Chapter 123: Episode 122: I Only Care For You
The Next Day.
Rue stayed indoors today.
She kept the thick wooden door of the bedroom firmly closed. She only allowed the children to linger in the room with her. She sat on the edge of the large stone bed and watched them play on the woven rug.
Theron wiggled his silver snake tail, trying to catch a stray beam of sunlight hitting the floorboards. The toddler babbled happily, slapping his small hands against the wood. Mochi chased a small wooden block nearby, her fuzzy gray ears twitching with every movement. The tiny snow leopard let out a soft sneeze and rolled onto her back.
Rue needed a break from the intense stares of her mates. Her pregnant body felt tired. Her feet ached. Her mind spun in endless circles. She just wanted a quiet morning to sort out her chaotic feelings.
Out in the main living space, the men understood her boundaries. They gave her the space she silently requested. But the silence in the cabin felt strained.
Caius leaned against the wall near the bedroom door. The Serpent Alpha folded his pale arms across his dark shirt. He kept his golden eyes locked on the Dragon King. Drax stood near the cold stone hearth, staring at the closed wooden door.
"Rue is very fragile," Caius stated smoothly. His cold voice carried a sharp, unyielding edge. "Be careful with the things you say around her."
Drax tightened his jaw. He wanted to refute those words. He did not see anything wrong with his actions last night. He offered her his time. He told her the truth about the mountain and the song. He wanted to pull her close and keep her safe.
He clenched his hands at his sides. Drax was the Dragon King. He ruled vast territories and commanded armies. Yet, in this small wooden cabin, he felt like he was walking on a frozen lake. One wrong step and the ice would break. Why was she pulling away from him? She was the same Ruella, right? She was the girl who sang outside his cave and melted the ice around his heart. He did not understand the sudden wall she built between them.
Inside the attached washroom, Rue stood over the stone washbasin. She gripped the cool edges of the basin with her small hands. She stared directly at her own reflection in the clear water pooled at the bottom. The water rippled, distorting her features.
She looked at the long silver hair falling over her thin shoulders. She looked at the bright pink eyes staring back at her.
I am just a fake, Rue thought.
A hard lump formed in her throat. She traced the soft line of her jaw with a wet finger. This beautiful shell did not belong to her. The original owner of this body was a brave, magical girl. That girl went out into the snow. That girl sang songs that saved a trapped dragon.
Rue was just a sick girl from New York. She remembered the constant beeping of heart monitors. She remembered the smell of rubbing alcohol and the stark white walls of a hospital room. That was her real life. She spent her past life lying in a sterile bed, watching television, and eating bitter medicine.
She did not know any magical songs. She was blunt. She complained about her cold feet. She threw up in the kitchen sink when Axel brought dead birds into the house. She was just ordinary.
She felt like a terrible impostor. Drax was falling in love with a ghost, and she was just standing in the ghost’s place. The guilt gnawed at her stomach. If he figured out her soul was different, he would leave. The rejection would break her. She could not survive losing this family.
She splashed cold water on her face. The chill helped ground her racing thoughts. She dried her cheeks with a soft linen towel and took a deep breath. She could not hide in the bedroom forever. The babies were getting hungry. Mochi let out a small whine from the other side of the door.
Rue pushed the bedroom door open and walked out into the main cabin. The house was quiet. Axel and Knox were outside gathering supplies. Caius sat by the frosty window with an old leather book in his lap.
Drax stood near the kitchen counter.
Rue kept her head down. She walked past the Dragon King and went straight to the wooden shelves. She grabbed a few soft yellow fruits and a wooden bowl. She needed to make a sweet puree for the kids. Theron loved the sweet yellow fruits.
She placed the items on the counter and reached for a small iron knife. She planned to slice the fruit into tiny, manageable pieces for the baby boy.
Before her fingers could touch the handle, Drax moved. He stepped right up beside her. He placed his large hand flat on the wooden counter, blocking her path. He did not grab her. He did not yell. He just boxed her in with his tall frame. He did not let her run away this time.
"We need to talk," Drax said quietly. His dark eyes searched her face.
"I need to feed the kids," Rue replied. She kept her gaze fixed on the yellow fruits. "Theron gets cranky if he misses a meal. Of course I am going to feed him first."
"The boy can wait a few minutes," Drax countered smoothly. "You are avoiding me."
Rue swallowed hard. She felt her pulse racing against her neck. She gripped the edge of the counter to steady her trembling hands. The pregnancy hormones made her emotions sit right on the surface. She could not hold the fear back anymore.
"I am not the girl you remember," Rue blurted out.
The words spilled past her lips in a rush. She finally looked up at his face. Her pink eyes were bright with unshed tears.
"I am not her, Drax," Rue whispered. "I am just... me. I complain too much. I get scared all the time. I am sorry for the disappointment. If you want the girl from the snowy mountain, you are looking at the wrong person."
Drax did not look disappointed. He did not pull away. A brief flash of realization crossed his sharp features. He reached out and gently cupped her cheek. His thumb brushed against her pale skin. His touch was cold, but it felt remarkably gentle.
"You think I am chasing a memory," Drax stated.
"Aren’t you?" Rue asked, her voice cracking. "You look at me like I am a miracle. But I am not. I am just Rue, not Ruella."
Drax stepped closer. He took up all the space in her vision. He smelled like rich smoke and old parchment.
"I watched you," Drax continued. He traced the delicate shell of her ear. "I watched you complain about the cold weather. I watched you hide behind the panther when you felt overwhelmed. I watched you demand food from the snake. You are blunt. You are fragile. You are stubborn."
He trailed his fingers down to her chin, tilting her face up so she had to meet his dark gaze.
"The girl who sang outside my cave is a past," Drax said softly. "You are real and the present. You are standing right here. You carry my pack’s child. You make this cabin a home. I do not want a ghost, Ruella. I want you."
Rue let out a shaky breath.
He sees me, Rue thought. He actually sees me.
The tight knot of fear in her chest started to unravel. She did not have to pretend to be a fairytale savior. She did not have to live up to an impossible standard set by the original owner of this body. He liked her awkward, blunt, and needy self. He liked the girl from New York.
"I can at least try to be brave for you," Rue murmured. "How hard can it be?"
Drax let out a soft chuckle. The sound was rare and beautiful. He leaned down, bringing his face inches from hers. His dark eyes burned with that quiet, intense obsession she noticed before. But this time, it did not scare her. It made her feel anchored.
"I don’t care what happened to you," Drax whispers. "I only care who you are right now."