Chapter 118: Episode 117: Why is he looking like that?
"We will come visiting next time!" Tyara cheered happily as Tanith pulled her and Gianna toward the door.
"Don’t run off before we get a chance to contribute in new house plans!" Gianna yelled over her shoulder, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief. "I want to design the nursery! I have so many ideas for the babies!"
"You aren’t designing anything today," Tanith scolded gently, pushing her chaotic sisters onto the front porch. The Swamp Queen paused in the doorway and gave Rue a warm, reassuring smile. "Get some rest, Rue. You look exhausted."
The cabin finally fell quiet after Tanith and the sisters walked out the door.
The sudden silence felt like a ringing bell. Rue stood near the kitchen counter, pulling the thick grey fur coat tighter around her shivering shoulders.
Her cheeks still burned bright pink from the sheer embarrassment of standing in a see-through robe before four warlords. She watched the iron latch on the thick wooden door click into place.
"Those two are a natural disaster," Axel laughed, shaking his head. "They have far too much energy for this time of the morning."
Rue just offered a weak nod. Her brain felt like mush. The new pregnancy hormones, mixed with the loud morning chaos, left her feeling drained. She just wanted to eat something sweet and hide under a blanket for a few hours.
She turned her attention back to the woven basket sitting on the counter. She pulled out a handful of bright red strawberries and plump blueberries. She reached up to grab a clay bowl from the top shelf, but her fingers fumbled against the wood. Her joints ached. A fresh wave of morning sickness threatened her stomach.
Drax moved before she could even drop her hand.
He claimed a spot right beside her in the narrow kitchen area. He didn’t hover directly over her shoulder, and he didn’t shout in a blind panic the way Knox usually did. Knox always smothered her. The panther treated her like a fragile glass ornament that would shatter if the wind blew too hard. Knox would have snatched the bowl from her hands and ordered her to sit down immediately.
Drax was different. He just stood there, leaning his hip casually against the edge of the wooden counter. He moved with a quiet, lethal grace that made Rue wonder what he was actually thinking.
"Allow me," Drax murmured. His voice was soft, but it carried a cold edge of authority.
He took the clay bowl from her hands. Rue watched him wash the berries under the fresh water pitcher. He was a terrifying Dragon King, a ruler of the realms, but right now he was just rinsing fruit for a pregnant girl.
He had dark soot clinging to his travelling clothes.
She sat down at the low wooden table. Drax finished washing the fruit and placed the bowl down in front of her. He didn’t walk away to join the other men. He pulled up the chair right next to hers and sat down.
Rue picked up a red berry. She popped it into her mouth, letting the tart juice burst on her tongue. The cold sweetness helped settle her rolling stomach.
Drax rested his arm on the table. He reached out and gently laid his long, pale fingers right over her wrist. His skin felt cool to the touch. He didn’t grip her tight, and he didn’t try to trap her arm against the wood. He just let his fingers rest against her racing pulse point.
It was a small touch, but it sent a fast thrill racing straight up her arm. She could feel the subtle calluses on his skin. It was a stark contrast to the smooth, rich fabrics he usually wore. He was a king who fought his own battles.
She chewed her fruit slowly, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. He just watched her eat. Knox would have teased her about having juice on her chin. Axel would have made an arrogant joke to get her attention.
Drax didn’t tease her. He looked at her mouth, then up to her pink eyes, taking his time to make her feel wanted. His quiet attention was intense. It made her nervous, but not in a bad way. It made her feel hyper-aware of her own body.
The hearth fire snapped loudly in the background. The heat inside the small cabin started to build. The thick fur coat she wore suddenly felt like a trapping oven.
A fresh wave of pregnancy fever washed over her chest and neck, sending a hot prickle of sweat down her spine. Her rabbit biology struggled to handle the rising internal temperature of carrying a predator cub.
She let out a soft groan, shifting uncomfortably in her wooden chair.
"You are too hot," Drax noted, his dark eyes tracking the sudden flush on her pale skin.
"I’m burning up," Rue admitted. She pushed the thick fur coat off her shoulders, letting it pool around her waist. She still wore the thin white cotton robe underneath, but she didn’t care about modesty right now. She just needed air.
She grabbed her bowl of berries and stood up. Drax let his hand fall away smoothly. He didn’t try to pull her back or demand she stay seated next to him. He just watched her go.
Rue walked across the soft woven rugs. Caius sat in his tall wooden chair near the frosty window. The Serpent Alpha had an old leather book resting on his lap. He looked up the second she took a step in his direction. He saw the bright flush spreading across her cheeks. He set his book down on the windowsill immediately.
Rue didn’t ask for permission. She just climbed right into his lap.
She tucked her bare legs over his dark trousers. Caius shifted his posture, making room for her rounder shape. He slid one cool, scaled arm securely around her waist. His natural body temperature was freezing. It felt like stepping out into a brisk winter breeze.
She let out a soft sigh of relief. She rested her hot cheek against his firm chest.
This feels so much better. How can his become so cold every freaking time during her heat period.
Caius heard her thought clearly; he didn’t say a word, but a flush was heavy on his cheeks. He just tightened his hold slightly, his long green tail giving a highly satisfied flick against the floorboards. He rested his chin on the top of her silver hair. He shot a smug, pointed look across the room directly at the Dragon King.
Drax didn’t react to the snake’s silent taunt. He didn’t bare his teeth. He didn’t puff out his chest or growl like Knox would have done. He just sat at the table, taking his time. He didn’t push back against her choice.
Rue ate another berry. She felt safe curled up against Caius. The sharp fever slowly drained from her system, replaced by a soothing chill.
As she sat there, she wondered why Drax was so quiet. She knew from the system that Drax had encountered the original owner of her body years ago. He remembered a girl singing outside his cave.
Did he see that girl when he looked at her?
She wanted him to see her, awkward and prone to hiding, not some perfect ghost from his past.
Down on the floor, Theron slithered rapidly past Axel’s boots. The tiny silver snake stopped, shifted into his human form, and pointed a chubby finger at the white wolf.
"Three!" Theron babbled happily.
Axel grinned, crossing his arms. "That is right, little guy. I’m your favorite."
Knox marched out of the kitchen area, holding a wooden cup. The panther glared at the wolf. "Stop teaching my son numbers. He doesn’t even know what three means yet."
"He knows I rank higher than you," Axel shot back smoothly.
Mochi let out a loud sneeze from the corner, swatting a fuzzy grey paw at a passing dust. The tiny snow leopard rolled onto her back, ignoring the arguing men.
Rue smiled against Caius’s dark shirt. She listened to Knox and Axel bicker over the toddler. It was messy. It was loud. But it felt right. She actually liked the chaotic noise of her wild family. Now that she had people to rely on, she felt soft.
She still kept her guard up sometimes, not wanting to invest too fast, but she liked this.
She glanced back over toward the kitchen table.
Drax still sat there. He didn’t join the argument. He just picked up a wooden cup of water from the table. He took a slow, deliberate sip.
Drax looked at her over the rim of his wooden cup. His dark eyes hold an obsession that makes her heart skip a beat.
Why is he looking at me like that, like he wants to devour me?