170

Ian’s POV

The night air was colder than usual, the kind of cold that made your breath visible and your senses sharper. I felt it deep in my bones, the unease that had been creeping up for weeks now. Things were getting worse, and it wasn’t just paranoia anymore. The attacks were escalating—first subtle, then intense just like the one that happened a few hours ago, almost like whoever was behind it wanted us to know they were closing in. And the worst part? None of us knew who to trust.

I had been extra careful about telling anyone anything these days. Not even Mike.

Jenny and Jacob left a few minutes ago to Jacob’s new apartment in a secluded area. Sophia was seated on the couch across from me, her hand resting protectively on her belly. It was a thing she did these days now, resting her hand on her belly as if it’d sheild our baby from every harm just like that. Her expression far away. As if sensing my eyes on her, she turned her head and looked at me.

“Do you think it’s another council member?” she asked, her voice soft.

I sighed, leaning back in my chair with a shrug. “It’s hard to say. Aldric’s death should’ve put an end to this, but now… now I’m not so sure. Someone else could be pulling the strings, maybe even someone we didn’t expect.”

She met my eyes, a brow raising as if she expected me to elaborate and tell her who I suspected. But I couldn’t. “But who? I thought we were safe after Aldric. Now I’m not sure we ever were.”

I wanted to reassure her, to tell her that everything would be fine, but I couldn’t. Not when I wasn’t sure about that myself. “I don’t know, Sophia. But I promise you, we’ll figure this out. I won’t let anyone hurt you or the baby.”

She nodded but didn’t look convinced. How could she be? I wasn’t convinced either.

“Jacob thinks it might be rogue vampires,” she said quietly, almost as if she didn’t want to say it aloud. “That they could be targeting us because of… well, because of the baby.”

I clenched my fists at my sides. The thought had crossed my mind, more than once. Rogue vampires could be dangerous. They had no loyalty, no sense of order. And if word had gotten out about Sophia’s pregnancy, it wasn’t hard to imagine that they’d see her as a threat, or worse, an opportunity to take the throne.

“It’s possible,” I admitted, my voice tight. “But I don’t think they’re acting alone, if that’s the case. Someone on the inside has to be feeding them information.”

Sophia’s eyes widened slightly in fear. “You mean… you think someone from the council might be working with them?”

I nodded slowly. “It’s a possibility. Aldric was probably involved, but he wasn’t the only one with power or ambition. There could be others who want to destabilize things, to take advantage of the situation while we’re focused on the realm’s rebuilding.”

She swallowed hard, her hand moving unconsciously over her belly. “So, what do we do? We can’t keep hiding forever, Ian. At some point, they’ll find us.”

I stood up, moving to her side and kneeling in front of her. “We’re not hiding, Sophia. We’re being cautious. There’s a difference. But you’re right—we can’t keep this up much longer. We need answers, and fast.”

She rested her hand on my shoulder, her eyes locking onto mine. “Do you trust the council?”

The question caught me off guard, but it was one I’d been asking myself for a while now. Could I trust them? The council had always been political, calculating, but now… now I wasn’t sure who was an ally and who was an enemy.

“I trust some of them,” I said carefully. “But not all. And that’s the problem.”

Sophia sighed, her head falling back against the couch. “This isn’t how I imagined things would be. I didn’t think we’d have to worry about enemies within our own circle. It feels like every time we get close to peace, something else happens.”

I nodded, understandung how she felt. I felt it too. Right now, it was like a case of five steps forward, four steps back. And now, with the baby… everything felt even worse.

“There’s still time to figure this out,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “But we need to be smart about it. We can’t let them divide us, can’t let them make us paranoid.”

She looked at me, a small frown forming on her lips. “I know. But how do we even begin to find out who’s behind this? It feels like we’re surrounded by enemies, and I don’t even know where to start.”

I paused, thinking over her words. She was right, of course. We were playing a dangerous game, one where every wrong move could cost us everything. But there had to be a way. There was always a way.

“I’ll start by talking to Mike,” I said, more to myself than to her. “He has connections, he knows the ins and outs of the vampire world better than anyone. If anyone can help us figure out who’s behind this, it’s him.”

Sophia raised an eyebrow, her skepticism clear. “You think Mike will know?”

“I think he’ll have a better idea than we do,” I said. “He’s always had his ear to the ground, always been able to sniff out trouble before it even starts.”

She didn’t look entirely convinced, but she nodded anyway. “Okay. Talk to Mike. But Ian… promise me you’ll be careful. Whoever’s behind this, they’re dangerous. I don’t want you getting hurt because of me.”

I cupped her face in my hands, brushing my thumb gently across her cheek. “You’re not the reason for any of this, Sophia. If anything, you’re the reason I’m fighting so hard. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’ll keep you safe. Both of you.”

She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I know you will. But that doesn’t stop me from worrying.”

“I’d be more worried if you didn’t,” I said with a small grin, trying to lighten the mood. It worked, if only a little. She leaned into my touch, closing her eyes for a brief moment of peace.

When she opened them again, she seemed more brave rather than scared. “So, what’s the next step?”

I stood up, pacing the room again as I thought it over. “First, I’ll talk to Mike. After that, we’ll need to gather more information. The council’s been keeping things from me, I can feel it. I’ll have to dig deeper, find out who’s really pulling the strings.”

“And what about the werewolves?” she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Do you really think they’re involved?”

I stopped in my tracks, the thought sending a chill down my spine. If they were involved in this…it wasn’t even a thought. I was sure that they were involved with this but what bothered me more was that they had someone helping them.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But if they are, that changes everything. Werewolves don’t attack without reason. If they’ve allied themselves with someone from the inside…”

Sophia’s eyes widened again, her voice trembling slightly. “We can’t fight werewolves, Ian. Not on top of everything else.”

I moved back to her, pulling her into my arms. “We’ll handle it. Whatever comes our way, we’ll handle it. But right now, we don’t know for sure if they’re involved. It could just be a coincidence.”

She shook her head. “There are no coincidences in this world. You know that.”

I didn’t respond. She was right. Coincidences didn’t exist in the vampire world. Everything was calculated, every move deliberate. If werewolves were involved, it was because someone wanted them to be. But until we knew for sure, there was no point in panicking.

“We’ll figure it out,” I said again, more for her sake than mine. “But for now, we stay cautious. No unnecessary risks.”

Sophia nodded, though I could see the worry still lingering in her eyes. “I trust you, Ian. I just wish we could live a normal life, you know? Without all this… chaos.”

I kissed the top of her head, holding her close. “I know. And I promise you, we’ll get there. One day.”

But deep down, I wasn’t so sure.