News of the pregnancy spread.
Kael hadn't intended it to. But secrets were hard to keep when you were building a network of vampires and wolves who talked to each other. Someone mentioned it to someone else, and within weeks, everyone knew.
The reactions were mixed. Some saw it as a miracle—proof that the new way was possible. Others saw it as an abomination.
The Pureblood Fringe grew bolder.
A package arrived at the house. Inside: a silver blade and a vial of wolfsbane. No note. The message was clear.
Kael burned them both and didn't tell Lyra.
But he increased security. Aldric sent two of his most trusted wolves to patrol the property. Cassius arranged for Council enforcers to monitor the road. The house on the cliff, once a sanctuary, began to feel like a fortress.
Garrett and Isolde came to visit. They brought others from their small community—a vampire named Thorne, a wolf named Sera. People who believed in what Lyra and Kael were building.
"We want to help," Garrett said. "Whatever you need. Security. Supplies. Just being here."
"You have your own community to protect."
"You're part of our community now. Whether you like it or not."
Kael looked at them—these people who had been strangers a few months ago, now willing to risk their lives for a child that shouldn't exist.
"Okay," he said. "Welcome to the family."