Claiming His Luna

Remus’s POV

Blood, a vivid red, stained her gold satin gown.

It trickled down her thighs, moving as if in slow motion, a crimson river seeping through the golden fabric. Her trembling fingers reached out to touch the stain, her eyes locked onto the deepening red hue on her shaky palms.

Panicked breaths escaped her lips, fear eroding her composure. At this crucial moment, I acted quickly, reaching out to catch her and preventing her from collapsing onto the cold floor.

A silent signal passed between me and my loyal men, their well-honed instincts directing them to create a protective barrier, shielding us from the curious eyes of the guests.

“Take her to her room and call for the best physician,” I commanded urgently, gently placing her in their arms.

Eyes were already fixed on us. The collective gaze of the crowd focused on her as she was carried away from the scene.

In an attempt to regain control, I grabbed a crystal goblet filled with the finest wine and raised it in a toast to our bewildered audience.

“My Lords and Ladies,” I began, voice steady and reassuring, “I must apologise for this unexpected interruption.”

The ball had to continue, the guests needed to be entertained, and any inquiries about the incident would be met with a simple explanation: exhaustion, nothing more. They nodded in understanding and offered their wishes for her swift recovery, so the evening’s facade resumed.

No one saw the blood or the little trick she pulled, but I still had to end the celebration shortly.

As the night progressed, guests started to leave.

“What’s going on?” my daughter Vienna asked as she noticed the guests departing.

“Where have you been all this time?” I asked, my eyes narrowing at her absence.

“I… um,” she stammered, struggling to find her voice, her finger pointed toward something.

“Your sister, she suddenly started bleeding and then collapsed,” I disclosed, my restless pacing momentarily coming to a halt.

Her eyes widened, realization dawning on her. “Why? Is she… okay?” Her voice quivered with concern.

“I don’t have all the answers yet,” I admitted, my own anxiety simmering beneath the surface.

After the grand gates were closed and the guests had left, I headed to Cercei’s room, with Vienna following closely behind.

There, she lay sound asleep on her bed, with the physician keeping a vigilant watch. He nodded in a respectful greeting as we walked in. Vienna hurried to her sister’s side.

“Alpha Remus,” Doctor Denovon greeted me, giving a slight bow.

“How is she?” I inquired immediately, my attention fixed on Cercei’s unconscious form.

“She’s fine, Alpha. It’s normal to experience bleeding during the first trimester. However, Lady Cercei must still exercise caution; excessive pressure can harm the baby,” Doctor Denovon informed us.

Vienna’s eyes shifted from her unconscious sister to the physician’s face.

“Child?” She voiced the question that lingered in the room like an unstated truth. I was too stunned to express the question myself.

“Oh, you were unaware? Congratulations!” Doctor Denovon’s enthusiasm burst like a long-hidden secret revealed, his announcement reverberating through the silent room.

My eldest daughter was pregnant?

“Lucian’s?” I locked eyes with Vienna, searching for confirmation. She swallowed hard and stepped away from her sister’s side. I noticed she clenched her fists.

She nodded in confirmation. I took a deep, composed breath. That rascal had impregnated my daughter! My anger surged, a blazing storm that threatened to overwhelm all rationality. I vowed to myself, and vengeful thoughts swirling in my head. I would track him down and erase every remnant of his clan.

“Does she know?” I asked, my gaze shifting to Cercei’s unconscious form as I pressed the question.

“I don’t think so,” Vienna replied, her eyes clouded with tears.

I approached her and pulled her into a protective embrace. Her heart was shattered, and my own heart ached at the pain I saw in her eyes.

“I’ll find you another Alpha, one equally charming,” I whispered reassuringly, my hand softly kneading her shoulders. However, she pushed me away, and her response was stubborn and firm.

“No!” She instantly rejected the idea, her emotions as intense as her mother’s had once been. Her voice carried a defiant mix of stubbornness and anguish.

“I can’t even secure the empire you promised me, and now I’ve lost the man you promised me. Instead, she gets everything!” She gestured bitterly toward her sleeping sister.

“Vienna,” I tried to calm her, my stares briefly shifting to Cercei, who still lay unconscious.

“A bastard inherits all that was meant for me!” She cried out in anguish.

“She is your sister! And she is my firstborn daughter. Mind your words!” My voice resonated with anger and frustration.

“By blood alone, just as you are her father merely by blood,” she retorted, shoving me aside before storming out angrily.

I took in another deep breath, my fingers kneading my temples. My two daughters were now causing me headaches.

“Lady Cercei is pregnant,” the statement was repeated by one of my trusted advisers.

Seated in my office, I leaned back in my chair, pondering the implications of this revelation.

“I’m gonna kill that Lucian Red!” I hissed through gritted teeth. How dare he impregnate my daughter? She still had much to learn about how to rule, and now, how could she possibly handle the weight of her responsibilities in her vulnerable condition?

“Yes, you will,” my adviser asserted, and I turned to look at him.

“But…” his tone was hesitant, as if he were about to make an important point.

“This is remarkable news, Alpha,” my adviser continued, his tone strangely enthusiastic. My brows furrowed at his words. Remarkable news? My daughter was carrying my enemy’s child, and my other daughter’s heart was broken. In what world was this considered good news?

“Good news?” I responded, my voice tinged with anger. “She can’t undergo training now. How is she supposed to learn how to rule?” My hands clenched into fists, my eyes flashing angrily, shifting to a fiery red as my temper flared.

“Even if she weren’t pregnant, Alpha, she had no intention of undergoing extensive training. I’m sure you understand why she came all this way,” he stated, meeting my eyes, his words conveying deeper meaning.

He was right. Only a fool would believe that she had come here just to meet her father.

“She plans to kill me,” I blurted out the harsh truth. In fact, she had already made a feeble attempt to do so.

“If this child lives, he or she could step into her shoes. With the Crescent and Red bloodline, this child would mount the world,” my adviser reasoned, trying to present a more optimistic view of the dire situation.

I squirmed uneasily in my chair, faced with an alternate viewpoint.

A child with both Crescent and Red lineage would have a firm grip on both the North and the South.

“All that’s necessary is to raise this child ourselves, to ensure his or her loyalty aligns with our cause,” he suggested, providing a more practical view.

“That would mean waiting another 20 or 30 years,” I replied, a touch of skepticism in my voice.

“A drawn-out victory is better than a swift defeat, Alpha,” he swiftly countered.

“Emiliano, you are indeed my most trusted adviser,” I chuckled, pouring each of us a glass of wine.

We lifted our glasses together and drank deeply.

If my daughter wouldn’t embrace this reality, then maybe my grandchild would. This time, I’d ensure he or she didn’t inherit his or her mother’s stubbornness.

It was remarkable how someone could remain so valuable even on the brink of war. Cercei’s pregnancy could become a tool to keep Lucian’s neck.

War was looming ahead. I had no doubt about that. He would be marching towards the South by now, gathering his troops to get her back.

I thought I only had the advantage when he entered those gates, but now, I was confident in my imminent victory.

Whether he was aware of this pregnancy or not, the mere threat of it would bother him. What could an Alpha do when the life of his pregnant mate was at stake? What sacrifices might Lucian be willing to make to protect his heir?