137

Ian’s POV

Getting Sophia out of the vampire realm was no easy job, but we did it. Jacob, Jenny, Lyanna, and I worked together as hard and sleek as we could, making sure no one saw us leave. We had to be quiet, subtle, and quick. The council would find out eventually, but by then, it wouldn’t matter. I just needed to get her out of there—away from the politics, away from the dangers lurking at every corner. Her pregnancy had changed everything.

Now, we were back at my condo in the human world. It felt surreal, like stepping into another life. The familiar surroundings were almost comforting—the sleek, modern furniture, the quiet hum of the city outside. It was a world that had always felt like a safe space, a place where I could just be Ian Grant, the professor, not the vampire king.

I watched as Sophia sank into the couch, visibly relieved. She looked exhausted, and for good reason. The toll of everything—the captivity, the pregnancy, the uncertainty—it weighed heavily on her. Her body was still recovering, and though she was safe now, I knew we couldn’t relax.

“Do you need anything?” I asked, walking over to her.

She smiled faintly, shaking her head. “Just… rest. I need to rest.”

I nodded and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. “You’ll get all the rest you need here. No one knows we’re back. You’re safe.”

But even as I said the words, I couldn’t shake the gnawing anxiety in my gut. I wasn’t a fool. I knew how quickly things could change. The council, the vampires still loyal to Freya’s bloodline, and now the werewolves—we had enemies, and they were everywhere.

The sound of my phone vibrating on the counter broke the brief moment of peace. I walked over, picking it up, and saw a message flash across the screen. It was from one of my contacts in the vampire realm.

‘Castle under attack. Several casualties. Council compromised.’

I stared at the message, reading it again to make sure I wasn’t misinterpreting the words. The castle. Attacked. Oh God. This was impossible.

“What is it?” Sophia’s voice broke through my thoughts, her tone filled with concern.

I hesitated, not wanting to alarm her, but I couldn’t lie to her either. Not now. I turned to face her, my expression grim. “The castle’s been attacked.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Attacked? How?”

“I don’t know the details yet, but it looks like it was a coordinated strike. The council’s compromised. I’m not sure who’s still standing.”

I watched as the weight of my words sank in. Sophia sat up straighter, the exhaustion in her eyes momentarily replaced by fear. “What about Jacob? Jenny?”

“They’re safe. Jacob messaged me earlier—they left right after we did. They’re in one of the safe houses.”

She exhaled, relief flooding her features. “What are we going to do?”

I clenched my jaw, pacing the length of the room as my mind raced. I hadn’t expected this—at least not so soon. Someone had taken advantage of our absence, of the weakened council. And now the entire realm was vulnerable.

Or maybe…

I tried to shake the thought out of my head but I couldn’t. What if they intended to attack us while we were still in the castle? What if it was by luck that we had left before they attacked?

“We need to stay hidden,” I said finally. “For now, our priority is keeping you safe. If the council’s been compromised, it means whoever attacked is looking to seize power. They’ll come for us next, especially if they find out about the baby.”

Sophia bit her lip, her hand instinctively moving to her stomach. “Ian… what if this is because of me? Because of the baby?”

I shook my head, crossing the room to sit beside her. “This isn’t your fault, Sophia. There’s been unrest in the vampire realm for a long time. The baby… it’s just another reason. But you’re not the cause of this.”

She nodded, but I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. I took her hand in mine, squeezing it gently. “We’ll figure this out. We’ve been through worse.”

As much as I wanted to believe my own words, the reality was that we were in uncharted territory. Everything was spiraling out of control, and the attack on the castle had just escalated things to a level I hadn’t anticipated.

The phone buzzed again, another message coming through. This time it was Jacob.

‘We’re hearing rumors that the werewolves were involved. Stay where you are.’

Werewolves. That damn alliance. They’d been quiet for years, but now it seemed they were making their move. And it wasn’t just some petty skirmish—they were going after the heart of vampire leadership.

“Ian?” Sophia’s voice was soft, but there was a sharp edge of concern in it. “What happens now? If the council’s compromised, what does that mean for you?”

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “It means everything’s about to change. The council was supposed to be the balance, the glue holding our world together. If they fall… there’s no telling what’ll happen next.”

“Can’t we just stay here?” she asked, her voice tinged with desperation. “Can’t we just… live quietly, away from all of this?”

I wished it were that simple. But we both knew that wasn’t an option. I couldn’t abandon my responsibilities, and Sophia—whether she liked it or not—was tied to this world now. The baby she was carrying would only make her more of a target.

“I wish we could,” I said softly, pulling her into my arms. “But they’ll come for us. Sooner or later, they’ll come.”

Her body tensed against mine, and I held her tighter, hating that I couldn’t offer her the peace she so desperately needed. We were in the eye of the storm now, and the only way out was through.

“We’ll be ready,” I whispered into her hair. “No matter what comes, we’ll be ready.”

Chaptet 138.

Sophia’s POV

As I sat on the couch in Ian’s condo, my hand instinctively moved to my stomach. The warmth of my palm against my abdomen was comforting, but it didn’t soothe the storm of thoughts raging in my mind. The news of the castle’s attack still echoed, and all I could think about was the little life growing inside me. A baby—our—baby. And in this dangerous world, what kind of life would they have?

Would they ever be safe? Would we?

I let out a shaky breath and glanced over at Ian, who was standing by the window, his back tense as he stared out into the city. He looked like he was ready to wage a war, his jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists. I knew him well enough by now to understand he was keeping it together for me. But I could see the cracks. The fear he didn’t want to show me was there, lingering beneath the surface.

“Ian?” I called softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

He turned immediately, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “What is it?”

I hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of my question before I spoke. “Do you think… do you think our baby will ever be safe? As long as they’re related to us?”

He didn’t answer right away, which only made my chest tighten. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the war he was waging in himself. He wanted to tell me everything would be fine. I knew he did. But we both knew better. Nothing was ever simple in our world. Especially not now.

Ian walked over to me, sitting down beside me on the couch, his hand immediately covering mine on my stomach. “Sophia,” he began slowly, his voice low and controlled, “I’m going to do everything in my power to protect both of you. You and our baby will always come first. Always.”

I nodded, appreciating him, but they didn’t erase the fear gnawing at me. “But what if that’s not enough?” My voice cracked despite my efforts to hold it together. “Ian, we’re targets. The council, the hunters, the werewolves… There’s always someone trying to kill us. And now, with the baby, it feels like we’re painting an even bigger target on our backs.”

He frowned, his grip tightening around my hand. “We’ve fought before, Sophia. We’ve survived things most people couldn’t. We’ll do it again.”

“But it’s different now,” I whispered, my eyes stinging with the tears. “This isn’t just about us anymore. There’s a whole other life involved. A baby who’s already in danger because of who we are. How do we raise a child in a world where they’re always at risk? Where someone is always going to want to use them or hurt them because of our connection?”

I could feel the tears slipping down my cheeks, and I hated it. I hated feeling so powerless, so unsure.

Ian reached up, wiping the tears away with his thumb, his expression softening. “I don’t have all the answers, Sophia. I wish I did. But I can promise you this: I’m going to fight like hell to make sure our child never has to face the same dangers we have.”

I let his words settle in, but the fear was still there, gnawing at the back of my mind. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that we could build a life where our child could grow up safe and free. But it seemed impossible when I looked at the reality of what we were up against.

The council was compromised. The castle had been attacked. Werewolves were rallying against us. Every time I thought we’d gotten through one hurdle, another threat appeared.

And our baby… What kind of life would they have? What kind of world would we be bringing them into?

“Ian,” I began again, trying to keep my voice steady, “do you think it was a mistake? Us bringing a child into this world?”

The question hung in the air, and I saw the flash of pain in his eyes before he masked it. He shook his head firmly. “No, it wasn’t a mistake. This baby is the best thing to ever happen to us. You have to believe that.”

“But they’re going to be hunted,” I argued, my voice trembling. “Just because they’re ours.”

“Which is why we’ll be ready,” he replied, his tone hardening. “We’ll protect them, Sophia. We’ll build a life for them, no matter what it takes.”

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to hold on to that hope. But the doubt remained in me, and I knew that as long as the threats existed, I’d never truly feel at peace.

“What if they inherit our enemies?” I asked quietly. “What if they grow up with people constantly trying to kill them, just like us?”

Ian didn’t answer for a moment, his jaw tightening. “We’ll deal with that when the time comes. For now, we focus on keeping you and the baby safe. One battle at a time.”

I leaned into him, letting my head rest against his shoulder. His arms wrapped around me, holding me close, and for a brief moment, I felt safe. I let my eyes close, trying to push away the