Chapter 99 99
Denzel’s POV
Venessa sat curled on the couch in the room assigned to us, her posture deceptively relaxed. I could tell she was anything but calm. There was a tightness in her shoulders, a restlessness in the way her fingers kept fidgeting in her lap.
It wasn’t every day someone discovered they were royalty.
I understood her nerves. I understood the sharp edge of anger pulsing quietly from her, too. When I reached for her hand, she looked up at me, her eyes already glossed with tears.
“How do I tell him I don’t have long to live?” she whispered.
The question tore through me. I pulled her into my arms as she broke down, her sobs soaking into my chest.
“It will destroy him, Denz,” she cried. “It will break him.”
I wanted to tell her it was breaking me too, that every breath felt like I was inhaling shards of glass but I swallowed it down. I held her, stroking her hair, forcing steadiness into my voice.
“It’ll be okay, my love,” I said softly. “He’ll be fine.”
She clung to me, her arms tightening around my waist.
“Why would the Goddess be so cruel?” she asked.
I shook my head, bitterness settling deep in my chest.
“This is my fault, Venessa,” I said. “I did this to us. I failed to protect you. I let those two destroy us. This… this is on me.”
I meant every word. Whatever pain awaited me after she was gone, I deserved it. But for now, all I wanted was for her to find a moment of peace.
“You need to stay calm,” I murmured. “We still have so much to do.”
She pulled back slightly, studying my face.
“I need you to do something for me, Denzel.”
I frowned. My chest tightened. I could already tell whatever she was about to ask would be heavy.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” she said. “Ever since we got together.”
Tears slid down her cheeks.
“I can’t bear the thought of leaving you alone,” she confessed. “And I can’t bear leaving my father alone either.”
I stayed silent, listening.
“I spoke to Tonya,” she continued. “She’s open to it.”
I shook my head immediately. There was no universe where I would take another wife after her.
She cupped my cheek gently. “Denz, please. It’s not what you think.”
Her voice softened.
“There are so many things I wanted to do with you,” she said. “But time won’t allow it. So I’m begging you let me leave something behind.”
I frowned, confusion twisting inside me.
“I want Tonya to be our surrogate,” she said quietly. “I’ve already spoken to Dr. Dwayne. He’ll help harvest my eggs when we return. Tonya has agreed to carry our child to term.”
Her words made everything feel final.
Tears streamed down my face. I wanted to be strong for her, for our people but it felt like my world was being ripped apart piece by piece.
“Venessa…” I breathed.
She looked at me with hopeful, pleading eyes.
“We can’t love like this and have nothing to show for it,” she said. “You can pour all your love into our children when they come. I won’t be here but I know you’ll do right by them.”
I swallowed hard.
“Did you tell Tonya about your rebirth?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. I told her I have complications with conception and carrying a pregnancy to term.”
Her eyes searched mine, waiting.
She wanted me to say yes. And honestly who was I to deny her this?
I nodded.
Joy lit her face as she kissed me, but my heart shattered all over again. Having children was a journey I had dreamed of taking with her. I wanted to pamper her, rub her feet, watch her belly grow, see that glow settle into her skin. I wanted us together through every step.
She kissed me again, and I wrapped my arms around her.
“Make love to me, Denzel,” she whispered.
Nigel answered before my mind could catch up.
I laid her gently on the bed, stripping away the clothes provided to us. I wanted to give her everything every ounce of pleasure I could muster. I took my time with her, tasting her until she was shaking, until she begged me to stop, her moans filling the room.
She tangled her fingers in my hair, trying weakly to push me away, and I chuckled against her skin. Her body clenched uncontrollably around my fingers, demanding more, asking for something only I could give.
I sank into her, driven by the desperate need to feel as close to her as possible. She cried out my name as I moved within her, uncaring who might hear us. This was our world and in it, time didn’t exist.
I watched her fall apart beneath me, then pulled her onto her hands and knees so I could take her deeper. She met my rhythm eagerly, rolling her hips, guiding me exactly where she needed me.
Nyla took over then wild, unrestrained. She matched my pace until the pleasure overwhelmed me.
My climax ripped through me, brutal and consuming, as I spilled myself into her, feeling something deep inside my soul shift.
We collapsed together, tangled and breathless.
I held her long after, unwilling to let go.
After more than an hour of silence, she spoke.
“Denz… what do you think we can do about the rogue situation?” she asked. “Just like in my dream, they’re growing stronger.”
Her words stirred the unease already gnawing at me.
The rogues Jamar and I fought would have killed us if not for what Venessa had done. Fabian, Donovan, and the smaller alphas needed to set aside their pride and unite. Rogue bears weren’t just a wolf problem and there were many of them.
If Donovan wasn’t careful, they would spill into his lands.
What troubled me most was their complete disregard for the alpha command and even for the Lycan King himself. I would never dare defy the Lycan King, yet they had done so repeatedly and nearly killed us for it.
Whatever Venessa saw in her dream was catastrophic. I didn’t want to imagine the destruction they could bring.
“The rogue situation is dire,” I said finally. “Once we return home, I’ll begin working to unite our kingdoms against them. But first, we need to root out the traitors within the Lycan Kingdom and make sure your father is safe.”
She nodded.
I suspected Jamar would try to keep us longer than necessary but I had a pack to run.
And Venessa was my wife.
My Luna.