Chapter 36 - 036: Scent
Rylan immediately picked Anaria up, panic evident in his expression. He turned to Kenai. "Where can I lay her down while we wait for the healer?"
"The nearest chamber is just ahead," Kenai replied. "We can take her there."
"Lead the way."
Kenai immediately turned and began walking, with Rylan carrying Anaria close against his chest and Kai following behind.
As they moved, Kenai’s expression grew more troubled. The strong scent coming from Anaria was becoming more noticeable with every step. He recognized it now. It was his scent.
His beast was already certain of what it meant, but Kenai refused to jump to conclusions. He wouldn’t count his beast before it hatched.
Rylan noticed the scent as well. His brow furrowed when he realized it wasn’t his. He glanced at Kai, whose expression told him he had noticed it too. They exchanged a brief look before shaking their heads at each other.
Neither scent belonged to them but that wasn’t important right now. Anaria needed to get better first. They could figure out the strange scent afterward.
Kenai finally stopped before a wooden door and pushed it open. "Here."
Rylan carried Anaria inside and carefully laid her on the nearest bed, making sure she was comfortable before taking a step back.
Kai immediately moved to her side, taking her hand while Rylan watched her worriedly.
Kenai remained near the door, his gaze fixed on Anaria as that familiar scent filled the room which made his beast’s certainty only grew stronger.
Yes, that would make the scene feel more natural and show that the healer is experienced and doesn’t have time for them hovering.
The village healer arrived shortly after, a stout rabbit beastwoman with graying fur at her temples and a small leather satchel. She hurried to Anaria’s side and immediately waved Rylan and Kai back. "Move. Give me some space."
Once they stepped away, she checked Anaria’s pulse before placing a hand over her stomach. Her expression remained focused as she examined her, but after a moment, a slow smile appeared on her face.
She looked up, turning toward the three men waiting with bated breath "Don’t worry," she said, her voice calm and steady. "It’s just beast hormonal changes, you don’t need to worry much"
Rylan and Kai stood up from the bed at the same time, confusion clear on their faces "We don’t understand," Rylan said, his voice rough. "What do you mean by hormonal changes?"
The healer looked between them, one eyebrow arching. "Can’t you sense that she is with child? Or is the father not in this room???"
Rylan’s gaze snapped to Kai. Kai looked back at him, his expression shifting from confusion to dawning realization. They hadn’t slept with Anaria for a while, with beast pregnancies, the signs appeared almost immediately. They would have sensed something before she left them, if it had been theirs. So it couldn’t be them.
Kenai stepped forward, breaking the quiet. His voice was low but there was a tremor beneath it. "Is little fox, I mean Anaria all right?"
The healer turned to him with a reassuring smile. "Yes. It’s nothing serious. She’s only dizzy. From what I can tell, this may be her first pregnancy, so there’s no need to worry."
She gathered her satchel and stood. "I’ll recommend some herbs to help her through this stage. I’ll send them along."
With a nod, she left the chamber, her footsteps fading down the hallway.
The moment the door closed, Kenai moved. He stepped around the bed, barely acknowledging Rylan and Kai, who were still frozen in shock. He sat beside Anaria and slowly reached toward her stomach, his hand trembling slightly.
Rylan’s hand shot out and caught Kenai’s wrist.
"Don’t touch our mate," Rylan growled.
Kenai’s head snapped up, and for the first time since they had seen him, a low, guttural growl ripped from his throat. "Shut up."
The command stopped them. Rylan’s eyes widened, while Kai’s jaw dropped. Neither tried to stop Kenai again. The fury in his voice made it clear that he would not tolerate another interruption.
Kenai pulled his wrist free and turned back to Anaria, placing his palm gently over her stomach as he waited.
*****
Inside Anaria’s mind, a soft chime sounded.
[Penalty lifted.]
[Host and baby are confirmed safe.]
[Host is advised not to ignore System instructions again. Repeated violations may result in further consequences.]
[Host’s consciousness is returning.]
The words slowly reached Anaria through the fog of unconsciousness. Her eyelids fluttered before she gradually opened them.
Her head throbbed, and the light felt too bright. She blinked a few times until the room came into focus.
The first thing she saw was Kenai’s face and his hand resting over her stomach.
She shifted her gaze and found Rylan standing nearby, his arms crossed and worry written across his face. Kai stood on her other side, gripping the edge of the bed tightly.
All three males were staring at her as though she might disappear again.
Anaria blinked "What happened?", Anaria pushed herself up gently, ignoring the wave of dizziness that followed. Her voice came out rough, tired. "What’s wrong?"
Rylan and Kai answered together, their words overlapping "You fainted."
Kenai leaned closer, his eyes searching her face. "Are you doing fine?" he asked, his voice soft.
Anaria blinked at him, then nodded. "Yes, I am. Thank you."
Kai couldn’t wait any longer. His voice came out sharp with frustration. "We can sense another scent lingering around you. It doesn’t belong to me or Rylan." His jaw tightened. "Who does the scent belong to?"
Anaria frowned, confused, but before she could answer, a soft fox-like chime sounded in her mind.
[Host, beastmen can sense when a female is carrying a child through changes in her scent.]
[However, the child’s father can recognize the scent as belonging to his own offspring.]
Anaria’s eyes widened. "What?"
[Host, the fetus has already begun developing.]
[Beastman fetuses develop significantly faster than normal fetuses.]
Anaria’s hands tightened around the animalskin blanket. "You should have told me this sooner," she muttered.
[Host did not ask.]
Anaria’s eye twitched. "Should I ask before I get any vital information??"
The System continued, ignoring her
[Host, due to the rapid development of the fetus, the host’s body will require more energy and nutrients than usual.]
[Host is advised to rest and maintain proper nutrition]
[Failure to do so may affect both host and fetus.]
[Author’s Note]
Just a little clarification on the pregnancy in the Beast World: Beastmen can smell when a female is pregnant, but the scent is usually faint if the child isn’t theirs. However, the father can sense it much more clearly because the baby carries his beast scent. Also, beastman pregnancies develop much faster than human pregnancies. Jsyk ｡◕‿◕｡