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Lucian's POV
Having to deliver bad news to Elena after her terrifying ordeal with Alpha Derek was not something I wanted to do. She had just gotten over the entire ordeal and the pain of childbirth. She needed to be more psychologically stable, but I didn't want to keep the news away from her for too long. Delivering the news of Artemis's death was actually much easier than I thought. Even though I could sense it hurt Elena, she was taking it well.
Artemis wasn't a young man, and he was more or less fulfilled. He died in battle, and everyone knew he was proud of the way he died. But delivering the news about Lana was an ordeal for both myself and Elena. Lana had died protecting Elena, and she had so much more to live for.
I had always known Lana had no interest in me and that she probably wanted to explore the world out there. But I refused to let her go because she was still under the effects of the contract that I had made with her father. It was possible for me to render the contract null, but still, I didn't want to let Lana go just like that. Probably because I had grown attached to her, but the particular reason I wasn't sure.
When Lucas told me everything and how Lana had bravely defended Elena, I promised myself that if everyone came out of this healthy and safe, I would give Lana what it was she wanted instead of keeping her here against her will.
Edwina's betrayal came as a shock to me because I didn't expect she would go to such great lengths just to get rid of Elena so she could have me. I always knew that Edwina was the type of woman who was jealous and wouldn't want to share her man with anyone. I could understand because I was the same way, and I knew that if anyone got their grubby hands on Edwina, I would probably murder them. But that would only happen if it was done to Edwina against her will.
I was fully prepared to let Edwina go if she decided to leave me for someone else. I expected her to show the same maturity when I chose Elena over her, and for a short period of time, I was sure she had done so. When she became close friends with Elena and was always there for Elena when Lana suddenly stopped talking to her, I felt Edwina was the most mature person I knew.
This made me drop my guard and completely bury the thought that Edwina would be planning something so cruel. If I had known that Edwina would be so scheming, I would have taken better measures to protect Elena from her.
Just because I had let my guard down and had not been observant enough, Lana was now dead, and Elena was devastated. I tried calming her down, but the tears kept on flowing, and I could actually find it quite relatable. I could understand what she was feeling and decided to let the tears flow. After all, nothing I could do would stop it. When she was done crying, although the wound would be there, it would heal slowly over time, but for now, crying was her best option.
It was already my fault for not being observant enough and protecting Elena from Edwina's wickedness. The least I could do was give her space when she needed it. And therefore, within the period of time when she was healing from the childbirth, I gave her all the space she needed and contemplated on what to do.
About two days after I broke the news about Lana's death to Elena, I decided it was time Elena and I came up with a name for our son. I could not possibly let Elena think of any names when she was still devastated over Lana's death. Therefore, I decided to give her enough time to grieve, and when I was certain she was rationally stable, I made a nurse bring in the child immediately after I entered. Elena was still sad, but it was clear she was getting over it. She was still pained that Lana was dead, but it was as though she had come to the realization that crying wouldn't solve anything.
Immediately, the nurse rolled in our son on his movable crib. She left and closed the door behind her.
"So, how are you getting along? I suppose you already know that crying won't do you any good," I said, starting the conversation.
"Why are you here, Lucian?" Elena said in a sad tone. Clearly, she was in no mood to see anyone, but even while she asked me this question coldly, her eyes were fixated on our son. Clearly, she wanted to hold him, and I did not hesitate to carry him over to her.
As soon as she held on to her son, her previously dim eyes lit up, and a smile that had not been on her face in a long time came over her face, and it warmed my heart.
"I brought him here so that we could think of a name for him," I said as I watched Elena smile while carrying our child in her hands.
Elena stared up at me, and after a while, she returned her gaze to our son. "Have you thought of any names?" Elena asked while staring with loving eyes down at our son.
"Well, I was thinking we could call our son Chad. I mean, it's a really cool name, and it will sound nice when he begins to be called Alpha Chad," I said to Elena.
Elena looked up for a while and then shook her head in disapproval. "Although Chad isn't a bad name, and it would be a very good name for an Alpha, after all, it means protector. But I think I have a way better name," Elena said as she carried the baby gently.
"If you have a better idea, how about we hear it?" I said, wanting to know what Elena had planned.
"Well, how about our child's name come from the circumstances around his birth? I think we should name our son Kennedy. The name means 'helmeted chief,' and it fits perfectly for our little warrior. He faced many tribulations while in the womb and survived two poisons that should have killed him. He was born premature and yet is not deformed in any way. Also, he's been born into royalty, hence signifying the 'chief' in his name. I don't think a better name could be given to our son than Kennedy," Elena said.
I pondered over her words for a while, and I could not disagree with her. The name was simply perfect for our son, and I had no choice but to agree. After a few minutes of idle conversation, I left Elena alone with the child because she was not ready to give him up yet. She told me that she would hold on to him for the time being, and when her hands grew tired, she would let me know. But from the look in her eyes, I didn't think her hands would grow tired; after all, Kennedy was very light.
Elena was kept in the hospital for one more day, after which she was discharged, and all of us moved back into our house. Instead of two people, three people now occupied our house, but it was not as though it became more crowded; rather, it was as though there were fewer people because of how united we were.
It was the night after the day Elena was discharged, and I felt it was about time I popped the big question. Therefore, nearing evening time, I went over to the pack's shrine and retrieved the rod of proposal. Every alpha who intended to take a wife was required to use this rod to propose. It was a wooden staff about 2 to 3 meters long, but it was quite light and portable. It had been in the pack for generations, and for some reason, the wood did not rot or weaken.
It was said that any alpha that proposed to their lunar without using that rod did not acknowledge the presence of the Moon Goddess, and therefore their union would never be blessed by the Moon Goddess. Any union unrecognized by the Moon Goddess could never be accepted by the pack, and in the eyes of the pack, the alpha is not married but simply has a concubine. Therefore, every alpha who intended to take a wife must use the rod to propose; otherwise, their marriage would be rendered null.
I took the rod and headed over to my living quarters, where I walked in on Elena breastfeeding the baby. The little man was quite the glutton, and in a day, Elena had to exhaust both breasts when feeding him. He would wake up the next day crying, and Elena would have to start all over again.
"Oh, Lucian, thank God you are here. Pass me his bib," Elena said, directing me to bring over Kennedy's bib that was spread over a nearby chair. I walked over and passed her the bib, which she used to wipe Kennedy's mouth.
When Kennedy was done eating, he quickly drifted off to sleep, and Elena put him in the center of the bed for him to sleep comfortably. When she turned around, I was waiting for her with one knee on the ground and the rod placed in front of me.
As soon as she turned around, she already knew what was going on and placed both hands in front of her mouth in shock.
"Elena Barnes, ever since I knew you, you have been a light to my rather dark world. You have made me understand that there are things to life more than bloodshed and self-satisfaction. You have completely changed my perspective on life, and I do dare say that you have made me a complete man. But I cannot be fully complete yet without officially uniting myself with you. I love you, and I would like to spend the rest of my life with you. Elena Barnes, will you marry me?"