h4Chapter 154: Young Lilith XXV/h4

    strong*~Young Lilith’s POV~*/strong

    "Marcus, I can’t—I can’t," I gasped, clutching my stomach as the waves of pain tore through me. My belly felt like it was splitting apart, swelling harder with every contraction.

    "Yes, you can," Marcus said firmly, his voice steady even though fear was painted across his face. "You’re strong enough, Lilith. Push, love. Push."

    I cried out and bore down, every vein in my body screaming. My strength wavered, but I tried. I pushed until the world blurred, but nothing came.

    Marcus crawled closer, his hands framing my face, his eyes locked with mine. "Listen to me," he whispered, his breath trembling. "You can do this. You will do this. Try to push our baby out without losing yourself. I need both of you. Without you, without her, my life is iplete. So please, baby... use everything inside you. Push."

    I nodded weakly, biting back sobs. My nails dug into the grass as he shifted lower, bracing my legs in his hands.

    "I can see the head!" His voice cracked with relief. "Lilith—push! Just one more!"

    I screamed, pouring every shred of power into that final push. My eyes squeezed shut, tears blinding me as fire tore through my body. And then—

    A cry.

    A high, sharp, beautiful sound that cut through the night like music.

    My baby.

    I nearly passed out, the edges of my vision going ck. My body wanted to give in, to sink into the dark, but I forced myself to keep my eyes open. If I close them now... I might never open them again.

    Marcus bent over me, his arms trembling as he held the tiny bundle. He stripped off his shirt, wrapping the baby carefully before lifting her in his strong arms.

    When he looked back at me, his eyes were wet with tears.

    "It’s a girl," he whispered hoarsely. "Lilith—it’s a girl. A beautiful girl." His lips trembled into a shaky smile. "She looks exactly like you."

    My heart swelled painfully as he ced her in my arms.

    And it was true.

    She had my soft brown hair, my same warm brown eyes—another version of myself, a piece of me reborn into this cruel world. A piece of me that deserved more.

    The universe had given me a second chance through her. She would live without pain. She would grow without trauma. She would know peace.

    Tears streamed down my cheeks as I whispered, "My sweet girl..." I pressed my lips to her forehead, my whole body shaking. "You will live a beautiful life. I promise you."

    I looked up at Marcus. His chest rose and fell, bare and strong, his face glowing with pride. He was her father—the Beta’s blood ran in her veins. She would grow up with his strength, his protection, his name. She would be rich, beautiful, and unstoppable.

    But not with me.

    Not by my side.

    Everywhere I went, destruction followed. Wendy had died because of me. Alice nearly fell because of me. Now Marcus... if I stayed, if I carried him with me, my bad luck would drag him into the same abyss.

    No. I couldn’t curse him that way.

    He needed to live his life with Selene. He needed to forget me. But he needed to know he had a daughter. Our daughter.

    I couldn’t take her with me either. My curse would only taint her.

    So I held her tighter, swallowing my tears, already knowing what I had to do—even if it tore me apart.

    I ced my baby back into Marcus’s arms, my hands trembling.

    "Marcus... I have to leave."

    His brows furrowed. "What are you saying? We have to leave," he corrected firmly, his voice sharp with urgency.

    But I only cupped his cheeks, pulling his face closer. I pressed a kiss to his lips, then to his soft blue eyes. Both of them. My heart broke with every touch.

    "I’m sorry," I whispered. "I’ll have to make you lose your memory. I can’t take you with me. I can’t drag you into my dark, cursed journey. I’m not sure you’ll ever be safe by my side."

    "Bullshit!" His voice cracked as he shook his head violently. "What are you saying? What do you mean?" His grip on me tightened. "Lilith, we are going to live together. We’ll build our family. I’ll leave this pack, leave my title behind—everything! For us. For you."

    His eyes zed with determination. "We’ve been separated long enough. The whole world has tried to tear us apart, but I won’t give in. You belong to me, and I belong to you. So stand up, and let’s leave. Now."

    Tears blurred my vision. I shook my head.

    "No, Marcus. I have to leave. I can’t take you with me."

    "Why? Just tell me why!"

    "Because you will die!" My voice tore from my throat. "Everyone who’s ever been close to me—dies. My mother, my father, Wendy... they’re gone. Alice is dying. And now you, and this baby—" My voice broke as I looked down at the little bundle between us. "I can’t risk it. I won’t curse you both."

    His grip only tightened. "And you think I’ll allow that? You think I’ll just let you walk away?"

    My lips trembled as I raised my hand to his face. "I’m sorry."

    His eyes widened in panic. "No. You will not—"

    I pressed my fingers gently over his eyelids. He tried to fight it, tried to resist, but the spell slipped through.

    "Very sad," I whispered, my voice shattering.

    His body stiffened, and then he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

    A scream ripped from my chest—raw, agonizing, filled with every ounce of pain and torment I had carried. The trees echoed with my grief.

    When my voice finally broke into silence, I leaned down and kissed my daughter’s forehead, my tears soaking her tiny skin.

    "I couldn’t even name you," I whispered brokenly. "I don’t know if I’m a good mother. I promised you peace, joy, a beautiful life... and I will still try. Somehow, I will try."

    I pressed my palm gently to her small stomach. "Versa," I whispered.

    The surge of power sparked between us, sealing her gift. I could feel it clearly—my baby was a Crescent like me, destined for the same torment, the same fate. But not now. Not yet. I sealed it, burying her power deep, where no one could reach it.

    And then, with trembling hands, I ced her gently beside Marcus’s unconscious body.

    I stood back, gazing at them—the man I loved, and the child who carried my soul. My heart ached so violently I thought it might stop beating.

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