Chapter 123: I am pregnant!
"That was not what I asked."
She looked at him.
Even trapped, bleeding, and humiliated, he was worried about her.
"I am not injured," she said quietly. "Not like that."
Nerin understood what she did not say.
The pollen had taken their clear minds.
Neither had forced the other.
But neither had chosen the moment freely.
His expression became sad.
Not because Soren had marked her.
Not only because of that.
Because Swanly had been frightened, drugged, and trapped while he lay helpless behind a wall.
"I am sorry," he repeated.
Swanly’s ears lowered.
"Nerin, stop apologizing."
"If I had not called..."
"I came because someone tried to murder both of us."
His eyes sharpened.
"What?"
Kael’s claws emerged.
"Selka."
Nerin went rigid.
Swanly looked at him.
"What were you doing on this path?"
"I was returning from the stream."
"Why did you leave the marked route?"
"I did not."
He swallowed against the pain.
"One of my markers pointed toward this rise."
Swanly’s eyes narrowed.
"She moved it."
Nerin nodded slowly.
"I saw fruit growing near the stone. I thought I could pick some before returning."
"For me."
His ears folded.
"Yes."
Kael’s growl rolled through the grotto.
Nerin almost disappeared inside Soren’s arms.
Swanly turned on Kael.
"He answered a question."
"He was courting you."
"He was picking fruit."
"That is courting."
"In your world, breathing near a female seems to be courting."
"If he breathed with fruit in his hand, yes."
Soren looked down at Nerin.
"Did you intend to court her?"
Nerin’s face turned red.
Kael stepped closer.
The deer looked from one predator to the other.
The two males hated each other.
They had been ready to fight over Swanly only moments ago.
Now they stood together like twin disasters waiting for him to answer incorrectly.
Nerin chose survival.
"I intended to give her fruit."
"That was not the question," Kael said.
Nerin looked at Swanly.
His green eyes held an apology and something much older.
Something patient.
Something he had buried for years.
Then he lowered his gaze.
"It does not matter."
Kael’s voice became low.
"It matters to me."
Swanly shoved one hand against Kael’s chest.
"Not now."
He looked down at her hand.
His anger shook beneath her palm.
So did something else.
Fear.
He had already lost part of the future he thought belonged to him.
He had held Swanly hours earlier and made her promise forever.
Then he had returned to find another male’s mark on her body.
Now a third male had brought her courtship fruit.
Kael was not merely jealous.
He was drowning.
Swanly’s anger softened.
"Kael."
His golden eyes met hers.
She saw it.
The bloody paws.
The torn claws.
The wounds across his shoulders from trying to break Soren’s barrier.
He had nearly killed himself reaching her.
Then he had found his nightmare waiting.
She touched his face.
Kael leaned into her palm before he could stop himself.
His eyes closed.
For one heartbeat, the terrifying black panther looked exhausted.
"I thought you were gone," he said.
Swanly’s chest tightened.
"I am here."
"You smell like him."
She could not deny it.
Kael opened his eyes.
"And your mark changed."
"I know."
"I felt it happen."
Swanly froze.
Kael’s voice roughened.
"I was outside."
His fingers closed around her wrist.
"I felt another bond attach itself to you while I was tearing my hands apart trying to reach you."
Swanly looked down at his bleeding knuckles.
The shame struck harder than the pollen ever had.
"I did not know you could feel it."
"I felt everything."
Soren’s expression shifted.
For the first time, some of his arrogance disappeared.
He understood broken cores.
He understood bonds.
He understood what it meant to feel another male claim what your body already recognized as yours.
Kael looked at him.
The hatred remained.
But now Soren knew exactly what sat beneath it.
Soren’s grip tightened around Nerin.
"The pollen took both of our minds."
Kael laughed bitterly.
"And that gives me my female back?"
"No."
The answer was immediate.
Brutal.
Swanly’s head snapped toward Soren.
Kael’s claws extended.
Soren continued before violence exploded.
"But I did not enter intending to take her."
"You still did."
"Yes."
The single word made Kael angrier than an excuse would have.
Soren did not hide.
Did not apologize.
Did not pretend the mark did not exist.
His silver eyes remained steady.
"She is mine now too."
Kael lunged.
Swanly caught his chest with both hands.
"Enough!"
"He says that in front of me!"
"He is stating a fact!"
The moment the words left her mouth, silence fell.
Kael stared at her.
Swanly wanted to bite off her own tongue.
"That came out wrong."
"It sounded clear."
"Kael."
His face closed.
The wound inside him became a locked door.
Swanly hated it more than his anger.
Soren watched them.
His forked tongue tasted grief in the air.
Nerin looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him again.
Swanly turned toward the broken passage.
"We are leaving."
Kael did not answer.
Soren carried Nerin behind her.
Kael followed last.
His silence filled the entire tunnel.
It was worse than roaring.
Much worse.
By the time they reached the forest, the sun had dropped low between the trees.
Tovan and the Riverbone guard rushed toward them.
"Swanly!"
Tovan almost collapsed with relief.
"We could not break through. Selka said you ignored her warning, but the pillar looked cut and..."
He saw Soren.
Then Swanly.
Then Kael’s expression.
Tovan stopped speaking.
Raku stood farther back with Thalara and several hunters.
Raku looked at Soren carrying Nerin.
Then at Kael.
Then at Swanly’s flushed face.
His broad crocodile mouth opened.
Nahla elbowed him before he spoke.
"Not one word."
"I said nothing."
"You were about to."
"I was breathing."
"Do it more quietly."
Thalara’s forehead eye moved toward Swanly’s thigh.
Swanly yanked her wrap lower.
Thalara said nothing.
That somehow made it worse.
Kael looked around the clearing.
"Where is Selka?"
Brann stood beside a tree.
His face was gray.
"She ran toward camp."
Kael shifted before anyone could stop him.
Black fur swallowed his body.
The roar that tore from him sent birds exploding from the distant trees.
Then he disappeared.
"Kael!" Swanly considered transforming but did not want to end up naked so she ran after him.
Raku grabbed her arm.
"You cannot keep up."
"Then carry me!"
Raku stepped forward.
Soren’s tail slammed between them.
"No."
Before Swanly could argue, Soren handed Nerin to Tovan.
Tovan staggered.
"I am a builder!"
Nerin clung to him.
"Sorry."
"Stop apologizing while crushing me!"
Soren shifted into his massive white snake form and lowered himself before Swanly.
She climbed onto his tail.
His tail immediately curled around her waist, securing her against him before anyone else could touch her.
Then he tore through the forest after Kael.
Raku followed on foot.
Thalara moved beneath the trees as roots carried her over the ground.
Tovan remained behind, struggling beneath Nerin.
"I think I can walk now," Nerin said.
Tovan dropped him.
Nerin hit the grass.
"I said think!"
Back at camp, Selka had already heard the roar.
Her head snapped toward the eastern forest.
Every drop of blood left her face.
Brann had told them.
That useless pig had betrayed her.
Again.
She turned and ran toward the rear path.
Brea grabbed her arm.
"Where are you going?"
"Move!"
"What happened?"
"Nothing!"
Another roar shook the camp.
The triplets stopped eating.
Miko’s dried meat fell from his mouth.
"Papa mad."
Kairo stood.
"Very mad."
Nilo sniffed the air.
"Mama coming."
Lumi’s ears trembled.
"Why running?"
Tilla pulled all four children behind her.
"Mora!"
The bear guard stepped in front of them.
Selka shoved past Brea.
"Get away from me!"
She took three steps.
The massive black panther landed in front of her.
Boom!
The ground cracked beneath his paws.
Selka screamed and fell backward.
Kael’s claws cut through the earth where her head had been.
His jaws opened.
Blood covered his fangs.
There was no hesitation in his eyes.
He was going to tear her apart.
Not punish her.
Not question her.
Erase her.
Selka crawled backward.
"Wait!"
Kael advanced.
"I did not do anything!"
His paw struck beside her hip.
Stone burst.
Selka shrieked.
"I was trying to help her!"
Kael shifted into human form.
His bloody hand closed around her throat.
He lifted her from the ground.
Selka kicked wildly.
"Kael!"
Brann reached the camp behind them.
He froze when he saw his mate hanging from Kael’s hand.
Selka clawed at Kael’s wrist.
"You cannot kill me!"
Kael’s face had become empty.
"I can."
"It was an accident!"
"You stole Nerin’s blood."
"I found it!"
"You moved his marker."
"I was searching!"
"You weakened the pillar."
"Brann did that!"
Brann flinched.
Selka pointed at him.
"He did it! He killed her! He caused everything!"
Brann’s mouth fell open.
"You ordered me."
"I told you to make a supply hollow!"
"You told me exactly which roots to cut!"
"You stupid animal! You misunderstood!"
Kael tightened his grip.
Selka’s face darkened.
Her feet kicked faster.
"I am pregnant!"