CHAPTER 200: NO!!! NO...NOO...

[ Old World territories - We continue after a time leap ]

Autumn’s eyes snapped open.

A sharp intake of breath scraped her throat.

Every inch of her body screamed in pain...her legs were heavy as stone, her back was like it had been flayed open, her head pounded in brutal, uneven waves.

She groaned, dragging both hands to her scalp, clutching at her hair as if she could squeeze the ache out.

The walls around her were damp, rough, and streaked with shadows.

Then came sudden footsteps. Urgent.

"Princess!" Orion’s voice cut through the ringing in her ears.

She looked up, dazed, to see him rushing towards her with a battered stone cup in hand.

"Here," he said, dropping to one knee beside her. His usually sharp voice was softer now, trembling. "Here, drink up."

She took it without thinking.The rim felt cold against her cracked lips. The water was metallic, tasting faintly of stone, but it slid down her throat like salvation.

The fog in her mind began to lift. And with it came some harrowing clarity.

Her gaze darted around...jagged rock walls, a low ceiling, firelight flickering weakly from a pit near the far corner. A cave.

"Orion..." Her voice cracked, hoarse. "Where the hell are we? We should..." She swallowed hard, her heart thudding. "We should get back. Something... something happened..."

"There is no place to go back to," he cut in.

She froze. "What?"

His eyes didn’t waver, but there was something in them... something broken. "Skarthheim was attacked," he said slowly, like the words were knives in his mouth. "Allied troops from the New World landed at our gates. With Alpha gone, we..." His jaw clenched. "We couldn’t hold the grounds much longer."

Her breath caught. "What the fuck! You are... you are lying.What are you even talking about? "

"Princess..."

"Don’t!" She shook her head violently, her hair tangling over her face. "Don’t stand there and tell me..." Her voice cracked. "What the hell do you mean ’Alpha gone’? Where is my father?"

"Skarthheim is no more," Orion said, his tone flat, as if saying it quickly would make it less painful. "It’s been taken over by the New World Order."

Autumn stared at him like he had just spoken a language she didn’t understand. "What?" She laughed...but it was sharp, brittle. "Wait... wait, what... What the hell are you even talking about? Where is Father? Where is Kieran?" She was already pushing herself up. "I need to talk to them. Now!"

She got halfway to her feet before it hit her...the sudden, crushing weight low in her belly, like an anchor dragging her down.Too heavy... way more heavier than she remembered.

The air left her lungs in a sharp gasp as her knees buckled.

"Princess!" Orion caught her just before she hit the stone floor.

Her hands went instinctively to her stomach, her breath coming in shallow bursts.

"Easy," he murmured, lowering her carefully back onto the makeshift bedding...stone layered with dried leaves and hay, barely enough to cushion the rock beneath.

Her face twisted in frustration, her voice shaking. "Why... why does it feel so fucking heavy?"

"You are close to your birthing days," he said quietly, adjusting the hay so her back was supported. "Your body is weak. You need to be careful with your steps..."

"To hell with my steps!" she screamed, the words echoing off the cave walls. " What do you mean by ’close to my birthing days’? I am not even half way through! It’s just my second trimester... "

" It’s the ninth month, Princess! You were trapped in a coma for months. "

Autumn looked at Orion as if he was a ghost!

" What for months? Coma?! "

Orion nodded.

She let her fingers gently brush over her baby bump and she knew by its swell that Orion wasn’t lying. The babies were full grown, ready for the world... it was a matter of days.. Or maybe hours...

But nevertheless she said, " Stop lying,Orion!!! Do you not hear me, huh?! I don’t give a shit about being careful right now or your stupid stories! I need to see my father! I need to see Kieran!"

Her chest was heaving, eyes burning with a fury that was barely masking the panic clawing up her throat.

Orion didn’t flinch at her rage...but his silence was worse than any answer.

Autumn shoved herself upright again, ignoring the way her belly dragged at her balance, ignoring the flare of pain in her hips.

Her bare feet slapped against the cold stone floor as she staggered towards the narrow gap in the cave wall that led outside.

But before she could take more than three steps, Orion moved.

One sharp stride and he was there like a wall, blocking the only way out.

"Move," Autumn hissed, her voice low and shaking. "Or I swear, Orion..."

"No."

Her nails dug into her palms. "Don’t you dare tell me ’no’ right now. You think you can trap me in here like some prisoner? You think you can keep me from my family?"

"You can’t go back now," he said, voice firm but quiet, like he was speaking to a wild animal he didn’t want to startle.

Her chest rose and fell in rapid bursts. "I don’t care what you say! I need to go find my father and Kieran..."

"Princess..."

"Don’t call me that!" she snapped, the word burning like poison in her throat. "You have no right to stand there and..."

Orion’s voice dropped, and the weight of it cut through hers. "Princess, you can curse me all you want. I did fail at protecting our pack..."

He bowed his head slightly, his broad shoulders tight with the admission. "...But I am not failing this task my Alpha gave me."

Something in the way he said ’Alpha’ made her stomach twist...

"I am not letting you risk your life," he continued, lifting his gaze now, his eyes locked on hers. "I am going to protect you and the heirs with my life. And I am going to take the three of you far away from this mayhem..." His tone left no room for argument. "...Whether you like it or not."