Chapter 19: 19: Chapter 19

LEAH

Small raindrops have begun to fall as we gather outside at the cemetery. The bodies of our fallen heroes are burned at the stake and honored in front of the entire castle and pack. When it’s John’s turn to be laid on the pyre, the trumpets sound around us. Four strong men come carrying his cloth-covered body. I bite my lip as I feel the tears threatening to flow once more. Ares squeezes my hand when he senses my mood, and I angrily blink the tears away.

“John Aurelius, a beloved friend and faithful servant of the Crown. His last act in life was to protect our queen, and for that he should be honored!” says the priestess.

Everyone applauds at her statement; the rumor of the “queen saver” has begun to spread throughout the pack, and I don’t doubt for a second that they will write stories about him that will then pass down in generations. A small smile escapes me when I think about how I will tell the story of brave Uncle John, who saved the queen from certain death, to my own children.

I haven’t told Ares about John’s declaration of love; I’m keeping that information to myself. He was probably my second-chance mate, something incredibly rare to find. I don’t know how Ares would react if he knew about it, and I don’t want him to think of John in any other way than that he was a hero.

“It’s hard to capture John’s essence in words, because the words feel inadequate. But we should all remember him as the strong and reliable man that he was. He will be forever missed.” The priestess walks over and picks up the torch before pointing it at the altar on which John’s body rests. I hold my breath as I watch the flames grab a hold of the wood and how it rises up against his body. Everyone stands in silence and watches as his body drowns in the flames. I hope he has found peace with his mate in heaven, finally reunited.

Maria sneaks her hand into mine, and I squeeze it. She gives me a small reassuring smile before leaning against my shoulder.

When the ceremony is done, we all go into the main hall to eat. The whole pack is invited, and most of our people are there. My mother is standing at the far end of the room, and I wave to her when our eyes meet. I am grateful to have my family here, both the one I was born into but also the one that I have created during my time here at the castle.

My eyes find Zeke and his mate, they are standing and holding each other under one of the magnificent windows at the far end of the ballroom. I can tell by the look on Zeke’s face that he’s sad. John was one of his closest friends. He meets my gaze and whispers something to his mate before walking toward me. I look away, worried that he’s blaming me for John’s death.

“Your Majesty,” he greets before bowing.

“Zeke, hey, how are you?” We look at each other; his eyes are ringed with redness as if he has just cried.

“I’m going to miss him,” he replies, clearing his throat. “He is…no, was, my best friend.”

I pinch my hand hard to keep from crying, at the same time as I angrily blink away the tears that threaten to leave my eyes.

“Your Majesty, I know you meant everything to John… His death is not in vain, as it resulted in your survival, do you understand that?” Zeke takes a step closer to me before giving me a gentle hug. I return the hug and sob against his shoulder.

“I feel guilty about the fact that he died, and I lived…”

“I get it,” Zeke replies as he places his hands on my shoulders to get a better look at me. “But John, I, Boris, Mateo, and all the guards here, swore an oath to protect you and our king. It’s an honor to die in battle. His memory will live on in the tales written about the hero that he actually was.”

“Mmm,” I reply as I wipe away a tear that has started to roll down my cheek.

Ares slides up next to us. He gives Zeke a hard look, and Zeke removes his hands from me immediately. I roll my eyes at his possessive ways, but I also understand that it’s harder for him now that I’m pregnant. I presume that his possessiveness will only get worse until the baby arrives.

“Yes, he was a hero,” I say before placing my arm around Ares’s waist. “And that’s how we’re going to remember him.”

Mateo and Maria walk hand in hand and stand next to us. I let my gaze go from them to Zeke and finally to Boris who is standing in one of the corners. My hand instinctively settles on my stomach when I think of this group as my family; in a few months, there will be another member added to this family.

“What are we going to do with Lilly?” I finally ask when I realize that I’ve completely forgotten that she exists.

“What do you want to happen to her?” Ares’s voice is dark and so are his eyes.

“I want her to pay the ultimate price for her betrayal. She is a part of John losing his life, and all the other fallen soldiers who died because of her and Camille’s madness.”

“Your word is my law, my love,” Ares replies, placing a kiss on my head.

We mingle all evening until my feet ache from standing and walking around so much. The decision to execute Lilly has been made, and her execution will take place the day after the ceremony.

When I wake up the next day, I get dressed in comfortable clothes. Ares sneaks up behind me while I pull up my pants. Quickly, he pulls one of his shirts over my head.

“What are you doing?” I ask wide-eyed.

“My wolf would feel better if you walked around with my scent on you. He’s extra…sensitive now that you’re pregnant.”

I give him a small smile before pulling my arms through the shirt. I can’t be bothered to fuss about it, so I agree to wear his shirt today even though it’s huge and makes me look like a kid who is playing with her dad’s clothes.

We walk together toward the prison area where we meet Mateo, Zeke, and Boris who are standing ready outside. Ares nods at them and Mateo enters the building. We are led around the house toward the back where a stake with a silver chain has been set up.

Lilly screams and fights back as Mateo pulls her out. He locks her to the silver chain, which begins to burn into her skin. She hisses and fights back, but finally calms down to meet our gaze.

“You are disgusting!” she screams before spitting at us.

“I, as King, hereby declare you guilty of treason against the Crown. You are condemned to be executed today,” Ares proclaims, and we all stand in silence as he approaches her. She screams and fights back, blood slowly starting to drip from her handcuffs.

Ares positions himself behind her. He takes a firm hold of her head, and with his gaze fixed on mine, he snaps her neck. Her body immediately goes limp, and her eyes blank. He throws her lifeless body to the ground before drying his hands on a towel. He steps over her body and takes my hand in his.

“Ares, I’m tired… How about just spending the whole day in bed?” I whisper to him as we leave the prison grounds. He gives me a mischievous smile before lifting me up into his arms.

“All for you, my love,” he whispers back as he carries me all the way to our bedroom.

^Epilogue^

I scream at the top of my lungs; the pain is indescribable. It feels like my body is going to split in half.

“I hate you,” I exhale violently between contractions.

“You’re doing really good, Leah! Push!” Ares holds my hand in his.

I scream once more when the next contraction comes, and I push on as if my life depended on it.

“Good, Your Majesty! His head is out, just one more now and he’s out!” says the doctor encouragingly.

I’m screaming and pushing with all my might, when suddenly it feels like I’m dropping something out of my vagina and the room is filled with the sound of a baby crying. The doctor wipes the baby quickly before placing him on my bare chest. I place my hands on his tiny body, and I look up at Ares who is staring in wonder at the little boy crying in my arms.

“He’s the most beautiful boy I have ever seen,” he whispers before letting a finger caress the baby on his head.

The baby is hot and sticky, the doctors continue to take care of me down there, but all the pain is gone and all that’s left is this warm little lump of human flesh lying on my bare chest. The baby immediately starts pecking with his head and I help him to my breast. He starts sucking on my nipple like he’s done nothing else, and I feel the milk flow to him.

I look up at Ares with a big grin on my face. “Look, he’s eating!” I say proudly.

“Mmm, he has to eat a lot to be as big as his dad,” Ares replies, giving me a confident smile.

“Wow, this is—incredible. Shall we get another one right away?”

Ares laughs loudly. “We can get as many pups as you want, my love.” He strokes my hair away from my sweaty forehead.

The doctor asks me to push one last time so that the placenta can come out, before she removes all the bloody towels leaving us alone in the room. We stare at the little baby who has now fallen asleep with the breast still in his tiny mouth; neither of us can believe that we have become parents.

My heart is full of love, and I can’t imagine a life other than this. I turn to Ares, who meets my gaze with tears in his eyes.

“What do you think of naming him Aodhán and John as a middle name?” I look up at Ares.

“It’s perfect,” he answers.

“I love you, Ares,” I say before he bends down placing his lips against mine.

“I love you, Leah, my queen, my everything.”

End of Book 2