He’s not unstable.”

Lya looked at her, intrigued.

“So what is he? Just… massive and glowing? You know as well as I do—even dragons have limits.”

Myrria smiled slightly and summoned a simple energy pattern above her palm.

“He doesn’t radiate because he’s overflowing. He radiates because he’s reaching out. This energy… it pulses like a wave. As if he’s reaching toward the world. Not to absorb it. To connect with it.”

Lya fell silent, lowering her gaze to her belly. Kaelan stirred gently.

“You mean he’s… already calling out?”

“I believe so,” Myrria murmured. “He’s not passive. He observes. He senses. And sometimes… he responds. That’s the resonance that binds you so deeply to Caleb and Loric. He detects your presence. He amplifies it.”

“We’ve never seen anything like it,” Soraya added. “Even among dragon hybrids. It’s like his wolf spirit and dragon heritage are reinforcing each other instead of conflicting. He’s… already in harmony.”

Caleb crossed his arms, his gaze still dark.

“And none of you see any danger in that? At all?”

“The danger comes if we force him to fit a mold,” Myrria replied gently. “But if we support him… respect his rhythm… then no. It’s not a threat.”

It’s a promise.

Bastien nodded slowly.

“Alright. I’m noting all this. But I’m maintaining heightened monitoring. And I want a full new set of scans in one week. No matter what.”

Lya placed her hand on her belly.

“You hear me, little fire? You can shine as bright as you want… but you’re staying in the oven until the timer goes off.”

Caleb let out a soft laugh, the tension finally leaving his shoulders.

“He better. His father isn’t ready to deliver a baby in the hospital lobby. Or in the middle of one of Drake’s training sessions.”

“Please, not during Drake’s training,” Soraya added with a dramatic shiver. “It’d be unbearably loud.”

Everyone chuckled.

But behind their smiles, one shared certainty was growing.

Kaelan was unique.

And they would need to rise to meet him.

Hospital Corridor – Later

The door to the consultation room had closed behind them, and the quiet of the corridor felt like a welcome breath.

Caleb glanced at Lya. She walked slowly, one hand on her belly, her eyes slightly lost in thought.

He slowed his steps to match her pace, then gently laced his fingers with hers.

“You alright, baby?” he asked softly.

“I’m not sure,” she replied after a moment. “I think so. It’s just… a lot. Even for a dragoness.”

They reached a small staff lounge—empty at this hour. Caleb closed the door behind them with a nudge of his foot and guided her to the couch.

She sat with a sigh, and he joined her, their shoulders touching.

“I thought dragons never faltered,” he teased with a half-smile.

“We don’t falter,” she grumbled. “We… evaluate. We anticipate.”

“And let a bit of worry show when there are no lightning bolts to throw?”

Lya chuckled softly, emotion still caught in her throat.

“I’m supposed to be the most feared creature alive, you know? Not a mom-to-be scared her baby might blow up the hospital with a sneeze.”

Caleb shifted closer, placing his hand gently on her belly. Kaelan responded almost instantly—a familiar pulse beneath his palm.

“This kid could demolish Sacred Moon with a flutter of his lashes,” he said mockingly. “But I’m sure he’ll know how to cuddle his mama without cracking a rib.”

“He’d better,” Lya muttered, resting her head on his shoulder. “Or I swear I’m scolding him the second he comes out.”

“You’ll shake the walls of the nursery. I can already hear Drake crying in advance.”

They shared a warm silence, broken only by the distant echo of footsteps in the hallway.

“Do you think we’ll be enough?” she asked suddenly, her voice barely a whisper.

Caleb turned to her, his gaze soft but unwavering.

“We already are. Not perfect. But enough. Because we’re together. And because this little fire already knows he can count on us.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, letting his words settle deep into her heart.

“I love you,” she murmured, almost under her breath.

“I know,” Caleb replied with a crooked smile. “You say it every time you want to bite someone else instead of me.”

She nudged his shoulder playfully, and he laughed.

Kaelan stirred again inside her.

A soft, almost joyful warmth.

A bond, vibrant and alive.