<b>Chapter </b><b>167 </b>


    Reina’s eyes flicked to the bruise across Arztec’s ribs, her lips parting like she wanted to argue but couldn’t quite find the words. Elliot ducked his head, cheeks flushed, though pride glimmered under his embarrassment. Noah stood in front of her, his voice gentler, though no less fierce. “Reina, when Envy’s heart stopped… it wasn’t me who saved her. It wasn’t any of us. It was your son. Elliot held that crystal to her chest and willed her back to life. He brought her back to us.” His lips curved faintly. “That’s not a boy you need to protect from the world. That’s a boy who’s already saving it.”


    Tears welled in Reina’s eyes, her hands trembling as she pressed them to her mouth.


    Levi stepped in, pragmatic as always, his voice cool but sharp. Levi’s eyes softened as they flicked to Elliot. “That’s loyalty. That’s courage. That’s not prey.”


    Xavier then spoke, “Elliot is powerful, not just with magic, not just with what’s in his blood. His mind and his heart are powerful. We also struggled with letting someone so young, someone who had already been through so much, be able to make his own choices. But he makes good choices, always. He was born to be more than just our son, more than just your son.”


    “And we all have to give him the chance to show us just how crazy good he is.” Haiden smiled.


    Silence felt heavy, the kind that hummed with truth too big to deny. Reina finally looked back at Elliot, and for the first time, her expression cracked wide open, not with fear, but with awe.


    And Elliot, shifting nervously under all their eyes, muttered, “I just did what Mum would’ve done.”


    Reina’s shoulders slumped as if the weight of years finally slid free. Her eyes shone, wet and bright, but her mouth curved in a trembling smile. She reached for Elliot, cupping his cheek like she used to


    when he was small.


    “You’re right,” she whispered, her voice breaking on the words. “You’re not the same boy I lost. You’re more. Stronger. Braver. And I… I have to see that now.” Her thumb brushed across his cheekbone as if memorising him all over again. “You’re not just surviving anymore, Elliot. You’re living. And gods help me, you’re leading.”


    Elliot ducked his head again, though his lips twitched with a shy kind of pride. The room softened with it, every face carrying relief, reverence, and a little awe.


    And then, of course, it was Macey who broke the silence. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing at my hand, which I’d forgotten was holding something. “Um… what’s that?” she asked, pointing.


    I nced down, blinking at the ck–and–white sheets clutched in my fingers. Ultrasound photos. The proof of the little lives still fluttering inside me.


    “Oh,” I said, smiling despite myself. “These?”


    The room instantly went still, every eye locked on me. I lifted the first photo slowly, holding it where


    they could all see.


    “This,” I said softly, “is our baby boy.”


    Mchi shot up, pumping a fist into the air. “HA! I knew it!” he whooped, loud enough to rattle the windows. Julius shoved him, grinning just as wide, while Arztec just shook his head with a smirk.


    Elliot, though, he scrunched up his face, nose wrinkling in disbelief. “Wait… a boy?” he muttered, clearly confused. “But I said…” His voice trailed off as I carefully lifted the next photo.


    “And this,” I continued, voice a little shaky with awe, “is another baby boy.”


    Gasps filled the room. Arztec swore softly under his breath. Levi let out a dryugh, pinching the


    bridge of his nose. Julius looked like someone had just hit him with a spell, blinking hard like he


    might be imagining it.


    Macey squealed and pped her hands. “Two babies! Oh, my gods, TWO babies!”


    Before anyone could process, I lifted the third photo. My heart pounded as I angled it toward them. “And here… is a third. Another boy.”


    The silence that followed was almostical. My brothers all looked pale, four strong Alpha kings suddenly struck dumb. Reina had her hands over her mouth, tears spilling past her fingers.


    But then I pulled thest photo free, my hands trembling. “And this,” I whispered, the words catching in my throat, “this is your sister. Our little girl.”


    The room erupted all over again, but Elliot didn’t move at first. His eyes locked on the photo in my hand. Slowly, reverently, he reached forward, his fingertips brushing the glossy paper. His lips trembled, but his voice was steady when he finally spoke.


    “I knew it,” he whispered, his touch lingering on the image of his baby sister. His eyes shone as he looked up at me. “I told you. I knew she wasing.”


    Haiden leaned back on the wall, smirking, but his voice was deceptively casual. “So… we’re still


    12:57 Fri, Sep 12 <b>B </b>


    doing the whole kid swap thing, right?”


    63


    The room went dead quiet for a beat. George groaned, dragging a hand down his face like the weight of the world had justnded squarely on his shoulders.


    “Five magical kids in one house,” he muttered, voice muffled behind his palm. “Yeah, no biggie. You can do this, George.” He let his hand fall away, looking skyward like maybe the gods themselves might drop down and bail him out.


    Reina shot him a look that was equal parts exasperation and amusement. “You survived one warlock rebellion and three coups, but this is what’s going to break you?”


    “Reina,” George said tly, jabbing a finger toward the stack of ultrasound photos still sitting on the coffee table, “that’s four infants. Four. And we already have three in the house. That’s not a family anymore, that’s a…” he floundered for a word, “that’s a magical circus troupe!”


    Mchi barked augh. “Rx, old man. You’ve got reinforcements.” He pped Julius on the back hard enough to make him grunt. “We’ll babysit.”


    “Define babysit,” Julius drawled. “Becausest time you ‘babysat,‘ Elliot nearly burned the front porch down with that glitter bomb spell.”


    “That was an experiment,” Elliot piped up indignantly, his face red but proud. “And it worked.”


    Haiden grinned like he’d just won a bet. “See? This is going to be great. Chaos, yes, but great.”


    Levi pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. “More like catastrophic. Do you people have any concept of what four infants at once means?”


    The room went quiet again, this time not heavy, but thoughtful. I nced around at all of them and Iughed, the sound soft but certain, breaking through the tension. “We’ll figure it out. We always


    do.”


    Elliot leaned back into the couch cushions with a smug little grin. “Our family is crazy.”


    That earned a chuckle from almost everyone, even George, though he muttered something about


    circus tents under his breath.


    I reached across the table, gathering the photos back into my hands, holding them close. My future. Our future. However chaotic, however impossible, it was ours.