Chapter 224: The Heirs’ Rooms

Chapter 224: The Heirs’ Rooms
"Not bad for a prototype, right?" Lina laughed.

Loric puffed out his chest.
"It’s not a prototype. It’s a gift. For my little brother."

Caleb, standing in the doorway, rubbed the back of his neck, visibly touched despite himself.
Lya, who had silently arrived behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist.
"He put his whole heart into it," she murmured.

"I know. And I think he’s understood everything."

Loric turned to them.
"You think he’ll like it? Kaelan, I mean. It’s not too… weird?"

Lya stepped into the room, resting her hand on the warm wood of the cradle, then gently caressed the dancing leaves twirling around her.
"It’s not weird, Loric. It’s magical. Just like him. Just like you."

The boy beamed from ear to ear, then added solemnly:
"Now we just need a welcome cake."

Lina nodded slowly.
"I'm starting to think you just want an excuse to eat cake."

"Well, yeah. Obviously."

And in that room filled with laughter, clumsy magic, and pure love, Kaelan wasn’t born yet… but he already had a family. A real one. A big one. One waiting for him with open arms.

The days flowed by, marked by the preparations for Kaelan’s room. That morning, soft light filtered through the enchanted curtains, gently caressing the walls. But today wasn’t about decoration—it was something deeper.

In the peaceful silence of the room, Myrria sat cross-legged in the center, palms on the floor. Fragments of onyx, nacre, and phoenix ash were arranged in a circle around her. Each one pulsed faintly, like a slow, steady breath.

Elora stood nearby, turning an old medallion between her fingers—symbol of Caleb’s lineage, of what her son had rebuilt… and what she now intended to protect.

"Are you ready?" she asked softly.

"More than ever," Myrria answered, opening her eyes. "This is more than a ritual. It’s a promise."

She placed the first rune on the north wall, her fingers brushing the surface. The symbol melted into the wood, merging with the material itself. A soft, iridescent glow emerged, almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
"Rune of inner watchfulness," Myrria whispered. "So the child is never caught unaware, not even in dreams."

She slowly rose, drawing other symbols in the air, which settled into the walls as if they’d always been there. The air shimmered faintly around her. A fire rune for resilience. A blood rune for ancestral memory. A moon rune for power stability.

Rhogar leaned against the doorway, watching silently. When he saw the cradle Caleb had carved, his gaze dimmed. His broad shoulders lowered slightly, and his hand brushed over the engravings.

"He put everything he is into it," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "All the things he never dared say out loud."

Elora joined him near the cradle without looking at him.
"He became the Alpha I hoped for… and so much more."
She paused, gaze fixed on the cradle, her thoughts far away.
"He was fifteen. Barely. When he defied that tyrant. My husband had just been killed. I had nothing left to give him but my fear. But he stood up. Faced him. And when it was over… he didn’t roar in victory. He just sat next to me, in my silence. That day, he became my Alpha. And today… he’s a father."

Rhogar turned his eyes away, deeply moved.
"No dragon could’ve forged a better destiny."

In a corner of the room, Myrria was finishing the final rune. She rose with grace and turned to Elora.
"I want to extend the protections to Loric’s room. He’s part of this pack. Of this family. And if Kaelan is the heir, Loric will be his rock."

Elora nodded, eyes misty.
"Do it. He’s our heart-son."

Myrria smiled gently.
"I’ll just need a few feathers, a lock of his hair, and—"

"A half-chewed wooden figurine," Elora completed with a soft laugh. "I’ll see what I can find."

The ritual was complete, but something had shifted in the room.
It wasn’t just beautiful anymore. It was sacred.

The hallway glowed with soft light filtered through the manor’s high windows. The day was ending, but Loric was still bursting with energy.

He pushed open his bedroom door, freshly painted and already adorned with carved constellations he’d picked with Lina. But tonight, something else filled the air—a hushed aura, like a soft magical pulse under his skin.

He looked up. The stars on the ceiling now glowed with a gentle, iridescent light, and small carved dragons in the corners seemed to flap their wings slowly, lulled by discreet enchantments.

In the corner, Myrria was finishing a final protective sigil, her fingers wreathed in blue sparks. She lifted her head as the young wolf entered.

"Perfect timing," she said with a smile. "I just finished."

Loric stood there, arms crossed, chin raised.
"Did you put the same runes as in Kaelan’s room?"

"The same, yes. And maybe a few extra… special ones for big brothers who want to guard against every nightmare."

He smiled, a dimple forming in his cheek.
"Good. I want the same. Exactly the same."

He walked up to the wall, placed a hand on the enchanted stone, and closed his eyes for a second.
"Kaelan needs to feel this is his room too. And I want to feel it if something’s wrong. Even if he’s not nearby."

Myrria, a little surprised by the gravity in his voice, knelt to his level.
"That’s a big responsibility, you know."

"I’m his beta," he answered without hesitation. "I have to protect him. Even if he’s not here yet."

She stared at him for a moment, stunned by the disarming simplicity of his declaration. Then she reached out and touched his forehead gently.
"Then this room is ready. And so are you."

"I even asked Lina to help me finish the garland! We added dragon feathers, glow-leaves… and a mini magic lantern. When it lights up, it means Kaelan’s thinking of me."

"That was your idea?"

Loric shrugged, modest but proud.
"Of course. He won’t be alone. Even if one day he’s super big, or super strong, or even king. He’ll always be my little brother."

Myrria smiled tenderly.
"You’d make an excellent Watcher, you know."

"What’s a Watcher?"

"A very old word… for those who protect without being asked."

Loric nodded slowly, then declared as he grabbed a pillow for his nap:
"Then I wanna be a Watcher. And a beta. And a big brother. And… I also want blueberry pie for snack."

"One priority at a time, little king."

He curled up on the soft rug, eyes turned toward the enchanted stars above. Before falling asleep, he whispered:
"You think he’ll dream of me tonight?"

"I’m certain of it," Myrria murmured. "And he’ll smile, because he’ll already know he’s loved."

Dusk bathed Kaelan’s room in golden light. The dreamlike walls seemed to breathe beneath the carved runes, and the cradle, sculpted by Caleb’s hand, stood in the center like a peaceful sanctuary.

Lya stood by the open window, letting the warm evening air brush her skin. One hand rested on her belly. She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the soft movements within. Kaelan seemed calm. Serene. As if he could feel that everything was finally ready.

Caleb entered silently, smiling at the scene with a weariness he refused to admit. He stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Everything’s in place," he murmured. "Even the miniature lanterns on the ceiling. You can breathe now, baby."

Lya smiled, a little tired.
"I think I was waiting for this more than I wanted to admit… For everything to be ready. For this child to finally have a place of his own."

She turned toward him, pupils briefly slit with emotion.
"I’ve always known how to fight. Always known how to adapt. But this time… I think I needed a true refuge."

Caleb held her tighter, his gaze falling on the cradle.
"Then you have one. And so does he."

A soft mental rumble purred through his mind. Handres, usually so fierce, was now emitting syrupy thoughts—like a massive wolf nuzzling a cub.

Caleb raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Do you feel that?"

Lya blinked, puzzled.
"Feel what?"

"Handres. I think we’ve lost him."

He stepped back slightly and addressed his wolf mentally.
"So… where’s the ruthless predator? The forest master? The scourge of battlefields?
What are you now? Guardian of the magical cradle?"

The mental response snapped back with lupine indignation: "I watch. It’s sacred. Shut up, human."

Lya burst out laughing, leaning into him, delighted by the moment.
"He’s adorable when he sulks. You should buy him a stuffed toy."

"He already has three," Caleb grumbled, placing a hand over his heart. "You. Kaelan. And Loric. Three creatures who can melt him without a fight."

Kaelan stirred under his mother’s hand. Lya looked down, overcome with emotion.
"He’ll be here soon…"

"And we’ll be ready," Caleb replied firmly.

She turned to face him, golden eyes glowing.
"Promise me you’ll be there, Caleb. Not as a king. Not as an Alpha. Just as you."

He laid his hand on hers, right where Kaelan moved.
"I promise you, Lya. No matter what… I’ll be there. I already am."