Chapter 0403

The cabin door clicks shut behind the last warrior, leaving us in blessed solitude. Isolde's emotions have been a turbulent storm since we arrived—waves of anxiety, flickers of fear, and something deeper I can't quite decipher.

I catch her wrist as she paces past me. "Talk to me, love." My thumb traces the rapid pulse at her wrist. "This isn't just about your father."

She collapses against my chest like a marionette with cut strings. I scoop her up, settling us on the bed's edge with her straddling my lap. Her face burrows into my throat, dampness seeping into my collar.

When the first sob shakes her shoulders, I tilt her chin up. Tears streak her cheeks, catching moonlight from the window. "Isolde?"

"Yes." The word shatters between us.

I wait.

Her fingers twist in my shirt. "I saw the way you held Julian today. How Ivy looked at him." A shuddering breath. "I want that, Victor. I want your child growing inside me."

Time fractures. My hands freeze on her waist.

She misreads my stillness. "We agreed to wait until after Luna's Challenge, but—" Her voice drops to a whisper. "I don't want to wait anymore."

Joy detonates in my chest. Louis howls in triumph through our bond. Since stabilizing Safe Haven, I've lain awake imagining this exact moment—my mate round with our pup, our bloodline secured.

I capture her mouth in a searing kiss. "Then we start tonight."

Her eyes widen. "Truly?"

"Nothing would honor me more." I nip her lower lip. "Though I should warn you—" My hands slide under her shirt. "I plan to be very thorough in my efforts."

Her laughter dies when she stiffens. "There's more."

"Mm?" I'm already mapping the fastest route to bare skin.

"I saw him." Her nails dig into my shoulders. "My father. At the parking lot earlier."

All arousal evaporates. "Did he approach you?"

She shakes her head. "He carried a little girl—must be the child Sebastian mentioned. But Victor..." Her voice cracks. "He looked right through me."

I stroke her spine. "You were twelve when he cast you out. You've changed."

"He should have known my scent."

"Or he's terrified of what you've become." I kiss her temple. "If you confront him tomorrow, I'll be your shadow. But tonight..." I stand with her in my arms. "Tonight, we make life, not war."

The shower runs cold before we stumble to bed, sated and smiling.

Dawn comes too soon. We groan at the alarm, but by breakfast, the lodge thrums with competitive energy. Warriors from a dozen packs jostle at the buffet, their scents sharp with anticipation.

The Elder's gavel cracks against the podium. "Welcome to Luna's Challenge!" His voice booms across the hall. "Four days shall determine the strongest pack through combat, strategy, and endurance."

He outlines the rules—human-form battles only, points awarded per victory, a live ranking board tracking each pack's standing. My fingers lace with Isolde's as he announces Leopold will fight for Safe Haven.

Her whisper ghosts across my skin: "Win or lose, we leave here with our future secured."

I kiss her knuckles, tasting promise.