But her mother’s voice rose, sharp and unyielding. "Sienna, you have endured a lot at the hands of his mother. You have suffocated in his family. The biggest advantage he had was his ability to protect you. But look at what happened. He brought danger to you, to the children. Divorce him before I am forced to bury my own daughter or she is harmed to a point of ruination."

Elias’s claws dug into his palms, his fury barely restrained. His gaze met Sienna’s a thousand emotions swirling--rage, pain, defiance.

The room held its breath, waiting for his or her reply.

Sienna’s lips trembled, her eyes glistening. She whispered, "No...."

The single word silenced the crying of the cubs. Mrs. Miller froze, her sobs choking. Elias’s aura eased, though his eyes remained cold. Grandpa Corven’s gaze sharpened, as if measuring her resolve.

Sienna’s voice grew steadier, though her body was weak. "I will not divorce. Not now. If danger comes, I will face it with him. If ruin comes, I will endure with him. He is my husband. He is my children’s father.

He was paying the entrance fee when I rushed ahead with the children. He couldn’t have protected me when I was so far out of reach. Besides, those claws were heading for Eli. For my son. I protected him willingly as his mother, the same way you are protecting me. Mother, that is enough."

Her words fell like stones into a still pond, rippling through every heart. Elias’s eyes softened and he strode forward, shoving relatives aside to reach her. His hand reached to clasp hers. She doesn’t blame me, he thought, releasing a pent up breath.

Lady Cadelaria’s lips tightened. She wondered if she had squandered the perfect opportunity to end a sham marriage, but she said nothing.

Grandpa Corven;s expression shifted, unreadable.

Mrs. Miller collapsed into fresh sobs, torn between love and fear.

The room was mostly hushed after that episode, allowing the doctors an opportunity to enter and examine Sienna. When they they left, the air was heavy with incense and fresh herbs. Sienna lay against the pillows,her right arm bound from shoulder to neck, like her chest. The slightly reddish bandages, soaked with blood, had been replaced with new ones.

The throbbing was constant, but her eyes remained open. "Babies, are you okay?"

The cubs scrambled forward instantly, their small hands grasping at the covers of the bed. They clambered onto the bed, reaching for her, but Elias’s hand shout out, firm and unyielding.

"Careful," he commanded, is voice cold but protective. "Your mama’s wounds have not yet healed. Do not press against her."

The children froze, their little bodies trembling.

Eli’s face crumpled, and suddenly he burst into sobs. "Bad woman!" he wailed, his voice breaking. "Why did you save me? It’s my fault you were hurt. If you had not pushed me out the way, you would not have been hurt!"

The words pierced the room. All the elders were silent, watching the boy’s anguish. Sienna’s heart clenched. Ignoring the throbbing pain, she lifted her arms, pulling both cubs close. Her bandaged sides screamed in protest, but she held them anyway, her lips pressing against their hair.

"Don’t cry," she murmured, her voice shaky. "Mama will protect you. Always."

Eli buried his face against her chest, sobbing harder, while Ali clung tightly, whispering, "Mama’s fine. Mama’s fine. Mama’s fine."

Lady Cadelaria moved forward, hands stretched out to take the children back, but her husband pulled her back. He was just in time to save her from grandma Byra’s claws. Silence continued to rule in the room, with relatives going in and out. Now that she was awake, those who had not eaten finally remembered their hunger. Those who were still in bloody clothes decided to bathe and change.

As for the cubs, their tears faded, exhaustion overtaking grief. Within moments, both had fallen asleep, curled around her in their fox forms. They nestled against her, their breaths soft and even.

Sienna’s eyes lingered on them, her pain forgotten in the warmth of their presence. She couldn’t help thinking of what a close call it had been. More than ever, the need to fulfill her system assigned mission burned in the back of her mind. If only she had the ability to attack with mental strength, she would have protected herself and the children appropriately.

She turned her gaze to her husband, who was standing at the foot of the bed. For a long moment, silence stretched between them.

Finally, she spoke, her voice low but filled with steel. "Tell me you have answers. Tell me that you know who came after us."

Elias’s eyes narrowed, "An eagle assassin. A woman. She is dead but we found out that she had been hired. A transfer was made to her account two days ago. Eli was the target."

Sienna’s lips tightened, her gaze burning.

His confirmation had people in the room gasping. So the true target was Eli! Not Sienna and not Elias! Many eyes turned to the little fox, wondering who would hate him so much to send a professional killer after him! 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"It has to be the dead eagle lord." Lady Cadelaria said venomously.

Liman shook her head. "The account that made the paid was not connected to any of those related to him and his family. The account that paid the assassins he sent to poison Lord Elias is different from this one. It is a personal and private one. We are working with the royal family to force the bank to reveal the identity of the account holder."

Sienna clenched her fists. "Elias, I want revenge. Whoever dared to touch my child...I want them dead in the most painful way you can think of. If you have no idea, I will make a suggestion. Throw them in a pot of hot oil and fry them to death. If the oil is too expensive, use water to boil them to death. I want them to scream for an hour before dying."

Her words rang clear through the room, startling the gathered kin. Lady Cadelaria stiffened, grandpa Corven;s eyes sharpened, and even Mrs. Miller’s soft sobs stopped. Lord Marius simply raised his brows while Elias’s aura flared, cold and lethal, but softened as it met hers.

"You want revenge." he asked quietly.

Sienna’s eyes gleamed, fierce despite her weakness. "Yes. For me. For them." She glanced at her sleeping cubs, her voice trembling with fury. "No one touches my children and walks away. No one crosses us and walks away. They have to pay in the most painful way. They have to beg for mercy that will never come."

Lady Cadelaria gulped. Chubby charms was not so charming right now. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for whoever had pulled the strings from behind. If they were lucky, they would surrender to the royals before her son found them.