Chapter 8 The Golden King

3 months later

The sky was bleeding.

I looked through the small window of the healer’s den. The moon was no longer white. It was dark, a deep and scary red. A lunar eclipse. To any other pack, it was a bad omen. To the Rogues, it was when the monsters came out to play.

"Push, Elena!" the healer barked.

I gripped the wooden sides of the bed so hard the timber cracked. I screamed, but the sound was drowned out by a much louder roar from outside.

Aaargh!

The ground shook. Huge, wild forest beasts were slamming into the Citadel walls. I could hear the clashing of swords and the snarls of my people. We were under attack.

"They’re through the south gate!" a voice yelled from the hallway.

The door flew open. Silas stepped in. He was covered in black blood, his leather coat torn. He looked at me, his blue eyes wide with worry. He didn't look like a commander right now. He looked like a man watching his world fall apart.

"The shadow-beasts are everywhere," Silas said. He wiped blood from his forehead. "They smelled the birth. They want the pup’s power."

Another contraction hit me. It felt like a giant hand was squeezing my spine until it snapped. I doubled over, gasping.

"Go," I choked out. "Go lead them, Silas."

"I’m stayin' right here," he growled. He grabbed my hand. His palm was warm and rough.

"No!" I roared. The white light of my wolf flared behind my eyes. "The north wall is weak. If they get in, the mothers and children die. Go!"

Silas hesitated. He looked at my swollen belly, then at the door.

"That’s an order from your Queen!" I screamed.

Silas nodded once, his face turning back into a mask of iron. He turned and ran back into the chaos.

The healer pushed my hair back. "You have to focus, Elena. The baby is coming, and the beasts are at the door."

I could hear them now. Scratching at the walls of the den. Sniffing the air. They knew I was vulnerable. I felt my wolf rising, pushing through the pain. My hair started to shimmer with that silver light again.

Boom!

The front door of the den splintered. A beast—a giant, shadow-covered wolf with six eyes—poked its head through the wood. It drooled black slime. It looked at me and bared teeth as long as daggers.

The healer screamed and dropped her water basin.

I couldn't move. I was pinned to the bed by the weight of the baby. The beast lunged, its claws digging into the floorboards.

"No!" I screamed.

I didn't have a sword. I didn't have a pack. But I had my spirit.

I pushed my hands out. A wave of raw, white pressure exploded from my body. It wasn't a physical hit—it was the weight of a Queen. The beast stopped mid-air. It crashed to the floor, its six eyes rolling back in its head. It whimpered, unable to move under the crushing power of my aura.

"Keep... fighting!" I yelled to the Rogues outside.

I closed my eyes and pushed my power outward. I sent it through the walls, through the mud, and into the hearts of every Rogue warrior. I felt their fear vanish. I felt their strength double.

Even while my body was tearing apart, I was their shield.

"The head is here!" the healer cried. "One more push, Elena! Do it for the King!"

I gave everything I had. Every bit of pain from the rejection, every bit of anger from the brand, and every bit of love I had for this tiny life. I let out a scream that shook the very foundation of the mountain.

Then, silence.

The fighting outside stopped. The scratching at the walls ended. The entire world seemed to hold its breath.

A tiny, wet cry filled the room.

The healer wrapped the baby in a soft white cloth. Her hands were trembling. She didn't say a word. She just walked over and placed the bundle in my arms.

I looked down.

The baby was beautiful. He had a tuft of dark hair, just like the man who had tried to kill me. But when he opened his eyes, my heart stopped beating.

They weren't brown. They weren't blue.

They were gold. Pure, shining, molten gold.

The mark of the True King.

The baby opened his mouth and let out a loud, piercing cry. It wasn't a baby’s whimper. It was a command.

Outside, the wild forest beasts didn't howl back. They didn't growl. I heard the sound of hundreds of bodies hitting the dirt. They were bowing. The monsters were bowing to a newborn child.

The red moon turned back to white. The eclipse was over.

The door opened again. Silas walked in, followed by the Rogue Elders. They were covered in soot and blood, but they stopped dead when they saw the gold light reflecting off the walls.

"The eyes," one Elder whispered. He fell to his knees. "The True King is born."

Silas walked to the bedside. He looked at the baby, then at me. He didn't bow. He just reached out a finger and let the baby grab it.

"His name?" Silas asked. His voice was thick with emotion.

I looked at my son. He looked so much like Valerius, but he was mine. He was a Rogue. He was a survivor.

"Leo," I said. "His name is Leo."

I looked at the window. The sun was starting to peek over the mountains. Far away, in the Moonlight Pack, Valerius was probably waking up in his golden bed. He thought he had ended a bloodline.

He didn't know he had just created his greatest rival.

"He’s going to take it all, Silas," I whispered.

Silas looked toward the border of the Dead Lands. A dark, dangerous smile crossed his face.

"I'll make sure of it, My Queen."

I held Leo close. The gold light in his eyes flickered, then settled.

Silas moved to the window. Beyond the walls, the shadow-beasts were retreating into the forest, their heads bowed low.

The white-haired Elder stepped forward, her voice trembling. "The beasts have never retreated before. They're waiting for him to command them."

I looked down at my son, then at Silas.

"Send word to the northern camps," I said. "Tell them to gather every Rogue Alpha. In one year, I want an army."