Destroy My Life In You-Chapter 115: Red Flags

The sun was only beginning to rise when Alaric and Ravenna returned to the palace. The air still carried the dew of dawn, cool and silent, but within the tall marble walls of the palace, the hum of life had already begun. Servants bustled about with urgent steps and hushed voices, polishing, preparing, placing flowers in crystal vases—responding swiftly to the King’s command. A celebration was underway. The Vampire King’s son had been born.

Alaric walked through the arched hallways in a composed silence, the weight of his newborn son, Riven, in his arms. The baby slept soundly against his chest, tiny and warm, his soft breathing barely audible over the click of Alaric’s shoes on the floor.

Ravenna walked beside him, slower than usual, her expression tired but peaceful. She didn’t speak much on the way to their chamber, just glanced toward the bundle in Alaric’s arms every now and then with a faint, adoring smile.

When they entered their room, it was quiet. Ravenna sank into the nearby sofa with a quiet exhale. Her hand instinctively came to her abdomen before she let it drop. Alaric moved with purpose and reverence, gently placing Riven in the crib positioned beside the right side of their bed. He adjusted the blanket, brushing a thumb against the baby’s tiny cheek, and after making sure Riven was completely at ease, he stepped back.

Ravenna had closed her eyes by the time he came to her side. Alaric sat beside her, brushing back a few strands of her hair before pressing the back of his hand to her forehead.

"You’re not burning up," he murmured, more to himself than to her. "But you look pale. Are you alright?"

Her eyes fluttered open. "I’m fine, Alaric. Just tired," she answered gently, trying to reassure him with a faint smile.

He nodded, though his brow furrowed slightly in concern. She was healing fast—shifters always did, especially ones of her status, but exhaustion clung to her like a shadow. Watching her like this stirred something in him, a protectiveness so fierce it made his heart ache.

Without warning, he stood and leaned down. "Come here," he said softly.

Before she could protest, he scooped her up. She let out a startled breath but didn’t resist. Her arms came around his neck, eyes closing again as her head rested against his shoulder. He carried her to the bed, placed her down gently, and covered her with the soft velvet blanket. Then, after a brief moment, he slid in beside her and pulled her into his arms.

Ravenna let out a sigh. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you rest," he murmured, not opening his eyes. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

She didn’t argue. Her body was heavier than usual, her limbs relaxed from the warmth of the sheets and his arms around her. She turned slightly, resting her head against his chest.

"Alaric," she whispered after a moment.

He didn’t respond right away, but she felt his arm tighten slightly around her. He knew what she wanted to say.

She inhaled slowly. "About Liam. You said we’ll talk about it once I giev birth..."

His breath was deep and even, but his silence grew heavier. After a pause, he simply said, "Rest. We’ll talk later."

Ravenna’s lips parted as if to insist, but she stopped herself. She understood what he wasn’t saying. She could feel the wall he was putting up, the tension in his body. She swallowed her disappointment, her voice falling to a whisper. "Alright."

But she didn’t sleep. Not right away. Her eyes were open, staring into the quiet. She knew bringing up Liam was risky. Alaric wasn’t a man who handled rivals or threats lightly. And Liam had become both. But Ravenna couldn’t ignore the fact that Liam’s descent into this was entirely her fault. He had suffered because of her. The least she could do was free him.

Alaric lay silently beside her, but his thoughts were roaring. The birth of his son should have brought him peace, but instead, he felt the flicker of unease. The fear of loss clung to him, irrational, yet unshakable. He had finally gotten what he had yearned for: Ravenna in his arms, their child in the next crib, safety in a place he had built from blood and sacrifice. But happiness, he had learned, was fragile and temporary.

He didn’t want to lose her. Not again. If that meant locking Ravenna within the walls of Vetheris, never letting her near the chaos that the Lycan King represented, then so be it. He would rather chain fate itself than let it take her away from him.

******

City X

The air was thick with tension in the grand hall of the Lycan King Darius. Liam knelt before the towering figure of Darius, his head bowed low. The throne above him sat the man who had ruined him, twisted him into a weapon, but poor Liam was unaware of nothing.

Darius laughed. It was not a joyful sound—it was sharp and full of madness, like bones breaking underfoot. His golden eyes gleamed with amusement as he looked down on Liam.

"You’ve done well," he said, rising from his seat with a slow, deliberate stretch. "Everything has unfolded exactly as it should."

Liam said nothing at first. He was too used to the King’s theatrics.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he finally replied, voice clipped.

Darius waved a hand dismissively. "Enough with that formality. Go tell the others, it’s time we finish what should have ended four centuries ago."

Liam rose and bowed again before leaving.

Behind him, Darius walked to the wide arched window. The morning sun barely touched the edges of his silhouette, casting him half in light, half in shadow. A sinister smile curled his lips as he placed a hand on the cold stone.

"Four hundred years of hunting, hiding, chasing ghosts," he muttered. "It ends now. This time, I’ll take a double price. That’s the price for wasting my time."

Without hesitation, Darius leapt from the window, his body shifting mid-air as golden flames rippled in his eyes.

The hunt had officially begun.