Lauretta didn't sleep that night.

She didn't even pretend to.

She lay awake in her darkened bedroom, staring at the ceiling as Silvercrest's neon glow flickered against her walls, tracing shadows like claw marks. Her body still felt hot, trembling, alive from the kiss she'd shared with Savior-too much, too intense, too familiar.

But underneath the heat was a different feeling.

A deeper one.

Low in her stomach. Soft. Persistent.

A presence.

She placed a hand over her abdomen, her breath catching. "You again," she whispered, half-laugh, half-cry.

Angela had stayed the night as backup, claiming she didn't trust Lauretta not to sneak out and find Savior like a lovesick wolf. Angela was asleep on the couch, snoring softly, but Lauretta couldn't rest. Not when every instinct screamed that something inside her had changed.

The clock read 3:47 a.m. when she finally sat up and whispered to the darkness:

"I'm pregnant."

The words tasted like fear.

And hope.

And danger.

A tear slid down her cheek.

Her wolf hummed beneath her skin-warm, protective, instinctively curling around the life inside her.

That confirmed it.

---

SAVIOR - POV

Savior didn't sleep either.

He paced his bedroom in the Hunt mansion, the moonlight slicing through the windows like silver blades. His wolf was restless-snarling, pacing, clawing at him from the inside.

He could still taste her. Still smell the fear and desire tangled together on her skin. Still feel the moment she trembled in his hands.

But there was something else too.

Something wrong.

Something off.

Her scent had changed. Not a lot. But enough for an Alpha-born wolf like him to notice.

"Why didn't you tell me, Lauretta?" he whispered into the empty room. "What are you hiding?"

He grabbed his keys at 4:02 a.m.

He needed answers.

Tonight.

---

BACK TO LAURETTA

The knock came at 4:19 a.m.

Hard. Controlled. Too familiar.

Angela jolted awake on the couch. "If that's a demon, I'm killing it with holy water."

Lauretta froze. Her heartbeat slammed painfully against her ribs.

Another knock-deep, steady.

Savior.

"I'm not ready for this," Lauretta whispered, breath shaking.

Angela grabbed her shoulders. "Okay. First? Breathe. Second? You can't hide forever. Third? Put on lip gloss because your face screams disaster."

Lauretta shoved her toward the couch. "Shut up!"

"Never," Angela said sweetly.

Lauretta walked to the door with trembling fingers. Her wolf stirred inside her-excited, nervous, protective.

She opened it.

Savior stood there, chest rising and falling as if he'd been running. His hair was messy. His eyes were wild. His shirt was half-buttoned-as if he'd dressed in a hurry.

"Lauretta," he breathed.

She swallowed. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer with words. He stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and stood so close she could feel heat radiating off him.

Angela, perched nosily at the doorway to the kitchen, whispered, "Not me watching like a Netflix series..."

Lauretta shot her a murderous glare. "Angela-bed."

Angela saluted dramatically and left, but not without peeking around the corner. "I'll be eavesdropping. Continue."

Savior cupped Lauretta's face with both hands-gentle but firm.

"What's wrong?" he whispered. "I can feel it. Something's changed."

Her lip trembled. "Savior-"

"Tell me."

She tried to pull away. He wouldn't let her.

"Don't hide from me," he said softly. "Not after last night."

Emotion clogged her throat. "I didn't hide-"

"You did." His voice cracked. "Your scent... shifted. Your heartbeat... doubled. Your wolf... she's... protecting something."

Her stomach twisted. He knew.

He didn't know how, but he knew.

"Lauretta," he said again, voice breaking, "are you hurt?"

A sob escaped her. "No."

"Then what?" He searched her eyes desperately. "What are you afraid of?"

Everything.

Everyone.

The world.

Her future.

His father.

His family.

War.

Death.

But more than anything...

She was afraid of losing him.

She closed her eyes.

But she can't tell him about the baby.

No. I don't need drama in my baby's life.

"I just don't want you around me Savior, please just leave"

Savior's eyes darken, " I thought we have passed this stage, Lauretta "

"Passed what stage?, I don't want to concern myself with anything about you anymore " Lauretta said

"Now you're lying....you can't make me stay away from you "

"We literally can't resist each other and you know it... what I feel for is so strong for me to resist " Savior said.

" Savior...."

"Now tell me, what are you afraid of?" Savior stares into her eyes.

"Savior... I'm pregnant."

Silence.

Thick. Heavy. Crushing.

His hands dropped from her face.

He staggered one step back.

Lauretta felt the air leave her lungs. "Say something..."

Savior didn't blink. Didn't breathe. His wolf roared inside him-shock, fury, awe, possessiveness swirling like a storm.

Finally, in a broken whisper:

"It's mine."

Lauretta's voice cracked. "Yes."

Everything in Savior snapped.

His wolf surged to the front.

He grabbed her waist, pulled her into him, breath crashing against her neck. He inhaled deeply-long, desperate, reverent.

His whole body trembled.

"Oh my God..." he whispered. "Lauretta..."

Her eyes stung with tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how to tell-"

He kissed her.

Not like last night.

This kiss was nothing but emotion-raw, shaking, terrified, relieved, overwhelmed. His lips crushed hers, his hands sliding around her back, pulling her into his chest like she was the only thing holding him upright.

Lauretta gasped, clutching his shirt, kissing him back with the same trembling urgency.

He pulled away just enough to breathe, forehead to forehead.

"You're carrying my child," he whispered, voice shaking with awe and hunger and fear. "Our child."

She nodded, crying softly.

Savior wiped her tears with his thumb. "Don't cry. Please. I'm here. I'm not leaving you."

"I didn't want you to feel trapped," she choked out.

"Trapped?" He let out a wild, disbelieving sound. "Lauretta, I feel... alive."

She blinked, stunned.

"Say it again," he whispered. "I want to hear it again."

She swallowed. "I'm pregnant."

His breath caught.

Slowly-almost reverently-he knelt.

Lauretta's heart stopped.

He placed both hands on her hips and pressed his forehead gently against her stomach.

A tear fell from his eye.

"I'll protect you," he whispered to her womb. "Both of you. With my life."

Lauretta sobbed. This time not in fear.

In relief.

"But your parents, they wouldn't..."

"I don't care..."

"But I do. They are your parents and... you're a Hunt and I'm a Owens....it's impossible."

"We will make it possible, I don't care about whatever feud they had before, I want you and I won't let anyone come in between us" Savior said firmly.

Angela peeked from the hallway, hand over her mouth. "Oh. My. God. I'm gonna cry. I hate them so much. They're disgusting."

Lauretta laughed through tears. Savior chuckled softly, still kneeling.

But then-

BANG.

The living room window cracked. A bullet-silver-lined-embedded itself in the wall behind them.

Angela screamed.

Savior shot to his feet, yanking Lauretta behind him. His eyes glowed gold.

The shadowy observer from the previous chapters now stepped out of the darkness across the street-aim steady, expression unreadable.

Savior growled-a deep, animalistic sound that vibrated the floor.

"Lauretta," he said without looking at her, voice a deadly whisper, "get behind the couch and don't move."

Her wolf howled. "Savior-"

"NOW."

She obeyed, trembling.

Savior stepped toward the window, hands curling into claws, voice turning feral:

"You want war?" he snarled. "You're about to get one."

The watcher smiled coldly-and disappeared.

But the message was clear.

They were not safe.

The baby was not safe.

And the Hunt–Owens feud was far from over.

The night felt wrong.

Lauretta sensed it before she even stepped out of her car-an electric pressure in the air, thick enough to choke on. The Silvercrest Pack Summit was supposed to be neutral ground, a place for territory rulers to settle disputes, discuss trade, plan festivals, and maintain harmony.

Tonight, it felt like a battlefield wearing a polite mask.

She tugged her coat closer around her body, her heartbeat heavy and uneasy. The wolves moving across the outdoor courtyard walked too fast, spoke too sharply, and looked over their shoulders too often.

Angela's voice replayed in her mind:

"I don't like this, Retta. Something's off. You're sure you don't want me to come?"

Lauretta wished she had said yes. But she'd promised her father she would stand beside him.

And something inside her whispered that she needed to be here-for more reasons than the Summit.

She found her father near the center of the courtyard. Larry Owens stood stiffly, jaw clenched, eyes scanning the space as though he expected an attack at any second. Keisha Owens stood beside him, one steady hand resting on his back.

"Dad," Lauretta said softly.

His shoulders dropped a little when he saw her. "You're here."

"Of course I'm here."

He hugged her tightly-too tightly-and she felt the tremor in his arms. "I just... I have a bad feeling tonight."

"You're not the only one," she murmured.

Larry straightened, clearing his throat as if to shake off the vulnerability. "Stick close. And don't shift unless there's no other choice."

She nodded, though her wolf inside her stirred uneasily, already alert, already bristling.

They entered the Summit hall, a massive circular chamber with stone walls and skylights that revealed the glowing moon overhead. Leaders from various territories milled about, tension simmering.

Everything stopped the second the Hunts walked in.

Savior entered first-tall, dark-haired, impossibly composed. His presence pulled air from the room. His eyes swept the crowd, sharp, alert... and then they landed on Lauretta.

Her breath hitched.

He froze.

Just for a moment.

Then his expression shifted-something like relief... something like longing... something like danger.

Behind him came Hexta Hunt, broad-shouldered, gray-eyed, radiating power like a thunderstorm given human skin. His aura pushed into the room, demanding submission.

And many wolves instinctively lowered their heads.

Larry Owens did not.

Lauretta's pulse hammered. Her wolf rose, ears flattening, teeth baring in her mind.

Hexta's eyes locked onto Larry with cold, lethal recognition.

His voice rolled out like a blade dragged over stone.

"You."

Larry stepped forward with equal challenge.

"Hexta."

Their voices struck each other like flint and steel.

Lauretta felt the air change. Wolves straightened, hands going to their mates. Growls rippled through the chamber.

Savior moved subtly, stepping closer to his father-yet his eyes remained on Lauretta.

She felt seen. Exposed. Protected. Claimed.

Her wolf didn't know whether to run to him or attack him.

And then the triggering spark came-small, stupid, but enough.

A Hunt pack guard muttered loudly,

"Exiles don't belong here. They taint the room."

Larry lunged.

Keisha caught his arm, barely.

Growls erupted. Hunts moved forward, Owens pack bristled. The council elders shouted demands for calm-but no one listened.

Then Hexta took one step forward.

One step was enough.

"Larry Owens," he boomed, "I warned you years ago never to set foot near Hunt territory again. Yet here you stand. Defiant. Disrespectful. Still polluting the city with your lies."

Larry's snarl shook the walls. "You banished me for a crime you committed. And you know it."

"You betrayed the pack-"

"You destroyed my family!"

"You deserved exile."

"You deserved prison."

"And you deserved death."

Lauretta gasped.

Wolves surged to the front. Snarls snapped like whips. Claws scraped. Bodies shook with restrained fury.

Lauretta stepped back instinctively, her hand on her stomach.

Savior saw. His jaw tightened, eyes flashing with something fierce and protective. His hands curled into fists.

But Hexta wasn't finished. He stabbed a finger at Larry.

"And now your daughter stands here," he sneered, "carrying the child of-"

Savior cut him off with a growl so deep the windows vibrated.

"Don't," he snarled.

Hexta whipped around, shock flashing across his face. "What did you say?"

Savior stepped forward-right between Lauretta and his father.

Lauretta froze.

Everyone froze.

Savior's wolf rippled beneath his skin, his aura burning through the room, commanding, primal, furious.

"I said," Savior growled, "don't."

Larry stared in confusion. Keisha's hand flew to her mouth. Several wolves dropped their gazes automatically, reacting to Savior's alpha-born dominance.

Hexta's face went red. "You dare-"

Savior's voice boomed across the chamber.

"This is not about her."

But then he looked at Lauretta.

Really looked.

And the lie died in his mouth.

The way his expression softened... the way his breath caught... the way his wolf pushed at his skin...

Every wolf in the room sensed the truth.

Lauretta felt it too.

Her knees weakened. Her wolf rose, tail high, heart pounding.

Savior saw it and stepped closer.

Too close.

Close enough for the sparks to snap between them.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

His voice... it was low, rough, intimate. A voice that belonged in the dark, in her bedroom, in her ear, on her skin.

Lauretta swallowed. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"You don't get to say that," she snapped, even as heat shivered through her body.

They stared at each other for several charged seconds-world fading, noise disappearing-until Hexta's roar shattered the moment.

"Savior Hunt!" Hexta thundered. "Move away from her."

Savior didn't move.

Lauretta's heart slammed against her ribs.

Larry's eyes widened as he realized what Savior was doing. "Boy," Larry growled, "you choose your next step very carefully-"

But Savior wasn't listening to either father. He was watching Lauretta.

Only her.

"Whatever happens tonight," he whispered, "don't be afraid. I won't let anyone touch you."

She hated that her throat tightened.

She hated that her wolf leaned toward him.

She hated that she believed him.

Hexta snapped. His wolf surged so violently the lights flickered.

"Savior, STEP AWAY NOW-"

Savior turned slowly.

"I won't."

It was quiet.

Soft.

Deadly.

Then all hell broke loose.

Hexta lunged toward Larry.

Owens wolves roared and charged forward.

Hunt wolves erupted in the opposite direction.

Bodies collided. Claws slashed. Snarls echoed. The chamber became a storm of violence, fury, and territorial dominance.

Savior moved instantly-shoving Lauretta behind him, intercepting a wolf aiming at her, throwing him into a wall so hard the stone cracked.

Lauretta's wolf surged, desperately wanting to shift to protect her father-but she couldn't. She felt dizzy, her body too protective of the baby to allow transformation. Her knees buckled.

Savior caught her.

His hands wrapped around her arms, steady and hot.

"Not now," he whispered urgently. "Your wolf is protecting the pup. You can't shift tonight."

"I have to help-" she cried.

"You'll collapse if you try."

She looked into his eyes-dark, wild, terrified for her.

"Savior-" she whispered.

"I've got you. I swear."

"Savior, I'm not weak"

"I never said you were " he said

"I can't just stand here, and watch your dad hit my dad" she said sharply.

"I know, but leave it to me, I will handle it " he said softly.

She hated how safe she felt.

Hated.

Loved.

Needed.

Feared.

Then Hexta threw Larry across the chamber.

Lauretta screamed.

Savior moved without hesitation-stepping between Hexta and Larry at the exact moment the Alpha lunged for a killing blow.

Hexta skidded to a halt, eyes widening.

Savior stood tall, shoulders squared, aura exploding with primal dominance.

"Touch him," Savior said softly, "and you start a war for real."

"Savior-he is nothing!"

"He is her father."

The chamber went silent.

Dead silent.

Every wolf froze.

Every mind processed the truth.

Every gaze swung to Lauretta.

Her heart stopped.

Savior didn't back down.

He lifted his chin, voice resonant and undeniable.

"And she," he continued, "is the woman carrying my child."

Gasps rippled through the hall.

Hexta staggered back.

Larry stared at Savior with disbelief and fury.

Keisha clutched her chest.

Lauretta felt her knees weaken again-this time from pure shock.

Savior stepped forward, wolf blazing through his eyes.

"I won't let anyone-Hunt or Owens-hurt her. From this moment forward, she is under my protection."

"Savior-" Lauretta whispered, breath trembling.

He turned to her, voice low, rough, unbreakable.

"And I don't care who disagrees."

The chamber exploded with whispers, outrage, shock, and shifting wolves.

But it didn't matter.

Because everyone knew:

The feud was no longer between Hexta and Larry.

It was about them.

Lauretta.

Savior.

And the unborn child tying their fates together.

And nothing would ever be the same.

----

The chamber felt frozen in time.

Savior's declaration-She is the woman carrying my child-hung in the air like a lightning strike that hadn't finished burning.

No one breathed.

No one spoke.

Every wolf in the room stood suspended between instinct and shock.

Then, slowly, the reaction began.

A sharp intake of breath here.

A growl of disbelief there.

Whispers swirling like smoke.

Lauretta's chest tightened as dozens of eyes settled on her. Judgment. Curiosity. Shock. Awe. Fear.

Her wolf pressed close against her skin, trying to shield her from the weight of the entire room.

She tried to speak-tried to breathe-but her throat felt too tight.

Larry Owens was the first to break the spell.

He pushed himself up from the ground where Hexta had thrown him, face bruised and bleeding. But the pain didn't register. His eyes were locked only on Savior.

"Repeat that," Larry growled, the sound thick and shaking. "I want to hear you say it again."

Savior didn't flinch.

Didn't blink.

Didn't look away.

He stepped in front of Lauretta-shielding her again-and spoke each word with a quiet conviction that shook the room.

"She's carrying my child."

Keisha gasped and covered her mouth.

A ripple of tension rolled through the Owens pack, half confusion and half something like hope.

Hexta Hunt staggered as if someone had punched him in the gut. His eyes went wide with disbelief-then fury exploded across his face like a scorched earth wildfire.

"YOU LIAR!"

He lunged.

Savior shoved Lauretta gently behind him and met his father's attack head-on. They collided with a thunderous impact that shook dust from the ceiling. Power cracked between them-two alphas' auras clashing, ripping through the chamber like violent wind.

Hexta roared, his voice full of betrayal.

"You dare shame your blood like this? You dare claim that woman-"

Savior's snarl cut him off.

"Say one more word against her," he warned, "and I swear it won't be the rumors tearing down your legacy-it will be me."

Lauretta's breath caught.

He meant it.

Every wolf in the room heard it.

Every wolf felt it.

The future alpha had just drawn a line in the sand against his own father-for her.

Larry growled low, his eyes narrowing. "If you think I'll allow you anywhere near my daughter again after all your family has done-"

"You don't get to decide that!" Savior snapped.

Larry advanced on him, trembling with rage. "She is my daughter. The only reason she's in this mess is because you Hunt bastards can't keep your power under control-"

Keisha caught his arm sharply. "Larry. Stop."

He shook her off and jabbed a finger at Savior. "You think you're protecting her? You've already put a target on her back! On our family! On that child!"

The child.

Lauretta touched her stomach without thinking.

Savior's eyes softened instantly.

"Nothing," he said, voice steady and commanding, "and I mean nothing-will happen to her or the baby."

Anger surged through Larry's expression, but something else flickered beneath it-a father's fear. A father's realization that he was losing control of the situation.

That he no longer had the power to decide everything for his daughter.

Lauretta finally found her voice, thick and trembling.

"Dad, please-"

He turned to her, heartbreak etched across his face. "Lauretta... you promised me "

The words cut straight through her.

She swallowed hard. "I-don't know how it happened....And I didn't plan for this. But-"

Larry's expression darkened.

"You fell for him."

"No," Lauretta whispered. "I-"

Savior looked back at her. His chest rose and fell sharply. Emotion flickered in his eyes-fear, longing, hope.

Larry rounded on Savior again. "Look at what you've done. Look at what you've started."

Savior's voice dropped dangerously low. "I didn't start anything."

He pointed at Hexta.

"He did."

Gasps rippled.

Hexta's entire body stiffened.

Savior continued, voice cold. "This feud between the Hunts and Owens began long before Lauretta and I ever met. You think I don't know what happened? You think I haven't heard the whispers? The lies? The things you told me as a child?"

Hexta's jaw clenched. "We are not discussing this here."

Savior stepped closer, aura flaring so violently the nearest wolves stumbled back.

"No. We settle this now."

The tension reached a breaking point. One spark. One wrong breath. One lunge-and the room would turn into a slaughterhouse.

Suddenly the council elders shouted as one:

"ENOUGH!"

Light exploded from the raised dais.

Magic-not wolf magic, but pure Lunar Council energy-poured through the chamber, stunning every wolf into immediate stillness.

Lauretta gasped as the light washed over her skin like electrified snow.

Every alpha dropped their gaze.

Every beta froze.

Every omega whimpered.

The Council Lead Elder-an ancient she-wolf with silver eyes and braided hair-stepped forward with the command of someone who had ended centuries-old wars before breakfast.

Her voice echoed through the chamber.

"This Summit is neutral ground. And yet you Hunts and Owens bring old sins and new heat into a sacred space."

Her gaze snapped to Hexta.

"You disgrace your title, Hexta Hunt."

Then to Larry.

"You disgrace your second chance, Larry Owens."

Then her eyes landed on Lauretta.

Lauretta stiffened.

"And you," the elder said softly, "walk into danger half-aware of your power and wholly aware of its cost."

Lauretta's pulse trembled.

Her wolf lowered its head instinctively.

Savior stepped closer to Lauretta-subtle, but unmistakable.

Claiming.

Protecting.

Defying.

The elder's gaze flicked to him.

"And you, Savior Hunt," she said, "have broken the Summit's law by declaring a mate claim without council permission."

Gasps burst through the room.

Lauretta froze.

Savior's voice came quietly, fiercely:

"I didn't claim her."

He turned, looking directly into Lauretta's eyes.

"I acknowledged what already exists."

Her breath caught.

Before she could even process the meaning behind his words, the elder lifted her hand and sent another wave of power rolling through the room.

"Enough! This feud ends tonight. For now."

Her voice sharpened.

"All wolves will leave this hall. The Hunts will return to their territory. The Owens will return to theirs. No one will cross boundaries until the council convenes next week to decide what comes next."

Larry stiffened. "What about the child?"

Hexta snarled. "What about the disgrace to my son-"

Savior cut through them both.

"Leave her out of this. Leave them out of this."

The elder's silver eyes softened the slightest bit as they landed on Lauretta's stomach.

"The unborn pup will be discussed when the council is ready. Not before."

Lauretta exhaled shakily.

Savior's jaw tightened.

The elder raised her staff.

The chamber's doors burst open with a wave of power.

"Now GO."

Wolves scattered.

Hunt wolves gathered around Hexta, guiding him out while he glared back at Lauretta with a storm of rage and disbelief.

Owens wolves flocked to Larry, supporting him as he limped out, still staring at Savior like the revelation had knocked the world out of alignment.

Soon the room emptied...

...until only three people remained:

Lauretta.

Savior.

And the silence between them.

Savior stepped toward her.

"Lauretta-"

Her throat tightened painfully.

"Savior... what did you do?"

He exhaled slowly, shoulders dropping with exhaustion and something vulnerable.

"I did what I had to do."

"No." Her voice cracked. "You did something you can't undo."

He swallowed, eyes glinting with raw honesty.

"I know."

He reached out-hesitant, as if touching her might break her entirely.

"Lauretta. Look at me."

When she finally did, he whispered:

"I meant every word."

The world shifted under her feet.

Her heart stuttered painfully.

"I'm not letting them hurt you," he continued, voice trembling despite trying to keep it firm. "I'm not letting them hurt our child. And I'm not letting you go."

Her breath hitched.

"Savior, you don't even know if that's what I want."

He stepped closer, close enough that she could feel his body heat, smell his scent-earth, rain, danger, and home.

"You do," he whispered.

And the terrifying thing was...

She did.

But wanting something didn't make it safe.

Just as she opened her mouth to answer-

"RETTA!"

Angela's voice burst through the chamber.

Lauretta's head whipped around. Angela sprinted through the doorway, heels in one hand, braids bouncing, eyes wild with fury and terror.

"Girl, are you insane?! The whole pack just saw you about to start a supernatural telenovela war!"

Lauretta closed her eyes.

Here we go.

Angela reached them, panting, and shoved Savior in the chest.

"You! Alpha Thor wannabe! You just claimed my best friend in front of... of... EVERYBODY!"

Savior blinked. "I didn't-"

"Shut UP! And stop being hot while you're doing it!"

Lauretta groaned. "Angela, not now."

Angela turned to her, eyes softening.

"You okay, babe?"

Lauretta nodded, though she wasn't sure if it was true.

Angela hugged her tight-then glared at Savior again.

"If you break her heart, your balls will be my new keychain."

Savior actually looked afraid.

Just a little.

Lauretta almost laughed. Almost.

Angela grabbed Lauretta's hand. "Come on. We're leaving before his family decides to start Round Two: The Re-Violening."

Savior stepped forward, desperate.

"Lauretta-"

Angela cut in.

"Nope. Not tonight, wolf boy. You've done enough."

She dragged Lauretta out of the chamber.

Savior didn't follow-but the look he gave Lauretta as the doors closed...

Burned.

And promised.

And warned.

It was the kind of look that said:

This is far from over.

And Lauretta knew-

It wasn't.

Lauretta didn't hesitate.

She stepped forward, shoulders squared, jaw set, fierce in a way only a woman who has lost everything and is ready to lose nothing else can be. Her wolf simmered just beneath her skin, burning bright gold under her eyes.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. A few wolves stumbled back; others bowed their heads instinctively, feeling her power spike like a rising storm.

She was glowing - not literally, but spiritually, cosmically, dangerously.

"Dad," she said, voice steady but trembling underneath, "you don't have to defend me alone."

Larry turned toward her in shock. "Lauretta-"

"Hexta's not the only one with a voice that carries." She looked past her father, meeting Savior's gaze for the first time since the chaos erupted. "And I'm done pretending I don't have something to say."

Savior's breath left him in a quiet, stunned exhale - like her presence punched the air out of him.

His father noticed. His scowl deepened.

Lauretta moved to stand beside her father, chin lifted, hands flat at her sides. She looked powerful, regal, furious - and heartbreakingly vulnerable in that quiet way only Savior ever noticed. The tiniest tremor in her fingers. The flicker of fear in the depths of her eyes. The silent plea: Don't let them break us.

But she didn't step toward Savior yet. She couldn't. Not after everything.

Hexta Hunt straightened, nostrils flaring. "You dare to stand before me after your family's betrayal?"

Lauretta inhaled sharply. "My family didn't betray anyone. You banished us because you were afraid."

A wave of murmurs broke across the summit.

Hexta's eyes flashed dangerously. "Afraid? Of who? Your father who defied orders? Your mother who meddled in pack ranks? Or you - a pup not even born during the conflict?"

"No," Lauretta said quietly but clearly. "You were afraid of what we could become."

The air cracked with tension.

Savior stiffened beside his father, every muscle locked in conflict. Angela, somewhere in the crowd, whispered under her breath, "Oh Lord... she is about to burn this place down."

Lauretta continued, voice sharpening. "You sensed power in us. Power you didn't control. Power that didn't bow."

Hexta's expression twisted. "You speak boldly for someone standing on stolen ground."

"Nothing was stolen," Lauretta snapped. "You just couldn't stand competition."

Savior finally stepped forward, unable to stay silent. "Father-"

Hexta raised a hand sharply, silencing him. "If you open your mouth again in her defense, I will consider it treason."

The entire pack froze.

And Lauretta... broke.

Not visibly. Not dramatically. But something inside her - that last fragile thread holding her upright - frayed.

Because Hexta wasn't just rejecting her.

He was rejecting her child.

Her unborn baby.

The life growing inside her, innocent and unclaimed.

Her lips trembled. Her heartbeat stumbled. Larry instinctively reached for her arm.

"It's fine," Lauretta whispered, shrugging off the comfort. Her eyes locked on Hexta's, glowing gold now - sharp, deadly, ancient. "I don't need your son to defend me. I'm not asking for your approval. I don't care about your throne, your name, or your legacy."

Savior's jaw clenched. His eyes went soft, pained, entirely focused on her.

"I only care about one thing," Lauretta said, voice thickening. "Protecting my child."

For a moment - just one suspended heartbeat - the entire grove went silent.

Then Hexta snarled. "You expect me to believe your... bastard is mine to acknowledge?"

Savior closed his eyes like he'd been stabbed.

Lauretta felt her knees weaken, but she kept standing.

Hexta continued, venom dripping: "You think you can trap my son with a child? With a scandal? With shame?"

"Enough!" Savior finally exploded.

His voice struck like lightning.

He moved - fast - stepping in front of Lauretta so quickly she startled. His stance was protective, instinctive, possessive. His wolf surged, eyes turning molten silver.

"That child is mine," he growled.

The forest itself seemed to respond - leaves trembling, shadows shifting, power brushing the air like a warm hand. A collective gasp erupted around them.

Hexta's face blanched with rage. "Savior-"

"I said it's mine." Savior's voice dropped even lower. "And if you insult Lauretta again, father or not, Alpha or not, I will not stand down."

Lauretta's breath caught.

He wasn't saying it for show.

He wasn't saying it in anger.

He was saying it like truth - like vow - like instinct.

Angela clutched her chest dramatically. "Jesus, take the wheel. We're about to witness a father-son murder."

Dew shot her a side-eye. "Not helping."

Lauretta stared at Savior, heart pounding painfully. She didn't want to hope - she couldn't afford hope - but his words were tearing down the walls she'd built around herself.

Hexta stepped closer, chest rising and falling in furious breaths. "You claim that outcast's brat as your heir?"

Savior didn't flinch. "I claim her."

The crowd exhaled as one.

Lauretta's hand flew to her mouth.

Savior turned then - finally - fully facing her. The world blurred until there was only the two of them.

His voice softened, ragged with something like desperation.

"Lauretta... I'm not ashamed of you. I never was. I was just-"

"Scared," she whispered.

His eyes glistened. "Terrified. Of losing you. Of ruining everything."

"You did," she whispered, tears slipping silently. "You ruined us."

He looked like her words split him in two. "Then let me fix it. Let me try."

Larry stepped forward protectively, but Lauretta held out a hand to stop him. Her gaze stayed locked on Savior.

"This isn't between our fathers," she said softly. "It's between you and me."

Savior nodded slowly, like the truth physically hurt. "Then let me start by saying this - out loud - in front of everyone."

He turned back to the crowd, squared his shoulders, and spoke with Alpha command vibrating through every syllable:

"Lauretta Owens is my mate."

Chaos erupted.

Growls. Gasps. Outcries. Wolves shifting partially in shock. Pack members stumbling back as energy rippled violently through the clearing.

Hexta staggered like he'd been struck.

Larry exhaled sharply, disbelief and something like relief washing over him.

Angela screamed, "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I TOLD YOU SO!"

Dew just muttered, "Well... shit."

Lauretta stood frozen.

Savior didn't stop.

"And I don't care what the council says. I don't care about alliances. I don't care about your old feud. I choose her."

His eyes burned silver as he lifted his chin.

"Challenge me if you want. But I won't back down."

Silence fell again - thick, final, irreversible.

Lauretta's heartbeat thundered in her ears.

He had chosen her.

Publicly.

Irrevocably.

Against his father.

Against his pack.

Against everything.

Hexta's voice dropped to a deadly whisper:

"You've just declared war, son."

Savior's eyes never left Lauretta's.

"No," he murmured. "I just found something worth fighting for."

Lauretta's breath broke.

"What have you done?" She whispered

"What my heart wants"

"Oh maybe what your wolf wants" Angela mutters.

"Damn right " Said Dew grinning.

"What the heck are you smiling about?" Angela looks at him.

"A beautiful scene "

"More like a dangerous scene" Angela snickers.

And in that moment - with power trembling in the air, pack history cracking open, every wolf watching - she realized this was only the beginning.

The storm wasn't ending.

It had just begun.