Kanah woke slowly.
Not because she was tired—Owain had been careful, unbearably careful—but because her body felt different.
Warmer. Softer. Heavy in places that hadn't been heavy before.
The den was quiet except for the low, steady rumble of Owain's breathing against her back. His arm was wrapped around her waist, palm splayed across her lower stomach as if guarding something fragile beneath it. His chest was pressed fully to her spine, heat blanketing her.
His wolf wasn't asleep.
It was watching her through him.
She felt the calm weight of his instinct, settled and territorial, holding her without a shred of tension. No hunger. No frenzy. Just that deep, steady, full-mate stillness.
Her body responded instantly—her resonance humming, softer now, but still warm.
Owain's nose brushed her shoulder.
A low growl vibrated against her skin. Not warning. Not desire.
Claiming.
Satisfaction.
Something else she hadn't heard before…
"…You're awake," he murmured against her skin, voice roughened to a warm scrape.
She nodded, turning slightly in his hold. "You're heavy."
He huffed a quiet laugh, though he didn't move an inch. "I'm not letting go yet."
Her face warmed. "I wasn't asking you to."
He finally loosened his grip enough for her to curl onto her back. His eyes—the deep molten-gold of a fully satisfied wolf—searched her face.
Instant concern replaced the lazy warmth.
"Are you in pain?" he asked, thumb brushing her cheekbone. His voice stayed low, tense, the way he got when he feared he had gone too far. "Tell me if anything hurts."
"I'm fine," she said, honestly. Her body was warm, sensitive, sore—but it was the kind of soreness that felt claimed, held, safe. "Just… warm."
Owain exhaled, forehead lowering to hers for one long moment. "Your heat broke before dawn. You slept through the last wave."
"Did I…?" Her cheeks heated. "Was I difficult?"
His lips curved. "No. You clung to me like I was air."
Kanah groaned softly and covered her face with both hands.
Owain gently pulled them away. "Don't hide. I liked it."
His tone didn't tease. It warmed.
He scanned her body again, more protective than hungry. His attention lingered on her stomach, then her hips, then returned to her eyes.
She felt it happen—
that flicker of instinct inside him tightening, sharpening.
"…Owain?" she whispered.
He swallowed, jaw clenching. "Your scent is… different."
Her breath caught. "Different how?"
"Not heat." His hand pressed her lower belly again, slow, reverent. "Not hunger."
A pause. His voice dropped to a whisper she almost didn't catch.
"…It's new."
Her heart thudded.
Warm. Heavy. Soft.
The exact things she'd noticed.
"Owain—"
"It's early," he cut in gently, sensing her racing thoughts. "Too early to be certain. But your body is telling me something changed."
Her hand slid over his, resting on her stomach.
"You think I might be…?"
Owain didn't smile. Not yet. His wolf was too serious, too focused.
"I think your body is holding something precious," he said quietly. "And I will guard you until we know."
Kanah swallowed, overwhelmed. "Owain…"
He pulled her closer, tucking her into his chest like she was something instinctively sacred.
"I won't rush you," he murmured into her hair. "And I won't say the word unless you want me to. But I know your scent better than my own breath."
Kanah closed her eyes.
A slow, steady breath left her.
Not fear.
Not shock.
Something tender.
Hopeful.
Small.
Glowing.
"Stay with me a little longer," she whispered.
Owain settled instantly, body curling around hers.
"Always," he said. "For as long as you need."
Outside the den, she heard quiet movement—Yllas preparing morning tea, Gerrin checking mana wards, Helion pacing with restless energy, all trying not to disturb their Queen's first morning after heat.
But inside the den—
it was only Owain's warmth, his breath against her neck, and his hand covering the place where new life might be beginning.
The Beast King held her gently, instinctively, as if the world had narrowed to her alone.
And Kanah let herself rest in that safety.