Claimed by the vampire prince

Chapter 436: Chapter 436

For a moment, Ragnar simply stood there, watching her. Then, almost without realizing it, he began to move. And the closer he drew, the clearer the truth became. He had come dangerously close once again to losing everything. His wife and his unborn child.

His child.

Ragnar could hardly believe it. He was going to be a father. Circe was carrying his child. The realization filled him with a kind of joy he had never known before, something immeasurable, something that swelled within his chest until it felt as though it might burst.

Slowly, he lowered himself onto the edge of the bed. He leaned toward her and gently trailed his fingers along her arm. The touch was meant to be tender and loving. The urge to gather her into his arms burned fiercely within him, to hold her close and never let go, but he forced it down. A part of him felt unworthy of even that small comfort.

He hated that such a profoundly joyous moment had been tainted by anger and fear. He hated the sight of her like this—so weak, so pale, so painfully fragile. It dragged forth memories he would rather bury, of every moment he had failed to protect her as he should have, of every instance where her safety had been compromised. And most of all, he hated himself.

If he had never brought Mirelle into the manor, none of this would have happened.

He should have known. He was a soldier, a war strategist, trained to anticipate threats, to see danger long before it struck. Yet here he was, blindsided in his own home. The failure cut deeper than any blade ever could.

He had only wanted to make Circe’s life easier. She was his wife. She deserved comfort, care—every luxury he could offer. Mirelle had been from Westeria, and he knew how often Circe missed her homeland. He had thought, foolishly, that bringing a piece of Westeria to her would ease that ache, would give her some semblance of home.

Instead, he had invited chaos into their lives. Chaos that had nearly cost his child its life.

Beneath the joy, guilt festered. Just as with Luria’s death, he knew he would never truly forgive himself for this.

He did not know how long he remained there beside her, simply watching as she slept. Time seemed to blur, stretching and blurring together. Outside, the light of the sun slowly faded, retreating until shadows crept into every corner of the room. Eventually, darkness claimed the space entirely.

Reluctantly, Ragnar rose from his place and moved to light the candles. One by one, they flickered to life, casting a warm, golden glow that danced along the walls. As soon as he was done, he returned to her side without hesitation.

An irrational fear had taken root within him, that if he so much as looked away for too long, something terrible would happen. And in that moment, it did not feel irrational at all.

If Circe were to wake and find him like this, hovering over her so intently, she would no doubt tease him for his overbearing nature. The thought almost drew the ghost of a smile to his lips, but it faded just as quickly. He could not help it. Every instinct within him screamed to protect her, to guard her against anything and everything, and so he remained exactly where he was.

His focus was finally broken by a knock at the door. He blinked, momentarily disoriented, and glanced toward the curtained windows. Pale rays of morning sunlight slipped through the narrow gaps, and only then did he realize that the night had passed without him noticing. At some point, he had allowed himself to lie beside her, though he had not truly slept. Even now, she had barely stirred.

With a quiet sigh, he rose and made his way to the door, unlocking it before pulling it open.

Nieah stood on the other side but Ragnar’s attention was immediately drawn to the woman beside her.

He did not recognize her. That alone was enough to put him on edge. The fact that she stood so close to his unconscious wife only deepened his unease. His gaze hardened, suspicion glinting in his eyes as he studied her carefully. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

The entire situation with Mirelle had forced him to become even more cautious. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Nieah dipped into a respectful bow, but Ragnar noticed at once that the other woman did not follow suit. She stood frozen, her wide eyes fixed on him with something that resembled awe or perhaps shock. Her long raven hair fell over her shoulders in dark waves, and her emerald green eyes gleamed like fresh leaves in spring.

"Your Highness, this is Morana Silhara," Nieah said, breaking the silence. "The physician recommended her as a midwife for the princess."

The sound of her name seemed to pull the woman back to herself. She quickly lowered her gaze and offered a polite bow.

"It is a great privilege to serve Her Highness in any way I can," she said, her voice steady despite the brief lapse. "I will care for her and ensure that her pregnancy progresses as smoothly as possible."

But Ragnar was not convinced. Something about her felt... wrong. Not overtly so, but it lingered all the same, an unease that settled deep within his instincts.

He stepped forward, crossing the threshold, his narrowed gaze fixed intently on her as though he was trying to see straight through her, down to the very core of her being.

"Your Highness?" Nieah asked, confusion creeping into her voice at his behavior, but Ragnar paid her no mind.

Morana appeared human. But as he drew closer, the illusion unraveled. It was subtle, so subtle that most would never have noticed. A carefully woven glamour, crafted to deceive the eye. Yet it held no power over him. He saw through it as easily as one might see through glass.

"Demon," Ragnar snarled, the word sharp and laced with warning as his lips curled back over his teeth. Demons could sometimes see through another demon’s glamour and it didn’t matter that he wasn’t quite an average demon.

Morana did not flinch.

"Only half," she replied automatically, lifting her chin as she met his gaze head-on. There was no fear in her expression. "Just like you."

A brief silence stretched between them before she continued, her voice calm.

"I am highly experienced, and I was recommended for my skill," she said. "Her Highness will be in safe hands."