The day I gave birth to Larkin Sebastian Montgomery was the day everything changed. The moment they placed that tiny, wailing bundle in my arms, I felt every broken piece inside me start to stitch itself back together. He had Sebastian’s eyes… sharp, curious, alive. My hands trembled as I held him close, my voice barely a whisper. “You’ll never know a cage, little wolf. Only freedom.”
Sebastian was right there beside me, his rough hand covering mine, tears streaming down his face. “He’s perfect,” he breathed. Then, softer, almost like a vow: “He’ll never need to shield you. That’s my job.”
I looked up at him, my voice cracking but steady, “We’re both done being shields, Sebastian. It’s time to build something unbreakable.” He nodded, his gaze locked with mine like a promise forged in fire.
Years passed like a breath, quick and heavy, but with every one of them, we grew stronger. Luther turned into a wild little thing with curly hair that bounced like flames in the sun, his laughter cutting through any shadow left in our past.
Tonight, we stood on the rooftop of our company’s skyscraper, the city sprawling beneath us, lights glittering like stars caught in glass. The air smelled of rain and promise. I was dressed in a sharp black tailored suit—power armor for the queen I had become. Sebastian stood tall beside me, a dark velvet tuxedo fitting him like it was made for the shadows and light he carried. Larkin darted between us, carefree and untamed. He looked at us, grinning, wild curls bouncing with every step. “Mom! Dad! Catch me!”
Sebastian chuckled, reaching down to scoop him up. “Little wolf’s faster than both of us now.” I smiled, watching them—our imperfect, fierce little family.
A journalist from the press circle caught my eye and stepped forward with a microphone, voice bright with curiosity. “What would you tell the girl you used to be?”
The question struck me harder than I expected. The girl I was, the girl who almost got crushed beneath the weight of everyone else’s poison. The girl who fought and bled but refused to break. I looked out over the city, breathing in the noise, the chaos, the beauty. Then back to the microphone, voice steady and real. “That surviving isn’t the end. It’s the start of the reign.”
Sebastian squeezed my hand, his voice low but fierce next to me. “We don’t just survive. We take back what’s ours, and we build on it. Every scar is a story… proof that we’re still standing, still fighting.” I nodded, feeling the truth in his words like a fire warming my chest. “Every wound we carry is a lesson. Every fall is a setup for the next rise.” The journalist smiled, sensing the weight behind my words. “And your son?”
Larkin climbed back onto the rooftop ledge, pretending to be a king surveying his kingdom. I kissed his messy curls, then answered softly, “He’s the future. The wild heart that’ll carry the crown when we’re gone.” Sebastian crouched beside Larkin, arms wrapped protectively, whispering something that made our son giggle and punch his chest proudly. I watched them—my heart raw and full.
Later, alone on the rooftop with the city stretching endlessly behind us, Sebastian wrapped an arm around my waist. “You know,” he said, voice low and warm, “there were times I thought I’d lose you. Thought we’d lose everything.” I leaned into him, my head resting on his shoulder. “I know.”
“But we didn’t. You never gave up, Pearl. You never let the darkness win.” “Neither did you.” He smiled softly, a little sad but so fierce. “This family… this life… it’s more than I ever dared to hope for.” I smiled back, tracing a finger along his jawline. “We made it. Against all odds.”
He took a deep breath, then whispered, “No more running. No more hiding. Just us—and our son.” The city around us sparkled, fireworks bursting in the distance, lighting up the night sky with colors wild and free. I lifted Larkin up so he could see the show better, his eyes wide and shining. “This is for you, little wolf. For every fight we fought, every step we took.” Sebastian kissed my temple, voice thick with emotion. “You’re the strongest woman I know, Pearl. And you gave me the greatest gift—the future.” I smiled through tears, fierce and unbreakable. “The crown is reforged. And it’s ours.”
Later, after the fireworks had started to fade and Larkin was finally tucked into Sebastian’s arms, I leaned against Sebastian, the city lights reflecting in his eyes. The quiet between us was comfortable, but something pulled me to ask the question I’d carried for years, even through the chaos and bloodshed.
“Sebastian,” I said softly, tracing the edge of his jaw with my finger. “Why… why are you so in love with me? I mean, after everything—after all the mess, the pain—what made you… choose me?”
He looked down at me with that steady, fierce gaze, and for a moment I saw something almost shy flicker behind his usual storm. “It’s not just about now,” he said quietly. “You saved me. Long before all of this.” I blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”
He smiled, almost like a secret waiting to be told. “Years ago, before I even knew who you were, I got into a bad accident… nothing public, just me, alone and broken. I thought I was done for.” I frowned, trying to picture that version of him—vulnerable, helpless.
“You showed up,” he continued, voice low, “like some kind of guardian angel. You didn’t know who I was either. You just found me bleeding in that alleyway, helped me when no one else would. Gave me water, a place to rest.”
I suddenly felt the echo of a vague memory—blurred and distant—a rainy night, someone’s hands steady despite the trembling. “I remember… something like that,” I admitted.
“That night,” Sebastian said, “you saved me when I was ready to give up. And maybe you don’t remember it, but I never forgot you.” I shook my head, heart tightening. “That’s why you fought so hard for me all this time.”
He nodded, a tear catching the light. “You saved me before I even knew you. Loving you has been my way of paying that debt. You’re my anchor and my storm.” I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his words wrap around me like a shield.
“You make me want to be better,” I said, voice trembling but sure. “For you… and for Larkin.” Sebastian kissed my forehead, whispering, “And I’ll spend every day proving that love is worth the fight.”
The sky darkened as the last embers of fireworks faded, but something brighter burned inside us—a fierce, unbreakable bond forged through pain and hope. We weren’t just survivors anymore. We were a family. And our reign had just begun.