She must run.

The night was a blur of shadows and pounding footsteps. Stifled whimpers, labored breaths, and crackling branches— a symphony of chaos and urgency.

Aeon, her belly heavy with child, raced through the dense woods, her every muscle strained with adrenaline.

She had nothing on her but the cloth on her back, her once gorgeous dress, now almost ripped to shreds.

Behind her, the thunderous thunder of boots echoed. The crunch of footfalls against rocks drew closer every second.

Wolves howled in the distance, hungry for the hunt.

She must run and hide.

Volke’s assassins were relentless to catch her, but she won’t let them, taking her fate into her hands.

“This child is mine. I don’t care who the father is, but I will always be its mother,” she muttered under her breath. “And no one can take that away from me.”

Volke, the Queen Mother, threatened to have her exiled in the Isle of Death if she refused the match made for her to marry an old and deplorable viscount. But that was not exactly her bone of contention.

Having her child taken away from her right after birth didn’t sit well with her. The thought of her child being raised in a world of lies and deception only made it worse. She won’t have any of that.

Alexander, the Alpha King, knew nothing of it. He knew nothing of his mother’s wicked schemes to take his power into her hands.

Aeon didn’t dream of a life like his for her child, even if he was the father. The castle wasn’t an ideal place for any child to grow. As a mother, she won’t allow it.

Boy or girl, she will raise this precious gift the same way her mother and father raised her. And only the power of unconditional love can do that.

Aeon crouched beneath the trunk of an ancient elm as rain poured, drenching her to the bone. She could have easily eluded her pursuers and created a safe shelter from the storm if only her powers worked. She had observed that as the babe grew in her belly, her magic had lost its efficacy. She didn’t care much for it, though.

She must run and stay alive.

The forest, usually familiar and comforting, transformed into an unforgiving labyrinth. Aeon’s fingers brushed against prickling bushes, leaving trails of scrapes and cuts. She stumbled, the weight of her swollen belly pulling her off balance, and collided with the rough bark of trees.

Branches whipped at her face, scratching her skin, and low-hanging branches threatened to entangle her in their gnarled grasp. But Aeon pushed on, her heart pounding in her chest, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. She refused to succumb to the exhaustion that clawed at her every step.

She ducked behind a fallen log as she nearly collided with an approaching soldier, checking out a hole in the ground. Panic gripped at her as the man swung his sword in the air, almost hitting her merely an inch away.

As soon as the soldier moved to a safe distance, she bolted. But her foot caught on a hidden root, and she hurtled forward, tumbling into a seemingly endless ravine.

Pain exploded throughout her body as she crashed onto the rocky ground, and the world spun in a dizzying haze.

Consciousness slipped away, but the storm raged on, battering her unconscious form with relentless fury. The night wore on, the rain washing away any trace of her passage through the woods. And there, in the darkness, she lay, oblivious to the dangers that awaited her in the waking world.

When the sun finally rose, Aeon awoke, her body battered and bruised, her head pounding with pain. Determination flickered in her eyes as she fought through the fog of disorientation, pushing herself back to her feet. Her clothes clung to her skin, heavy with dirt and moisture, as she surveyed her surroundings.

Bruised and broken, she pressed forward, the resolve to protect her unborn child burned with white heat within her. She stumbled through the mud and muck, her steps unsteady but filled with unwavering purpose.

She would not let them take her child. She would fight with every fiber of her being.

But just when she thought the worst was over, dark figures emerged from the shadows, closing in on her like prowling lions. Aeon’s heart raced, her breath caught in her throat as she tried to make sense of the situation.

Their rough hands seized her, their grip unyielding.

She screamed.

“Who are you? You’re not soldiers. Where are you taking me?”

They offered no answers.

“Be quiet, lady,” the man said, aiming a crossbow at her chest. “Why were the Alpha King’s troops chasing you? What did you do?”

She pursed her lips, refusing to answer.

The man cocked his head. “Very well… you must come with us. If you did nothing wrong, then you’ll be safe.”

Their commanding presence left no room for hesitation, and they motioned for her to comply, their intent remaining shrouded in mystery.

Through treacherous terrain and hidden trails, they led her to a secluded camp nestled deep in the mountains. The taste of freedom mingled with uncertainty as they settled her in a tent, offering her little more than a pile of straw. Exhaustion claimed her, and she succumbed to a restless sleep.

When she awoke, the rising sun bathed the camp in golden light.

A figure entered the tent.

Aeon’s breath caught in her throat. “Diego…”

He nodded, yet his gaze held a mix of disbelief and disdain.

“Who’s the father?” His voice dripped with accusation. His eyes locked on her bulging belly.

Aeon’s heart sank as she realized he doubted her, uncertain of the circumstances that led her here. The path ahead seemed treacherous, filled with distrust, weighed down by their past.

“I can’t say…”

A muscle in his jaw twitched as he wordlessly turned around and left. His silent rejection roaring in her ears.

And like an instinct to survive, her mind wandered to that fateful day. The first time they’d met.