Chapter 229 Epilogue

Chapter 229 Epilogue
Kira’s POV

Barely months later, the universe decided to remind me that nothing in my life would ever be normal.

I was in the palace gardens, surrounded by blooming roses and the sweet scent of fresh earth after a light rain. 

The afternoon sun warmed my swollen belly as I waddled along the stone path, complaining to Leah in my head about how this pup was clearly trying to rearrange my organs. 

One minute I was reaching for a particularly pretty flower, the next a sharp, crushing pain ripped through my lower back and abdomen like lightning.

“Oh shit,” I gasped, doubling over. Warm liquid trickled down my legs. “Adrian! Ad…Adrian!”

He appeared almost instantly, sprinting from the nearby courtyard where he’d been training with Thomas. 

His face went from concerned to full-blown panic in half a second when he saw the puddle and the way I was clutching my belly.

“Kira? Is it—? Are you—?” His eyes were wide, hands hovering uselessly like he didn’t know whether to touch me or run for help. “What do I do?!”

“Take me to the medical wing, you idiot!” I growled through another contraction. The pain was intense, like my body was being split open. 

“Hop on my back!” he blurted, turning around and crouching like this was some action movie escape scene.

I stared at him dumbfounded. Then I punched his shoulder as hard as I could as another massive wave of contraction hit me. “Hop on your back? Do I look like a fucking kangaroo to you?!”

Adrian flinched, eyes wild with hysteria. “Yes… I mean no! I don’t know! I’ve never had a pregnant mate who is about to deliver before! This is my first time!”

I grabbed a fistful of his perfect royal hair and yanked hard while screaming both in pain and fury, “Have I been pregnant before?! Are you fucking serious right now?! Everything is a damn first time for you aside getting me pregnant!”

Tears actually welled up in his eyes as he yelped. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I don’t know what’s happening! Someone help!”

I started laughing through the tears and pain because the sight of the mighty King of Draven crying and panicking in the garden was too ridiculous.

“Why are you calling for someone? Lift me up and take me to the medical wing! Or are you trying to say I’m fat?!” I screamed through another pain.

“Never!” He wiped at his forehead frantically, then scooped me up bridal-style like I weighed nothing. “I’ve got you, my love. I’ve got you.”

Thomas and a few guards came running just then. Thomas had somehow commandeered one of the garden carts…the big wooden one used for moving plants…and was waving at us like a madman. “I brought transport!”

I looked at the cart through the pain, then at Thomas, deadpan even as another contraction hit. “Are you serious right now?”

“I don’t know what to do!” Thomas shouted back, looking genuinely terrified. “This is my first time too! We can wheel her to the medical wing gently—”

“I will kill both of you!” I screamed, half-laughing, half-crying. “I will kill everybody in this palace! I will set the whole damn place on fire!”

Adrian rubbed my back soothingly as he started carrying me. “Calm down first, my love. Breathe. I’ve got you.”

I let him carry me, but the pain made me feral. I latched onto his chest and bit down on his abs through his shirt as he ran. 

He yelled the entire way to the medical wing, a mix of pain and frantic apologies. “Ow! Kira! I’m sorry! I love you! Stop biting…okay, bite harder if it helps!”

The delivery room was chaotic. Doctors and nurses scrambled as Adrian burst in with me still attached to his chest like a wild animal. They got me on the bed, but I refused to let go of his hair.

“You’re staying in here,” I growled, twisting his strands. “You put this pup in me, you’re helping me push it out!”

Adrian looked helplessly at the doctors, more sweat beading on his forehead. “I don’t know how! I’ve never—”

“Figure it out!” I yelled, pulling him closer. “This is all your fault, you know that? Your stupid strong sperm and your ‘let me take you on a wild ride’ nonsense!”

“I’m sorry!” he kept repeating, holding my hand through every contraction, letting me squeeze and curse him while the doctors worked. “I’m so sorry, my queen. Push, baby. You’re doing amazing.”

The labor was intense…hours of pain that blurred into something almost beautiful in its rawness. 

I screamed, cried, and threatened to kill Adrian while he stayed right there, whispering encouragement, wiping my forehead, taking every insult patiently.

Finally, with one last monumental push that felt like my entire soul was exiting my body, our son came into the world crying loud and strong.

I exhaled deeply, slumping back like I’d just taken the heaviest dump of my life after months of clogging. “Oh thank the Goddess…”

The baby was whisked away for cleaning. Adrian barely glanced at him. He was all over me, hovering as the doctors cleaned me up, kissing my sweaty forehead, murmuring, “Handle her carefully. She’s everything. Keep a smile on your face while cleaning her up! Drop frowning dammit!” He grilled the nurses mercilessly.

Poor nurses.

My father had arrived sometime during the chaos. He followed the nurses to the cleaning station with protective eyes, the tough old wolf melting completely at the sight of his grandson.

When they brought our cleaned, wrapped son back, my father looked at him with so much love it made my chest ache. “I’m going to spoil you rotten, little one,” he whispered, before gently placing him beside me on the bed.

Adrian still wouldn’t look away from me. He wiped more sweat from my forehead, eyes glassy with emotion. “You were incredible,” he breathed.

“Weakly, I nudged him. “Look at your son, Adrian.”

He exhaled like it pained him to shift his gaze, but he did. The moment his eyes landed on the tiny boy with a shock of dark hair and the tiniest clenched fists, something in him broke open. We both stared at our newest creation in shared wonder.

“He’s perfect,” Adrian muttered, voice thick.

“I know,” I said softly, exhausted but glowing.

“Just like his father,” he added with a grin.

I groaned weakly. “Go away.”

He laughed and started kissing my forehead over and over. “Thank you. Thank you for him. Thank you for choosing me.”

I heard Leah’s excitement practically explode inside my head.

‘OUR PUP!’

I winced. ‘Leah, Goddess above, lower your voice.’

‘Our pup!’ she repeated even louder somehow, vibrating with excitement. ‘Look at him! Look at his tiny ears! His tiny nose! His tiny little paws!’

‘Those are hands, Leah.’

‘For now,’ she added and a laugh escaped me despite my exhaustion.

‘Ask him,’ she said suddenly.

‘Ask who what?’

‘Adrian… What we're naming our pup.’

That actually made me pause. I blinked down at the tiny bundle sleeping peacefully between us.

‘Huh. I haven't really thought about it. I guess we will just call him Kira's son. For now,’ I said lightly, feeling the weight of exhaustion pulling me under.

Leah made a sound that could only be described as spiritual suffering. ‘What is wrong with you and your father?’

I burst out laughing immediately and the nurses jumped. Even Adrian looked alarmed.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes," I wheezed.

‘Your father told Adrian to call him ‘Kira's dad,’ she said seriously.

‘Okay. And?’

‘And now your grand plan is to name the future prince of the kingdom 'Kira's Son'?’

‘It's a working title,’ I shrugged.

‘It's a terrible title, Kira.’

I looked over at Adrian, who was still staring at our son like he had personally discovered the moon.

"Adrian?"

His attention snapped to me immediately.

"Yes, my love?"

"What are we calling him?"

The question seemed to surprise him. Then slowly, a smile spread across his face. The kind of smile that reached all the way into his eyes.

"I was thinking..." He looked down at our sleeping son. "Kael Draven."

The room seemed to grow quieter.

"Kael?" I repeated softly.

"It means mighty warrior,” Adrian said softly.

Leah immediately approved. ‘Excellent. Strong. Noble. Acceptable. He's going to be a future legend!’

I smiled faintly. Kael Draven.

The name somehow fit.

Like it had always belonged to him.

I looked down at the tiny prince sleeping peacefully between us.

"Kael… AKA, Kira's son," I whispered.

Adrian laughed softly as his hand found mine. "Yes."

Outside the room, the palace erupted in celebration. I could hear Victoria’s excited screams, Thomas bragging loudly that he was officially the godfather, and the distant cheers of the kingdom rejoicing at the birth of their prince.

My father’s joyful face as he watched us, Adrian’s devoted gaze never fully leaving mine even as he cradled our son’s tiny hand… it was everything.

And as I looked at the two people who had become my entire world, I finally understood that peace didn’t feel like silence…it felt like being exactly where I was meant to be.