My hands were shaking as I sank down into the chair outside of the room Alisa and Matthew had pushed me out of.

I'd been standing at Emily's side as often as I could for the last three hours. Matthew had barked at me to sit down almost as often as he'd told Emily to try and breath. Both commands fell flat. Emily was in agony and she used every breath to beg for Aaron, that she'd changed her mind and she did need him here. I tried to link him over and over again but either he was shutting me out or I was too weak to reach.

Two hours in Matthew knew her pushing wasn't going to work. Something was wrong. He called Alisa. They were switching to an emergency caesarean delivery and even that wasn't enough. Emily had started bleeding before they could prep for surgery. There was so much blood and nothing I could do. I just stood there like an idiot terrified and lost. I don't know how many times Matthew and Alisa tried to say something to me. I was completely gone remembering how painful it had felt when I was bleeding like that, how terrified Silas must have been to see it. Terrified like I was now. Alisa shoved me toward a chair but I'd been to shocked to acknowledge what she was aiming for and it didn't matter because a moment later she shoved me out of the room.

Now here I was praying to every god and goddess I could think of to help Emily through this, to bring Aaron back to her, and to not take their baby.

The door across from Emily's opened. I shot to my feet and ignored the pain that slammed through my body with the movement as I practically ran toward Aaron and Silas.

Aaron side stepped passed me. Silas's arms wrapped around my middle. My hand shot catching Aaron's shirt but it didn't stop him. He gripped my hand back, squeezed once, and then pulled it off his shirt and kept going.

I tried to link him, to tell him Emily was in surgery now, but nothing came out and then he disappeared through her door.

I watched and waited. Partially sure that Alisa would throw him out the way she had me. When that didn't happen I turned my confused and terrified eyes to Silas for answers.

"Aaron can feel her through their bond. He knows what's going on." Silas said. He shifted his arms from around my waist just enough to scoop me up completely.

My hands shot up to sign that I was fine and didn't need to be carried but Silas cut me off.

"I can feel you through our bond as well so don't bother lying to me."

I scowled up at him for a second. His usually handsome face held dark circles under his eyes and almost no color too the rest of it. I knew from his look alone that the meeting had not gone well but it didn't matter. What mattered was that he and Aaron had returned. Now all we needed was for Emily to be ok and the rest we could handle.

Silas moved us to sit back in my chair and I turned my eyes once again to Emily's door. It was so quiet. I couldn't hear anything from inside. Not even Matthew and Alisa talking.

'Why can't I hear anything?' I asked. 'Everything seemed so loud in there but out here nothing. Not even Matthew.'

"The rooms are sound proofed. My mom is focusing on getting the baby out safely. Matthew is already giving Emily blood to make up for what she's losing." Silas said brushing a hand down from the top of my head to my lower back in a soothing gesture.

'Aaron?' I asked. I was worried he might be freaking out like I had. I didn't want him to be in there alone and I didn't want Emily to feel like she was alone either.

"He's talking to her." Silas said and paused. "She's unconscious but he's reassuring her that he's here. That the baby's almost here. And..." Silas paused and shook his head. "And that he's get vasectomy as soon as she wakes up because they are never having another baby."

'This is what you were worried about isn't it?' I asked. My eyes burned with tears the way they had been doing off and on since Emily started asking for Aaron. It was harder to push them back now with Silas here.

"It was one of the many potential problems." Silas sighed and nodded.

He dropped a linger kiss on my head. His arms tightened around me and I tucked my head into his chest giving up against my battle with the tears.

After several moments of my silent crying Silas took a deep shuttering breath and squeezed me to get my attention.

I wiped my face and looked up at him in question.

"The baby's crying." Silas said.

'He's ok?' I asked my face crumpling again with even more tears.

"He's ok." Silas agreed.

'And Em?' I asked.

Silas tilted his head as he listened intently.

"They've stopped the bleeding. Now it's just a matter of getting blood back into her and her vitals back to where they belong." Silas said.

I sagged against him in relief.

The bleeding stopped.

The baby was safe.

All that was left now was for Emily to get better.

The weight of the last few hours lifted slowly and for the first time since Silas and Aaron had left for the meeting I was able to take deep cleansing breaths. With each breath I noted the scents around me. The antiseptic stench of the medical rooms that didn't make me spiral into a panic, the warm forest and coffee scent that I loved almost as much the man it came from, and the slight tinge of blood. I assumed the tinge was coming from me. I looked down at my leggings and t shirt expecting to see some of Emily's blood but none had gotten on me. Silas was a different story though. His jeans, shirt, and even his arms had flakes or splatters of blood. None of it looked to be his but still it raised a whole new batch of concerns.

'What happened?' I asked.

"With the meeting?" He asked back.

I nodded.

"Eleven packs are open to the idea of creating a new council though they are not necessary allies when it comes down to a war." Silas said.

'And the other five?' I asked.

"They were furious but chose to tuck tail and run home instead of fighting here. They'll be back with an army I'm sure." Silas shook his head.

I glanced down at the blood on his clothes and then up to his face with a raised eyebrow. If they hadn't fought then it left a pretty big hole in his explanation given the blood on his clothing.

Silas sighed, raised his hands to my cheek, and brushed his thumb across my chin. He smiled and then pressed a soft kiss to my lips.

"As expected, Devlin was in attendance. He's no longer a threat but his followers, and these other five packs, are concerning." He said.

'Are the five packs not his followers?' I asked.

Silas tilted his head as he thought about it.

"Not exactly. They went along with him under the guise of becoming their own rulers. They do not wish to provide a council member for the new council because Devlin had promised them that those seats would be theirs and only theirs. They feel that the size of the pack should influence the number of seats on the council in that only the largest of the packs should be permitted a seat at all. They also want to occupy those seats themselves as both Alphas and council members." Silas explained.

'But that doesn't make sense. Council members police the Alpha's and the rules, laws, and regulations between territories. It's to make sure the smaller packs don't get engulfed or taken advantage of.' I signed.

"Exactly. Which is why we cannot allow that and why I'm sure we're headed into a war now." Silas sighed.

'What about a king?' I asked. 'That was Devlin's whole thing. Were they willing to follow the king as advisors instead of council members?'

"I think they assumed that any king would favor them and give them what they want which is more territory and power." Silas said.

'But not now?" I asked.

"Now that Devlin's dead, unless the king is born in one of their packs, it's highly unlikely." Silas agreed.

'Then let's hope he's not.' I sighed and snuggled back into Silas.

Our comfortable silence was interrupted when Emily's door finally opened. Alisa came out looking exhausted but happy.

"Emily's sleeping but she's stable." She said.

'Can we see her?' I asked perking up immediately.

"Can we see her?" Silas voiced for me.

Alisa nodded and stepped back. I slid off of Silas lap and was a little surprised that he didn't argue. He did keep one arm around my waist as we went into the room.

As Alisa said Emily was sleeping. Aaron seated next to her in the chair I'd been in earlier but he had a bundle of blankets wrapped up snug in his arms. He looked and smiled when we came in.

"Ready to meet your godson?" He asked standing up and coming around to stop in front of Silas and I.

I glanced up at Silas with a relieved smirk when Aaron held the baby out to him instead of me. I'd never held a new born so the thought alone made me nervous. Plus the prospect of seeing Silas hold something so tiny was exciting.

Silas gave Aaron a playful glare but accept the fragile bundle without any actual complaints. He fussed for a minute as he switched arms but Silas rocked and patted him the same way he'd done with Amelia when she was smaller and he went right back to sleep.

"What did you name him?" Silas asked adjusting the blanket down away from the babies face.

"Theodore Quinn." Aaron said.

Silas smiled softly and nodded. I flinched and looked away trying to gulp back the rush of tears that flooded me.

The baby stretched wrapping his fingers tightly around Silas. Silas inhaled sharply and I flinched again this time at the sudden pain in my chest.

"What? What's wrong?" Aaron asked stepping back toward us.

Silas reached out touching the fresh blood that was slowly appearing on my shirt. He stepped closer to me and pulled the edge of my collar down to glance at the wound. His lips parted and his eyes shot back to Aaron's.

"What?" Aaron demanded.

Silas tilted his head toward me and pulled the edge of my shirt down just a little further to show the strange mark that had appeared near my collar bone.

"No." Aaron said firmly.

Silas released my shirt and handed Theo over to me. Once the baby was securely in my arms Silas slipped off his own shirt and wiped at the blood that had welled on his chest in the same spot as mine.

Now that the mark was in the light and clear of blood it was unmistakable. Protector.

"No!" Aaron said again taking a step back. "He can't be. He... he's so small. It's a mistake."

"Aaron." Emily said surprising all of us. "What's going on?"

"He... Theo's..." Aaron stumbled over his words.

Emily's eyes widened in terror and I kicked out at Silas to hurry up and reassure her before she thought her baby was dead.

"Theodore's fine." Silas said immediately guessing what I needed him to say. "But he marked us."

"Marked you?" Emily asked. I moved around to the empty side of the bed and sank down next to her so that she could see and touch Theodore easily. She didn't look strong enough to hold him yet. She smiled a quick thanks at me and reached out to trace over his tiny features.

"He... marked them as protectors. Royal protectors." Aaron forced out finally remembering how to speak as he shoved both of his hands into his hair and began to pace.

Emily's eyes shot to Aaron, Silas, and then me. She stared at my face for a moment and then the blood on my shirt for the next.

"Shit." She whispered her eyes filling with tears as she looked back down at her baby.

"How the hell did this happen?" Aaron asked slumping down next to Emily.

"We knew the risks...Your bloodline is Rylan's bloodline and mine is..." Emily said still not taking her eyes off her son as she shook her head.

I looked down at him as well. I had never pictured the king being so tiny and fragile. I wouldn't wish the weight of his future on anyone but especially not on Emily and Aaron. I held Theodore a little closer and leaned in to Emily knowing she'd need him close too. My heart ached for the future ahead of them, ahead of all of us.

One thing was for certain though, if someone wanted to hurt little Theo they would have to get through us first.





The End.





Authors Note:

Thank you for reading!

This is the end of Rylan as my main character but I have plans (and chapters) already in the work for Amelia as well as Xane and Actaeon.

In case you're curious: I did have Emily and Aaron planned as King Theo's parents from the beginning of my original draft but I hope it wasn't too obvious throughout the books.

Let me know what you think and/or what you'd like to read next, and again THANK YOU FOR READING!!