The Winter Heir （Epilogue）
The continent of unified werewolf packs had officially been at peace for two years, but the Supreme King of the North was currently pacing a hole into the solid stone floor of our bedroom.
"Kade, you are making me dizzy," I breathed, gripping the heavy fur blankets as another wave of pressure tightened my stomach.
"I am going to execute the entire medical staff," Kade growled, his massive hands running frantically through his dark hair.
The terrifying warlord who had slaughtered rival armies without blinking was practically hyperventilating.
"Where is Elara? She said the baby was coming an hour ago.
I'll burn the infirmary down if she doesn't get up here right now. "
I let out a breathless laugh, leaning my head back against the silk pillows. "Kade, come here."
He stopped pacing instantly. He crossed the massive room in two strides, dropping heavily onto his knees beside the bed. He carefully took my hand in both of his, his glowing golden-blue eyes scanning my face with absolute, terrified devotion.
"I'm right here, my Queen," Kade whispered, bringing my knuckles to his lips. "I'm right here. Just tell me who I need to kill to make the pain stop."
"No one," I smiled softly, my free hand reaching out to trace the jagged scar across his face. "It's natural, Kade. Our pup is just eager to meet you."
The past three years had been a whirlwind of blood and magic.
When Kade marked me, the Southern Packs had indeed declared war, terrified of the return of the Royal Lycan bloodline.
But they had vastly underestimated the Butcher of the North.
Kade didn't just defend our territory; he annihilated the opposition, forcing the surviving Alphas to bend the knee to the White Queen.
Now, the world was safe. And the monster who had bought me at an underground auction was staring at me with tears pooling in his fierce eyes.
The heavy oak doors burst open. Chief Healer Elara hurried in, followed by two Omegas carrying warm water and towels.
"Apologies, Alpha," Elara said quickly, rushing to the foot of the bed. "The winter storm delayed my herbs. Let's see how our Luna is doing."
For the next two hours, the bedroom was a blur of exhaustion, pain, and absolute, unwavering support.
Kade refused to leave my side for a single second.
He sat behind me on the massive bed, acting as a physical backrest, his heavy, muscular arms wrapped securely around me.
His raw Alpha heat acted as a natural painkiller, and his deep voice constantly murmured praises into my ear.
"You're doing perfectly, Nia," Kade promised, his chest heaving against my back. "You are the strongest creature in this world. One more push, my love. For me."
I squeezed my eyes shut, gripping his thick forearms, and pushed with every ounce of strength my Lycan blood possessed.
A sharp, piercing cry shattered the tense silence of the room.
I collapsed back against Kade's chest, gasping for air. The heavy, suffocating pressure completely vanished, instantly replaced by a wave of pure, overwhelming euphoria.
"A son," Elara announced, her voice thick with emotion as she quickly cleaned the tiny, squalling infant. She wrapped him in a soft, dark grey blanket bearing the Winter Pack crest. "You have a perfectly healthy heir, Alpha."
Kade was completely frozen. He wasn't breathing.
Elara stepped forward and gently laid the bundle into my tired arms.
I looked down, and my heart completely melted. He was tiny, perfect, and red-faced. But what caught my breath was the thick tuft of hair on top of his head. It wasn't dark like Kade's. It was pure, iridescent, snowy white.
A Royal Lycan. The legacy would live on.
I looked up at Kade. The terrifying King was staring at the baby, his jaw trembling.
"Kade," I whispered, shifting slightly to offer him our son. "Meet your heir."
Kade moved with a slow, terrifying hesitation, as if he were afraid his massive, battle-scarred hands would shatter the baby. He gently slid his arms under the blanket, lifting his son against his armored chest.
The tiny baby instantly stopped crying. He nuzzled his small face against the rough leather of Kade's vest, breathing in his father's scent of cedarwood and winter musk.
The Butcher of the North completely broke.
A single, hot tear slipped down Kade's scarred cheek, followed by another. He bowed his massive head over the baby, his broad shoulders shaking as he wept silently. He held the tiny, white-haired pup with a reverence that defied the laws of nature.
"I've got you, little wolf," Kade choked out, his deep voice thick with absolute, unconditional love. He kissed the top of the baby's white head. "I swear to the Moon Goddess, I will burn the stars out of the sky before I let anything hurt you."
He slowly turned, carefully sitting on the edge of the mattress so we were pressed together. He kept one arm wrapped securely around the baby and draped his other massive arm entirely around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.
I rested my head on his shoulder, completely exhausted but happier than I had ever been in my entire life. The silver, crescent-shaped mate mark on my collarbone pulsed warmly, echoing the deep, vibrating purr of Kade's inner beast.
"We did it," I whispered, closing my eyes.
Kade pressed a firm, lingering kiss to my forehead.
"You did it, Nia," the Winter King murmured, his golden-blue eyes reflecting the firelight as he looked at the family he had fought the world to build. "You brought the sun to the North."