<h4>Chapter 222: I Should Have</h4>


    Luciver exhaled slowly, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly. The lines of regret etched deeper into his face.


    "I know," he said atst. "I should have. But he is still my brother."


    ******


    Far beyond the city walls, the car hurtled through the road.


    Luna couldn’t bear the pain anymore.


    Her nails dug into the leather seat, her breathing in quick, shallow pants. Sweat dampened her forehead and soaked through the front of her gown. Her belly was hard, tight as steel, contracting with agonizing force.


    She let out a strangled moan and thrashed slightly, her entire body trembling. Her hair clung to her face, the strands sticking with moisture. The baby was demanding its ce.


    From the front seat, Kyllian turned sharply, the moonlight shing across his cheekbones. His eyes softened with concern as he took in her state.


    "Hang in there, Princess."


    He turned to Thessa, who sat beside Luna, hands braced against her thighs as she checked the timing of the contractions.


    "Isn’t there anything you can give her for the pain?" he demanded, nearly growling the words.


    "I have given her what is even beyond what a werewolf can handle...This baby wants out."


    Luna screamed, arching against the seat, and Talon’s hands gripped the wheel tighter.


    "We’ll be inside our territory soon. We can stop by the closest clinic instead of going to the pce," Kyllian said, eyes constantly darting between the road and the pale woman in the back seat who clung to consciousness.


    She was burning up.


    Thessa nodded in response to Kyllian’s words when the car lurched to a violent halt, throwing her forward in her seat.


    Tires screeched. The scent of burnt rubber filled the air.


    "What the..." Kyllian began, already half-turning to Talon. But he froze when he saw the other man’s face.


    Talon looked like he’d seen death.


    Kyllian followed his gaze... and saw why.


    Standing directly in the beam of their headlights were a formation of ten figures—pale-skinned, still as statues. Their eyes gleamed red in the moonlight, their fangs glinting as they smiled without soul.


    A quiet growl escaped Kyllian’s throat.


    "Rogue vampires."


    From the back seat, Luna whimpered in pain, and Thessa clutched her protectively.


    "Oh goddess, not now! What do they want?" Thessa asked, eyes wide, scanning the dark shapes.


    "Only trouble," Kyllian growled. His heart thundered in his chest. He turned to Thessa again, eyes hard, unblinking. "Whatever happens, get her into werewolf territory. The slightest opening you get, take it out of here."


    Thessa nodded, her body trembling, but she was resolute. She moved to the front seat, slipping into the driver’s seat just as Kyllian and Talon stepped out into the cool night air.


    Kyllian and Talon took their positions in front of the car, side by side. Though they were vastly outnumbered, they stood tall, shoulders squared, eyes locked on the enemy.


    They were warriors. Wolves. Sworn to the protection of their princess.


    They shifted into their wolf forms instantly, fur erupting from skin and bone reshaping as Talon and Kyllianunched forward. The air rippled with power as their massive forms hurtled toward the rogue vampires. ws shed and fangs bared, they met the bloodsuckers with an earth-shaking roar.


    *****


    Inside Blood City, the pce halls trembled under Damien’s fury.


    "Emergency council meeting. Now!" he had bellowed themand to Eryk. There would be no peace until he faced the wolves in sheep’s clothing who dared condemn his child.


    Now, he sat on the throne. His shoulders were taut, jaw clenched, his eyes burning. The other council members stood. All except Luciver who upied the former King’s throne.


    "I want to hear the logic behind your sentence," Damien’s voice boomed, dark and dangerous, carrying the weight of a storm about to break. "I want to hear why you people chose to kill a child that is supposed to be our future—my child!"


    Councilman Richard stepped forward with dignity. "Your Highness... I... I wish I could tell you I understand how much you are suffering."


    "Save it, Councilman Richard," Damien growled. "I will tell you what your little verdict has done."


    He stood then, the sheer force of his power evident in his form. "You forgot that the Queen is a werewolf princess. You forgot she was of royal blood. The moment your stupid verdict left your lips, she willingly left Blood City with her people."


    He paused. "And now, you have no queen. You have no heir."


    "Do you think Alpha King Kyllian will ignore this insult? Do you think the wolves will stand by while we murder their bloodline?"


    "Your Highness," Councilman Richard began again. "I understand your anger. But the majority of us were afraid of what a vampire child already addicted to blood would cause us."


    "For a long time, under the rule of my father," Damien said, rising slowly from the throne, his towering form casting a shadow that stretched across the marble floor, "we have lived in peace. My father has granted you lot allowances—gave you too much freedom—that you do not fear the throne anymore."


    He took a step forward. No one dared move.


    "I will tell you one thing right now. I know that one person has seeded in manipting the lot of you." His eyes glinted. "And when I am able to crush that one person, every single person in alliance with him will be crushed alongside."


    Lord Mason took a cautious step forward. Despite his trembling hands, he kept his chin up as he spoke.


    "We apologize, Your Highness," he said. "But this council was created so that the throne wouldn’t abuse its power. If we do not hold the royal house to a higher standard of moral, the city will crumble."


    Damien’s lip curled. "Like I said," he growled, "every traitor will be crushed."


    The room seemed to tilt with the force of his anger as he got to his feet, the full height andmand of him pressing down on the council.


    "And you will soon find out," he added, "that betrayal dressed in good intentions is still betrayal. You didn’t protect the people—you gave in to fear. You let Gabriel whisper poison in your ears, and now Blood City will bleed for your cowardice."