Chapter 146: I want your mother
Kael’s faint smile disappeared when the chained prince looked at Swanly again.
His golden eyes sharpened.
Nerin stood farther back near the wall.
He had been silent through most of the confrontation.
But when the prince’s gaze remained on Swanly a second too long, Nerin’s soft green eyes narrowed.
His broken antler tilted slightly forward.
He immediately seemed to realize he was doing it.
His ears turned pink.
Then he looked away.
Arion noticed.
Said nothing.
His own jaw was tight enough already.
Soren noticed everyone.
That was worse.
His silver gaze moved from the chained prince...
To Nerin.
To Kael.
Then briefly toward Selka.
His expression became colder.
He turned his head toward Raku.
Said nothing.
Raku followed his gaze.
Selka was still standing beneath guard.
Still watching.
Still not inside the cage because there had not been time to build the damned thing.
Raku understood immediately.
His face hardened.
"You two."
Two warriors straightened.
"Take Selka to the rear cave."
Selka’s head snapped around.
"What?"
"Now."
"No!"
She stepped backward.
Raku pointed toward Tovan without taking his eyes off her.
"Finish the cage."
Tovan nodded.
Selka’s face changed.
"You cannot be serious!"
Raku looked at her.
"I am extremely serious."
"I am pregnant!"
"Yes."
"You cannot drag me around!"
One warrior took her arm.
Selka shrieked.
"DO NOT TOUCH ME!"
Brann moved instinctively.
Then stopped himself.
Selka saw him.
"Brann!"
He looked miserable.
"Selka..."
"Tell them!"
His eyes dropped toward her stomach.
Then toward Swanly.
Then toward Soren.
He did not move.
Selka’s face twisted.
"You useless male!"
Brann flinched.
The guard pulled her away.
Selka fought the entire time.
"I AM CARRYING A CUB!"
Raku sighed.
"Yes. The entire basin knows."
"You cannot lock a pregnant female in a cave!"
"You tried to kill another pregnant female."
"SHE WAS NOT PREGNANT!"
"That argument did not improve with repetition."
Selka screamed.
The Veskari stared.
One centaur male’s ears shifted.
Another winged female slowly looked toward the prince.
The prince looked delighted.
"This place is interesting."
The female beside him looked exhausted.
Swanly wanted the earth to swallow her.
Selka’s voice faded toward the rear.
"I DID NOTHING!"
Raku called after her.
"That is also not improving!"
Then silence returned.
For approximately two breaths.
The chained prince smiled at the cubs.
"Well."
He lifted his bound hands.
The chains clinked.
"You little males have nothing to fear from me."
Miko narrowed his eyes.
The prince continued pleasantly.
"I am good."
Kael’s growl started again.
Soren’s pupils became thin.
The prince either did not notice or possessed no instinct for self-preservation.
Possibly both.
He nodded toward Swanly.
"I want your mother."
Wrong sentence.
Swanly’s eyes widened.
The prince smiled.
"So I suppose I shall take her."
Very wrong sentence.
Kael stepped forward.
The air changed instantly.
"And," the prince continued, completely unbothered, "since she clearly likes all of you, I will take you too."
Dead silence.
Kael’s face emptied.
Not anger.
Something much worse.
For one terrible second Swanly saw the old wound underneath it.
The cave.
The cubs.
Everything he had lost before.
Every time someone stronger had wanted Swanly.
Every time someone had spoken as though Kael could simply be removed from his own family.
His claws came out.
Fully.
Black fur climbed his forearms.
A vicious sound tore from his chest.
"You will take no one."
The chained prince finally looked at him properly.
Kael stepped between him and Swanly.
"You will not touch my female."
Another step.
"You will not touch my sons."
His voice dropped into something almost inhuman.
"And if you ever speak about taking them from me again..."
Swanly grabbed his arm.
"Kael."
His muscles were shaking beneath her fingers.
The prince’s amusement disappeared slightly.
Swanly understood then.
This was not ordinary jealousy.
Not entirely.
Kael had heard take her.
Then take the cubs.
And somewhere inside him, all those old fears had torn open at once.
Swanly squeezed his arm.
"I’m here."
Kael did not look away from the prince.
"I know."
His voice was rough.
Soren moved beside them.
His tail slid across the ground.
Slow.
Dangerous.
"And she remains here."
The prince glanced at Soren.
"You are the snake."
Soren smiled.
"Yes."
"Second male?"
Kael’s eye twitched.
Soren’s smile widened.
"Yes."
Miko shouted from Swanly’s arms:
"SEE?!"
Nobody asked him.
The prince looked between the two males.
Then at Swanly.
Then back at Kael.
"Hm."
He tilted his head.
"You can come too."
Kael stared.
"What?"
The prince shrugged as much as his chains allowed.
"If leaving you causes this much noise, come."
Swanly’s mouth fell open.
Raku choked.
Nerin turned away so quickly his hair swung over his face.
The Veskari female beside the prince covered her eyes.
The enormous warrior holding the chain muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a prayer for patience.
Kael looked personally insulted.
"I am not going anywhere with you."
"Then stop complaining."
A murderous snarl erupted.
"KAEL."
Swanly grabbed him with both hands now.
The prince grinned.
"I like him."
"No one cares," Soren said.
"Jealous?"
Soren’s smile vanished.
The chains around the prince suddenly looked far too weak.
Then another voice cut through the chaos.
"Will you stop humiliating us?"
Everyone turned.
A Veskari female stepped forward.
Swanly had noticed her earlier.
Now she looked properly.
She was beautiful.
Painfully so.
Nearly six feet tall.
Long pale-blue hair flowed down her back, almost silver when the light struck it.
Six translucent wings rested behind her, their veins glowing a colder violet than the others.
Dark natural armor curved over her shoulders, chest and thighs.
Her face was sharp and elegant.
Her eyes glowed a deep icy blue.
Two long antennae swept backward beside her hair.
She looked controlled.
Refined.
Nothing like the chained male.
Her gaze landed on him.
Hard.
"Must you disgrace the entire flight every time you open your mouth?"
The prince’s smile disappeared.
His nose wrinkled.
"Can you close yours?"
The female’s eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me?"
"Do not speak to your prince that way."