The Golden Heir
The hallway outside the Alpha Suite was completely silent for three terrifying seconds after Kade's roar.
Then, the heavy sound of approaching boots echoed against the marble floors. It wasn't just Marcus. It was the heavy, rhythmic march of the Bloodbane Elders.
I grabbed a thick, dark towel from the bathroom and rushed to Kade's side.
He was standing in the open doorway, his massive chest heaving, his right shoulder heavily bandaged but still seeping fresh blood.
He was swaying slightly, the aftermath of the Nightshade Ash still coursing through his veins, but the sheer, apocalyptic fury radiating from his frame masked his weakness.
"Step back, Freya," Kade growled low in his chest, extending his left arm to block me from the door. His claws were fully unsheathed.
Four elderly, heavily scarred wolves stopped ten feet away from the doorway. They were led by Gideon, the oldest and most traditional Elder of the pack. Gideon looked past Kade's massive shoulder, his dark eyes landing directly on me with absolute, unfiltered disgust.
"Alpha Kade," Gideon spoke, his voice echoing in the tense corridor. "Step aside. The Princess Vivienne warned us before she fled. She saw the rogue healer working her dark magic. And now... you are bleeding. She has poisoned you too."
"If you take one more step toward my door, Gideon," Kade whispered, his golden eyes turning completely black with lethal intent, "I will rip your throat out and feed it to the crows. She is your Luna."
"She is a spy from the North!" another Elder shouted, pointing an accusing finger at me. "Since she arrived, three more warriors have collapsed, coughing up black blood! She brought the plague!"
"I brought the cure, you fools!" I snapped, stepping out from behind Kade's protective arm, completely ignoring his warning growl.
I held up the white cloth, unfolding it to reveal the assassin's silver blade. The thick, black sap of the Nightshade Ash was gleaming viciously under the hallway lights.
"This blade was driven into your Alpha's shoulder ten minutes ago by an assassin," I declared, my voice ringing with absolute, unshakable authority.
"It is coated in concentrated Nightshade Ash.
A dark magic biological weapon. That is what is killing your pack.
It's not a plague. Your water supply has been intentionally poisoned. "
The Elders froze, staring at the black sap on the blade.
But Gideon sneered, shaking his head. "Lies! A rogue's trick to save her own skin. Alpha Kade is compromised by the mate bond. Guards, seize her!"
Two heavy warriors stepped forward from behind the Elders, drawing their silver chains.
Kade let out a demonic roar, his massive muscles bunching as he prepared to lunge forward and tear them apart, even if it meant ripping his own shoulder open and bleeding to death on the marble floor.
"LEAVE THEM ALONE!"
The high-pitched, furious scream didn't come from me.
Everyone in the hallway completely froze.
From the shadows of the massive bedroom, a tiny figure marched forward. Asher.
He didn't hide behind my legs this time. He marched directly in front of me and Kade, planting his small, bare feet firmly on the marble floor. He dropped his stuffed bear. His tiny hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his chest heaving with absolute, protective fury.
He glared up at the massive warriors and the ancient Elders.
And then... his eyes flared.
They didn't just glow. The metallic gold in Asher's eyes erupted with a blinding, terrifying brilliance. A wave of pure, concentrated, undiluted Alpha energy exploded from his small, four-year-old frame.
It wasn't the heavy, suffocating aura of a grown Alpha. It was the ancient, instinctual pressure of the Royal Bloodline. The absolute, undeniable proof of his sire.
Gideon physically staggered backward, the color completely draining from his scarred face. The two heavy warriors dropped their silver chains as if they were burning hot.
"By the Goddess..." Gideon gasped, his knees visibly shaking as he stared at the little boy with the glowing golden eyes. "The... the royal eyes. The Alpha blood."
"You leave my Mommy and my Dad alone!" Asher commanded, his small voice carrying a strange, vibrating echo of Kade's own demonic growl.
Without a single word of command from Kade, the ancient instincts of the wolf took over. Gideon's knees hit the marble floor. He bowed his head, exposing his neck in absolute, terrified submission to a four-year-old boy.
One by one, the other Elders and the guards dropped to their knees in the hallway, completely subdued by the overwhelming proof of their Alpha's bloodline.
Kade stood frozen in the doorway, his jaw completely slack.
He stared down at the tiny, brave boy who had just called him 'Dad' and defended him against the entire pack.
A profound, overwhelming wave of pride and unconditional love radiated from Kade so strongly it made my own eyes burn with tears.
I stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Asher's small shoulder, grounding his aura.
I looked down at the kneeling Elders, the fierce, protective Luna completely taking over.
"You want my head, Gideon?" I asked coldly, my green eyes blazing. "Fine. I will make you a wager."
Gideon slowly looked up, his eyes filled with a new, terrified respect.
"Give me exactly three days," I declared, my voice echoing down the corridor. "In three days, I will locate the source of the Nightshade Ash in your territory. I will purify your water supply, and I will cure every single sick wolf in your medical tents. If I fail, you can take my life."
Kade flinched behind me, a low growl vibrating in his chest. "Freya, no."
I ignored him, keeping my eyes locked on Gideon.
"But... if I succeed, you will formally swear fealty to me as your Luna, and you will publicly acknowledge my son as the sole heir to the Bloodbane Pack.
If anyone ever questions my authority or looks at my son with disrespect again, I will let the next plague consume you all. "
Gideon swallowed hard, looking from the poisoned blade in my hand, to the golden-eyed boy, and finally to the massive, lethal Alpha King standing behind us.
"Three days, Luna," Gideon whispered, bowing his head completely to the floor. "You have three days."
The Elders slowly rose to their feet and quickly retreated down the hallway, the heavy silence of absolute shock following in their wake.
I closed the massive oak doors, throwing the heavy deadbolt shut.
The adrenaline slowly began to drain from my veins. My knees wobbled, the sheer exhaustion of the night finally crashing down on me.
Before I could fall, a massive, uninjured arm wrapped securely around my waist, pulling my back flush against a hard, incredibly warm chest.
Kade buried his face in my copper hair, inhaling my scent as if I was the only oxygen left in the world. He was trembling.
"You called me 'Dad'," Kade whispered, his voice cracking completely. He wasn't talking to me.
Asher turned around. The glowing golden aura had faded from his eyes, leaving him looking like a normal, exhausted little boy again. He looked up at the massive Alpha holding me.
"You jumped in front of the knife," Asher repeated softly, rubbing his tired eyes. "Mommy says family protects family."
Kade let out a choked, devastated sob. He completely let go of his Alpha pride, dropping to his knees on the floor despite his torn shoulder, and pulled Asher into his chest, burying his face in the boy's dark hair.
Asher didn't pull away this time. He hesitantly wrapped his small arms around Kade's massive neck.
I stood in the center of the room, watching the ruthless Alpha King weep as he held his son for the very first time.
My heart was completely, undeniably compromised.
I had exactly three days to save this pack. But looking at Kade holding our son, I knew the most dangerous battle wasn't against the poison in the water.
It was the battle to stop myself from falling hopelessly, desperately back in love with him.