The palace felt emptier than usual after the birth. Lucan lingered in the chambers, pacing, alternating between resting his head on Mira's shoulder and glancing at the crib. I had returned to my own room, yet sleep was impossible. Not because of worry over my kingdom, nor because of political unrest, but because of the constant ache gnawing at my chest. The ache for something more, something primal, something the Goddess had not yet sent.
I stepped to the balcony and let the night air pour over me. The forest stretched endlessly, moonlight catching the tips of trees like silver fire. Kaen stirred in the shadows of my mind, restless as always.
The mate you seek will come.
When? I growled silently.
When fate deems it.
I had already ruled as Alpha for months, yet this gnawing loneliness clung to me like a second skin. Battles had been fought, territories claimed, alliances forged. And yet, the emptiness persisted. I could command armies, crush rivals, even dictate life and death within my pack, but love, true connection, remained elusive.
A soft knock at my door startled me from my reverie. Lucan entered, leaning casually against the frame, but the lines of exhaustion on his face were impossible to hide.
"You can't sleep either," he observed.
"I can always sleep," I said, voice low and controlled. But Kaen twitched beneath the surface of my skin, reminding me that I did not truly sleep without the presence of what I needed most.
Lucan's grin was tired but genuine. "That's why I'm here. I thought you might want to see her again. Selene."
I tensed, then allowed myself to nod. The infant's scent, a mixture of milk and warmth, wafted through the doorway. I followed Lucan into the small chamber where Mira lay cradling the tiny girl.
Selene stirred, tiny hands reaching blindly, and I felt that same strange pull I had noticed at her birth. Something deep in my chest, beyond explanation, coiled and tugged. I knelt beside the crib, staring down at her perfect face, unaware of how tightly Kaen's presence wrapped itself around my spirit.
"She's… remarkable," I muttered.
Lucan chuckled softly, pride evident in every line of his posture. "She is. And she's ours. Or… ours in part." He gave me a quick nod, the kind that acknowledged the bond we shared as brothers in arms, in life, and in the pack.
I wanted to scoff, to brush it off as familial affection, but even as I looked at her, I felt the whisper again, the faintest tickle of destiny brushing against the edges of my awareness. She is yours, Alpha. She is meant for you.
I shook the thought off, though it lingered like smoke in my lungs. "She's still a child. You know that."
"Yes, I know," Lucan said. But his gaze lingered on me, almost piercing, almost knowing more than he should. "I trust you with her, Darian. I always have. She will grow up under your protection. I… I could not imagine anyone else keeping her safe."
The words struck harder than any blade. Lucan's faith in me was absolute, unshakable. My wolf stirred uneasily at the unspoken truth: that one day, the child would grow into a woman. And I would still be the Alpha King, still alone, still aching for what the Goddess had yet to send.