Baby after One Night with the Prince

Tanya's POV.

The morning starts off in absolute chaos.

Marco receives a call from the phone by our bedside, and the frantic voice over the line makes it difficult for me to make out the words. But I know it's serious as Marco's face immediately hardens. Knowing not to ask any questions just yet, I rush off to get ready, and he drives us to the palace. In car he explains that Cathy appears to be missing!

I leave Claire in the care of Vivian as I go off to help in the search. The soldiers check the surrounding woods, while police officers roam the streets in their patrol cars. Neighbouring kingdoms are alerted to her disappearance and asked to keep a look out for her. I go with a couple of the maids that knew Cathy well, checking all the places she may have ended up, hopefully on her own accord. But we all can't help but think the worst of this situation.

Eventually, I, Marco and couple of other well-known and well-trusted royals gather in the council room with the King. There is bickering for hours as they try and decide what's the best course of action, but in the end Marco overrules them. I knew he had already decided when he first found out Cathy was missing, but now that she has not turned up anywhere, he is resolute in his decision. He is going to attack Dorian's rogue pack.

Eventually, all the royals disperse to ready their men, and the king too ventures off, leaving just the two of us. "Are you absolutely sure Eric would have been the one to take Cathy?" I ask softly, very unnerved by what is about to happen. He furrows his brows. "I thought I knew my brother. Even if he's desperate for the throne and my downfall, Cathy is still his sister; he was always good to her. They share the same father and mother. Would he really be so heartless as to kidnap Cathy?"

I blink. "So, are you saying Dorian kidnapped Cathy?"

Marco shrugs. "I really hope that's the case. But either way, this all still doesn't make any sense. Dorian and Cathy have never met, they've never even crossed paths. So why take her?" he shakes his head, frowning immensely. "But it doesn't matter what either of them wants with Cathy, I still believe they have her, and I'm going to get her back."

I step towards him, taking his hand. He can sense my nervousness, but runs his hands over mine, trying to soothe me. "Even if Cathy is sometimes arrogant, she's a good person. She's kind and honest, she doesn't have a very wide social range, and the people of the Kingdom do adore her. It's just way too coincidental for her to disappear exactly at the time we are at war with Dorian and my brother. There must be a connection."

***

Eric's POV.

Dorian hands me the final version of the black magic enhancing perfume, and I take it from him eagerly. But not before I eye its contents, noticing a strange spell mark at the bottom of the perfume bottle. "What does this mean?" I know part of me should have been more concerned than I am about using black magic. Magic can be unstable, sometimes unpredictable as told in the books I've read here and there when I first did my research. But I couldn't let myself focus on those things. This is my one chance to defeat Marco, and I am going to risk everything if that's the only way to take back my throne.

Still, I can't help but ask. In response, Dorian gives me a mysterious smile, saying. "Oh, it's just a little something that will help make the perfume's effect even more powerful!" he draws me in with the ambitious glint in his eyes. "With the black magic, the perfume and your Lycan powers, trust me, Eric. You'll be unstoppable."

I mirror his gaze with growing excitement. I want to know more, but I'm suddenly interrupted as we begin to hear yelling from outside. The phrase 'palace soldiers' can be heard from among the commotion and I realize it's Marco! Hurrying outside, I shove the perfume in my pocket. I had planned to attack the capital soon, but instead Marco chose to come right to our door. How convenient. It's finally time I end his reign.

***

Marco's POV.

We sound like thunder, like ominous booming thunder rolling into the forestry as we gallop towards Dorian's pack. Lighting slashes its way across the sky above us, lighting up the darkness to reveal the mass of wolves I have gathered. A howl erupts in the distance as the call to arms as we race towards our opponents.

I knew the best chance we would have would be by taking the pack by surprise. I can see them now through the trees as they rush and scramble to create defences, grab weapons or shift forms. But my army is already upon them.

I stand at the centre as my wolves rush past me in the thousands. Fur brushing past my skin, as dirt kicks up around me as they charge. The moon huddles behind the clouds as blood starts to drench and soak the forest floor, and rain begins to pommel down as if trying to block out the screams and wash away the awful stench of death.

I stand at the edge, watching, searching. At the corner of my eye, I catch one of the rogues sizing me up, thinking he could take me. He bolts at me and lunges, teeth bared. Barely looking in his direction I step back, arm jolting forward, swiftly grabbing the scruff of his neck as he's still in motion, before slamming him onto the ground. My hand grips the bottom of his jaw and... snap.

I don't care to register much else, nudging the limp body out of the way as I march forward, my black coat breezing behind me. I don't have time to entertain squabbles with lowly rogues, I am here to fight a more worthy opponent. All my life I knew Eric secretly despised my existence. I was the brother that would forever threaten Eric's right to the throne. And so Eric did everything to prove his worth in all other aspects other than power. He became a brilliant diplomate, a perfect royal, poised and calm in comparison to my ruthlessness and less than social nature.

But in the end. Political wit doesn't win wars.

I see him, amid the chaos, my gaze zones in and I march over the fallen bodies and through the colliding mass of canines. He clocks me now too, and I can tell he sees the fury in my eyes. No more silly games.

Before he can even get within range, I launch a frontal kick to his stomach. No more talking. As he stumbles, I throw a roundhouse kick to his side to change the direction of his falling body. In a swift blur, I close the gap, hooking an elbow around his neck and kneeing him repeatedly in the gut, before slamming an elbow into his jaw. No more playing around.

I release Eric's bruised body from my hold, and he stumbles backwards, wheezing, littering the ground with his coughed-up blood. All those times I've fought Eric, I held back, I withdrew my strength because after all he is my brother. But now... after he's taken Cathy, I'm holding nothing back. And Eric is starting to realize the difference.

Not done with my attack I march forward again, and Eric attempts to swing at me as he disorderly steps backwards. But I side-step each swing, calmly moving left and right to avoid his weak blows before I suddenly snap hold of his arm as it jabs at me again. I jerk his arm forward and twist it in a hold, pulling him up close so I can repeatedly strike him in the face. One punch after another I go at his jaw and nose till trail tracks of blood appear beneath his nostrils.

I forcibly shove Eric backwards, sending him tumbling to the ground. "This isn't a fight you can win brother," I say brutally as I tower above him. I don't know what I'm truly hoping for, do I really think Eric is going to surrender? Probably not. But I would continue to beat the shit out of him till he did.

As I expect, Eric only glares back at me, before a malicious smile creeps onto his bloody lips. Before I reach his position, my brother takes out a perfume bottle from his pocket and begins to profusely spray himself with it and then he begins shifting. Dark misty swirls of magic shadow his body as it transforms, there is nothing natural about his transformation, nothing normal. This is far beyond what the Moon Goddess sought for when she created us. This is heresy.

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But I don't have much time to consider the sacrilege of my brother's actions. I transform into my Lycan appearance, matching his height as the rain continues to drown us in its sorrows over lost family values. Thunder erupts in the night sky as we both roar and collide. Eric slashes at my chest in a swiftness that I'm not ready for, before biting down on my shoulder.

I roar again as my claws dig into his back, and I chomp at his arm. We move as a blur, tumbling and rolling across the soil, trampling the plants and grass as we taint them with blood. With the perfume Eric becomes faster, swifter, his slashing quicker than I can deflect, and his bite much stronger as it rips at my skin. Not that I leave him unwounded, I do just as much damage, ripping into his shoulder, and tearing open a seam on his right thigh. Course Eric returns the favour, as my left arm throbs terribly.

Somehow, we eventually untangle ourselves and I skid to a halt and he rolls to the other side. Not giving my brother time, I gallop at him, ready to launch, but he blurs out of my sight. Instead, a mass of black mist meets me with such force I'm thrown off my paws and tumble to the ground as pain relishes its way through my body.

I don't see Eric. Again, I get up, but once again a force of shadow magic shoots into my chest and sends me knocking hard into a tree. My body aches as I force myself to stand but I don't even get a chance, as a bolt of blackness surges at me and thrusts me into the ground, igniting more pain.

I growl, pulling myself up and behind one of the boulders to shield myself. I shift back into my human form and call out to my brother. "Stop this bullshit and face me like a man Eric! Face me like a Lycan! Not a cowardly witch!" What I say must've hit a nerve, cause I hear the squelching of boots against the wet ground, and I peer over the boulder to see Eric beholding a terrible smile. He speaks as I limp out of the cover, able to see he too is littered with wounds. "Marco... why are you so eager to die?" he chuckles. "I mean, it makes my life easier, but I do wonder why attack now? If you were smarter, you would have used the palace walls as a defence. I never knew you too be so foolish." I snap. "How can you stand there and talk about war tactics when you kidnapped Cathy! How dare you bring our sister into this! Why did you take her? I thought you at least cared about her. And I never knew you to be so heartless towards your own flesh and blood."

Despite my anger, to my surprise, Eric suddenly drops the malicious act. He appears stunned, and instantly confused. "What are you talking about?" he snaps. "What do you mean I kidnapped Cathy?" his breathing escalates. "Tell me exactly what happened. Now!" he hastily commands.