But no one answers, which unsettles her even more. Summoning her remaining strength, she stands up and takes a step back. However, without realizing it, she injures her ankle on a rock, causing a sharp, unbearable pain that throws her off balance. In that moment, her own pain doesn’t matter—only her child does.

She squeezes her eyes shut, bracing for the impact. She doesn’t care if she gets hurt, as long as her son remains unharmed. What she doesn’t expect is for strong arms to catch her before she falls. The instant they touch, a fire ignites within something she has never felt before. Her inner wolf stirs awake in the arms of this unknown man.

When Mia looks up at him, intense heat spreads through her body, something her mate had never made her feel. But the baby’s cries snap her out of her trance.

Liam’s senses are sharp. Even from a distance, he can hear the heavy footsteps of people searching for someone.

"Are they looking for you?" His deep, commanding Alpha voice sends a shiver down Mia’s spine.

"Don’t let them find me! Help me!" she pleads in a whisper, barely able to breathe.

Without hesitation, Liam lifts her into his arms while she holds her child tightly. He starts running at full speed.

Mia doesn’t know who is after her. It could be her father or her former mate, Alpha Domenik—she isn’t sure.

Liam, however, feels a powerful instinct to protect her. Meanwhile, for the first time in her life, Mia feels safe, sheltered—even more surprising, in the arms of a stranger. His scent clouds her mind, making her feel lightheaded in her weakened state.

Liam keeps moving, heading toward a border zone the rival kingdom cannot cross without triggering a bloody war.

Looking back, he notices the pack of well-armed wolves, ready to kill him to take Princess Mia. But Liam reveals his raw strength, unleashing an Alpha’s roar so powerful that it sends shivers through every fiber of Mia’s body. Even the small creatures of the land and birds in the trees sense the danger and flee in alarm.

He growls again, a signal to his pack. The moment they hear their king, they rush to his aid, and all hell breaks loose. Liam’s warriors are highly trained, engaging in a fierce battle, while the Alpha King is forced to leave Mia hidden behind a massive tree.

"Don’t leave me!" Mia pleads weakly.

"Hold on to your pup! I promise I won’t take long," Alpha Liam assures her before charging into battle.

For him, eliminating an enemy means cutting off their heads, something that sets him apart from other wolves. He takes a certain satisfaction in ensuring they will never rise again.

One by one, heads go flying, but then his sharp senses detect a scent—one he utterly despises. Using his heightened vision, capable of tracking movement from a great distance, he spots his next target.

An unfamiliar Alpha male is approaching—Alpha Domenik. But Mia and the child need urgent medical attention, and Liam knows he has no time to waste in an unnecessary fight.

"Let’s go!" he commands his pack before crossing the border to reach Mia, who is now unconscious and burning with fever.

As night falls, Alpha Liam watches over Mia’s restless sleep. His gaze remains locked on her, knowing that after so many years, he has finally found his fate mate.

Beta approaches silently. "Alpha, what do you wish for me to do?"

"Patrol far from my presence. I want to be alone with her," Liam commands. Beta understands his king’s words, bows respectfully, and leaves without question.

The scent of Mia’s blood fills Liam’s nostrils, making his mouth water. His desire to claim her grows stronger with every passing second.

Mia furrows her brow. "I’m thirsty," she whispers weakly.

Liam quickly brings water to her lips, and she drinks delicately. But the moment her pup starts crying, Mia’s eyes snap open, only to be met with the most captivating gaze she has ever seen.

Her wolf stirs once again, but Mia instinctively recoils from the Alpha’s scent, holding her child closer to her chest.

"Don’t be afraid."

"Who are you?" she asks, her voice trembling. A terrifying thought crosses her mind—what if he is one of Domenik’s men, sent to drag her back to her ex-husband?

"If I had wanted to hurt you, don’t you think I would have done it while you slept? I’m only looking after you."

"That’s enough. You can leave now," she demands.

But Liam steps closer, his movements slow and deliberate. Mia’s wolf tries to take control, recognizing him as them fated mate.

"I saved your life. You could be a little more grateful," Liam says, extending his hand toward her.

Mia senses his intentions—to claim and quickly shuts him down. "I appreciate it, but now, please step back." She clings protectively to her child.

Liam inhales deeply, catching the scent of blood. He glances at the newborn and realizes that Mia gave birth just a day ago.

"Lie down," he orders. Despite his wolf’s hunger to make her his, he forces himself to think of her first. She is his mother.

"No! I’m not lying down with you!" Mia refuses, but Liam moves so close that she instinctively leans back onto the grass.

He grips her thighs, parting them, and her face turns crimson.

"W-What are you doing?" she stammers.

Liam doesn’t answer. Instead, his hands slip beneath her dress, gliding over her hips as he grabs the waistband of her undergarments and slowly pulls them down, sending a shiver through her entire body.