Chapter 37

Chapter 37


Days later...

The palace was silent, except for the distant footsteps of the guards patrolling the stone walls. Even so, the tension in the air was so dense that anyone could feel it.

Abigail stood in front of the improvised negotiation table, with the Grey emissaries at the opposite end. Her posture was upright, firm, her eyes like steel.

—There will be no truce if Jackson has any part in these talks —Kilian roared, his jaw clenched. Contained fury vibrated in his voice.

The name echoed in the hall like a blunt strike. Jackson had sent a scroll with his “offer of alliance” to end a war that had not yet begun, but that everyone knew was inevitable.

Ian, his beta, cleared his throat cautiously. —Alpha… with respect, our Luna is the best option we have to negotiate. Jackson won’t be able to trick us if she’s at the front.

Kilian glared at him, his amber eyes blazing. He didn’t trust Dylan or his people, much less if it meant Abigail being in the middle of political games.

—I don’t care —he growled, slamming his fist on the table—. If she’s near, I’ll lose my head.

A feminine voice, laced with irony, echoed behind them.

—Lose your head, Kilian? Is that a challenge… or a warning?

Abigail had just entered the room. Her sparkling gaze fell directly on him, and the arch of her brow made him curse inwardly.

Kilian didn’t answer. He knew that any word he spoke might betray the storm raging inside him. He chose instead to turn to his alphas and continue discussing strategies, hiding the obvious: that his rage was not only political, but deeply personal.

She watched him in silence, lips pressed together. She understood his anger, but she expected more from him. She expected him to trust her.

\---

The first day of negotiations was a minefield. Jackson’s men spoke of truce, but every gesture, every word was soaked with double meanings. And the worst happened when Dylan appeared near the camp, watching from a distance.

Kilian felt him before he saw him. His skin burned as if branded with hot iron, and his wolf roared, starving to protect his Luna. No reason mattered when Dylan was near.

That night, the tension consumed him entirely. Anxiety, rage, and desire fused into an impossible-to-contain cocktail. When Abigail returned to her chambers, she found him waiting. His eyes glowed in the dim light like burning embers.

—Kilian… —she said, amused but alert—. Can’t you wait until tomorrow?

—I can’t —he growled, stepping toward her—. Not when I know Dylan is lurking, when I feel him breathing near you.

Abigail let out a sigh, leaning her back against the door. —Alpha… you have to control yourself. We can’t…

But her warning died on her lips when he lunged at her, trapping her under his weight. Their mouths crashed in a rough, hungry kiss that left her breathless.

Laikan’s roar surged in the middle of their passion, tearing control away from Kilian. His hands turned to claws, his teeth grazed her skin, and his body became pure possession.

—Kilian! —Abigail whispered, trembling between resistance and desire—. No… not like this…

—Shhh… —he whispered, his voice hoarse against her neck—. Just for tonight… let yourself go, my Luna.

It was Nyra who intervened. The spirit of the she-wolf seeped into Abigail, taking partial control. Her calming energy soothed Laikan’s brutality, balancing passion with tenderness. The clash of forces turned into a wild yet controlled game, a dance of gasps, caresses, and laughter that stretched on until the outside world ceased to exist.

Hours later, tangled with her, Kilian whispered with a broken voice:

—I’ve waited for you so long… so many years fearing you would never come. And now that I have you, I’m afraid. Afraid of losing you.

Abigail looked at him, disheveled and beautiful, and smiled with irony. —Well, let me warn you that you can’t get rid of me now.

He let out a short laugh, but then grew serious.

—You don’t understand, Abigail. I’ve had visions…

She straightened a little, frowning. —Visions? You’ve been strange these days… tell me, what exactly did you see?

—I saw you —he replied, voice breaking—. You… and Dylan. Not in this world. In another. In your other life. And I could feel it all: your pain, your fear, your betrayal.

Abigail froze, not fully understanding.

—How is that possible?

Kilian pressed his forehead against hers. —Our bond is stronger than I thought. Your emotions reach me like an echo, even your memories. And that scares me, because I know what he meant to you, even if it was in another life.

Abigail cut him off firmly, caressing his face. —No. Dylan won’t ruin my life again. Not in this world or in any other. You are my everything, Kilian. My world. And I won’t let anything or anyone tear us apart.

He kissed her with a new intensity, as if those words had healed an invisible wound. And then, in the middle of their passion, he brought his lips to her ear and murmured in a husky voice:

—I want you to give me a pup.

Desire made her eyes widen in surprise. Before she could respond, he reached his climax, gasping against her skin.

—I mean it… —he whispered, caressing her—. I don’t want a whole pack. I just want pups with you, my Luna, my mate.

She fell silent, biting her lip, breathless. Kilian turned to look at her with a raised brow.

—Don’t you want to?

—It’s not that… —she laughed nervously, still flushed.

—Then what? —he asked, amused.

Abigail looked at him intently, her voice soft, almost a whisper. —Kilian… I haven’t been careful. Since our first night together… I…

Her words faded when his gaze dropped to her belly. The smile that spread across his face was wide, radiant. He placed his hand on her abdomen and, feeling that invisible bond, his eyes shone brighter than ever.

—What…?

—Here is my pup —he whispered with a smile on his lips, and she laughed nervously.

Kilian let out a brief laugh, incredulous, and hugged her with fierce tenderness. She laughed with him, hysterical from the mix of emotions, until suddenly the world spun and she fainted.

—Abigail! —he exclaimed, catching her against his chest. And then, with a whisper full of tenderness and promise, he added—: My Luna, my mate… I will never let you go.

\---

The next morning, the sun lit the castle walls with a golden glow. Abigail woke resting on Kilian’s chest. He looked at her with tenderness and a touch of humor in his eyes.

—Good morning, my Luna… —he murmured, burying his face in her hair—. I won’t let anyone hurt you. Not Dylan, not anyone.

She smiled, caressing his jaw. —Good morning, my love. I won’t let them ruin our life. Not this time.

They kissed softly, savoring a peace they both knew was fleeting. But even in the middle of that calm, reality did not take long to remind them of itself.

A messenger appeared in the palace doorway, panting, a scroll in hand.

—News from the mercenary leader Jackson… —he announced in a trembling voice.

Ian clenched his jaw, while Gamma Gabriel looked at him seriously. The political and emotional war was far from over.

But this time, the Alpha was not alone. He had an anchor.
Both, upon reading what the note said, returned to their office, waiting for their king to finally show up to work.