Derek, Declan, and Connor stood in tense silence as the pack doctor examined Kira. The doctor’s hands moved carefully over Kira as she lay there, still half asleep, murmuring something incoherent every time the stethoscope touched somewhere new.
Derek stood by the window with his arms crossed, watching every single movement the doctor made like a hawk with something to prove.
The room felt too small for all the worry packed inside it. Derek paced back and forth near the window, running his hand through his hair every few seconds.
His mind kept circling the same fear. What if whatever power had ripped through Kira tonight, whatever had made her collapse the moment it left her, had hurt the baby? What if she pushed herself too far? He had never felt this helpless in his life.
Declan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying to look calm but failing miserably. Connor stood like a statue by the door, his face blank, but his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
The doctor finally straightened up and gave them a reassuring nod.
"She’s fine," the doctor said. "Vitals are steady, the pup’s heartbeat is strong. She’s simply exhausted and dehydrated, Your Grace. Whatever she did out there tonight clearly took a great deal out of her. She needs proper rest. But she is generally fine."
Derek exhaled for what felt like the first time in twenty minutes. The relief that washed over him was so strong his knees almost buckled. He nodded quickly. "Thank you, Doctor."
The doctor bowed and let himself out, and the room fell quiet except for the soft, even sound of Kira’s breathing.
Derek stood over her a moment longer, watching her sleep, before he finally turned and jerked his head towards the balcony doors. **Declan** and Connor followed him out into the cold night air, easing the door shut behind them so as not to disturb her.
"Right," DereK said, leaning both hands on the railing. "Talk to me. What in the goddess’s name did we just watch happen down there? Declan, I put her in your charge; how did you let her out?"
Declan shook his head slowly. "I’m glad you saw it for yourself. I clearly have no power against a Nexus."
He rubbed his forehead where he had hit it the moment Kira had shoved him out of the way when he tried to stop her from leaving the pack house.
"She’s the Nexus," Derek said, still in disbelief. "The wolfless girl I married for revenge is the actual Nexus."
Declan rubbed the back of his neck. "This changes everything. Every power-hungry fool in the kingdoms will come after her."
Connor nodded. "And the Umbras clearly knew something tonight. They were targeting the pack house. They wanted her."
Derek ran his fingers through his hair, goosebumps prickling over his skin.
"Goddess! The Shadow King had known where she had been all this while. This is the reason for the Umbras always attacking wherever she was. They had always wanted her. And I hurt her so much that she fled. What if she had..." He trailed off.
"How long had she known?" Declan asked.
"The question isn’t how long she had known," Derek said. "The question is whether she’s safe here. We’re going back to Dravengard tonight."
"Dravengard’s a four-hour drive," Declan said carefully. "In the dark, with an army of Umbras potentially still tracking her scent. That’s not exactly a stroll through the garden either."
"No," Derek agreed grimly. "But it’s a risk I trust more than staying put and hoping they don’t come back for round two or hoping none of these vultures try to start trouble tonight."
Connor straightened. "Then we go home."
Derek nodded once, decision made. "We go home." He turned to Connor. "Get the cars and the gammas prepared. Tell everyone to brace themselves. This journey might not be an easy one."
Connor gave a sharp nod and disappeared back inside without another word, already barking orders down the mind-link.
Declan stayed a moment longer, giving Derek a knowing look. "She is stronger than any of us realised. Don’t bother or kill yourself over this."
Derek managed a small, tired smile. "I won’t."
***
Somewhere in Pinewood pack, Gavin stood in a quiet corridor, phone pressed to his ear, wincing as Braxton’s voice thundered through the speaker loud enough that he had to hold it slightly away from his head.
"She did WHAT?"
"She’s fine, Alpha," Gavin said, for what felt like the fifth time. "Shaken, exhausted, but fine. King Derek’s got her; we’re heading back to Dravengard tonight."
"I’m coming down there myself," Braxton snapped.
"With respect, Alpha, I really wouldn’t. It’ll be totally unnecessary, and the King already got the whole thing handled."
There was a long, seething pause on the other end.
"I don’t like leaving my sister’s safety in another man’s hands," Braxton said finally, his voice tight. "Even his."
"I understand that," Gavin said. "But trust me, nobody on this earth is more determined to keep her safe tonight than he is."
Braxton didn’t sound remotely convinced, but he let out a low growl of frustration instead of arguing further, which Gavin decided to take as a win.
***
Back in Moonfang, Rolf’s banquet hall rang with laughter and clinking glasses, high-ranking officials and loyal Alphas toasting the evening away, unaware of the chaos that had unfolded miles away in one of the Lycan territories.
Then the doors banged open, and Lydia stormed in, her face like thunder. The merriment died instantly.
"I want to have a word with you," she said to Rolf. "Now."
He followed her out into the corridor, well out of earshot, and the moment the door shut behind them, she rounded on him.
"You released the Umbras tonight," she hissed. "Without telling me. Why?"
Rolf didn’t even have the decency to look sheepish. "I wanted her gone before the hearing in day. Simple as that. No Kira, no claim to this pack, no problem."
Lydia stared at him, and something cold and calculating moved behind her eyes.
"You don’t get to use them like that. You want to kill Kira before the next hearing? That’s not fighting fair."
Rolf sneered. "Look who’s talking about fairness, you Lydia of all people. I am the Alpha of this pack, and no one will take it from me."
Lydia glared at him for a moment. She knew exactly what Kira was. She knew Rolf knew it too, and that this little story about the hearing was nothing but a convenient lie sitting on top of the real one.
But she said nothing. Not yet.
"Next time," she said instead, "you tell me first."
***
Back in the banquet hall, Rolf’s Beta, Jake’s phone buzzed against the table. He glanced down at the screen, and whatever the message said made him go very still.
Slowly, he lifted his head and looked across the room, straight at his son.
Scott was laughing with a glass in hand, completely oblivious of his father’s eyes on him.