Chapter 109: Episode 108: Rue is Pregnant Again.
Rue really hated that glowing blue box.
It was the worst thing to see first thing in the morning. She just wanted to open her eyes and look at the wooden ceiling. She wanted to stretch her legs under the warm blankets. She wanted to listen to the small birds singing in the pine trees outside.
Instead, the bright screen hovered right in her face.
[Gestation initiated. Target Knox’s reproductive persistence has yielded a 100% success rate.]
She stared directly at the floating letters. She read them twice to make sure her sleepy brain wasn’t playing tricks on her.
She was pregnant again.
She jerked straight up from the soft mattress. The winter blankets fell right off her bare shoulders. She sat there in the quiet cabin, breathing very fast. Her heart beat a rapid, tiny rhythm against her ribs.
It happened fast. They just did it yesterday afternoon in the pine trees. Now there was a tiny panther growing right inside her stomach.
She brought both of her hands down and pressed her palms flat against her belly. It felt the same. It was flat. But she knew the system did not lie about biology. The system was annoying, but it was accurate.
She looked across the giant stone bed. It was empty. The sheets on the other side were cold.
Caius and Knox were already awake. She could hear the rhythmic thuds of thick wood hitting the dirt outside the window. She could hear the sharp scraping sound of tools. They were already back to work building the new rooms for the cabin. They didn’t even take a single morning off to rest.
She needed to tell Knox right now.
She tossed the covers aside and let her bare feet hit the cool wooden floorboards. She walked quickly across the main room of the cabin. She stopped right by the warm stone hearth.
Theron and Mochi were still fast asleep on their thick pile of woven rugs.
Theron had his long, shiny silver snake tail coiled around the fuzzy grey snow leopard. His new scales caught the pale morning light coming through the window. Mochi was snoring softly. A tiny, constant vibration rumbled deep in the cub’s throat. They looked so perfect together.
Rue knelt on the floor. She leaned over and kissed Theron softly on his chubby cheek. He smelled like warm sleep and sweet milk. She kissed Mochi right between her fuzzy grey ears. The tiny cat twitched her nose but didn’t wake up.
"You are getting another sibling," Rue whispered to them.
She stood up and grabbed a thick woollen shawl from the back of a wooden chair. She wrapped it tightly around her thin shoulders to block the morning chill. She pushed the wooden front door open and stepped right out onto the porch.
The morning air felt crisp and fresh. The sun was just starting to climb over the tall green pine trees. The bright yellow light cut straight through the thin morning mist covering the yard.
Knox stood near the edge of the tree line.
The giant panther looked in the morning light. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. His dark skin was already slick with fresh sweat. He had a giant, thick tree trunk resting casually right on his right shoulder.
He carried the wood like it was just a small stick. His thick muscles shifted and bunched with every single step he took.
Caius was on the opposite side of the yard. The Serpent Alpha was carefully measuring the fresh wooden planks they cut yesterday. His back was turned to her.
Rue didn’t hesitate. She didn’t overthink how to break the news. She didn’t want to make it a dramatic presentation. She just wanted to tell him.
She walked straight down the wooden porch steps. Her bare feet crunched softly against the wet green grass.
Knox heard her coming instantly. He turned his big head. He smiled brightly the second he saw her walking toward him. He dropped the giant tree trunk right onto the dirt. The wood hit the ground with a loud thud that actually shook the grass under her toes.
"You should be sleeping," Knox said. He wiped his dirty hands quickly on his thick pants. He took a few big steps toward her to close the distance. "The sun is barely up. Are you hungry?"
Rue stopped right in front of him. She looked all the way up at his handsome, scarred face.
She didn’t try to ease into the conversation. She just gave him the exact truth.
"I am pregnant."
Knox froze.
He stopped breathing. His giant hands hovered awkwardly in the air right between them. His bright golden eyes went wide. He stared directly at her face for a very long time. He looked like his brain totally shut down and refused to process the words she just said.
Then he looked down at her flat stomach.
"Pregnant?" Knox whispered. His deep voice sounded weak and totally shaky.
"Yes," Rue said. She smiled brightly up at him. She felt happy. "You are going to be a father."
Knox didn’t speak. He just took a deep breath. His broad chest expanded hugely under the morning sun. He stared at her stomach for another second. He reached one large, calloused hand out and touched her belly very gently with the tips of his fingers.
He threw his head back and let out a deafening roar.
Rue even shivered back.
It wasn’t an angry sound. It wasn’t a battle cry. It was pure joy. The loud noise ripped straight out of his throat and echoed violently through the entire neutral neighbourhood. It bounced off the tall pine trees. Several small birds flew wildly out of the branches in total panic.
"I am going to be a father!" Knox shouted directly at the trees.
He looked back down at Rue. He grabbed her securely by her thin waist and lifted her straight up off the wet grass. He didn’t just hug her. He hoisted her up in the air and placed her right onto his sweaty shoulder.
Rue grabbed a fistful of his thick black hair to hold on tight. She laughed loudly.
Knox started spinning.
He twirled around in a circle right in the middle of the yard. He laughed a deep, booming laugh that vibrated through his chest and straight into her legs. He held her secure so she wouldn’t fall. He stomped his boots in the dirt.
"A baby!" Knox yelled at the bright blue sky. He spun her again, moving faster. "My own baby! We are having a baby!"
He was totally unhinged. The terrifying, violent Southern warlord was acting exactly like a giant, happy kid. He didn’t care who heard him. He didn’t care if the neighbours complained about the early morning noise. He just wanted the entire world to know he was having a child with his mate.
Rue felt dizzy. The green trees blurred together in a fast, messy circle. She smacked his hard back gently with her open hand.
"Knox, put me down!" Rue laughed loudly. "You are making me sick."
He stopped spinning immediately. He definitely didn’t want to make her sick. He carefully brought her back down to the ground. His large hands slid from her waist up to her shoulders. He didn’t let her go. He wrapped his giant arms around her and pulled her into a crushing hug. He buried his face tight in her neck.
He was warm. He smelled like fresh sweat and the deep pine forest.
"Thank you," Knox whispered right against her soft skin. He was actually crying. A single hot tear dropped onto her shoulder. "Thank you, little one. I promise I will protect both of you forever."
Rue hugged his broad waist. She rested her cheek directly against his bare chest. She listened to his heart hammering wildly against his ribs. She felt safe. She felt loved. She spent years sitting in a cold room in New York thinking she would never get to have a real family. Now she had everything she ever wanted.
She turned her head slightly to look over his thick shoulder.
The happy, warm smile froze on her face.
She met eyes with Caius standing in the doorway. He was silent. He was staring directly at her stomach.