Sophia’s POV
I sat in the corner of the room, my hand unconsciously resting on my belly, which was now undeniably round. My thoughts swirled in a storm of fear, and confusion. It had been days since the attack at the wedding, and the shock of everything that had happened still clung to me like a second skin.
It should have been one of the happiest days of my life, but instead, it had been chaos. Werewolves, rogue vampires, betrayal from the council members… and now this gnawing realization that my child, our child, was not safe. That I was not safe.
I felt Ian’s presence before I saw him. He moved like a shadow, silently, gracefully, and I didn’t need to look up to know he was worried. His silence said more than his words ever could.
“Sophia,” Ian’s voice was soft as he crouched down in front of me, his eyes filled with concern. “Talk to me.”
I lifted my gaze to meet his. How could I possibly explain the sheer weight and exhaustion and doubt pressing down on my chest? The fear of losing everything, the fear of putting our child in danger just by existing in this world?
“I’m scared, Ian,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I’m scared for our baby. Every time I close my eyes, I see those werewolves coming for us again. I see the blood… I see—” My voice broke as a sob escaped me, and I buried my face in my hands. “I’m terrified.”
Ian’s hand covered mine, warm and steady. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he said firmly, though there was a quiet desperation in his voice. “I will protect you, both of you.”
“I know you will try,” I replied, my voice muffled by my hands. “But what if you can’t? What if… what if we’re fighting something bigger than us? Something that doesn’t care about your strength or your power?”
Ian’s jaw tightened. I could see the tension in his posture, the way his muscles were coiled as if ready for a fight. He wanted to argue, to tell me that I was wrong, but he knew. He knew that my fears weren’t just irrational thoughts—they were real. The threats were real.
“Sophia,” he began, his voice low and controlled, “we will get through this. I don’t care who or what is coming after us. We’ll find a way.”
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to find comfort in his words, but my mind kept racing to that dark place, imagining all the terrible things that could happen. Our child wasn’t even born yet, and already the world felt like it was collapsing around us. How could I possibly bring a baby into this?
Before I could voice my next thought, a knock on the door interrupted us. Ian stood, his expression hardening. “What is it?”
The door opened slightly, and Jacob stepped in. His usual cocky demeanor was gone, replaced with a grim seriousness that made my stomach churn. “We’ve got one of the rogue vampires downstairs,” he said, his voice clipped. “He’s… talking.”
Ian’s eyes flashed with something dark, something dangerous. “What did he say?”
Jacob hesitated for a moment, his gaze flicking to me. “Maybe this should be something—”
“She stays,” Ian cut him off sharply. “What did he say?”
Jacob’s eyes met mine for a second before he turned back to Ian. “He’s saying that Mike is the one who orchestrated everything. The attacks, the rogues, the werewolves… all of it.”
The air seemed to leave the room in an instant. I sat frozen, my mind reeling at the words. Mike? No, it couldn’t be. Mike had been by our side through everything. He had fought alongside Ian, protected me… hadn’t he?
Ian’s expression darkened further, his jaw clenched so tightly that I thought it might break. “Are you sure?”
Jacob nodded grimly. “He swears it. Says Mike’s been planning this for a long time. He thinks Ian’s weak. Unfit to lead.”
My heart sank. I didn’t want to believe it, but deep down, something inside me knew it was true. Mike had always been distant lately. I only took more notice to it when Ian started acting cagey about him but yesterday he had been by our side, fighting. So how come?
Ian turned to me, his eyes searching mine. “Sophia…”
I shook my head, my voice barely a whisper. “Mike? He… he was always with us. How… how could he do this?”
Ian didn’t answer immediately. He was lost in thought, his mind likely going over every interaction he’d had with Mike, trying to find the signs he had missed. “If this is true,” he finally said, his voice cold, “then he’s been playing us all from the start.”
I swallowed hard, the betrayal hitting me like a physical blow. “But why? Why would he do this?”
“Power,” Ian said bitterly. “He thinks I’m unfit to rule. He probably thinks he can take over if I’m gone. And if he gets rid of you and the baby… there’s no heir to the throne.”
The thought of Mike plotting to kill our child made my blood run cold. “Ian,” I whispered, “what are we going to do?”
“We’ll confront him,” Ian said, his voice hardening with resolve. “But first, we need to make sure you’re safe.”
I shook my head. “I’m not hiding, Ian. Not this time. I can’t keep running.”
“Sophia, this isn’t about running,” Ian replied, his tone sharp. “It’s about keeping you and our child alive.”
“I know that,” I said, my voice shaking. “But I can’t live like this, constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering when the next attack will come. We need to end this, Ian. Once and for all.”
He stared at me, his expression unreadable. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the need to protect me warring with the understanding that I was right. We couldn’t keep hiding. Sooner or later, we would have to face Mike and whoever else was behind this conspiracy.
Jacob cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence. “So… what’s the plan?”
Ian’s gaze flicked to his brother, his mind clearly already working through the next steps. “We gather everyone we can trust. We confront Mike. And we end this.”
Jacob nodded, but I could see the hesitation in his eyes. “Ian… if Mike’s really been behind all of this, we need to be careful. He’s not going to go down without a fight.”
“I know,” Ian said grimly. “But he’s not going to win, either.”
I sat there, my hand resting on my stomach, trying to process everything. Mike… Mike, of all people, had been behind this. It didn’t seem real, but the fear in my gut told me that it was. And now, we had no choice but to face it.
“Ian,” I said softly, my voice trembling, “promise me that no matter what happens, you’ll keep our baby safe.”
Ian knelt in front of me again, his eyes burning with anger. “I promise,” he said, his voice firm. “I’ll protect you both. No matter what.”
I nodded, my heart aching with the weight of everything that had happened, and everything that was still to come. I wanted to believe that Ian could keep us safe, that he could protect our child from the dangers of this world. But deep down, I knew that nothing was guaranteed.
But I had no choice but to trust Ian. To trust that he would do whatever it took to keep our family safe.
Even if it meant confronting one of his oldest friends. “Are you going to him now?” I asked quietly but he shook his head.
“I…I can’t. He’s my best friend….was my best friend. How could he….how could he betray me like this?” He whispered, breaking down in my arms.
“Shhh. It’s okay,” I whispered. “It’s okay Ian, it’s okay.” That was a lie. It wasn’t okay. Nothing about this was okay.