"Fuck! That was rougher than I expected." Alijah cursed, shaking his head and gazing around the room to assess his situation.

The moment his eyes met mine, I felt a thump come from within. My bracelet radiated red as the distortion quelled from our surroundings, allowing me a clearer view of this place. Much to my horror, it was identical to the one I had dreamt of. And thanks to my magic, the sky above us was red. The only difference was that instead of the moon, there was a red sun glaring down on us.

I felt dread as a smile broke from his lips.

"Lilith..." Alijah called.

His voice seemed tender. I took a step back, trying to get a hold of myself. Shade also moved back away from him. The power that radiated from him was surreal. It had my feisty familiar on edge. Fenris would surely...

"I did not expect you to be here, my love." Alijah burst happily.

I took a deep breath to quell my emotions. The last thing I needed was to lose myself. So, I had to calm down. After all, I could not allow my dream to come true.

Alijah gazed away from me, stepping on Cora's body. He had not seen her until that point. Unlike how he saw me, I witnessed the pure hate he stared at her body with. The next moment, he kicked her hard enough to split her in half. Her body melted against the wall on the side.

It was startling to see.

"Stupid roach," Alijah muttered, stretching his arms.

It was almost as if he was warming up for what was coming. The sheer force the man had alone was astonishing. If he got anywhere near Fenris...

My wolf had no chance against Alijah. Pushing aside my feelings, I took a step forward to this monster. I had to stop this before it got too far.

"I realized you were right." I approached Alijah.

He quickly noted my condition.

"Ah, you are a little on the big side there, love. I am going to enjoy ripping into him for doing that." Alijah scowled, eyes glowing brightly.

I sighed, trying not to feel anything at all. There could be no distractions. After all, I only had one shot at this, and I had to make it count. The only thing in my mind was to lower his defenses and send him away. It was my current goal.

Although, I was not sure how any of that would play out. Shade shifted into her tiny form. She knew I did not need to look threatening to him. Even so, I was sure he would beat Shade to a pulp too. Something I did not want either.

After all, even with Fenris, she struggled sometimes.

"If you do... Then make sure I am there to see his light go out." I closed my heart, preventing myself from feeling the weight of my words.

The inhibitors had trained me so well.

"Oh, ho... What happened here? What did I miss, my love?" Alijah asked, gazing at me as if he had won the lottery.

Even though he had been stuck in there for all those years, he was still only twenty-three. Meaning he was full of himself and gullible, at least with me. Something I planned to use to my advantage.

Even so... deep down, I felt bad for him. Maybe if he had a different life. None of this would have happened.

"I realized he wanted to control me, as you said. It was a mistake to not listen to you sooner." I answered, caressing my belly.

The cramps seemed to worsen. My stress was affecting them, or so I thought. This was not good. Shade slowly trailed behind me as I took a step towards Alijah, who seemed unable to control his smile.

"Ah... So, you realized it. Why did you not terminate then?" Alijah pointed out.

He knew full well we witch had spells to kill an unborn fetus. Most of those spells were older than him. I closed my eyes, trying to not let myself feel a thing. A simple thing could ruin this for me.

I had to convince him I was here for him and only him. In a sense, that was true, but not for the reason he wanted.

"Because I could not bring myself to kill something that came from me," I answered.

Alijah nodded in response. He was blinded by the image he had of me in his mind. It intoxicated him.

"Well, don’t worry, love. I can work them into my plan. However, are you sure you should be here?" Alijah tilted his head, wondering why I was here. Sort of threw me off my game.

‘Is he catching on? Did I play too hard into it?’

"What?" I mumbled, not understanding why he would ask something like that.

In my mind, all the scenarios I had played, Alijah had never questioned me. No, instead he had embraced me in his arms by now. Something that was not happening fast enough for my liking. I needed to get closer somehow.

"I mean, I thought I would have to find you. Not for you to walk here to me. After all, you were not that accepting of me before." Alijah pointed out, getting suspicious of me.

He was a smart Lycan. However, he enjoyed any attention that came from me. After all, he loved the chase.

"I felt the tug of fate pulling me here. Should I have not come? Is that what you are saying?" I asked.

My questions triggered Alijah to shake his head quicker than I thought he could. It reminded me of a child. He had not matured in all the years he passed in that timeless prison, but what impressed me the most was how sane he was. After all, he had been alone for all those years. I thought he would be worse.

No, there was something else going on here. But I would never know what it was. After all, my story did not fully mix with him. I would never understand him. And I never thought I would want to.

"Well, I am here now," Alijah reassured me, coming towards me.

But before he could get close enough, a weird pulse of energy erupted around us. It quickly took his attention as he went on the defensive. It almost felt like one of the shadow beasts I had summoned was suddenly cut off from me.

‘How...’

No, that was a thought I quickly had to kill, as that was a problem for another day. Alijah had to be my sole focus, and he was already agitated.

"What was that?" Alijah questioned, readying himself for a fight.

I tried to save the situation. Even though I did not know what had happened, I could not let him leave me, either. That would spell certain doom for everyone I loved.

"Probably my beast roaming found another witch or warlock. Nothing to worry about." I lied, trying to keep Alijah with me.

If he left me there, that was it. Game over. There was no way I could catch him again. My bracelet shone, meaning Fenris knew I was missing and was searching for me. He would be here at any moment, too. I had to hurry.

Luckily, Alijah turned back towards me upon hearing my assessment on the matter. He seemed bewildered by what I had said. Almost as if he did not believe it, but something else caught his attention soon after.

"I don't... Wait, you killed the witches? Why are you taking my fun, love?" Alijah seemed to pout.

I raised my eyebrows, surprised by his reaction. He truly was a weird character. That made him unpredictable, though.

‘How will I ever stop him? No… focus on the now.’

It did not help that he seemed to be younger than me. Even though he was thousands of years old. Then again, he never aged while in his prison. That space was another oddity.

"I am sorry? I thought they were not at the top of your kill list. After all, they 'worked' for you. And isn't your job to take care of the Lycans?" I tried to imitate Alijah's own logic.

In response, he smiled, enjoying this new me. Someone different from the one he met during the dream. A fake me.

"I am really liking this new you. What changed you so much?" Alijah asked, curiously.

I knew the perfect answer, considering his history.

"Lycans did," I answered.

He huffed, annoyed hearing that. I had clicked the right button.

"Yeah, they can do that." Alijah agreed, licking his lips.

My bracelet shone even brighter, alerting me to the danger that was rushing its way here.

‘Fenris...’

Unable to keep coaching him towards me, I tried the latter. Even though I felt ill, that was never in question. The cramps were getting to me, but not to the point I was about to make it seem.

I pretended to feel faint, causing Alijah to close the gap between us. He prevented me from tumbling onto the floor. Once in his arms, I reached where I had hidden the pouch with the bracelet. He held me up. His touch was so gentle, too.

If he really cared, he would not hurt a fly. I felt sorry for what they did to him. All the poor boy suffered to make him like this angered me. The elders ruined a sympathetic soul. And for what? Legacy? They were a bunch of fools.

"Woah! Love, are you okay?" Alijah asked, concerned about my physical state.

He grabbed my cheek as the warmth that resonated with him from my belly grew stronger. It almost left me breathless.

‘Why am I feeling this way? He is not Fenris. He is an enemy. Nothing more!’

"Must have been a kick." I struggled to answer through the swelling emotion, holding the pouch in my hand.

It was in an attempt to hide it from Alijah. If he saw through my intentions, it would be over. After all, a surprise was the only way a human would ever beat a wolf.

"Ah... The pup must be a strong one." Alijah chuckled, suddenly gazing towards the corridor.

Unlike me, his ears allowed him to notice something I had not. His aura changed from gentle and caring to menacing. I was too late. In the doorway stood Fenris, panting from the run he endured to find me.

The desperation was clear in his eyes when they met with mine. However, they quickly shifted away from me and towards the other Lycan in the room. Fenris was far from happy by the turn of events, but seeing me in Alijah's arms was sending him over the edge.

"Let her go!" Fenris commanded.

My worst-case scenario was about to play out in front of me. Fenris was covered in blood. His appearance sent shivers down my spine. It worried me because I could not tell if it came from him or his opponents.

Though, if he was here, then that meant all the Lycans were coming as well. I had run out of time. A massacre was the only thing that was left in our future.

"Why should I?" Alijah taunted.

Fenris held nothing back. The anger that surged within him was one I thought I would never see. If I were not in Alijah's arms, he surely would have already leaped to his death. This black wolf was out of my beloved’s league.

"She is mine." Fenris glowered at the black wolf in the room.

Alijah laughed, glaring right back at him. The expression that the black wolf had on his face was one of a true murderer. Setting me aside, making sure I was fine; Alijah took a step towards Fenris.

I struggled to take the bracelet out of the pouch. No, I had to move before... But my hands were trembling. I was about to lose everything.

‘No... I can’t... I won’t allow it!’

"That was not what she told me." Alijah confronted Fenris, who was ready to pounce, with a smirk on his lips.

Luckily, Fenris was more concerned about my proximity to Alijah. This prevented him from acting too rashly. However, the black-haired Lycan's words confused my beloved.

"What?" Fenris muttered, not quite following Alijah.

I saw the only opening I would ever get. The black wolf spread his arms out to taunt his foe, ignoring me behind him.

"I'll..." Alijah began, only to be interrupted by me pouncing on his arm.

I pulled it back towards me, along with his eyes that soon followed my movements. Snapping the bracelet on him, I whispered a few elven words. Fenris taught them to me, beginning the process. Translated, it was something along the lines of, 'May you travel forward towards your destiny.'

At that moment, the captive Lycan could have easily torn my hands off with a swift movement, but it was not what he wished. His emotions for me would be his downfall. However, the shock in his eyes hurt me. He truly cared about me, and I used those emotions against him.

"I am sorry, Alijah." I apologized, feeling guilty for my part in his pain.

The bracelet I clasped on him shone brightly soon after the words left my mouth.

"What are...?" Alijah tried to question, but before he could another word out, a pull tugged at him.

A distortion swelled behind him. It caused him to levitate as I held onto his wrist. The last thing I could do was see him off on the journey I was about to send him in.

"I don't know where or when you will end up." I began.

Alijah could not believe his eyes.

"What is this?!" He questioned more assertively.

Fenris carefully watched what was unfolding in front of his eyes. Shade held me in this realm.

"This will not be like the last time. It will probably be a second for you." I assured the black-haired Lycan.

The pain he had felt throughout his life resonated with me. He and I were kindred spirits in that aspect, but I could not be to him what Fenris was to me. No... That role another would have to play it. I wished he would find what Fenris was for me.

Even though that was something improbable. Alijah was broken into pieces that seemed to have no fix. At least from my side. Yet I hoped that having lost me would allow him to see the world differently. Maybe when he emerged again, he would find a reason to live rather than destroy.

"Why?!" Alijah snarled at me.

The anger in his voice was expected. I betrayed him, yet I did not regret it. Though, the moment I let go of him would be when he would disappear fully. However, my emotions became overwhelming. Something pushed me forward.

Let it be a year or thirty I would be ready for him if he came for my family. Yet I...

"After knowing your story, I have one wish for you, Alijah. If you would listen to me, that is. It is one that I know will be impossible for you to accomplish. But I will say it. Maybe it will come true." I said, holding onto him.

His body began to disappear. The incantation already took a hold of him.

"Lilith, don’t do this!" Alijah pleaded out to me.

There was no stopping this anymore. His destiny was not my own, yet I would try to stop him either way. For my children. I smiled gently to ease his worries.

"I wish for you to find the light that will guide you to live in this ugly world. I am sorry I am not the person for you, Alijah. Really, I am." I loosened my grip on him.

The fear in his eyes made it clear to me, he was losing what I meant to him twice. But this was the only way. I was not the person he remembered. Yet my heart felt for him. I wished it would have been different, but he threatened to destroy everything I cherished.

"No!" Alijah shouted, trying to stay in this world.

Luckily, His will had nothing to do with this. This magic was beyond his control. We could not seal him again, but we could propel him into the future. A future where we would be ready to face him.

"Though... I promise you. I will try to save you. For whenever you pop again. But if I don’t. Know that I won’t hesitate to end you. Goodbye for now, Alijah." I declared to him, letting go.

In an instant, he was gone. I stared at where Alijah had been. Somehow, I had sent him away before Fenris got to him, or vice versa. The rush that had triggered me to act soon left me as my legs finally gave out.

Fortunately, Fenris caught me in his arms before I hit the ground. Shade hopped onto my lap too, feeling as relieved as I was. Though this was far from a victory. What faced us in our future was a giant unknown.

Alijah could pop again a year from the present, or maybe one hundred years later. There was no way to know. The only thing we could do was watch for the distortions that the god artifacts caused.

"You are crazy, Lily." Fenris started, holding me close to his chest.

I smothered myself in him. He was covered in blood, but upon closer inspection. There appeared to be no injuries coming from him, much to my relief. However, the cramps that should have quickly subsided after my stressor was gone continued. Each was worse than the last, but I did not want Fenris to worry.

We had to get out of here.

"I would do anything to save my family, Fenris." I smiled.

He nervously chuckled, not understanding what was happening to me. Standing up from the ground with Fenris's help, I felt something go wrong. A painful cramp triggered me to gasp. My dress was drenched with a sweet-scented liquid a few seconds later.

For a moment, Fenris stood there shocked, unable to understand what was happening.

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"Is that?" Fenris asked, baffled why I had suddenly seemed to sully myself.

Although, he knew right away it was not urine, but something else. The smell that came from the liquid that puddled around my feet gave it off. Amara had given us a slight education on it, but I was early. Two weeks and a half early.

Harsher cramps soon followed the event. We were both in shock at what was happening. I had been in labor since this morning, yet I had ignored it. I thought it was the stress. And now… This was no place to give birth. Let alone to a complicated one like mine.

Fenris froze. He could not calculate between having to fight. And having the love of his life go into labor in the middle of a battlefield. Noticing the state our wolf was in, Shade took control of the situation.

"Oi! Stupid wolf, go get Amara or any medic quick!" Shade interrupted Fenris's chaotic chain of thought.

The cramps seemed to worsen to the point I could not walk well, let alone mount him or Shade to get me to safety.

"What?" Fenris mumbled, glancing at Shade, trying to shake his initial shock.

She would not give him a break to adjust, though. They were coming and there was no stopping their arrival. My legs gave out. Luckily, I was within reach. Fenris helped me not to hit the ground. Before I knew it, I found myself on my knees and hands, huffing.

My name left his lips, as his eyes were full of worry. My wolf reached to help me, but Shade pawed his hands away. He was clearly panicking. We were not ready for this. Especially in our remote location.

"You can’t move her like this! I will keep her safe! Hurry, doofus, run! Only you can get help!" Shade yelled to get Fenris moving.

He became hesitant to be away from me, but had no choice. He was the only one fast enough to get Amara here to stabilize me. Although it seemed there was no stopping this. The babies wanted to come out no matter what.

I should have been more attentive to the cramps from this morning. Sadly, I did not know that they were a sign that I had gone into labor. I thought they were normal until now. The pain that was swelling was one I had never felt before, but that probably had been going on for a while. The adrenaline had dulled them down.

"Damn it!" Fenris cursed, shifting, and running out of the building faster than I had ever seen him go.

Shade instantly came back to me. I held onto her, groaning in pain, trying to hold myself together. I tried to concentrate on my breathing, like Amara had taught me. But was interrupted soon after by a shadowy figure in the corner of my view. It walked towards me from the same corridor that Fenris had left from. It was not my love, though.

He was fast, but not that fast. So, my first thought was Edna. Shade immediately went at them, only to phase through them. I was left on my knees. The closer they got to me, the clearer they became. They kneeled next to me to reach my eye level.

Much to my bewilderment, it was Layla. But it was not her. She had no corporal form. Instead, dark smoke radiated from her.

"Layla?" I called out to her.

Shade tried to yank her away from me, to no avail. All this time, I had been wondering where Edna was, instead of what she was planning. Little did I knew; I had walked right into her trap. I was in no condition to fight. If this was a spell or curse, I saw no way to break it.

‘Is she using a god artifact for this?’

I was helpless to stop this.

"You took what I loved the most, so I will take what you will love the most!" Layla declared, grabbing me by my face.

Suddenly, she invaded my body. Pulses of energy radiated out of me uncontrollably. My belly burned, almost as if it was searing into me. The agony was almost too much to handle. My screams filled the air as I writhed in pain on the floor. My consciousness wavered a bit, too.

Everything felt surreal, as I felt helpless to stop what they were after. Unlike any other spell, I saw no cracks. There was no way to break it. All Shade could do to help me was hold my body so I would not hurt myself.

I screamed louder than I had in years. It was worse than when Fenris changed my body. It felt like something was being ripped out of me, too. The whole thing probably lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. During that time, all that crossed my mind was my babies' wellbeing. Just as it started, it soon passed, though.

The moment I could catch my breath, I immediately knew something was terribly wrong. From the small windows that were by us, the sky I had created was back to blue. At this time, I did not know what Edna had done to me. And I could not focus on it. After all, my babies were soon coming.

Even though it worried me she did something, what I feared most was that she had done something to my unborn babies. From what Layla had said, I gathered they were as much as a target as I. Though... If Edna had done anything to my babies, I would hunt her down myself no matter how long it took.

Eternal or not, she would beg for her life if my children had any lasting effects. Shade was still here with me and my connection to the soul cairn was accessible from what I could feel. Yet something about it was weird. However, I did not have the time to worry about it. I was in labor and had to give birth in this forsaken place. So, instead of worrying about the latter, I tried to focus on my breathing until Fenris arrived with help.

When my wolf finally got to us with Amara on his back, she swiftly went into action, as the airship had traveled with them. I tried to let Fenris know what happened, but to no avail. My voice was too shaky and unstable to get a word out. Instead, Shade informed him as Amara opened a kit, taking out a machine to read my vitals and the babies.

It was the same bag she brought in case this would have happened. Unlike me, she was fully prepared for something like this. However, she wanted it to happen on the ship where there was more equipment than down where we were. After setting everything up, Melody and Amelia soon followed with other medics that were on the ship.

The other Lycans slowly gathered outside of the building, too. They would protect us from anyone. When the medics were in view, Amara barked orders. They quickly set up stations for the babies. Two medics per baby, from what I could count.

Amara would stay with me the whole time. Fenris, after hearing what Shade said, as an expecting father, was on my side holding my hand. There was nothing he could do at the moment, so he pushed it back. I would be his only concern. Shade became somewhat of a pillow for me.

Amara studied the results the machine was giving her before turning to me. Her eyes told me something was seriously wrong with my babies.

"I am going to have to accelerate your labor. Something is not right with one of your babies." Amara informed me.

It left me more anxious than ever before. Fenris clasped my hand, gazing towards Amelia and Melody. They both were standing by the corridor. They seemed worried about everything that had happened, too. Both of them seemed ready to help if the occasion arose.

"Do whatever you need to save them." Fenris echoed my same sentiments, even though I could barely get a word out.

Luckily, we had talked about it before this moment. If it was my life or theirs, I wanted him to pick them over me. Even if he lost me, my wish would be something he would carry out. Even if it meant I would not be there in the end. Somehow, I was still breathing and conscious. That would have to be enough for this ordeal.

Though my energy waned with every second that passed.

"I will try to do everything without having to do a cesarian. That is the last thing we want in a place like this, but that will depend on you and the babies, Lilith. So, I need you to stay with me." Amara stated.

She felt my belly to assess the positioning of the first baby that was coming. Even though everything that was happening was rather uncomfortable, it seemed I had been dilating for a while. Probably since the early morning when the cramps had started, but I had kept them to myself. Something I confessed.

Upon hearing that, Fenris probably wanted to yell at me for everything I had done. But he could not find a single word to chide me with. Instead, he held onto my hand, terrified of what was coming. One medic grabbed my free hand, placing an intravenous line with saline to help combat any blood loss that may happen during the birth. This was far from ideal, but it would have to do.

After a bit of help from a spell Amara cast, it fully dilated me enough for the first baby to crown. Even though the pain was incredible, I had no one to blame but myself. Amara spread my legs as I held onto Fenris's hand for dear life.

"You are going to push only when I tell you to. Not before, not after, got it?" Amara ordered me.

I tried to assure her I had heard her, but my words were all slurred. Most of my mind was in delirium, as I was doing this in cold blood. No medication could be given to me. After all, we were in the unknown. If it would have happened on the ship. Perhaps I would have had enough time to get to a hospital, but now there was no wishing for that.

Everything was becoming overwhelming. What had happened with that shadow that resembled Layla and what was happening at the moment of me giving birth. It was merging. I was becoming even more delirious. Everyone in the room seemed to be concerned about what was happening to the baby, though. If Edna had caused it herself, then we did not know how to stop it.

"The first baby is being good, coming right as we want." Amara tried to quell some worries.

It was her job to assure us that everything would be fine. An attempt to quell my stress. However, with a simple glance, one could see Fenris was a mess as well. He was not adjusting right, as his thoughts seemed in chaos. If only I could see what was going in his brain.

At least he was faithfully by my side. Amara once told me there were a few men that fainted during births. Although that was not the case for my love, his hands trembled uncontrollably while he held mine.

Soon after Amara told me to push with the intervals of the contractions. With her instructions, my first child found its way to this world with ease. A baby boy was the first to be welcomed into this world, a Lycan. Soon after, his twin brother was born, also a wolf. After him, their fraternal twin sister came out, a human.

With each baby that came into our world, Amara, after cutting their connection to me, handed them off to the medics, who tended to their needs. Each of them seemed to have silver bits of scuffles for hair in their scalps, from what I saw at least. It showed how Fenris's genes seemed to dominate over mine for our children's features.

However, with the last baby, Amara seemed to get serious. It seemed to be stuck and would not come down normally. Better yet, could not come down with the way it was positioned. This came much to Amara's worry. Not only that, but I was exhausted as well. My vision was blurring. My consciousness would not last much longer, either.

The moment Amara glanced at me; I knew what she was about to ask. I did not want to lose it, no matter what. It was already a miracle that the others had come into the world with no complications. Well, other than being delivered early on a battlefield.

"Do it," I mumbled weakly.

Fenris placed his forehead on my hand, knowing what I meant by those words.

"I will not lie to you. You could die and the baby could die too. We don't have the equipment here to do this safely, Lilith. Three might be a good number." Amara tried to sway me from going through with this decision.

If I did this, she could lose two rather than one. Even though I was delirious, I knew what my words meant. I was not backing down from this. Even if it meant I would not see them grow up. All they had to do was kill Stella to free me from the incantation.

If I died. Before my heart stopped beating, she had to be dead. I gazed at Fenris’s who seemed utterly lost. But I knew he would back anything I said.

"Save my baby." I pleaded with Amara.

She gazed at my wolf, who hesitantly nodded. It triggered her to close her eyes and shake her head. Fenris leaned over to me and kissed my lips lovingly one last time. I knew she would do everything to save it. There was no doubt in my mind about her capabilities as a medic.

After these months, I trusted no one else with my child's safety other than.

"I love you. You know that, right?" Fenris professed his love for me, knowing I would probably not make it. Tears appeared to swell in his eyes as he tried to put a brave front for me, but he was crumbling. My adorable, loving wolf.

"I love you too." I simpered weakly.

Amara gave me something to bite into. So, I would not sever my tongue off during the process. We did not have any medications for a procedure this big. Or any needed to help me with the pain. Not while the baby was in me, at least. Everything we had was too strong for the babies.

Fenris closed his eyes, not wanting to see what was about to happen. Though his hand intertwined with mine tightly. Tears rolled down my eyes when Amara ripped me open to extract the baby. They had coiled themself on their umbilical cord. The pain that radiated through me was overwhelming.

My consciousness wavered to the point. I did not remember when Amara extracted my baby luma from my belly.

"Shit! Her pulse is weak!" Amara announced to her colleagues, who quickly grabbed the struggling baby to help her.

Fear swelled within me upon hearing her words. But before I could say anything to them, everything went black. I plunged into a darkness I had never felt before. It was so cold. What was worse, I could not see a hand in front of me. Everything felt heavy as I tried to fight it, to no avail. I was sinking.

'Am I dying?' I whispered in the space I found myself in.

I searched for a way out, only to feel like my own feet were dragging me down. Before I knew it, my scenery glowed red. Everything became clearer. I found myself in an out-of-body experience. Fenris, who radiated the same aura that brought me back, held my lifeless body. The surrounding medics tried to revive my baby girl.

Amara tried to seal me up as fast as she could in the hopes to save me. However, I could not hear what they were speaking to each other. Even so, I knew everything was dire. The machines with my vitals had gone into a plain line, from the usual peaks it had. I reached out to Fenris, who seemed in distress over me.

Someone grabbed me from behind. Instinctively, I turned around to see someone I had only seen in my memories. I faced the woman who had brought me into this world.

'Mom?' I called out to her.

She smiled and nodded, acknowledging who she was. In a split second, I ran into her arms as she hugged me ever so tightly. I never thought I could get to see her again. Her embrace was comforting for me. It brought me to a time before every painful thing that happened to me occurred.

'How are you here? I thought I'd never see you.' I held on to her, not wanting to let go of her warm embrace.

She was the first person ever to love me. The only one who wanted me for the longest of time.

'I could not move on since the moment I left your side. So, I have always been with you, my love. Watching over you. And wishing everything turned out for the best.' Iris assured me.

I chuckled a bit nervously. Was I stuck in the in-between? Usually, the tormented souls that laid in this plain were here because something held them back from moving on. There was so much that I needed my mother to know.

'I have so much to tell you, mom.' I simpered.

Iris shook her head softly while her expression was so gentle, yet sorrowful.

'I am sure you do. But you can’t stay here. Death is not for you yet. And the wolf can’t keep this up.' Iris glanced around the room as my eyes followed her.

My soul would never be at peace if I left it here. If I abandoned my little ones to fend for themselves. Shade seemed to disappear as well with every moment I spent in this realm. I would destroy my family if I desired to die.

Something I could not allow, even if my mother's embrace was peaceful. Even if I once desired death. Now... I...

'You’re right, I have to go back.' I whispered reluctantly to leave her sweet embrace.

Slowly, I tore myself from her as I took a step towards my future. And to my reason to be.

'Does this mean you found your reason to live?' Iris smiled.

I gazed back at her and beamed back.

'Yes... I want to live. My little girl needs me! My family needs me! They are my reason to live!' I declared for the first time since the fall.

I had a reason to move, other than the obsession I had with Fenris. Even though I always thought he was better off if I were dead. His expression, as he tried to share his life with mine, showed me otherwise. He would be miserable if I left him. Not only that, but my babies would also not have a mother to love them.

And that was the most sinful thing to do.

'Now go back to him, and your beautiful children.' Iris pushed me from behind and into someone's arms.

It dragged me back into my body. My eyes flew open as my lungs filled with precious air. Fenris glowed bright red from up close. He was almost like a bright star that shined my way back. Somehow, he had shared his own essence with me again. There was no ritualistic incantation to siphon it.

Fenris had brought me back with his own power. Amara had sealed up most of the damage she had done to extract the baby with his help. Unlike Alijah, Fenris's power had to do with healing and protection rather than destruction.

"Hey..." My wolf’s voice quivered.

There were no happy welcome backs said my way. Besides me, the medics struggled to make my little luma breathe. The other babies were with the others, who seemed to work on them, too. They were two weeks early, while Amelia and Melody looked on helplessly.

After finishing with me, Amara rushed towards the baby that was having the most issues. But it seemed nothing was helping the little Luma take her first breath. In a last attempt to bring her back, Amara kneeled next to me, slowly handing her to my shaking hands. She hoped that my touch would stimulate the little one to come back.

The moment the little luma was in my arms, everything changed again. She seemed so weak and fragile that tears rolled down my cheeks. Her color was fading from her face. Lumas, like any other hybrids, were sustainably weaker than purebreds.

Usually, they would rarely survive birth. Especially a multi-birth like mine. She was also smaller than the others, making her the runt of the litter. And she had been the one that was hiding behind her brothers and sister. My little surprise baby.

Standing away from me, Amara asked the medics to hand me the other babies. We needed time to bond and mourn if the little Luma did not pull through this. I weakly called out to the little luma in my arms. But she seemed to slip fast. Fenris tried to do the same as he had to me, but nothing worked.

Shade, who had recovered as well from our predicament, helped me up a bit. She tried to poke her head into the embrace as the other babies were being handed to me. Two baby boys and baby girls were in my arms with Shade's and Fenris's help. The boys were significantly bigger than the girls, but instead of feeling happiness. All I felt was sorrow as I failed to protect one of my babies.

For a moment, silence surrounded us as the medics were on standby in case anything happened. Amelia and Melody both stood by the entrance, not wanting to impede anything. Though they hoped for any signs of life to come.

Usually, losing a hybrid was not considered exponentially important. But the medics that had tried so hard to revive her seemed affected by the loss of an innocent child. Hybrid or not. All they thought they would have seen was injuries from the war. They never expected to see the birth of life, only to end in death soon after.

Fenris was trying so hard to be the strong one as I wept. This should have never happened. His tail wrapped around me as he helped me hold the babies up to my chest. Shade nuzzled them with her soft nose. Suddenly my grimoire radiated a blue light as the baby Lycans also emitted a red aura like their father.

My wolf was also responding the same way as them. The baby human girl also released a purplish aura as I exuded my usual blue. There was with a hint of purple thanks to what Fenris had done earlier. Before we knew what was happening, a purple light consumed everyone in the room. It shined brighter than anything else I had seen before.

When the brightness finally dimmed, I felt a little tug come from the little one, who had not moved at all. A cry that caused all the others to weep as well soon followed that simple sign of life. Tears still rolled off my eyes, staring in disbelief at the miracle that had occurred in my arms.

This turn of events was too much as Fenris finally broke too. He had tried so hard to stay strong, but hearing our little one's wails shattered him into a million pieces. He was not the only one. Everyone had a tear in their eyes from hearing the little luma take her life back.

Fenris hugged me tightly as our other babies made sure we knew they were alive. However, we were far from safe. They were still a little undeveloped, so they needed immediate medical care that could be found on the ship, but that was when another problem arose. The airships could not land here thanks to the dense forest that surrounded it, and I could barely move as it was. The babies were also delicate little things to care for.

We could not destroy the forest to clear a path, either. It would have started a war with the hybrids that hunted within. This was a dilemma that Amelia and Melody swiftly went to try to solve, leaving Fenris with me. One step at a time was good enough.

Around us, howls erupted as the other Lycans that had made their way there learned of the news of their heirs. When Amara removed the little luma from within me, she also cleaned me out of everything that could cause problems. Even so, I was still bleeding somewhat from my private area. A normal thing after a birth.

Although Amara kept checking on me. I tried to feed the babies for the first time while they set everything for us. The two girls were first, then the boys, who seemed to be stronger than the females. While I fed them, Fenris held onto the two boys, who were adorably tugging on his shirt, trying to find a way to lactate off him. It was a fresh experience that erased all the bad that had happened in our minds for the time being.

I did not know how I stayed awake that whole time after I came back. It must have been my maternal instinct on autopilot. My body felt like it was about to break any minute, yet my desire to be with my babies and Fenris pushed me forward.

Even Amara was impressed that I stayed conscious after the adrenaline ran out, leaving me more than sore. Everyone here was a mess, bloody or not. By the time Amelia came back, she had a stretcher with Liam and Ben, who would help carry me out of the forest by foot with Fenris's help.

It only took until nightfall to get somewhere the ship could land for us to board. This was because they had to carry me and the babies out manually and carefully. Fenris did not want to take any chances with the precious cargo they had in their hands.

Even though they expected resistance, it never came. All the surviving enemy forces had disappeared and left little to no trace to follow. Again, Edna had burrowed underground, for whatever reasons she had.

Much to my surprise, Stella had been found dead by the entrance of the ruin. She was dead before the cavalry had arrived. And Fenris had not cared to look for her in his rush to get to me. Her throat had been slit. Edna probably did it herself or one of her followers to close loose ends.

Something I had no time to worry about with the little ones at hand. When we made it back onto the ship, everyone called this a victory. But to me, it felt so far from the truth. Edna never tried to get to Alijah. So, if he was not her reason for this, then it all had to have been a trap. Bait to lure me in for what she took from me with that spell. What worried me more was what she had done to my children, though.

They were inspected right after, and it seemed like Edna accomplished nothing. Though the magic she had used was not normal witchcraft.

‘Why did it take the form of Layla? What is Edna after?’

That and many more questions bombarded me after the fact. Fenris himself wondered too, but could not come up with anything. From his report, the forces they were after seemed to have led to nothing. It was like I had suspected. However, there were many witches and warlocks captured, but again when questioned about their involvement. They could not remember anything at all. Even if a moon elf tried to see, nothing would come up. Something was blocking their memories.

At the end of the day, I was fine, and the children seemed fine as well. There were also minimal injuries during the raid, other than a few dead on our part. Either way, we had accomplished what we had set out to do. And that was delaying Alijah's rage. We had also finished Stella, though her place in this was more of a pawn than anything else.

Edna's intentions would have to be for another time. Sadly, I needed time to recover from my ordeal. A week after, while I still recovered. The babies seemed to be healthier than ever. The little luma’s appeared to have nothing to point to her close brush with death. However, a dark mark that could not be explained showed up on my little girls' bodies.

Vera, the human one, had a sign in the shape of a crescent moon on her back. While Rem, the little luma, had one that appeared to be the full moon on her chest by her right breast. Maybe it had to do with Fenris's attachment to the moon, or it could have been something else. All we could do was to watch over them closely while they developed into their own people. The boys, Caden, and Aiden were almost a spitting image of their father.

However, surprisingly, Fenris seemed to be the most attached to little Rem. Perhaps this was because she was the most brittle of the quad, making him want to protect her more than the others. Rem had heterochromia too. This meant her left eye was red, while the right one was blue like mine. They had become like that since I allowed the soul cairn's energy to flow through me freely.

She also had little horizontal strips of brown in her hair, but mostly dominated by Fenris's silver. Every luma was different, as some had fully Lycan's ears, but Rem had pointy ears closely related to elven ones. However, what distinguished her the most from an elf was that she also had a tail, much like her brothers. Shorter, though.

Vera, on the other hand, had Fenris's color of hair too. Unlike her sister, both her eyes were purple. A mix between me and Fenris. She also appeared fully human, though she still possessed Fenris's DNA within her. While I was on bed rest, Fenris pitched in even though he had loads of work to do.

Although his sister Amelia seemed to enjoy the task of taking care of the babies the most. She was essential to help me bond with the babies. Sadly, I could barely do anything while I healed from the trauma my body had endured. Although I enjoyed breastfeeding the babies, even though it was uncomfortable most of the time.

I also used formula because my milk alone could not keep up with the need for four. Even using the pumps to drain my swollen breast was something new, which made me feel somewhat like a cow, but it was for the best. With each week that passed, I became stronger, allowing me to enjoy the benefits of being a new mother.

With Alijah in mind, I slowly integrated myself into my new life. I was a mother and a leader for those who slowly joined us after the battle. My foreseeable future would be one of joy, mostly. I sometimes wished that I could have seen what would happen next.

Maybe if I did, I would have stopped someone I loved more than Fenris himself from going through the hardships they did. Maybe if I had been better, Edna would have never touched my children with her darkness. I failed to see it, but even so, every day I fought for a better future for all my children.

This was all I could do. And I would never stop trying to protect them. It would be my sole duty. After all, only a mother could love like this. And they were my world from the moment I laid my eyes on them. For them, I would give anything.