CHAPTER 198: _ BRING HER HOME

Rayne only beams, unmoved by Ines’s jab. "You look radiant as ever, Ines. The moon must favor you tonight."

"The moon favors discipline," Ines replies with a faint smirk.

Darien hides a chuckle behind his hand. Here we go.

Rayne, as always, refuses to take offense. "Ah, discipline," she sighs dramatically. "Something my boys have in short supply. Speaking of which, it seems everyone’s home except mine."

Darien shakes his head, slipping easily into the rhythm of their banter. "If you mean Morgan and Grayson, I’d bet they’re somewhere in town convincing pack girls they can marry them all."

"Those two again," Tobias groans, though his lips twitch in amusement. "I should send them on a mission far, far away. Somewhere with no clubs, no bars, and no females."

"Then you’d be sending them to their deaths," Darien quips dryly.

The Alpha throws back his head and laughs. "That’s my boy! Always the sharp tongue." He strides forward and opens his arms. "Come here, Darien. It’s been too long."

Darien steps into his father’s embrace, the familiar weight of the man’s arms briefly grounding him. Tobias smells of sandalwood, steel, and faint traces of wolf musk... the scent of authority, of home.

Although, for Amias, he can’t say their father’s arms feel the same. Not that it’s any of his business though. It’s Clarissa who ruined her son’s life by cheating on his father.

"I heard about the Duskwind traffickers. You handled it brilliantly." Tobias says proudly, clapping his son’s shoulder hard enough to jostle him.

Darien manages a smile. "It wasn’t just me."

"Oh?" Tobias arches a brow. "Then who?"

Darien hesitates. The moment pauses between them like a blade suspended by a thread.

Should he... should he tell his father too about Heidi? Perhaps, if they know she’s his, they’ll back off from wanting to hurt her?

YES! The idea flickers recklessly through him. If the pack council is already whispering, if the shadows are circling Heidi, then maybe the best protection for her... is visibility. If she’s his mate officially, publicly, no one will dare move against her without risking his wrath.

He can feel Kairos stir within him, approving. "Finally using your head, bro."

Darien meets his father’s gaze. "My mate helped me."

The effect is instantaneous. Tobias’ eyebrows shoot up, and Rayne’s hand flies to her chest.

"Your what?" Tobias booms, voice echoing off the marble columns.

"Your mate?" Rayne gasps, eyes wide, shimmering with excitement. "Darien, truly?"

He nods once, trying to look casual even as his pulse quickens. "Truly."

Rayne squeals, nearly bouncing. "That’s wonderful! Who is she? When do we meet her? What’s she like?"

Tobias grins like a man who just won a long bet. "So the Bellamy heir has finally found his Luna-to-be. Tell me, boy, is she fierce?"

The heir? Does this mean... His father is intending the Alpha’s position for him and not Amias, who is the firstborn son? Could his mother’s dream finally be coming to pass?

Darien smirks faintly. "Fierce enough."

"Oh, come now," Rayne presses, leaning forward eagerly. "You can’t keep us in suspense!"

"Actually, I can," Darien responds, feigning thoughtfulness.

Rayne gasps again, mock-offended. "You tease!"

Tobias throws his head back and laughs, the deep sound filling the hall. "You’re your mother’s son. Keeping secrets runs in the family."

Ines clears her throat behind them, her tone dry as desert wind. "If this conversation turns into sentimental nonsense, I’ll be upstairs."

Darien turns slightly toward her, catching the subtle glint of warning in her eyes. Enough mingling with Rayne, that look says. You’ve just come home; don’t get entangled.

Tobias chuckles. "Don’t chase him off so soon, Ines."

"He’s exhausted and covered in road dust. Unlike some people, I prefer my son not to smell like a highway." She replies, glare as sharp as glass.

Rayne laughs lightly. "Let him rest, then. Tomorrow we’ll celebrate!"

Tobias gives Darien one last squeeze on the shoulder. "I can’t wait to meet the girl who managed to tame you."

Darien forces a grin. "She’s not exactly the taming type."

"Good," Tobias says with a wink. "Wouldn’t trust a wolf who couldn’t bite."

Ines steps closer, placing a gentle but firm hand on her son’s arm. "Come, Darien. You can update your father tomorrow. Tonight, you need rest."

Darien nods obediently, grateful for the excuse. His head’s beginning to ache again. He feels the exhaustion, adrenaline, and the weight of everything he just set in motion.

As he and his mother ascend the grand staircase, he glances back once. Tobias and Rayne are still talking, her laughter bright and musical, his booming voice carrying through the hall. They look impossibly carefree, two people untouched by prophecy, by threat, by the kind of love that could destroy a kingdom.

If only his father were really and truly like this whenever Rayne’s not there. The man only softens in the presence of his mate, and yet, one wouldn’t want to be fooled by his laughter. The things the man is capable off...

Darien turns away, jaw tight.

When they reach the upper corridor, Ines releases his arm. "Your father’s in a good mood," she remarks, voice neutral.

"He usually is around Rayne."

"Mm." A pause, then: "Be careful, Darien. He likes her too much."

Darien hides a smirk. "You mean you dislike her too much."

Ines’ lips twitch, betraying the faintest smile. "Same thing."

He laughs quietly, but it dies quickly in his throat. His room is just ahead. It’s the same one he’s had since he was a boy. The door looks the same, heavy oak with the Bellamy crest carved into the center. He hesitates a moment before opening it as a strange mix of nostalgia and dread washes over him.

"Mother," he says softly before she can leave.

She turns, elegant as always. "Yes?"

"I meant what I said. About bringing her home."

Her gaze softens. "I know."

Darien swallows. "And if she’s... different—if she’s not what you expect..."

"Then I will adjust my expectations," Ines interrupts calmly. "You are my son, Darien. Whoever you choose is my responsibility to understand."

The words catch him off guard. For a moment, his throat burns with something he doesn’t want to name. But he knows better than to believe those words. She probably misinterpreted that as perhaps, a daughter of a family she might not like, not a low-class Moon Blessed.

He nods, quietly grateful still. "Thank you."

"Rest," she says simply. Then she turns and walks down the hall.

When the door shuts behind him, the silence hits hard.

Darien exhales, running a hand over his face. The familiar scent of cedarwood and wolf musk fills the air. His bed looks untouched, the sheets too neat and too still. He sinks onto it, elbows on his knees.

Kairos is restless again. "That went well," the wolf murmurs dryly. "You’ve just announced her existence to half the estate."

Darien snorts. "You think I don’t know that?"

"What if they don’t accept her?"