Chapter 270 Chapter 269
Rayena froze, her eyes widening at the shadow that crossed Xenon's eyes.
"Rayena?" he called out when she was taking too long to give him a response.
The room seemed to grow smaller. She forced herself to speak.
"Um, they had to forcefully pull the baby out when I couldn't deliver normally."
Her throat tightened, warmth draining from her face as she recalled those horrible memories. "Soraya told me I had lost so much blood and had begun to lose my life when they did that to try and save the both of us. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out," she whispered, her voice cracking at the end.
Xenon didn't say anything for the longest time, just continued to trail his fingers across the scar, jaw clenched, anguish shining in his eyes.
He kept staring, as if with sheer willpower he could undo the tragedy that had occurred. Letting out a shaky breath, he slumped his head. "I'm sorry..." he groaned, his voice thick with regret.
His fingers trembled now, but he didn't pull them away, tension radiating off him in waves. "I can only imagine how horrible that night must have been for you," he groaned, his voice almost inaudible. But Rayena heard him. And her chest burned.
"It was..." Rayena admitted softly, tears gathering in her eyes, the memories flooding her now. She recalled how lonely she felt during the labor and shivered, cold icicles sinking into her chest. "For a while, I refused to believe he was dead."
Xenon glanced at her, face contorted in agony. But Rayena was already lost in the tale she was telling.
"I tried to feed him. Brought my breasts to his mouth and begged him to drink. But he never opened his eyes, much less cried. It felt like the world had collapsed on top of me."
Tears poured now, and she couldn't hold them back. "Oh Xenon, he looked so much like you. He would have been an adorable kid by now..." She broke down fully then, crying.
Xenon rested his head on her stomach, letting out shaky breaths. "I'm sorry... I really am. I should have been there. You shouldn't have gone through that alone."
"But... you were battling your own demons..." Rayena said in a halting voice. "To think you were feral the entire time. It wasn't your fault."
"It won't happen again..." Xenon groaned, voice deep with resolve. "I'll make sure of it."
His fury built. "This time, I'll leave no room for error."
Rayena sniffed, wiping away the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "I know… I trust you," she whispered, offering him a watery, tentative smile.
The words struck deep, lodging themselves in Xenon’s chest like a spark in dry wood. It reminded him of a time when she'd said those words and he didn't fulfill them.
He would never let it happen again.
He took her hand gently, pressing it to his lips, the roughness of his calloused skin juxtaposed against the softness of hers.
Then, He lowered his head back to her belly, letting grief, anger, and unyielding resolve wash through him.
To whoever had stolen their happiness… he would hunt them down. One by one.
Until there was no one left.
.
.
.
In the days that followed, Xenon began working on plans to take back the kingdom. Calling a meeting with all high-ranking officials and nobles in the weretiger clan, they sat in the small council chamber, the air heavier than usual. Rayena sat beside Morvan, watching the nobles shift in their seats, some looking gaunter than they had weeks ago.
Xenon stood alone at the center of the room, his gaze sweeping across all who had assembled, his aura formidable.
“Let's start what we have come here to do” he said, voice low and resonant. “How do we take back what was stolen from us?”
A moment of thick silence followed — no one eager to be the first to speak, no one wanting responsibility for the wrong answer. Then finally, a man seated near the corner raised a hesitant hand. Xenon’s gaze cut to him sharply.
“Speak.”
The noble cleared his throat, nerves flickering in the twitch of his fingers. "I understand that we need to fight the werewolves and take back all they've stolen, but even with the famine ravaging the land, the werewolf army is still a formidable foe," he announced, and Xenon furrowed his brows, his jaw clenched.
"Go on..." he muttered, his low voice resounding in the room.
The latter shifted in his seat but continued speaking.
"They've been sustaining themselves by raiding neighboring kingdoms for food—something we have never done before and aren't known for—and even now, they've intensified their raids, determined to crack down on all our hideouts."
"Morvan, anything you'd like us to know?" Xenon asked, glancing at him.
Morvan straightened immediately, clearing his throat as he made to speak. “The werewolf army is strong,” he admitted, “but so are we. We have enough warriors to fight.”
His eyes darkened. “My concern is provisions. We’re already running out. And trying to bring anything in from inside the realm risks exposing our location.”
A murmur of agreement ran through the Hall. Rayena tensed where she sat, sweat rolling down her back.
“That,” Xenon said quietly, “is a precarious situation indeed.”
"Can… I make a suggestion?"
A soft voice cut through the silence. Everyone turned toward the direction of the voice and found Rayena raising her hand.
A muscle ticked in Xenon's jaw, but he gave a curt nod. "Go ahead," he groaned.
"Why don't we seek the assistance of my father, the king… if it's provisions that we need? We could easily get that from him," she stated.
The nobles in the room glanced at each other, a low murmur rising in the crowd. Xenon cleared his throat, and every idle whisper died.
Rayena continued speaking, her voice stronger this time. "The famine ravaging the realm isn't affecting anyone outside of it, and we still have reserves from previous harvests. It's how we were brought into the shifters' realm in the first place. The werewolf army came to us first, demanding food in exchange for not pillaging our land."
"You want us to seek help from the humans?" someone voiced, their tone tinged with indignation.
Rayena flinched at the weight of those words thrown at her, but Xenon was quick to come to her rescue.
"That seems to be our best bet right now, don't you think, Lord Orestus?" His eyes narrowed, those cerulean orbs flashing for a brief second.
The man shifted uncomfortably. "You heard what she said. The famine isn't affecting anyone outside of the realm. Rayena here is royalty and has the connections needed to provide us with what we need, should she request it. We should be taking her offer," he ground out, his voice laced with steel.
Many lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze. Rayena felt a swell of pride in her chest.
Xenon glanced at Morvan. "Morvan, can we do that?"