Page 31 of Lycan Prince's Secret Baby

Lyvia’s expression instantly sharpened with concern.

“Lina passed out! She’s burning up!” I cried, panic smothering me.

The witch was at my side in an instant, her movements fluid and decisive. She took Lina from my trembling arms, her hands steady as she began to assess my daughter’s condition. I could see the fear flickering behind Lyvia’s composure, the urgency palpable in her quickened breaths.

Efficiently, she gathered the fragrant water, distilled aromas that would symbolize mine and Kyle’s essences, for the ritual. She bathed Lina’s forehead, wrists, and neck. The air around us filled with the sweet aroma of wildflowers and pine. Almost immediately, Lina let out a soft sigh, her breathing deepening.

My heart, which had been racing, began to ease as I synchronized with my daughter’s steadier heartbeat.

“It’s caused by the imbalance of her lineage,” Lyvia murmured, her voice strained as she continued to examine Lina’s feverish skin. “With your blood and Kyle’s combined, it’s creating dissonance. It’s been exacerbated by Kyle’s absence.”

Her words slammed into me, the air leaving my lungs. “What do you mean?” I retorted. “How can you reproach me for taking her away from Kyle?” Anguish twisted within me, a mixture of defiance and despair.

Lyvia’s gaze softened as it held mine. “I’m not reproaching you,” she said gently, her tone soothing but firm. “But we need to act quickly. Lina’s going to be plagued with more than just fever. I’ve heard of this happening when two wolves from different packs have offspring. In the language of the moon goddess, it’s calledAmaruq Kuk.”

My heart stampeded— “warring wolves.”

“I’ve heard of children suffering from terrible nightmares, and in the worst cases of their inner wolf dying, leaving the child unable to ever shift,” Lyvia continued.

It felt as if the ground were giving way beneath me. The potential of my daughterlosingher wolf pulled me down as if I were plummeting into the depths. Earlier today, I’d imagined herrunning the same lands that my pack and I had for generations, and now, as well as losing those lands, she might lose her wolf. It was a cruelty I couldn’t contemplate inflicting on her.

“Leah,” Lyvia added, her voice unsteady. “I should have warned you about this.”

I shook my head, pain twisting my expression. “You knew this could happen?”

“I did,” she admitted, her gaze dropping to the floor before meeting mine again. “But I hoped... I hoped it wouldn’t come to pass. I thought Lina might be lucky. The signs hadn’t manifested. Usually, children show symptoms straight after birth. I didn’t want to burden you with a threat that seemed minimal.”

“Burden me?” I echoed, my voice rising. “You should have told me.”

“I know,” she said, her voice tense with regret.

Despair washed over me, the weight of our reality settling in my chest. “And now?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “What do we do now?”

Lyvia’s expression grew resolute. “We fight this. We have to act quickly to restore balance.”

“How?” I demanded, my voice trembling.

“You can’t sever the mate bond with Kyle,” Lyvia said, her voice calm but forceful, “And we need him to come here to help treat her illness.”

The prognosis landed like a sledgehammer. My mate, the very one I’d sought to escape, was now key to my daughter’s survival.

“Lina needs him?” My voice broke, a mix of disbelief and sorrow ringing through me. I wanted to scream, to lash out at the universe for this twisted irony. I had fought to free myself with everything I had from that man. But no matter how hard I fought, no matter how much I tried,everythingseemed to drag me back to him. With my lungs burning, it was as if I were back in that stifling prison cell in the depths of the Moonlight compound again. I tried to remind myself that I was safe here with Lyvia, Roman, and my other pack mates, surrounded by a sanctuary I’d cherished for almost a year, where the walls hummed with spells of protection. Yet as the weight of danger pressed in on icy Lina, this sanctuary felt hollow.

As the walls closed in around me, I was faced with the brutal truth; I had to reach across the chasm that separated me and Kyle and summon the very man who had caused me so much pain.

“Kyle must come,” I stated, the words heavy with resignation as I digested this new reality, sourness churning in my stomach.

“Yes, because Lina’s a part of you both. She needs both of you to cure her,” Lyvia confirmed, her tone resolute.

Anger surged through me at my friend’s pronouncement. The memory of realizing I was pregnant with Lina flooded back—the suffocating fear of being imprisoned by Reginald, knowing Kyle hadn’t even cared enough about me to come see me. I vowed again to myself that even if Lina required Kyle for her healing, he would never be her father. She was mine, and mine alone. Onceshe recovered from this illness, I swore I would break free from the despotic binding chaining me to him.

Chapter 17

Kyle

Since Leah’s disappearance a year ago, I dedicated every fiber of my being to becoming everything my father was not. Each morning, I rose with the light and went to the training ring. The golden hue felt sacred as I channeled my frustration into training with Mark. With every strike, I called upon the moon goddess for fortitude. The vibrations of my impact echoed in my bones as I sought her guidance in the pauses between punches. I prayed for the wisdom to know when to hold back and when to unleash my fury. With her blessing, the war I waged within my pack against my father’s reign could find success.

Mark was my steadfast ally in this endeavor. When not in the ring, we spent hours tirelessly sifting through the tangled web of my father’s twisted schemes, amassing documented evidence to show his crimes. Meanwhile, each time I stood before the council, I wore confidence like a second skin, directing cool logic and meticulously honed arguments to push reforms that would uplift both the Blood Moons and the Moonlight Pack.

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