“All the entities, all the souls I saved and lost, save me and my child from demise," I whispered in desperation.
I brewed a potion to make me stay strong. Five hours had passed, and the childbirth ceremony was about to begin.
As before, I would give birth under the moonlight, where my powers were strongest. But now, I saw the truth—Gio and his mother had deceived me, making me believe my babies were stillborn, only to offer them afterward.
"I'm sorry, Father, Mother," I whispered. "The town you gave your lives to has betrayed me. Now, they'll feel my pain."
I poured the potion onto my necklace and drank the last drops—to keep myself sane. One thing was clear—The monster didn’t devour the dead, meaning my children were alive before Gio sacrificed them.
The clock struck seven. Gio took me.
"Careful, love. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to our baby," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
My lips trembled. Oh, how I wanted to smash his face and expose him for the liar he was.
"Lie down, Kathleen," his mother instructed, guiding me to the ceremonial bed.
Clad in a thin white cloth, I lay beneath the open sky, surrounded by water, oil, and blood—traditional wards against evil. Yet, those who harmed me most were the ones I trusted.
A blindfold covered my eyes. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. Chanting filled the air as warm liquid smeared across my swollen belly. Gio’s grip tightened around my wrist.
Then—a sharp prick at my neck. A small sting. A needle, perhaps. Now I understand why childbirth always left me weak and disoriented. Each time, they drugged me into unconsciousness, only for me to wake to the same lie—my baby hadn’t survived.
Not this time.
Minutes passed. The potion took effect. Then, footsteps—distant but approaching. The monster. I had never seen him. Only my father and Gio had. All I knew was that he was massive, ruthless, and powerful.
I slowly opened my eyes.
The crowd was gone. Gio’s mother had disappeared.
Only he and I remained. And my baby.
Pain wracked my body as I brought my child into the world. A sharp cry pierced the air. My vision blurred, but I saw it—something large, something covered in fur... and then it shifted.
Into a man.
The monster... is a man—a lycan?
"What do you offer for the flower you seek?" The monster spoke, his voice deep and commanding.
"My wife," Gio answered without hesitation. "She carries the bloodline of those who destroyed your pack years ago."
What is he talking about?
"The baby is yours, as is the woman. In return, you will give me the flower that will bring my beloved back to life. That was the deal, correct?"
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat as I watched Gio kneel before the monster.
"The whole town knows of this. No one will come for her. She is yours. Nothing will go wrong, as promised."
Wrong. I would return. I would make my own deal.
Darkness clawed at my consciousness. My body swayed, weak from childbirth, but my mind remained sharp. I was lifted onto something soft. I heard my baby crying.
I forced my eyes open.
Slowly, I reached for the small silver dagger tucked against my body.
"S-stop..." I rasped.
The movement around me slowed.
"What the?!" The monster growled.
Suddenly, his massive form shrank, shifting into something smaller—more human. He dropped me, and pain jolted through my body as my weakened bones struggled against the impact.
I cradled my baby, my breath hitching. The monster—now a man—was bleeding. Profusely.
"W-what happened to you?" I asked, unable to suppress my concern.
He was young, strong, and devastatingly handsome—but gravely wounded.
"None of your business. You're mine now. I own you. You will do as I say."
Yet, as he spoke, his body trembled, his strength waning. Then, I caught the scent—wolfsbane and poison.
"You're dying," I murmured.
"Oh yeah? And so are you—"
"Let me offer my life to you." I negotiated. "My baby and I were betrayed by my town. Let me pledge my life and loyalty. Not only will you have me, but you’ll have the town that destroyed your pack. You want revenge? So do I."
He scoffed, stepping closer—barely clothed, barely standing. "And why should I trust you, old woman?"
"Bite me. My blood is laced with power, with honesty, with loyalty. If I betray you, I will die."
His brow furrowed. "And the baby?"
"Not my baby. Just me. Bite me, and you'll see. Your wounds will heal."
I expected hesitation, but in an instant, he was behind me, his claws grazing my skin as his canines sank into my shoulder. He wasn’t feasting on my blood—he was stealing my power.
Darkness swallowed me as I collapsed, drained. Only my baby’s steady breath assured me he was still safe.
A breath ghosted against my ear. "Did you trick me?"
I shook my head weakly.
"Then explain this," he demanded, stepping back.
I forced my eyes open, struggling to see him clearly. But it wasn’t him that caught my attention—it was my own reflection in his piercing blue eyes.
Not old. Not wrinkled. Not broken.
I looked young again. As if the past twenty years had vanished.
I gasped. "I... I became young again!"
His lips curled into a smirk. "Maybe because you're now fated to me, woman."
