Baby after One Night with the Prince

Marco's POV.

'Marco? Marco, are you there?'

I'm sitting with my war council when Eric's voice suddenly infiltrates my mind. My brows wrinkle, and my forehead creases as I can't decide how to respond.

"I need time alone," I say to my soldiers, and they all leave the tent we've been using to conduct tactics for the fight against the pack rogues. Eric is still calling out to me when I sit down. 'You right. You were right. I should have listened.'

This doesn't sound like Eric, not at all. We considered each other rivals since children, we never played together, never trained together. We chose to be as far away from each other as possible. I saw Eric as the son of the Queen who replaced my mother, and Eric saw me as the person who threatened his right to the throne. I don't even remember the last time we've spoken over the mind link. Or, we might have never spoken over the mind link.

'What's happened Eric?' despite how much his actions have angered me, how we're in the shit because of him. Something is terribly wrong for Eric to be this desperate and contact me. I'd give him a chance and hear him out. 'Dorian has taken Cathy, and he's using sacrificial black magic on her!' my breath hitches as I fathom what pain my sister must be in, and I have to forcibly grip the table to stop myself from breaking or throwing something. 'Where is she?'

'But there's something you need to know first-'

'What could be more important than finding Cathy!'

'Listen to me! Dorian is Joseph's son!'

'Impossible...'

'Marco I'm serious. Father had an affair with a witch, Dorian is our stepbrother. He's angry that father left him and now he's coming after all of us.'

'So, he wants the throne?'

'No Marco, Dorian wants to destroy the throne. He wants to kill us all.'

'Listen, Dorian's magic is strong. And the perfume he's using, the one I used, it makes him stronger. But the bottle has a flaw. The user will fall into a state of extreme weakness for 30 seconds after using the perfume for 30 minutes. Use that against him. Find a way to use that against him!'

***

Tanya's POV.

Over the phone, Marco tells me everything that's happened, including how Eric had surprisingly contacted him through the mind link asking for his help. Marco explains to me the defect of the perfume that Dorian has been using. And with the information from him, and then recalling what Barlow told me about Dorian, I suddenly have an idea.

I know that my hallucinogenic perfume can be of use. But it needs to be improved, since when I used it on Dorian the last time, he was able to combat the effects. And I begin to wonder, it must be his black magic that acts as his body's defence mechanism against the perfume's attack.

But what's different from five years ago, is that I now have a notebook that can combat black magic. I immediately grab hold of Margret's notebook and begin reading through it again. I go over the common ingredients that are relevant to the perfumes used to resist black magic. I also try to recall Dorian's type, in which Mr. Barlow pointed out.

I rush to my perfume station and start working on it. It needs to be ready for Marco for when he'd finally face Dorian, and I hurry to finish it. I add the necessary ingredients and stir the mixture so it combines fully, finally the smell wafts towards me, and I know it's ready.

The new hallucinogenic perfume can not only make the illusion become more realistic, but also has a certain resistance to counteract the black magic. I believe it can resist black magic for at least 30 seconds, which is enough.

***

Marco's POV.

Through the mind link, Eric directs us to the cave where he and Cathy are imprisoned. And through the cover of night, my soldiers follow me through the misty forest. Nature too is on edge; Dorian's curse is an abomination. And as I near the supposed cave, the plants surrounding the area have whittled down and died from the foul magic.

"Tanya, shift forms," she insisted that I wouldn't be alone in pursuing Dorian. And whilst I didn't want my wife in the midst of all this, I knew her wolf is capable of holding her own in a fight. Beside me, I hear her body mutating with ease, before a large dark and grey wolf stands beside me.

As we approach the cave, my lover emits a dangerous growl at what we come across. Within the clearing, blocking the entrance of the cave stands a vast number of rogues. Dorian steps out from the crowd and the growls from my men grow louder.

"Ready to meet your end, Marco?" says Dorian with a sly grin.

But I don't answer to Dorian, I speak to my men instead. "We fight to kill. But no one touches Dorian. Dorian is mine," my Alpha dominance emits through my tone.

"Oh, how sweet of you Marco. I feel so special," says Dorian mockingly as he sprays himself with the special perfume that I am all too aware of. "Same goes for the Lycan. No one touches him. I've been looking forward to this battle for years." Tanya has told me of how when she was forced to leave me five years ago, that Dorian tried to kill her. But what my mate remembers the most was the spine-chilling image of Dorian's wolf. And as he shifts, I can see why. His height nearly matches my own Lycan form. He's lankier in stature, and his white fur gives him a ghostly appearance. Sinister grey eyes stare into mine, waiting for me to shift.

So, I do.

My wolf takes over and my body reshapes its molecular structure to that of my Lycan appearance. My claws glint beneath the moonlight as I below out a rageful roar, signalling the start of battle.

My wolves launch themselves past me, and my eyes catch the silverish grey and midnight colours of my wife's wolf as she bolts at the attackers. My gaze snaps back to Dorian. Bring it. Like a phantom, Dorian crosses the distance between us in purposeful gallop, and the two of us collide, lost in the sea of fighting soldiers and rogues.

I knew what I had to do. I have to take my time, maintain my strength and wait out the thirty minutes. So, my moves are calculated, sharp but defensive. Tactics I had learned as a child. Defensive moves and counterattacks meant for a tougher opponent, giving them the false sense of security, before later increasing their frustration as I continue to avoid their advances.

'Dance boy! Dance! Fighting is like a dance' my fighting instructor's words replay in my mind like a lost memory. I never understood what he meant at the time. I was only ten. But now, they make complete and utter sense. Despite my Lycan's stocky frame, my movements become slick and swift, switching between all fours and two feet, as I duck and swerve out of the way of Dorian's attacks. Occasionally, I'd run a claw across his back or thigh before flitting away again to avoid a bolt of his magic.

I dance around him with twirling kicks and barrelling into him before leaping off into a different direction, constantly throwing him off balance, but never going for a finishing move. And so I can start to sense Dorian's growing frustration. I break into a gallop, circling round him, weaving between the trees to avoid his aggressive shots of magic that leave his wolf jaws like fire bolts from a dragon. And they smash and destroy the forestry from his growing rage.

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I skid to a halt when he finally stops and shifts back into his human form. But his fists remain encompassed in furious flames of black mist as he speaks. "What is this, a game of cat and mouse?" he scoffs. "I'm disappointed. This is not the cowardice I expected from you Marco. Surely the kingdom of Mador has no future under the leadership of a man like you."

But of course, ignore Dorian's provocation, my eyes for a moment slip to our surroundings. My trained soldiers are overwhelming the rogues that have had no military training. And I see Tanya nearby, watching as her Alpha form is no match for the rogues as she rips them into pieces. Eventually her canine skull and muzzle covered in blood snaps to me.

I hear the blast before I see it. Dorian's magic sends me backwards and down into the dirt. The pain burns my skin and I roar as my body is forced to shift back. My blurry vision can make out Dorian stalking towards me, but thundering paws can be heard from the distance, and Tanya's wolf suddenly blocks my view.

She stands defensively over my body, growling and snarling in warning, giving me the chance to push my body to a stand. I lean on her for support, as I ready myself for whatever Dorian has planned next. Except, his smile falters. He grunts and winces as he stumbles.

Thirty minutes were up! I've done it!

'Tanya, he's been weakened! This is our chance!'

Knowing what is needed to be done, she leaves my side and launches herself at him with jaws wide. But before reaching his position, another wolf comes from the right, leaping into her and barrelling her down and off target. The two of them erupt into a vicious battle, as my gaze shoots between her and Dorian.

He laughs as his soldiers begin to defensively surround him. "You don't think I'd already know about the flaw? I'd be silly if I didn't prepare for this," his soldiers circle him, and create a blockade between me and Dorian.

I know Tanya would win her fight, but there wouldn't be enough time if I wait that long. This has to be done now. I run towards Dorian, fighting off the soldiers that go to attack me one by one, considering each step as progress as I inch my way closer and closer. I can tell Dorian appears confused by my reckless actions.

But I'm not being reckless. I have a plan.

I fight off two more rogues before I am just close enough that I knew it would work. At the last second, I take out Tanya's perfume and spray an abundance of it in the direction of Dorian. The confusion on all their faces would have been comical if the situation isn't so dire.

Eventually with the aid of the wind, the perfume molecules drift towards the hybrid, and just as he realizes what's happening, his eyes grow wide and he falls backwards into the illusion.