Lucien POV


    Tarian looked at me in shock. "What are you saying, Alpha Lucien?" he said, clearly getting angry by the minute.


    I swallowed. "This curse-"I couldn''t speak through my choked throat. So I swallowed again. "This curse-if it ims Auren, I don''t think I''ll be able to live without her."


    0


    "Shut up!" he growled, his fists tightening. "You can''t say words like these. No one is going anywhere. Your curse has mostly gone, and I believe that everything will be fine."


    1 shook my head. "It is still looming on us, Tarian. So listen to me carefully because I won''t repeat it. If the curse takes Auren away from me, I swear to the goddess, I''ll follow her. I won''t let her pass the Fade alone. I know I sound selfish, but we are mates. I can''t—" Tears welled in my eyes. "I can''t leave her alone. She is my everything."


    "Alpha Lucien...." Tarian ced his hands on my arms.


    "Tarian, I know you are a powerful Beta. You can protect my pup and see to it they get their rightful ce. I have too many enemies lurking in the shadows. All of them want to usurp my position. You have to protect my pup. Promise me, you will."


    JAlpha Lucien..."


    "Promise me!" I sped his shoulders tightly.


    After a while of hesitation, he nodded. "I promise," he said in a hoarse voice.


    Only then did I release my breath. "Thank you."


    “I''ll be right back,” Tarian said and quickly left. I noticed how he wiped a tear from his cheek. Sorry, my friend. But my mate needed me more than this world.


    While Auren was in tremendous pain, I paced the hallway like a caged beast. My jaw was clenched so tightly that I thought my fangs would crack. Auren''s cries from thebor room twisted through my chest like a hot de. My wolf howled beneath my skin. He wanted to tear down the doors, wanted to take away her pain in some way, to do something. But I could do nothing.


    An hour went by. Vivi and other omegas were standing at the side, waiting silently. Tarian said through mind link that many of my pack members had started pouring in the hospital premises.


    I took a deep breath in as my palms went cold. My heart raced so hard that it was a wonder it hadn''t leapt out. Every second felt like a countdown. Not just to the birth of my pup, but to the moment when the curse would finally strike.


    Would it take her away from me now? Or would it wait for a few more days? Rlease, Moon Goddess, at least let her nurse my pup. After everything she had gone through, after surviving betrayal, and des and broken bonds, please don''t take her. I sped my hands in front of me and whispered. "I''lle to meet you, shadow wolves. But let her survive."


    Finally, when I couldn''t bear more, I went to stand in front of her door. Elias was sitting in front of her. Her legs were wide open. "The head is about to form!" he shouted at the nurses. "Get me scissors!"


    "Lucien!" Auren cried loudly. "Where are you?"


    I just couldn''t hold myself, and bolted in. She was sweaty, pale. Her lips were trembling as she clutched the sheets as another contraction rolled through her. As soon as her gazended on me, her lips parted in a shaky smile. "You''re here," she breathed.


    I clutched her hand, and said, "I never left, love. I''ll never leave. Gods, Auren..." How could she not think of the curse? She was so boldly facing it just to give birth to my pup. Why the fuck did I put her through so much trouble. I hated myself, hated the Elders, and most of all I hated my bloodline.


    She reached up to me with shaky fingers. "Why are you crying? Aren''t you happy that we will be parents?"


    I didn''t realize that I was crying. I brought her hand to my face. "I''m scared,


    Auren," I confessed. "I''m scared I''ll lose you."


    Through her pain, she gave a soft, tiredugh "Lucien, we''ve walked through hell.


    Please don''t let fear steal this moment from us,"


    I kissed her hand. "I don''t know how to be without you, love.*


    "And you never will be the whispered. "Our pup-" A scream ripped from her throat. "Ahhhhh!"


    "It''s time?" Dr. Elias rasped as he focused on her.


    I stood beside her, gripping her hand, letting her crush my fingers. I whispered everything I could to encourage her, to sail through this pain. "You''re so strong, how brave, I love you so much."


    Until-


    0


    A tiny cry filled the room. I froze as Auren gasped.


    Elias lifted a red-faced, squirming little bundle into the air. "It''s a boy."


    For a long moment, as I watched my heir, my pup, I couldn''t move. My throat was choked with so many emotions that nothing came to my mind. I heard Auren sobbing,ughing and exhausted. However, just as she thought it was over, another scream tore through her throat. "Ahhhh!"


    Elias handed the pup to the nurse and focused on her again. "Gods above! There''s one more pup inside."


    I gasped as I watched Auren screaming. All at once, two minutester, I heard another tiny cry.


    Elias held the pup and lifted into the air. "It''s a girl!"


    Oh. My. Goddess.


    "Many congrattions, Alpha Lucien," Elias said with a grin.


    had twins. With my eyes wide, I stared at my daughter whose cry had turned fierce now. "Fuck me!" I rasped.


    Auren let out a raspyughter. With my heart racing, I leaned over my wife and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You did it, my love. You brought our pups into the world."


    "We did it," she whispered.


    By this time, the nurse had brought my son to me. I stared at him, watching his tiny feet and hands in wonder. Remus was wagging his tail. ''Our pups!''


    After a few minutes, the nurse handed me my baby girl. As I cradled her in my left arm, I noticed how small, perfect, pink-cheeks were my beautiful pups. “Both had stormy gray eyes. While my daughter had Auren''s hair, my son had my hair. Perfect blend of their parents. I looked at Auren, feeling ecstatic, and forgot everything about the curse.