Sasha

He allowed me to see the true man beneath his cold-hearted beast persona, and I couldn't help but fall even more in love with him. However, conceiving a child with me was the biggest obstacle we had overcome together. Years passed, and we were still unable to have our own baby. But after a few years, I became pregnant with our first child. Maxus was thrilled, but he became quite protective, and no one could approach me without his permission.

Even his older sister, Serafika, who bumped into me one day, received the punishment of imprisonment in the castle dungeon for a month. She seemed to develop envy toward me that she confronted me just right after her release.

"You are simply one of those sluts who aims to manipulate my brother into giving you everything you desire!" she hissed and pushed me away, causing me to stumble and fall to the ground.

"How can you say that? I love Maxus and would never do anything to hurt him!" I cradled my already big baby bump when a small pain shot through my abdomen, causing me to wince in discomfort.

"All lies!" she screamed, kicking me while I was down, and I cried for the sharp pain in my stomach. "The king will never have a werewolf mate, let alone an omega of her kind. What potion did you use to deceive him? Release my brother from your spell, witch!"

"Please don't hurt me. Don't hurt my baby!" I pleaded, embracing my belly as I curved protectively around it. "Our love is real!"

"My brother doesn't love you." She started laughing as though she found my desperation amusing. "He only wants an heir to carry on our Lycan bloodline. As soon as the baby is born, he will discard you like the trash you are. You will never be queen, no matter how much you try to deceive the king."

It was then that I smelled Maxus's scent, particularly his wolf's musk, and I knew he was near. "Maxus, please help me," I whispered.

He burst through the tower's high window and landed in front of me. "I warned you, Serafika. I told you to leave my wife alone. Now face your death!" He snarled at his sister, his eyes red, his fur standing at the end of his body, and his teeth bared.

"D-don't hurt me, brother. I'm your sister. I'm the only family who stands by you!"

Maxus didn't buy her plea. He cut her throat, and blood splattered everywhere, staining the floor red. He was already in human form when he scooped me up and whispered, "Death is the punishment of those who dare to harm my mate and my unborn baby."

It wasn't the first time Maxus used violence to protect me. Once, a drunken Satyr from Jihun, the territory of the fae, entered the palace, asking Maxus who he had married since the news about our matrimony had spread far and wide.

"Maxus, my buddy!" A loud series of laughers erupted from the Satyr as he stumbled towards us. "How come you didn't invite me to the wedding? I would have been delighted to share my renowned one-two step with your wife and dance the night away. You are too selfish, leaving me out of the fun like that!"

"You are drunk, Sid. Get your ass off my kingdom and never come back here again!" Maxus shouted, his face turning red with anger as he threw him out of the castle gates.

"Why so furious? Aren't you being a little dramatic? Or are you simply apprehensive that I will seize your wife and provide her with an experience that surpasses your own? I can show her how huge my c*ck. After all, I'm a Satyr, and we are known for our insatiable appetites."

"N-no…" I stepped back, trembling with fear at the thought of what Sid was capable of. But Maxus set me aside, blocking my view of the scene.

"Then die with your fucking appetite." Without hesitation, Maxus tore the Satyr's limb from its limb and returned his remains to Jihun.

This had led to a war between our two territories, causing the bodies of water around us to turn red with blood as the battle raged on.

But one night, the war suddenly halted, and Maxus went home covered in wounds and blood.

"What happened, my love?" I ran toward him and embraced him tightly. "I missed you. I was terrified that I would lose you in battle."

He cupped my tear-staining face and said, "Asha, I know you won't like the decision I've made. But I promise, no one else but you belongs in my heart. Only you."

Confused, I looked into his gray eyes and asked, "What decision have you made that you have to promise me that no one else belongs in your heart but me?"

"King Godo, the Alpha King Satyr, couldn't take the war any longer, so he called for a truce. As a peace offering, he offered his daughter to be my consort."

"C-Consort?" I tilted my head, unsure of what I just heard.

"Yes." He nodded. "Princess Gaia will be my second wife, but I had to make this deal for peace between our kingdoms and the good of our people. You are and will always be the only one in my heart, my love. I will never love her or sleep with her. It is merely a political alliance to ensure peace and prosperity for our lands."

I clutched my chest as I stepped back. This was the first heartache I had experienced with him, and it cut deeper than I could have ever imagined. Jealousy had clouded my mind, and I couldn't help but fall to my knees.

"Do you still love me? Have you already realized that I'm not worthy of being your mate because I'm just an omega, whereas she's a fae princess?"

Maxus joined me on the ground, pulling me into his arms. "My love, you are more than worthy. Our bond is stronger than any political alliance," he whispered, wiping away my tears. "I will choose you, now and always. Stick to my promise, and trust me. My heart and soul belong only to you."

He kissed my lips, and my tears fell as I responded with a shaky voice, "I trust you, Maxus. I love you more than words can express."

I chose to believe him, but the thought of someone being tied to my husband in marriage made me feel uneasy. It was like there was a sudden danger that would threaten our relationship any moment, no matter how strong our bond was.

Three moons had passed, and I could feel my belly contracting even harder. Maxus didn't hesitate to go out to the black mountain to fetch for his trusted Oracle and healer, leaving me alone in the castle.

The minutes of waiting became hours, and I wondered if he would return in time to help me through the impending birth.

Finally, the door creaked open.

"Maxus?" I asked excitedly, turning to the door.

But it wasn't Maxus who entered the room.

"Who are you?" She scanned me from head to toe, and her eyes widened as though she had finished accessing my nature. "No way. How come a low being like you stays in the palace of my husband?"

Sasha

For a moment, I gazed at the woman who just barged in my room. But she didn't look like any ordinary woman. She was tall with velvety skin and silver hair flowing down her back. Her ears were a bit pointed, and her wide green eyes sparkled with an unusual light.

"You have no right to gaze directly at the Fae princess of Jihun! How dare you disrespect my presence in such a manner!" she exclaimed, fisting her hands. The wind around us even seemed to respond to her anger, swirling the curtains around the room. "Bend a knee and apologize for your insolence, slave!"

I was startled, not knowing how to react to her sudden outburst. But just by her attitude, I could now tell who she truly was.

"So you are Princess Gaia," I whispered, completely ignoring her initial demand that I must apologize. How would I? Although I knew that she was known for her temper and arrogance, I wouldn't ever bend a knee as I was a queen and she was in my kingdom. Maxus had planted in my head countless times that my title granted me power and respect, and I wouldn't let anyone, not even a princess, diminish that.

"I understand now why you are feared by all," I said, caressing my baby bump, which was starting to contract again . "But know this, Princess Gaia, I will not cower before you—not when you are in my territory and boastfully trying to assert dominance over me."

"What did you say?" Her mouth parted, and her pale face turned red with anger. "No one ever talked to me in such a manner before. Now prepare for your initial punishment."

With a single flicker of her fingers, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my body, causing me to collapse to the ground in agony. It wasn't from the laboring contractions, as the pain seemed to creep up from within my very bones.

"Ah!" I couldn't help but scream as the sharp pain redoubled to the point that my body shook uncontrollably. I tried to mind-link Maxus, but my thoughts were too clouded with pain to form a coherent message.

"Now let's start by asking who you really are." Gaia walked around me, circling me as though she were a predator ready to strike, arms folded across her chest as she shot death glares. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

I looked up at her, but my lips were shut, doubting whether I would reveal my true identity. Since Maxus and I had agreed to delay the details about me until I gave birth to my child. But since this brat princess was demanding answers, I said, "Why don't you ask the Lycan king himself?"

"Wrong answer!" She snapped her fingers, and I screamed, feeling the cracking of my bones as she used her powers to inflict pain on me. My eyes were burning, and I could tell that my wolf was more than furious as we were being provoked in such a way.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to shift into my wolf form until the pregnancy was over, so I had to endure the torture in my human form.

"You will regret this, Gaia," I warned her through gritted teeth. "I will ask Maxus to give me the right to punish you, and you will pay dearly for hurting my baby. I don't care how powerful you think you are. You will not get away with this."

"What did you call the Lycan king?" Gaia leaned in closer and pulled my hair back, forcing me to look her in the eyes. I winced in pain as I looked directly into her eyes. "Why are you calling him only by first name while he's prohibiting me from calling him anything other than 'Your Majesty'?"

I screamed again as my scalp seemed to be on fire from Gaia's tight grip. Unfortunately, my body was still paralyzed. It seemed like she was still controlling my body with her powers, leaving me helpless.

"I'm demanding answers, slave. Who in the hell are you?"

"I'm Maxus's mate!" I gasped out. "I'm the Lycan queen!"

Sasha

"The Lycan queen?" Gaia tilted her head as she stared down at me with all hatred and contempt. Her grip on my hair tightened even more, causing me to cry out in pain—to cry Maxus's name. She laughed. "The audacity of you to claim such a title in front of me? I will make sure you suffer for your haughtiness."

"I am the Lycan queen!" I shouted firmly, unwilling to tremble in front of her.

Gaia's eyes burned with rage as she raised her fist to strike me across the face. "As far as I know, you are just a random slut who was impregnated by those filthy werewolves. You will never be able to rule over anyone, let alone the Lycans!"

"I don't care if you don't believe me or accept me," I spat, blood dripping from my lip. "But I want you to leave. The last person I want to encounter during my labor is you!"

"Disrespectful whore!"

She kicked me in the stomach, causing me to double over in pain. I wanted to fight back, but I still seemed to be under her spell. My body was distorted, but I could feel every ounce of distress she poured on me.

"I can't think I'll come across a slave on my visit here, but I should denounce you to my Lycan king husband. I am certain that he will punish you in ways you cannot conceive."

She stood up and stepped back, and that was the moment I felt my body again. But now that she lifted the dark magic from me, I could feel myself floating weightlessly in the air.

I glared at her. "What are you doing to me?"

Her arm was raised, and every time her fingers snapped, I was pushed against the four corners of the room, like a rag doll being hurled around by an invisible force. The agony was so intense that all I could do was scream.

"Please, let me alone. My baby is hurting!"

She could hurt me all she wanted, but not my unborn baby. Maxus and I had waited for him to be conceived for so long, and now I couldn't do anything to protect him other than beg for mercy. The room was spinning, and I could feel myself losing consciousness. But then I was back in the middle of the room. My feet were still hovering above the ground, but drops of blood were now splattering on the floor.

"My… my baby." I cradled my belly as his pulse began to weaken. "Hold on. Please hold on for a little while. Your father will come and save us."

"Tell me the father of that bastard, and I will not hesitate to heal you," Gaia said. "I can do that in a wave of my fingers. But if you continue to claim that the Lycan king is the father, then you will receive the opposite of my help."

I was trembling as I raised my chin. My eyes couldn't open properly as I tried to focus on Gaia's face. Blood streamed down my legs, and I could feel my life slipping away. But I refused to give in to fear, knowing that my mate would come for me soon. I have to be alive so he can heal me and our baby.

"I said the father of my baby is Maxus, the Lycan king himself. I am pregnant with the future heir to the Lycan throne," I managed to gasp out, hoping my words would reach Gaia before it was too late. "Please, spare me for the sake of our child."

Her face turned red with rage. In that same moment, some spheres of light popped from the window and surrounded her. I shut my eyes as the light blinded me. And when I looked up again, I found three women with the same features as Gaia staring back at me.

"Who is this woman, Princess Gaia?" the one dressed in almost nothing but a few scraps of fabric, asked with a sneer.

"Is she pregnant?" another fae asked, who was covered in leaves and flowers. "She looked awful. I can't even gaze at her without feeling nauseous."

"What's her crime that you have to punish this woman, Your Highness?" the third fae in a flowing gown inquired, shaking her head at me.

The three fae continued to ask questions to the point that their voices irritated Gaia's ears, causing her to snap back at them. "This woman claims to be the Lycan queen, pregnant with their child, so I have to punish her for ambitioning for the position that belongs solely to me!"