I scooped Killian up gently from Wen’s arms. He barely had the energy to cling to me, his small arms wrapping weakly around my neck. He weighed nothing. How could something so small cause such chaos? How could something so innocent be seen as a threat?
We walked through the corridors in silence, guards falling into step behind us. The castle felt different now. Emptier, colder. Word would spread quickly about what had happened tonight. By morning, every kingdom would know that the hybrid prince had powers no wolf should possess.
Killian was making soft, sad sounds against my shoulder, exhausted and heartbroken.
“Papa...” he mumbled.
“Shh,” Wen said, walking beside us with her hand on his back. “No more apologies, baby. You don’t apologize for being who you are.”
We reached his chambers. Sorcha had already turned down the bed, lit the soft candles he liked, made everything warm and safe. Wen closed the door behind us as I laid him carefully in his bed. Wen climbed in beside him without hesitation, pulling him close. He curled into her instantly, his eyes already closing from exhaustion.
I kissed both their foreheads, lingering longer than necessary because I didn’t want to separate from them. Then there was a sharp knock on the door, and I opened it slightly to see a guard standing outside, bowing apologetically.
“Your Majesty, your council demands immediate audience. They say it’s urgent. They’re quite insistent, sir.”
Of course they were. Because apparently tonight wasn’t terrible enough already. Because I couldn’t just have one moment with my family after the worst night of our lives.
Duty. Always fucking duty.
“Tell them I will meet them shortly,” I said.
Wen looked up at me from the bed. “Go. I’ll stay with him.”
“I should be with both of you.”
“You have to deal with this. We’ll be okay.”
“I would rather stay.” I tugged at my hair, sighing.
“I know.” She gave me a sad smile. “But duty calls. It always does.”
I hated this. Hated being torn between my responsibilities and my desperate need to protect my family. Hated that I had to choose. For years, I had put the kingdom first. Duty before desire. Responsibility before rest. It was what kings did. It was what I had always done.
But tonight, walking away from my wife and son felt like betrayal.
I knelt beside the bed one more time, touching Killian’s hair gently. “I will be back soon, pup. I promise.”
He barely opened his eyes, already half-asleep. “‘Kay, Papa. Love you.”
“I love you too. So much. More than any kingdom. More than any alliance. More than anything.”
He smiled weakly at that, the first smile I’d seen from him since the banquet. It broke my heart and healed it at the same time.
I forced myself to stand. To walk toward the door even though everything in me screamed to stay.
At the doorway, I looked back one last time. Wen was curled protectively around Killian, both of them looking small and vulnerable in the large bed. My family, my entire world. The only thing that truly mattered.
I closed my eyes briefly, gathering strength I didn’t feel.
Then I walked away toward duty, because that was what kings did. Even when it felt like leaving pieces of themselves behind.
This was going to be a very long night. And tomorrow would probably be worse.
5
— • —
Wen
