TALIA’S POV
I sit across from Lucian at dinner, my heavily pregnant belly making it difficult to reach the table. My secrets press down on me even more heavily than the child I carry. Tonight, I have to tell him. I can't bear the deception any longer.
"Lucian," I start, my voice trembling. "There's something I need to tell you about the baby." My hands protectively cradle my swollen stomach. "The child... it isn't yours. It's Kael's."
I brace for his reaction.
But, to my shock, Lucian's expression remains gentle. "I know," he says softly, reaching for my hand. "I've known since the day you arrived at Darkfang."
I stare at him, stunned. "But... how? Why didn't you say anything?"
His thumb traces circles on my palm as he speaks. "The part of the Great Prophecy that was given to me told me more than just that I would father the Moonborn Heir. It told me that I would have to share this destiny with another Alpha—when you came to Darkfang, I knew you were pregnant, and I finally understood what the prophecy meant." His eyes meet mine, filled with a tenderness that makes my heart ache. "I was waiting for you to trust me enough to tell me."
Tears spill down my cheeks. "You knew all this time? And you still... you still accepted me, accepted this child?"