"Oh Goddess!" A woman cried out in agony as she struggled to bring her baby into the world. Her husband stood by her side, gripping her hands tightly and fervently praying for the safety of both his wife and their unborn child. 

"My Queen, please give it one more push!" the doctor urged nervously, his eyes eagerly watching the Queen's entrance for the baby's head to appear. 

Summoning all her remaining strength, the Queen complied and pushed with all her might for the final effort. She gripped the hanging sheets attached to the ceiling tightly to assist her. She was tired, and her body was exhausted. 

"AHH!!!!" the Queen cried out with all her might as she felt the baby's body emerging. With her eyes closed, she sensed her strength ebbing away. 

"You did wonderfully, my love," the King said as he kissed his wife's forehead and gently wiped the sweat from her face. He was excited to see his child's face. 

The Queen remained silent, smiling at her husband, but her attention was fixed on her newborn child. 

The doctor gently patted the baby's feet to make it cry. Then he cleaned the baby and wrapped it in a clean, white cloth. 

"It's a boy! We have a Prince!" the doctor exclaimed as he handed the baby to the Queen. He bowed down and stepped back to give the couple space.

However, despite the doctor's cheerful voice, his disappointment was clear: The child wasn't a girl. Even the servants around him looked at each other with a tight smile. 

The Queen glanced at her husband, noticing his small smile while gazing at their son. He then signaled to the servants and the doctor to leave, wanting a private moment with his wife and child. 

"My love, I apologize for not giving you a daughter," The Queen said, lowering her head to hide the forming tears. 

It was expected that Queens would give birth to the first Princess, not for the throne but to be used as a connection for other packs through marriage, and its people looked down on those who didn't. 

"No, don't say that, my love. We can always try for a daughter next time. For now, let's take care of him. He is our first blessing and an heir to the throne," the King said, gently caressing the baby's head. He looked up and made eye contact with his wife. 

"Pfft," the Queen chuckled. She felt bad but was glad her husband wouldn't punish her for something she couldn't control. 

Both of them remained silent while staring at their son. They felt as if the world wasn't that bad, even though they had problems piled up in the back of their minds. 

However, their little comfort was disrupted by a loud noise. 

*BANG!*

They both flinched as reality drawn within them. 

"My love, stay here. I'll check what's going on," the King said, hurrying out to see what was happening in his pack. 

"Wait! Henry! Don't go," the Queen begged as he grabbed Henry's arm to stop him. She felt vulnerable and wanted him to be by her side. 

Henry stopped and looked at his wife. He smiled and caressed her face. "Don't worry, my love, Elizabeth. I will come back soon," he said, kissing her forehead before rushing out the door. 

Elizabeth breathed deeply. She was nervous and worried that other packs were attacking them since they knew she was giving birth. "Oh, please, Moon Goddess. Protect Henry at all costs." 

The noises outside grew louder, and Elizabeth sensed that something had gone wrong. Her motherly instincts kicked in, and despite her pain from giving birth, she rose from the bed. 

Elizabeth waited for a couple more minutes as she paced back and forth. 

"Henry should be here by now," Elizabeth muttered. Her growing fear made her anxious, and her eyes looked around her for any possible hiding spot. 

As Elizabeth walked toward the closet. The door burst open, and her lady-in-waiting rushed inside. 

"Your Majesty, we must leave the Palace immediately! We've been invaded!" Margo said in a panic. She quickly gathered essential items for Elizabeth and her child and placed them in a bag on the table. 

"Tell me, Margo, what's happening outside? Where is my husband?" Elizabeth grabbed Margo's arm to stop her. She wanted answers immediately. 

"Your Majesty, we don't have time to talk. You need to escape before they reach this room," Margo whispered, trying to resume packing, but Elizabeth pulled her back. 

"Margo, tell me what's happening, or I won't leave this room!" Elizabeth's determined gaze left Margo with no choice but to answer. 

"My Queen, the DarkMoon Pack has betrayed the pact. They plan to overthrow us and seek to take the crown. They already attacked our people, and the whole pack is in chaos. They are now closer within the Palace walls, intending to kill everyone with royal blood," Margo's voice trembled as she sobbed. 

They had anticipated the DarkMoon's betrayal but had never expected them to mobilize their forces so quickly. 

"Henry… I need to see my mate!" Elizabeth rushed towards the door with the baby to seek her husband, but Margo pulled her back. 

"My Queen, your husband specifically instructed me to help you escape if things went out of hand, not the other way around," Margo said firmly. She knew Elizabeth's concern about her mate, but she didn't want to risk the Queen's life by letting her go on her own. 

"Henry needs me!" Elizabeth shouted with tears in her eyes. She knew her husband was a strong wolf, but what concerned her were the DarkMoon's tactics to kill. 

"Please, Your Majesty, let's go before it's too late. Think about your child's safety first," Margo begged. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but Elizabeth stood still, her face stoic. 

Elizabeth didn't want to leave Henry alone and wanted to fight the enemies, too, since she was a previous pack warrior, but she couldn't leave their son. "Alright, let's go."

Margo wiped her tears and breathed deeply. She slightly opened the door to make sure no one was there. They were in a secluded area of the Palace, which made it better. 

"Let's go, Your Majesty," Margo whispered. She grabbed Elizabeth's hand and dragged her to another room after they turned to another hallway. 

The room was simple and was not out of the ordinary. However, it serves another purpose. 

Margo pulled a lever beside the cabinet, uncovering a hidden escape door that led outside the Palace walls. 

"This way, Your Majesty," Margo stepped back as she showed the entrance. She kept her eyes on the door in case someone would enter. 

Elizabeth stared at the dark entrance with a cold facial expression. She looked down at her son, sleeping comfortably in her arms, unaware of any danger. 

"You are right, Margo. I should think of my son's safety… but he's not safe with me," Elizabeth whispered coldly, but her eyes were full of warmth for her child. 

Elizabeth handed her son to Margo and then removed her necklace, placing it inside the baby's clothes.

"Your Majesty, what are you—" Margo was shocked, but her words were cut off. 

Elizabeth placed a finger on Margo's lips as she heard footsteps approaching their room. 

"Margo, I'm the Pack's Queen, and I must fulfill my responsibilities," Elizabeth said, pushing Margo into the secret room. "Please, take care of our Prince. He's the rightful heir to the throne."

"Wait!" Margo was in shock at the Queen's decision. She raised her arm to stop Elizabeth, but the bag's weight slowed her down. 

Elizabeth quickly pulled back the lever to close the entrance. With a tearful smile, she said her last words. 

"His name will be Maxim, Maxim Mondragon. Remember that, Margo."