The Alphas' Pride Mate (The Pride Who Goes Into Heat) (COMPLETED)

MARK OF THE SPIRIT WOLF.

Chapter: 92
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The Lycgers swiftly assisted their mate to his feet and guided him towards a plush sofa, ensuring he sat comfortably as Tricc tended to the wound inflicted by the boy.

"Shall I contact Creiff?" Seth inquired, receiving a confirming nod from Kurt.

"We must ascertain the well-being of the child," Tricc added.

"How did you get this?!" Phoenix's voice pierced the room, drawing all present gazes towards the boy, now resting limply in Caleb's grasp, while Phoenix scrutinized the mark on his arm. "Talon, can you hear me?" he questioned, but the boy seemed detached from his surroundings.

The Lycgers approached to witness the scene, their gasps echoing as they beheld the glowing crimson mark encircling Talon's left forearm, extending to his elbow—the root of it all was a perfectly imprinted mark.

"The mark of the Spirit wolf," Tricc whispered, prompting puzzled glances from his brothers, who momentarily forgot his extraordinary abilities. "But how?" Tricc queried Phoenix, who appeared equally bewildered.

"My exact sentiment," Phoenix responded. "Only the chosen of the Spirit wolf should bear such a mark; moreover, a non-were should never carry the Spirit's mark, or so I believed until now."

"Perhaps he's a Were," Seth proposed.

"Impossible!" Caleb retorted.

Agreeing, Phoenix affirmed, "The child is a vampire."

Wide-eyed, the Lycgers demanded, "You knew?" Upon confirmation nods from Caleb and Phoenix, they hissed, "Our Mate, and the baby—will they be alright?" Their concerns were met with reassuring nods.

"Then why did he attack me in such a way?" Dirk interjected, pondering aloud. "I know he's having a difficult time here, and I think I am starting to feel like I took him away from those he considered family... I shouldn't have separated him from them. I should have returned him to the vampires," he mumbled more to himself than to them.

"Oh, sweet child," Phoenix started, coming to sit beside Dirk. "Don't you see what is happening here?" He asked, his hand reaching to massage Dirk's stomach calmly. "The boy belongs here... he has to be here, more now than ever. Besides, it wasn't you who brought him here, the one who was supposed to kill him did. You merely kept him to protect him and keep him under your watch, which is exactly what he needs because the child you carry is responsible for the mark that tortures him so." This revelation left them all breathless in astonishment.

"W-What do you mean?" Dirk asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Even before you became pregnant with this child, his spirit had connected with Talon... though I cannot fully discern when or how this occurred, or the reasons behind it. Nonetheless, I am certain that your unborn child is the one responsible for leaving that mark on Talon, and because he is not a Were, he will endure great suffering because of it."

"Can we remove the mark?" Dirk inquired.

"Only through death could that be accomplished; unless you are willing to take the boy's life into your own hands, no, the mark cannot be removed," Caleb informed him.

"Why is no one addressing the most crucial question here?!" Seth interjected, a tinge of frustration in his voice. Meeting his brothers' gazes, they seemed to concur with him.

"What question?" Conri inquired, standing by the doorway with his Soulmate.

"Is our unborn child the Spirit Wolf?" The Lycgers queried, and a heavy silence descended upon them, interrupted only by Talon's renewed whimpers. His anguish was palpable, his torment evident in his trembling form and plaintive cries echoing in the expansive living room.