Chapter 55 Zion’s Decision
Interspecies mating was rare, and pregnancies were even more so—almost always fatal to the mother. Yet Claire was still alive, and her belly was already quite large. That ruled out most unnatural scenarios.
In the end, the only conclusion Zion could draw was that she must’ve found her fated mate under unknown circumstances. And as for his current whereabouts... Zion didn’t need to ask. The silence around her said it all. Her mate was probably already dead.
But since Claire bore no mating mark and hadn’t gone through the formal marking process, the pup in her belly could only be considered a bastard by tradition—a stain on the royal bloodline. Still, no one would dare say it aloud.
The child carried royal blood, and that alone was enough to silence any critic. More importantly, the fact that Claire had been taken by vampires hinted at something deeper. This wasn’t just a random abduction—there was a plan behind it, and she was meant to play a critical role.
If word got out that he had found and rescued the princess, the vampires might retaliate. Who knew if they would send another ranked vampire after them? Zion couldn’t take that risk. He had no choice now—he needed to come up with a plan, and fast.
In the end, the only plan that made sense was to protect Claire by pretending she was his fated mate and claiming the child as his own. That way, he would have a valid reason to bring her back to his territory and shield her until the Royal Convoy arrived to retrieve her.
Fortunately, most of the warriors and Alphas were still out on the battlefield, leaving the camp nearly empty. That gave him the chance to hide Claire and keep her covered and out of sight.
Once he made his decision, Zion ordered Greg and the remaining warriors to guard his tent while Claire rested inside. She slept peacefully, unaware of the chaos still unfolding outside. With that settled, Zion returned to the frontlines.
His presence on the battlefield shifted the tide of the war. Fighting side by side with Alpha Damon, they managed to take down the vampire lord. Shura’s raw power and skill in combat were on full display, leaving everyone in awe.