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He went after the men without hesitation, tearing them apart with teeth and claws.

His attack provided enough time for me to fully transform, tackling my attacker to the ground.

Noah’s scream intensified, and the wolf I was fighting was ripped from under me. Victor stood above the struggling man, nodding me in the direction of Noah’s voice.

I ran into the nursery to find him trying to hide from a brown wolf. Red was all I saw before I attacked the wolf, distracting himfrom Noah and giving him some time to run into another room before biting deep into its back and snapping his neck.

I ran to my son, but his scream intensified, and I was reminded that I was still in my wolf form. I immediately transformed, pulling a blanket to cover myself, and I buried him in a hug, my shoulders shaking as the fear of almost losing him overtook me.

Noah went quiet, his eyes as wide as saucers, but he wasn’t pushing me away anymore. I couldn’t blame him. He had just witnessed an unhealthy amount of bloodshed. He also saw his mom in wolf form and then shifting back into a human. I’ll make up a story for him until he’s old enough to understand. This was not how I planned for him to discover his roots.

“Is he okay?” Victor asked, already in his human form, casually leaning on the door and wearing loose-fitting trousers that didn’t look to be his. There was no drop of blood on him, and he didn’t look like he just fought off almost six wolves. I appreciated the effort not to appear naked in front of Noah—naked and covered in blood. I could only nod, not trusting my voice to stay strong if I spoke.

His eyes moved from Noah to me and back to Noah before he drew in a deep breath. “I can’t stop thinking of what would’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten here on time.”

I raised my eyes to meet him. He looked like he was battling with the thoughts racing through his head. “But you did, and we’re safe, all thanks to you.”

He shook his head before squatting next to me, running his hands through Noah’s hair before returning his focus to me. “I’d die if anything happened to you two.” He drew in a deep breath, his eyes soft and his voice calm. “Will you marry me, Mira?”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Griffin

“The reputation of the throne is in line.”

“The royal family cannot be subjected to such humiliation.”

“It is a thing of shame and is unacceptable.”

“Failure in anything is a sign of weakness, marriage included.”

Those words have been forced down my ears like the next national anthem. Apparently, it was a thing of shame for a member of the royal family to be involved in a ‘divorce scandal’ regardless of the situation.

We were expected to stay together and fix our problems. Otherwise, we’d be considered weak and incompetent. A king who cannot keep his home together is not fit to rule and unite a kingdom.

Not that I cared, my mind was made up and both elders and nobles could go to hell with their rules. Lilith and I were done, and nothing was going to change that.

She could go to the high court and cry to the high heavens, and my decision would remain the same. I refuse to be trapped in a loveless marriage with a bloodthirsty tyrant who could not see past the bridge of her nose.

“Divorcing your wife at a time when you should be focusing on making an heir to secure your birthright is not a wise decision, Your Highness,” Elder John cautioned, hot on my steps.

“Making kids with an evil woman is hardly ideal. Have you not seen what she has done to people?”

“Believe me, I have, and I’m totally nauseated by the thoughts of it, but this is a critical time, and we need to be cautious. You stand the chance to be given an extension to have kids when you’re married, but without a wife, you cannot even be considered.”

I knew what he was talking about. In fact, I had considered all of this, and it was not enough to change my mind about Lilith. I’d rather drag myself through burning coal tar than spend a night next to her.

If reporting me to the council and sending her father’s minions to spread false notions about our marriage was her way of making me regret losing her, then she was in for a surprise.

“I already thought about that, Elder John. I still have enough time to chase another woman.”

He let out a very loud scoff.

“You just divorced the only woman you’ve known for years. How sure are you that the same won’t happen with someone else?”

Sometimes, I forget that the rest of the kingdom was not aware of Mira’s bond. With the exception of the few people who were present at the palace at the time of the pheromone incident, I can’t think of anyone else who knew about us, and those who witnessed the incident were strictly warned not to let a word get out.

With the knowledge of a mate in mind, I smiled at Elder John’s statement. “Let me worry about that.”