Chapter 88

Chapter 88
Lucien’s POV
The hospital room was hushed, bathed in the soft hum of machines and the occasional sigh from Felicia as she slept. I sat quietly beside the bed, watching my daughter, our daughter, sleep peacefully in the small crib the nurses had rolled into the room. Her tiny chest rose and fell with such calm, such innocence. Aurora. She was so small, so delicate, yet so full of possibility.

I looked over at Felicia. Her face was relaxed, her features soft in sleep. She looked… peaceful. It was a rare sight. All this while, I had seen her as fierce, calculating, often unpredictable. But here, in this moment, she looked almost fragile. Vulnerable. And it stirred something in me.

I adjusted in my chair and glanced at the wall clock.

2:30 a.m.

The world outside the hospital was probably still and dark, but inside me, thoughts churned. I felt restless, like something was looming just beyond my grasp. I closed my eyes, intending to rest for only a moment, but sleep took me deeper than I expected.

I found myself in an open field, but it was not the field of my pack or anywhere familiar. The grass beneath me glowed faintly silver, swaying in the wind that carried whispers, echoes of a language I couldn’t understand. Above, the night sky was clearer than I’d ever seen, scattered with countless stars, and the moon, massive and fullhung low, casting its silvery light on everything.

Then I heard it.

“Lucien.”

A voice, melodic and ancient. I turned.

A woman stood before me, tall and radiant. Her hair shimmered like liquid starlight, her skin glowing like moon-kissed marble. Her robes flowed as if the wind obeyed her, and her eyes, her eyes were deep, swirling pools of silver that held centuries of wisdom and sorrow.

I knew her immediately.

“Moon Goddess,” I whispered, dropping to one knee, overwhelmed by the weight of her presence.

“Rise, Alpha Lucien.”

I obeyed, though my legs felt weak. This was not an ordinary dream. I could feel her power, real and pressing, like the air itself bent to her will.

She raised a hand, and suddenly the sky began to change. The stars shifted and twisted, drawing images that danced across the heavens: a cradle, then a she-wolf, then a storm, and finally, a flame surrounded by shadows.

“A child is to be born,” she said. Her voice was soft but echoed like thunder in my ears. “A child like none before. A soul destined to restore what has been lost and break what must be broken.

“Blood of the Seraphina wolf.”

My heart thumped. “Aurora?” I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

But she shook her head slowly. “No. Not their daughter.”

The words felt like a cold slap to the face.

“Then who?”

Her gaze bore into mine. “There is another. A child not yet born. Hidden by deceit. Hunted by those who fear what he will become. You must protect him.”

“He?” I asked. “A boy?”

The Moon Goddess nodded. “He is the one I chose long before your time. His spirit is tied to an ancient promise. He will carry the weight of the wolves’ future, but only if he  lives.”

My fists clenched at my sides. “Then tell me where to find him. Let me protect him.”

She stepped closer, her silver robes trailing across the glowing grass. “You will find him not through force, but through faith. Trust your instincts. Watch the ones around you. The truth will unravel in time.”

The stars shifted again, now forming a howling wolf surrounded by fire.

“And what of Aurora?” I asked. My voice trembled. “What role does she play in this?”

She looked at me with sadness. “Every child is a gift. But not all are the Chosen.”

The ground beneath us began to tremble, as if the earth itself mourned.

“Lucien,” she said, her voice suddenly sharper. “You must open your eyes. Danger lurks not only in the shadows but beside you. Protect the destined child. Or all will fall to ruin.”

“But who would want to harm an unborn pup?” I asked. “Who could be that evil?”

Her expression turned grave. “Even those who smile beside you may carry darkness in their hearts.”

And then, just before the world shattered, she added one final warning: “When the moon turns red, it will be too late.”

—

I gasped, jolting awake in the hospital chair, my hand flying to my chest.

The room was silent, save for the gentle sound of Felicia’s breathing and the faint gurgles from Aurora. The overhead lamp buzzed slightly. Everything looked the same. But I wasn’t the same.

I wiped the sweat from my brow and rose from the chair slowly. My legs felt stiff. My heart felt heavier.

I turned to Felicia. She was still asleep, but she shifted slightly, murmuring something incoherent. I looked at Aurora. She was curled like a petal, swaddled in soft white cloth, her features delicate and serene.

But now… now I questioned everything.

If not Aurora… then who?

The Moon Goddess’s voice echoed in my head again.

“She is not the one.”

I stepped away from the crib, placing a hand over my mouth as the questions swirled. How was I supposed to know who the real destined child was? How could I protect a pup whose mother I didn’t even know?

The dream had felt too real. Too urgent. The Moon Goddess didn’t speak in riddles without cause.

I paced slowly to the window, pulling aside the curtain to look out into the night.

The moon still hung in the sky, but it was pale. Gentle. 

Not red.

Not yet.

But when?

Was the child already conceived? Or yet to be?

And then another terrifying question crept into my thoughts,what if the child was already within my pack? Or worse… what if the enemy already knew who she was?

My gaze drifted to Felicia again.

The Moon Goddess had said not their daughter, but had she meant not mine, or not Felicia’s?

Was it possible… the child could be connected to someone else entirely?

My throat tightened. What if I had been looking in the wrong place all along?

I turned from the window and sat heavily in the chair again, my mind spinning.

I was supposed to protect a child… a boy… the Moon Goddess had chosen.

But from what? And from whom?

And more importantly, if Aurora wasn’t the destined child… then who the hell was?