The night was unusually still. The moonlight spilled through the bedroom window, casting silver light across the floor. Celine lay propped against the pillows, one hand resting protectively on her belly. Adrian sat at the edge of the bed, his golden eyes clouded with thoughts he had carried for far too long.
"Adrian," Celine whispered softly, sensing the weight in him. "What is it you've been hiding from me? I can feel it… every time you look at me, every time you look at our child."
Adrian's jaw tightened. He turned his face away for a moment, fighting with the silence that had guarded his heart for years. Then, finally, he exhaled heavily. "Celine… there is something you must know. Something the ancients decreed long ago."
Her breath caught. "The ancients?"
He nodded. "The first wolves. The ones who made our laws, our way of life. They set a rule that could never be broken: a wolf must never take a human as mate. Never."
Celine's eyes widened, her heart pounding. "Because of me… and this baby?"
Adrian reached for her hand, gripping it tightly. His voice trembled with both fear and devotion. "Because of what could be born. The ancients feared it—feared the prophecy of a child born from wolf and human blood. A child destined to be more powerful than any Alpha, a child who could unite… or destroy."
Celine's lips parted, trembling. "The Chosen One…"
Adrian's gaze locked on hers, fierce and unyielding. "Yes. Our child, Celine. He carries what no other has—the balance of both worlds. That's why Damien hunts you. He knows the prophecy too. He wants that power for himself."
Tears welled in Celine's eyes as she looked down at her belly. The baby stirred beneath her hand, almost as if responding to the words. "Adrian… this is why you've always been so afraid. Why you never wanted me near danger."
"Yes," Adrian whispered, pulling her into his arms. "I broke the law of the ancients because I loved you. And now, fate has given us the very child they feared. But listen to me, Celine—no matter what the prophecy says, no matter what Damien believes, this child is ours. And I will protect both of you until my last breath."
She clung to him tightly, heart racing between terror and hope. "Then we'll fight fate together."
Adrian pressed his forehead against hers, whispering fiercely, "Together."
Adrian, she whispered is that all that you have been hiding from me? I want to know everything.
Adrian's golden eyes locked with hers, a flicker of conflict flashing in them. He reached up, brushing his thumb along her cheek, his touch tender but his expression grave.
"Celine," he began slowly, "I never wanted to scare you with all of this. But you deserve to know."
She nodded, her heart pounding. "Please… tell me."
Adrian took a steady breath. "I'm not just any wolf. I belong to one of the oldest bloodlines—the Alpha lineage. That means my strength, my senses, my ability to heal, even my control over other wolves… it's greater than most of my kind. That's why Damien fears me. That's why he wants what I have."
Celine's breath caught. "And… the baby?"
Adrian's hand slid down to rest gently over her stomach, his eyes softening. "Because the baby carries my blood, he isn't ordinary. He will inherit some of what I am— heightened senses, resilience, maybe even abilities we can't predict. He's already stronger than any normal human child. Damien wants that strength. He wants to mold it, control it… twist it for his own purposes."
Celine's throat tightened as tears pricked her eyes. "So… he's coming after us because our child is powerful?"
"Yes," Adrian said firmly, his voice low but filled with conviction. "But that's why I'm here. That's why Damien can never have him. Because this child is ours, Celine. He was never meant to be Damien's weapon—he's meant to be our future, our family."
Celine trembled, torn between fear and awe, but she leaned into Adrian's touch. "I… I don't know how to protect something so big. So important."
"You don't have to do it alone," Adrian whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "That's my burden, my fight. All you need to do is love him. The rest… leave to me."
Celine closed her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek. She held onto him tightly, realizing that the child inside her wasn't just her son—it was the embodiment of a legacy, a power that could change everything.
And she swore to herself, in that moment, that no matter how dark Damien's shadow became, she would fight beside Adrian to protect their baby.
Adrian's eyes darkened as he held Celine's gaze, knowing he could no longer keep everything hidden. His voice dropped lower, steady but carrying a weight she hadn't heard before.
"My bloodline isn't just rare, Celine—it's ancient. The Alpha lineage goes back centuries. We were the first of our kind, created when the veil between the human world and the spirit realm was still fragile. Only a handful of us are ever born in a generation, and fewer still survive to adulthood. The power we carry… it frightens others, even our own kind."
Celine swallowed hard, her lips parting slightly. "What kind of power?"
Adrian's hand pressed gently against her stomach. "Strength beyond the pack. Healing that surpasses mortal limits. The ability to command—not just wolves, but the wild itself. The Alpha's blood ties to forces most wolves can't touch. That's what runs through me. And now, through our child."
Celine's chest tightened, her heartbeat echoing in her ears. "So… our baby is part of something… bigger. Something more dangerous than I imagined."
Adrian nodded slowly. "Yes. He may inherit abilities that haven't been seen in centuries. That's why Damien is obsessed. He doesn't just want the child—he wants the power to control an Alpha's heir. If he succeeds, he could turn our son into a weapon powerful enough to rule over wolves… and humans alike."
Celine's hands trembled where they held Adrian's, her eyes wide with fear and disbelief. "Adrian… I… I'm just a human. How can I possibly raise a child like that?"
Adrian's expression softened, his thumb brushing away the tear that slid down her cheek. "Because you have something far greater than power, Celine—you have heart. You have love. That's what Damien will never understand. Power without love is destruction. But with you, our child will learn strength and compassion. That's why he'll never belong to Damien."
Celine clung to Adrian, overwhelmed but steadied by his words. "Then we fight. We protect him. No matter what."
Adrian bent his forehead to hers, his voice a fierce whisper. "No matter what."
Celine hesitated, staring at Adrian with wide eyes. Her voice trembled when she finally spoke.
"Adrian , I have another question," she whispered. "I'm human… and you're a wolf. Yet together we created this child. Isn't that… isn't that wrong in your world? Isn't it forbidden for a wolf to have a child with a human?"
Adrian's eyes softened, though a shadow of pain flickered across them. He tightened his hold on her, as though anchoring her to him.
"For many wolves, yes," he admitted quietly. "It's seen as taboo—an abomination, even. They believe the bloodlines shouldn't mix, that humans are too fragile and that our kind should remain pure."
Celine's chest tightened, her hands instinctively moving to her stomach. "So… our baby… people would see him as a mistake?" she asked, her voice breaking.
Adrian shook his head firmly, his golden eyes burning with conviction. "Not a mistake. Never. Do you hear me, Celine?" His hand cupped her cheek, forcing her to meet his gaze. "What we have—what we created—it's proof of something stronger than any rule or tradition. It's love. And that's something my kind has long forgotten."
Tears welled in Celine's eyes. "But Damien… he'll use that against us, won't he? The fact that our baby is… different."
"Yes," Adrian said, his jaw tightening with resolve. "That's exactly why he's after us. Not just because of my Alpha blood, but because our child is the first true hybrid in centuries. A bridge between two worlds. To Damien, that's power. To me… that's a miracle."
Celine's lips quivered as she leaned into his touch, whispering, "And to me… he's our son."
Adrian kissed her forehead gently, his voice fierce yet tender. "Exactly. And no one—no tradition, no enemy, no Damien—will ever take him from us."
Adrian held Celine's gaze, his thumb brushing her cheek as though to soothe her fears, but his expression was heavy with memory.
"Celine… hybrids are not entirely new. There were stories—legends—about them long before us. Wolves and humans once lived closer, centuries ago, before fear and hatred divided the two worlds. Back then, a handful of wolves dared to love humans. Children were born from that union."
Celine's eyes widened. "So… there were others like our baby?"
Adrian nodded slowly. "Yes. But they were feared. Both sides saw them as unnatural. The wolves saw them as diluted, unworthy of the pack. Humans feared them because they weren't fully human either. Most of those children never lived long. Some were hunted. Some were hidden away until their existence faded into rumor. The last recorded hybrid was said to have been born over two hundred years ago."
Celine's hands instinctively tightened over her belly, her breath quickening. "And what happened to that child?"
Adrian's golden eyes darkened. "He grew stronger than anyone expected—faster, more resilient, gifted with abilities no pure wolf had. But he was betrayed. His power threatened the balance between packs, and he was destroyed before he reached adulthood. After that, the packs swore never to allow such a union again."
A tear slipped down Celine's cheek. "So they would see our child as a threat too…"
Adrian leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers, his voice low but filled with fire. "They might, yes. But the difference is this—he won't be alone. He won't be hunted without protection. I will stand in front of him, and you beside him. Our child will not be erased like the others. He will live, Celine. He will live and thrive because he has us."
Celine trembled in his arms, fear and love twisting inside her chest. "Then we'll fight for him. Whatever it takes."
Adrian kissed her fiercely, as though sealing a vow between them. "Whatever it takes."
Meanwhile, after Adrian finished explaining to Celine about the ancients' ban and the prophecy of The Chosen One, Celine fell silent for a moment, tears sliding slowly down her cheeks. Then, in a voice trembling with fear and awe, she spoke:
"Adrian… Damien already told me this."
Adrian's eyes widened, golden gaze sharp. "He told you what?"
Celine clutched her belly tightly with both hands, struggling to breathe. "When I had that dream… he appeared. He said… 'You have no idea what's growing inside you.' I thought it was just a nightmare, something to scare me. But now… now I understand what he meant."
Adrian held her closer, voice a mix of anger and fear. "This means Damien fully understands the prophecy. That's why, even when we tried to hide, he never stopped watching. Celine… he wants this child because he believes the power it holds should be his."
Celine's tears increased, but she lifted her gaze with determination. "But he won't get him. He can't touch our child."
Adrian pressed his forehead against hers, whispering fiercely like a vow: "When the time comes, I will fight with every last breath I have. Damien will never… never take our child."