Chapter 63 His queen

Chapter 63 His queen
Cain POV
Becoming king again should have felt loud, powerful, or overwhelming, but instead it felt quiet. Heavy. Like the weight of the crown settled on my shoulders without sound. After everything that happened, after every battle and every betrayal, the throne room finally belonged to me again.
But there was still work to do.
I spent hours stamping documents, signing every pack file that Finn had ruined or stolen. Pages were stacked almost to my elbows, and I went through them one after another. Land agreements. Warrior lists. Medical supplies. Alliances. Everything needed my approval again.
The room was almost silent except for the sound of the seal pressing into hot wax. Guards stood around the hall, alert and ready. Elders whispered among themselves but didn’t interrupt me. They knew better.
When I finished the last set of papers, I lifted my hand and signaled to two guards standing near the door.
“Take Ryan to the pack doctor,” I ordered.
They bowed and moved immediately. Raven followed them with worried eyes, staying close to her mate while he was helped from the room. When they were gone, the room finally felt like it had space to breathe again.
But Ava stayed.
She stood near the corner, her back straight but her face showing how drained she was. Her hair was messy from running, her clothes smudged with dust, and there was a tiredness in her eyes that struck me deeper than anything else.
She had been through too much for one day.
I lifted my hand slightly and gestured for her to come to me.
She hesitated only a moment, then walked forward. When she reached the throne, I grabbed her gently and pulled her onto my lap. She stiffened at first, her body went tense and unsure but after a few seconds, she relaxed against me. Her head rested near my shoulder, and I wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close.
While she rested there, I looked up and noticed Emma still standing in the throne room.
She was staring, face flushed, hands trembling slightly. Not from fear. From something else. Something almost unreadable.
She had watched everything. She had been quiet the whole time, but I hadn’t forgotten she was there. And I would not let her stand in my presence with that expression on her face.
“Emma,” I said, my voice calm but firm. “I will speak plainly. I do not feel sorry for killing your mate.”
Ava shifted a little on my lap, surprised by my bluntness. But I didn’t hide the truth. I never did. Emma needed to hear it.
Emma lowered her eyes for a moment… then lifted them again slowly.
“I know alpha,” she said.
Her answer made me pause, because it was unexpected. I watched her closely, wanting to understand.
She continued, “I feel relieved that you killed him. He kept me in the dungeon. He treated me like nothing. I wasn’t a mate to him. I was a prisoner.”
She said the words simply, as if she had been holding them inside for too long.
I studied her face. There was no lie in her eyes. No sorrow. No grief. Only a strange relief.
“I see,” I said quietly. “Then understand this—going forward, you will be well taken care of. You will not suffer in this kingdom.”
Her lips curved into a smile. But something in that smile didn’t sit right. It wasn’t warm. It wasn’t grateful. It was something else, something I couldn’t place yet.
Still, I brushed the thought aside. I had more important matters to focus on today.
“Return to your position,” I instructed.
Emma bowed her head and stepped back to her respectful place among the others. I kept my eyes on her for a moment longer before turning my attention back to Ava.
Ava was resting quietly on my lap, her hands held together like she was hiding something from herself. The stress of the day had taken everything from her, and I could feel how tired she was. But there was something else, something I needed to tell her.
I tightened my arm around her waist slightly.
“Ava,” I said softly.
She looked up at me, confusion in her eyes.
“You are with child.”
She froze completely. Her body went stiff, and her eyes widened as she stared at me. For a few seconds, she didn’t even breathe.
Then her lips trembled.
“What?” she whispered.
“You are carrying my heir,” I said.
Her eyes filled with tears almost instantly. She covered her mouth with both hands, shaking as the tears rolled down her cheeks. She cried softly, quiet, emotional, overwhelmed.
I wasn’t used to moments like this. I wasn’t used to emotions this strong. I didn’t know what I was supposed to say or do to comfort her. But I didn’t push her away. I didn’t tell her to stop crying.
I just watched her, holding her against me as gently as I could.
Her tears weren’t from fear. They were from happiness. And even though I didn’t show emotion the way others did, something warm moved in my chest.
She leaned into me, her body small and soft against mine. Her hands rested on my chest, and she continued crying quietly. I stroked her back once, awkwardly, because I wasn’t used to such gestures but she relaxed even more.
Within minutes, exhaustion finally claimed her. Her breathing slowed, her body grew heavier, and she fell asleep on my lap, her head resting comfortably against me.
I sat still, letting her sleep. She deserved rest. She deserved peace.
After a few minutes, I lifted my hand and signaled to a guard.
“Call a maid,” I said quietly.
“Yes, my king,” the guard replied and hurried out.
It didn’t take long before a young maid walked into the throne room. Her eyes went wide the instant she saw Ava sleeping on my lap. Her shock was clear, after all, humans had never been treated like this before in the kingdom. Not until Ava.
But I didn’t care what she thought.
“Prepare a feast tonight,” I ordered. “Something worthy of a victory.”
The maid bowed quickly. “Yes, my king. I will prepare everything.”
She rushed away, still glancing back at Ava in disbelief.
I looked down at the woman sleeping in my arms.
My queen, my mate and the mother of my heir.
And I held her tighter.