Chapter 78

Golem POV.

In the midst of the celebration, a sudden disruption silenced the music and drew everyone's attention. A bolt of fire descended through the night sky, and as the men surrounded the intruder, Isadora and I moved closer to get a better look in the dim light.

To our surprise, the intruder was none other than Anastasia, her eyes filled with anger and determination. As our gazes locked, she thundered, "Fire Lord Golem, we are having a baby."

The words hit me like a thunderbolt, and for a moment, I was thrown off balance. "What?" I exclaimed loudly, my mind racing to comprehend the unexpected news. Isadora stood beside me, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief.

Anastasia, undeterred by the commotion she caused, repeated with emphasis, "You heard me the first time Golem, I said, we are having a baby."

I took a deep breath, trying to process the revelation. "Anastasia, this... I didn't expect..."

A thought suddenly hit me that this could be a jealous fit, by Anastasia to make life difficult for me because I told her I found my mate, this could be her way of trying to trap me down. I held her gaze steadily. "Tell me this is a prank, Anastasia, if this is one of your silly jokes,  I know you like to play a lot, but this is a little too expensive, to play pranks over something as sensitive as the birth of a child".

Anastasia eyed me in disgust as she responded, "Unless you played a prank on me when you inserted the rod in-between your legs inside me "

Isadora, recovering from the initial shock, interrupted, her voice laced with a hint of frustration, as she placed her palm on her forehead. "Wait wait wait, this isn't very clear to me Golem. Care to explain?"

Anastasia crossed her arms, glaring at me. "Explain? Oh, he'll explain."

Caught between two strong-willed women, I realized the need to address the situation. "Isadora, Anastasia, and I... we had a past. This news... it's unexpected for me too."

Anastasia scoffed, rubbing her hand on her belly, "Unexpected for you, really Golem really? At least have some respect for the moment of passion we shared, Imagine how it feels for me to hear you speak like this. How would your child feel, Golem?"

In the uneasy silence that followed, Isadora's eyes bore into mine, searching for an explanation. I took a step closer to her, trying to find the right words amidst the conflicting emotions swirling in the air.

"Isadora, I am not gonna deny the fact that Anastasia and I had something to do with each other, but it was before you and I met," I explained, hoping to convey the sincerity in my words.

Isadora's expression softened, but skepticism lingered. "How could you keep such a significant part of your life a secret?"

I placed my hands on her cheeks, pulling her closer to me, saying, "I tried to tell you before we left for the north, remember? But you were way too focused on trying to destroy Leonardis."

She responded, "That's not an excuse, Golem. You should have told me before the massacre. We had more than enough time to discuss whatever it is you had to tell me. Here I am, thinking I finally have you all to myself, and you have a whole lady standing here who is even pregnant with your child. It breaks my heart, but it's fine. I love you regardless."

For a decade, I never knew I had a soft spot in my heart. Hearing Isadora say those words made my heart melt. I still couldn't explain how I didn't manage to cry. I pulled her into my chest, placed a kiss on her forehead, and said, "Thank you, ISSA. You won't regret this."

However, the fragile peace was shattered by Anastasia's arrogant intrusion. She aggressively pushed Isadora and me apart, expressing her anger and disbelief. "Golem, how dare you disrespect me like this? I've been with you for quite a while, and you dare kiss another woman in front of me."

Impatience fueled my response as I thundered, "She's my mate, Anastasia. Know your place, woman."

Anastasia, undeterred by my words, sneered and retorted, "So she's the one, I can't believe you choose the stupid whore over me."

Isadora replied, "Watch your words, young lady "

Anastasia rolled her eyes at her and continued her focus now on me "Mate or not, Golem, you owe me respect. I've stood by you through thick and thin, and this is how you repay me?"

Isadora folded her arms as she stepped forward with a stern expression. "Anastasia, the past is the past. Let's find a way to move forward and co-exist peacefully, for the good of your baby. I've been pregnant before. I know what it's like to have a child growing inside you. We all have our roles to play here, so let's make this work."

I nodded my head in agreement, clearly impressed by Isadora's level of maturity and I gave Anastasia a questioning gaze. "What is it going to be?"

Anastasia scoffed dismissively, "Coexist? With her? Never. I won't stand for it. Golem, make your choice now. It's either her or me."

I shook my head in disappointment, but since this is the way she wants it to be then I have no choice.  I took a deep breath, addressing both women, "Anastasia, our paths have diverged. Isadora is my mate, and I won't turn my back on her. You'll always have my gratitude for the moments we shared, but our journey ends here."

Anastasia's flared up with anger her eyes red with fire, I could sense her heart rate going up I could tell her dragon was angry as she barked, "So you're just going to dump me for this piece of trash?"

I cast my gaze sideways, avoiding her gaze as I responded, saying, "Why blame it on me, it's not my fault, you're the one who wanted me to choose."

She yelled, "Yes because I thought you would pick me over her." A quick spark of fire escaped her mouth, sending Isadora and the men who were looking by the sidelines moving backward by a few steps. I could tell her heart rate was rising a lot more than normal.

"Control yourself, woman."

"Don't tell me to control myself, Golem, you heartless bastard, how dare you treat me like this," she said, bursting into tears, covering her face with her palm trying to avoid embarrassment.

I approached her trying to help her relax when she barked, pointing fingers at Isadora, "You dirty whore, I will teach you a lesson you wouldn't forget in a hurry."

"Anastasia, don't do anything stup—" But before I could complete my sentence, she shifted into her dragon form and breathed a furnace upon Isadora. I dived in the way, saving Isadora from getting burnt.

But the fire didn't stop; she continued to unleash a storm upon us, dishing out her anger.

My body couldn't take it any longer; ever since the confrontation with the white wizard in the north, my body hadn't felt the same, but I was hoping it was just nothing serious. I tried to endure the heat, but it just kept coming. The last thing I saw was my eyes closing slowly.