Ian’s POV.
The room was silent, but it wasn’t the kind of quiet that brought peace. It was the suffocating, heavy silence that followed a storm, the kind that reminded you of the destruction left in its wake. I stood in the center of it all, bloodied, bruised, but alive. That was the only victory I could claim for now. Sophia, too, was alive. Our child was safe. But everything else… everything else felt like it was hanging by a thread.
The scent of blood still lingered in the air. The bodies of the traitorous council members had been removed, but the stain of their betrayal remained, staining the very walls of the council chambers. Gregor and Helena had both been captured, though I knew that was only a small consolation. This wasn’t over. Far from it.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Mike’s voice broke the silence as he stepped closer, his eyes scanning me for injuries. His loyalty had been unwavering through the fight, though something in his expression now felt different, harder to read.
“I’m fine,” I muttered, wincing as I shifted my weight. My ribs screamed in protest, and I could still feel the deep gash across my side from the werewolf’s claws. “It’s nothing that won’t heal.”
“You don’t look fine,” he said, his tone skeptical, but he didn’t push it further. His eyes flickered over to the far end of the room, where Sophia sat with Lyanna, both of them still recovering from the shock of the attack. “And Sophia?”
“She’s safe.” The words were automatic, but the relief I felt every time I said them was real. “Lyanna did what she could. Without her magic… I don’t know what would’ve happened.”
Mike nodded but didn’t say anything more. We both knew how close we’d come to losing everything.
“Ian,” Lyanna called softly from where she stood near Sophia. I turned to face them, my heart twisting at the sight of Sophia, pale and shaken. Her hand rested protectively on her stomach, and even from across the room, I could feel her fear.
I walked over, ignoring the pain in my side. “Sophia,” I said quietly, kneeling in front of her. “How are you feeling?”
Her eyes met mine, wide with lingering terror, but there was a strength there, too. She wasn’t broken, not by a long shot. “I’m okay,” she whispered, her voice trembling just slightly. “The baby… the baby is okay.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “That’s all that matters.”
She nodded, but I could see the questions in her eyes. The doubts. The fear of what came next.
“Ian,” she said softly, “why did this happen? Why would they do this?”
I didn’t have an easy answer. “Greed,” I said after a moment. “Power. They saw you—and our child—as a threat. They thought if they could destroy us, they could take control of the realm.”
She frowned, her fingers tightening around mine. “But… they were part of the council. They were supposed to protect us.”
“They were,” I agreed, my voice hardening. “But somewhere along the way, they decided their loyalty didn’t lie with us anymore.”
Lyanna stepped forward then, her expression grim. “This conspiracy ran deeper than we realized, Ian. Gregor and Helena weren’t acting alone. There are others… I can feel it.”
I nodded. “I know.”
Mike, who had been silent up until now, spoke up. “What do we do with them?” His tone was sharp, his distrust clear. “We can’t let them live. Not after this.”
I stood, turning to face him. “They’ll be dealt with,” I said, my voice cold. “But not before we get answers. They know more than they’ve told us.”
Mike’s eyes darkened, but he nodded in agreement. “Fine. But we can’t wait too long. The longer they’re alive, the more dangerous they are.”
I knew he was right. Even imprisoned, traitors like Gregor and Helena still posed a threat. But there was something nagging at me, something I hadn’t been able to shake since the attack. The look on Gregor’s face when he’d been captured… it wasn’t fear. It was satisfaction.
“They thought they’d win,” I murmured, more to myself than anyone else.
“What?” Sophia asked, her brow furrowing.
“They weren’t afraid,” I said, looking at her. “Even when we fought them, even when we had them surrounded, they weren’t afraid. Gregor… he looked like he was expecting this.”
Mike’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”
I shook my head, the pieces of the puzzle still not fitting together. “I don’t know. But something’s not right. This attack… it felt like a distraction.”
Lyanna’s gaze sharpened. “A distraction from what?”
I met her eyes, a sick feeling twisting in my gut. “I don’t know yet. But I have a feeling we’ll find out soon.”
Later, when the room had emptied and the council members who had remained loyal were discussing the next steps, I found myself alone with Sophia. Everything that had happened today felt very heavy on me, and for the first time in hours, I let myself feel the exhaustion.
Sophia looked up at me, her eyes filled with concern. “Ian… what happens now?”
I sat beside her, pulling her close. “We rebuild,” I said simply. “The council will be restructured. The traitors will be dealt with. And we’ll make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
She rested her head against my shoulder, and I could feel the tension in her body slowly easing. “Do you think we’re safe now?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I wanted to tell her yes. I wanted to promise her that the worst was over, that we wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore. But I couldn’t lie to her. Not after everything we’d been through.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice rough. “But I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. You and our baby.”
She was quiet for a long moment, and then she said, “I believe you.”
“We’ll get through this,” I whispered, more to myself than to her.
But I wasn’t sure if I believed it. Not yet.
The next day, the council gathered with me and I stood before them, my body still aching from the battle. Several of the council members had been killed in the attack, and the ones who remained were shaken, their confidence in the stability of the realm severely damaged.
“We need to restore order,” Viktor said, his voice heavy with weariness. “The people are frightened. They need reassurance.”
I nodded, my gaze sweeping over the room. “We will restore order,” I said firmly. “But we need to be careful. There are still traitors among us, and we can’t afford to let our guard down.”
Another council member, one who had been loyal throughout the attack, spoke up. “What of Gregor and Helena? Have they revealed anything?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. But they will.”
The room fell silent as the weight of my words settled over them. Everyone knew what I meant. Gregor and Helena would be made to talk, no matter what it took.
“What about Sophia?” one of the council members asked, his tone cautious. “She’s pregnant with the heir. We need to ensure her safety above all else.”
I stiffened at the mention of Sophia. “Her safety is my priority,” I said, my voice cold. “And I’ll handle it.”
The council exchanged uneasy glances, but no one argued. They knew better than to challenge me on this.
“We’ll need to announce the pregnancy soon,” one of the elders said, his tone careful. “The people need to know that the royal line is secure.”
I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to snap. “We’ll announce it when the time is right. Not before.”
There was a murmur of agreement, though I could see the unease in their eyes. They didn’t like being kept in the dark, but I didn’t care. Sophia’s safety came first, and I wouldn’t put her at risk by making her a target any sooner than necessary.
The meeting dragged on, with discussions of rebuilding, security measures, and the search for any remaining conspirators. But through it all, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were still missing something.
As the council finally adjourned, I made my way back to the chambers where Sophia was resting. My thoughts were heavy, my mind racing with the possibilities of what might still be out there, waiting for the right moment to strike.
I found Sophia sitting by the window, her hand resting on her growing belly. She looked up as I entered, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“How was the meeting?” she asked.
“Exhausting,” I admitted, crossing the room to stand beside her. “But it’s done. For now.”
She reached for my hand, her fingers warm against mine. “Do you think we’ll ever be safe?”
I looked down at her, the woman who had become my world, and for the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to really feel the fear I ought to be feeling.
“No,” I replied her with a shake of my head, telling the truth. “No I don’t think so.”
She let out a sob, rubbing her face. “I have to tell you…”
“What’s that?” I asked her with a raised eyebrow as I ran my hands through my hair tiredly.
“I know how you’re feeling about Mike,” she said at last. I paused.
“What do you mean?” I asked slowly, because I sure as hell didn’t tell her what I suspected about him.
“I know you think he’s the one behind all these. I think the same. And before you ask, I figured it that day you went to his house and came back all cagey. And today…I don’t know. I honestly hope we’re wrong.”
“Me too,” I answered quietly. “Me too.”