Chapter 6
Vivienne recovered quickly — I had to give her that.
Her shock lasted only seconds before her mask slid back into place, her red lips curling into a pitying smile.
"Elara? My goodness, is that really you?" She stepped inside uninvited, her eyes raking over my pregnant belly with undisguised hunger for information. "We've been so WORRIED about you. Dorian's been absolutely beside himself—"
"Has he?" I said flatly, continuing to grind my herbs without looking up.
Vivienne circled closer, her perfume — too sweet, cloying — making my stomach turn.
"And you're... pregnant." She said the word like it was a disease. Her eyes narrowed, calculating. "How far along are you?"
I didn't answer.
"Because if I'm doing the math correctly..." She tapped a manicured nail against her chin, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "That would make the pup Dorian's, wouldn't it?"
I finally looked up. "That's none of your concern."
"Oh, but it IS." All pretense of sweetness evaporated from her face. She leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper. "Because if you think you can use some bastard pup to claw your way back into Dorian's life, you are gravely mistaken."
I set down my pestle with deliberate calm.
"Vivienne. I don't want Dorian. I don't want Shadowfang. And I certainly don't want anything that belongs to you. Now get out of my hall."
Something ugly flickered behind her eyes. "You think you're safe here? Playing house with some northern Alpha? Dorian is going to hear about this, and when he finds out you're carrying his heir—"
"Then tell him."
My words stopped her cold.
I stood to my full height, my hand resting on my belly, and met her eyes without flinching.
"Tell him everything. Tell him I'm alive. Tell him I'm carrying his pup. Tell him I'm thriving in a pack that actually values me. And then tell him that he will NEVER meet this child. Because the moment he rejected me was the moment he lost every right to anything growing inside me."
Vivienne's perfect composure cracked. Real, genuine fury twisted her features.
"You ungrateful—"
"Luna Vivienne."
Caspian's voice cut through the room like a blade. He stood in the doorway, filling it completely, his grey eyes locked onto Vivienne with an expression of lethal calm.
"I believe you wandered into a restricted area. Allow me to escort you back to your delegation."
It wasn't a request.
Vivienne looked between us, her jaw tight. Then she smoothed her hair, lifted her chin, and walked out without another word.
But as she passed Caspian, she whispered — loudly enough for me to hear — "Enjoy your little charity case while it lasts, Alpha Wolfe. Dorian will come for what's his."
Caspian didn't even look at her. His eyes stayed on me.
"Are you alright?"
I realized my hands were trembling. I pressed them flat against the table.
"She's going to tell him," I said.
"Let her."
"Caspian, you don't understand — Dorian won't just let this go. Werewolf law gives him paternal rights—"
"Elara." Caspian crossed the room in three strides and took my shaking hands in his. His palms were warm, steady. "Werewolf law also states that a rejected mate has full custody of any pup conceived before the rejection. He can't touch you, and he can't take your child. I won't let him."
I searched his eyes for doubt, for hesitation. Found none.
"Why?" I whispered. "Why do you keep protecting me?"
His thumb traced a slow circle over my knuckles. A muscle jumped in his jaw.
"You already know why."
He released my hands before I could respond and stepped back, his expression carefully neutral again.
"Rest tonight. I'll double the patrols. And Elara—" He paused at the door. "Whatever comes next, you won't face it alone."
That night, I lay awake with my hand on my belly, feeling the pup roll and kick restlessly.
Something was coming. I could feel it in my bones.
And three days later, when Vivienne returned to Shadowfang — I knew exactly what would happen next.
Her shock lasted only seconds before her mask slid back into place, her red lips curling into a pitying smile.
"Elara? My goodness, is that really you?" She stepped inside uninvited, her eyes raking over my pregnant belly with undisguised hunger for information. "We've been so WORRIED about you. Dorian's been absolutely beside himself—"
"Has he?" I said flatly, continuing to grind my herbs without looking up.
Vivienne circled closer, her perfume — too sweet, cloying — making my stomach turn.
"And you're... pregnant." She said the word like it was a disease. Her eyes narrowed, calculating. "How far along are you?"
I didn't answer.
"Because if I'm doing the math correctly..." She tapped a manicured nail against her chin, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "That would make the pup Dorian's, wouldn't it?"
I finally looked up. "That's none of your concern."
"Oh, but it IS." All pretense of sweetness evaporated from her face. She leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper. "Because if you think you can use some bastard pup to claw your way back into Dorian's life, you are gravely mistaken."
I set down my pestle with deliberate calm.
"Vivienne. I don't want Dorian. I don't want Shadowfang. And I certainly don't want anything that belongs to you. Now get out of my hall."
Something ugly flickered behind her eyes. "You think you're safe here? Playing house with some northern Alpha? Dorian is going to hear about this, and when he finds out you're carrying his heir—"
"Then tell him."
My words stopped her cold.
I stood to my full height, my hand resting on my belly, and met her eyes without flinching.
"Tell him everything. Tell him I'm alive. Tell him I'm carrying his pup. Tell him I'm thriving in a pack that actually values me. And then tell him that he will NEVER meet this child. Because the moment he rejected me was the moment he lost every right to anything growing inside me."
Vivienne's perfect composure cracked. Real, genuine fury twisted her features.
"You ungrateful—"
"Luna Vivienne."
Caspian's voice cut through the room like a blade. He stood in the doorway, filling it completely, his grey eyes locked onto Vivienne with an expression of lethal calm.
"I believe you wandered into a restricted area. Allow me to escort you back to your delegation."
It wasn't a request.
Vivienne looked between us, her jaw tight. Then she smoothed her hair, lifted her chin, and walked out without another word.
But as she passed Caspian, she whispered — loudly enough for me to hear — "Enjoy your little charity case while it lasts, Alpha Wolfe. Dorian will come for what's his."
Caspian didn't even look at her. His eyes stayed on me.
"Are you alright?"
I realized my hands were trembling. I pressed them flat against the table.
"She's going to tell him," I said.
"Let her."
"Caspian, you don't understand — Dorian won't just let this go. Werewolf law gives him paternal rights—"
"Elara." Caspian crossed the room in three strides and took my shaking hands in his. His palms were warm, steady. "Werewolf law also states that a rejected mate has full custody of any pup conceived before the rejection. He can't touch you, and he can't take your child. I won't let him."
I searched his eyes for doubt, for hesitation. Found none.
"Why?" I whispered. "Why do you keep protecting me?"
His thumb traced a slow circle over my knuckles. A muscle jumped in his jaw.
"You already know why."
He released my hands before I could respond and stepped back, his expression carefully neutral again.
"Rest tonight. I'll double the patrols. And Elara—" He paused at the door. "Whatever comes next, you won't face it alone."
That night, I lay awake with my hand on my belly, feeling the pup roll and kick restlessly.
Something was coming. I could feel it in my bones.
And three days later, when Vivienne returned to Shadowfang — I knew exactly what would happen next.