C5

Freya Ashwolf

"Pretty lady, it is right up ahead!" Caelan cheered, pointing his small hand down the heavy iron passage. "My daddy is in there! Once he sees you, he will make you my mommy!"

My heart hammered against my ribs, my omega wolf shifting nervously inside me. We were deep inside the high alpha's private quarters of the massive war vessel.

Row after row of giant Royal Sentinels stood outside the doors, their dark armor gleaming, their heavy alpha pressure scenting the entire corridor with thick, suffocating bloodlust.

I slowed my steps, my arms tightening around the boy. "Hey, little prince," I whispered nervously. "Why don't I put you down here? You can walk the rest of the way. An omega like me shouldn't go inside."

Caelan wrapped his chubby arms tight around my neck, burying his face in my collarbone. "No! You have to carry me in! I want you to meet my daddy!"

"Little prince..." I pleaded softly, torn between fear of the alpha elders and my own protective instinct for this motherless boy.

"Do you hate me, pretty lady?" Caelan pouted, his dark eyes brimming with sudden tears as he stared up at me. "You said I was a good boy."

"No! I don't hate you at all," I said quickly, my heart melting into mush. "You are the sweetest pup I've ever met."

"Then come inside with me," he sniffled, digging his small fingers into my tunic. "If you leave, it means you lied to me."

Before I could reply, the heavy wooden doors swung open with a loud groan.

Lucien Nightbane stepped out, his five-foot-eight muscular frame filling the doorway like a mountain of pure violence. He stopped dead in his tracks, his dark eyes locking onto his son clinging to my chest.

Darius Nightbane rushed out right behind him, his jaw dropping so low it nearly hit the floorboards. "By the Moon Goddess... is Caelan actually hugging a female?"

In the entire Crimson Dominion, everyone knew the young heir hated being touched. He would snarl and snap his tiny fangs at any female who stepped within five feet of him. But right now, he was purring softly, rubbing his scent all over my neck.

My breath caught in my throat as I met the icy gaze of the two highborn alphas.

I recognized Darius first. He was the High Lord's younger brother, famous across Nightfall Haven as a ruthless warrior who ran the pack's frontline armies.

But the male standing next to him made my blood run cold.

Lucien Nightbane. He wore clear-lens glasses perched on his nose, looking calm and harmless at a glance, but his broad shoulders, thick neck, and the scent of ash and blood rolling off his skin proved he was the most lethal predator in the entire territory.

I lowered my head immediately, my knees trembling under his raw aura. "High Alpha Lucien. Commander Darius," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I am Freya Ashwolf, a performer for today's ceremony. The young prince wandered into the hall, and I brought him back to your sentinels."

Lucien didn't say a word for three long seconds. He reached up, took off his clear-lens glasses, and folded them closed, one temple at a time. Without the glass hiding his eyes, his dark alpha gaze burned straight into mine, scanning my full body, my dark complexion, and my small four-foot-five height.

"Thank you for returning my son, female," Lucien growled, his voice deep and smooth like liquor. "Put him down and leave."

The electric sound of his voice sent a sudden, searing wave of heat straight to my core. My omega wolf whimpered inside me, reacting to his voice with terrifying intensity.

I nodded quickly and tried to lower Caelan to the floorboards.

"No!" Caelan shrieked, tightening his legs around my waist like a vice. "I don't want to get down! I want the pretty lady to hold me!"

"Caelan," Lucien warned, his growl vibrating through the floorboards.

"No, Daddy!" Caelan yelled back, pouting furiously. "She smells like warm sun and sweet cream! She has to stay with us!"

I blushed wildly, trying to gently untangle his small fingers. "Little prince, listen to me. I have to go back to the orchestra. If I don't go, Sebastian will fire me, and I won't have any pack coins to buy herbs for my brother."

"Then quit!" Caelan demanded proudly, puffing out his chest. "You can live in our citadel! I have plenty of pack coins! I will feed you!"

A soft laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. "That is very sweet, little prince, but I have to earn my own way."

"Caelan Nightbane, that is enough," Lucien barked. His voice carried absolute command. He stepped forward, his massive hand reaching out and easily scooping Caelan out of my arms.

The moment his thick, warm fingers brushed against my waist, a shockwave of raw mate-heat shot through my entire body. My nipples hardened instantly under my dress, my core throbbing with sudden wetness. I gasped, stumbling back a step as I clutched my chest.

Lucien froze, his eyes darkening to pitch black as he caught my scent on his fingers. His jaw clenched tight, a killer flash in his eyes as he looked down at me.

Caelan hung from his father's grip, his ears drooping as he looked at me with sad, watery eyes. "Did I make trouble for you, pretty lady?"

Before I could answer, a frantic Royal Sentinel sprinted up the passage, dropping to one knee. "High Alpha! Elder Viktor has called an emergency council! Stepmother Moira Ashwolf has just arrived at the Blood Moon Gardens, and she is demanding the immediate execution of your son's secret mother!"