45. Unwanted Visitor
Aleiraah
It’s unbelievable still that Zien was sustaining himself on animal blood.
Giving up his regular stash of blood sluts.
It's been a few days since he had the seizure.
My heart still speeds up at the remembered terror.
I thought I'd lose him for good and it was petrifying.
I never truly wished for him to die. He might as well suffer as he lives.
Two days later, I offered him my blood. Zien stared with a fervent, mad yearning that made me second-guess myself, yet he didn't feed. Instead, he took my hand, pressed a soft kiss to my fingers, and rested his forehead against the back of my hand. The curious gesture left me jittery.
I withdrew to my room in a hurry with the softness of his lips lingering on my skin. It was a strange feeling seeing his clear gray eyes, after so long. All because he drank my blood. I refused to dissect the feeling further, for that way lay madness.
It had taken me a full day to recover after letting him drink his fill. Even though Azael had healed me, I still felt drowsy and tired. Shadows lingered beneath my eyes. The protein smoothies had been working their magic afterall, until I discovered the duplicity behind it.
I should’ve realized that nothing short of lust-essence could make me feel so energized. Perhaps I was living in denial. But never in my wildest dreams did it occur that I'd be served seed for breakfast. Who puts jizz in a smoothie?!
I arch my spine, the kinks in my lower back making muted popping sounds.
The pregnancy from hell is leeching away all my energy!
Guilt immediately follows that thought.
Patting my rounded belly I mumble, "It's not your fault little ones," then sigh, while looking up at the clear cerulean sky.
This constant emotional whiplash is exhausting. I resent being pregnant, then hate myself for being such a terrible mother to my unborn babies.
As if on cue, my eyes turn hot with the promise of tears. Will the hormonal opera never end?
Snow lands on my shoulder, cooing in bird-speak and rubbing her downy head against my cheek.
With a watery laugh, I point out the whisper-berry bushes.
A rare graft Alistair and I planted, these soft lavender clusters are a mix of bright purple moonberries and translucent pink whisperfruit.
I pick a few, sharing a piece with Snow before eating a bunch myself.
Instantly, a fluttery kick stirs inside my belly. For a moment, I freeze.
Did the babies like the taste?
It's weird, this alien feeling of something moving inside my tummy. Slightly uncomfortable, and a little strange. Eating a few more berries results in some more fluttery kicks.
Well, at least they have good taste!
The creamy-sweet berries taste like vanilla and fig, with a slight fizzy aftertaste. "I got the message. You all liked the whisper-berries." I pat my rounded belly.
Somewhere between me munching on the berries and praising the tiny people, Silas had crept up from behind.
"Kitten." He calls out, looking at me like I'm a mirage in a desert.
Cool as a cucumber, I side-eye him while chewing on another berry.
"Won't you look at me?" He asks, voice raw with emotion.
I thought I was the one berserking on hormones. Yet here he is offering competition.
Turning fully to face him, my brows knit at his disheveled appearance.
He seems to be barely holding it together.
His strong face is gaunt, cheekbones sharp as blades.
His thick shoulder length hair looks greasy.
Dark circles grace his eyes, the usual hazel brown flashing gold one moment, turning a dull brown next.
Canting my head, I take in how much leaner he appears and blurt out before I can stop myself.
"Are you also starving yourself like Zien? I can feel the distress of your panther."
Silas takes a step closer and the heat of his body washes over me. He is unusually warm, even for a panther shifter.
"Wait, are you running a fever?" I ask, brows dipping further, and place the back of my palm against his forehead instinctively.
Silas’s eyes widen in shock, then slowly droop. He lets out a deep purr, skin burning hot to the touch.
"What the fuck, Silas? Are you all on a mission to destroy yourselves?"
"Nothing makes sense without you, Kitten.
" Silas whispers in pain, and I yank my hand away.
He follows the movement, pressing his burning face into the crook of my neck with a moan of combined ecstasy and agony.
I stay frozen, paralyzed by indecision. Snow watches from a safe distance, perched on a branch nearby.
"Silas?" I whisper warily. The memory of his sharp fangs wreaking havoc on my senses.
"Please, Kitten. Let me just hold you for a bit. I'm sorry. I can't—" His voice breaks and I feel wetness against my neck as his hunched shoulders start shaking. His big frame curls protectively around me, but there's a fragile quality to it.
"What happened to your panther? Why is he so agitated?" I enquire quietly, placing a hand on his wide back. A full body shudder courses through him as he gathers me close, letting out a quiet pained moan.
"He doesn't deserve to see the light of the day. I've banished him behind bars." He mutters into my skin.
"What?" I tug at his hair to stare into his eyes that look greener. There's a manic light in them that wasn't there before.
"After what he did, he deserves worse. I'll never let him out again! You are safe, Kitten. He'll never hurt you again. I’ll never hurt you again. I've made sure of it!"
His impassioned speech leaves me speechless. A warning tolls inside my head that something is terribly wrong with Silas.
"What have you done?" I demand, worried for his sanity and health. He doesn't meet my eyes.
"Silas, I asked what have you done? You do know I'm pregnant, possibly with your child right? Now is not the time to make rash decisions and stress me out!" I almost bark.
His eyes widen comically as he stutters out his reply "N-No! No! I'll never do that! I want to be there for the cubs! I will be if you allow me. I just did what I had to do so I never hurt you again." His face crumples at the last bit and a sob escapes his throat.
"I'm so sorry, Kitten. I’m so, so sorry I hurt you.
I can never make up for it, I know. The memory of that night plagues my every waking moment, until I can't breathe.” He whimpers brokenly.
“I've tried to give you space, but I can't live without you.
I'll be a good father to our cubs! I'll not pitch them to fight for the Nightgleam pack's succession like my father did.
I'll support you in whichever way you like.
I'll be your slave for eternity! Please Kitten, don't abandon me.
I love you so much." His words tumble out one after another as he visibly starts shaking.
His eyes flashing to gold intermittently.
My heart twists painfully in my chest, seeing him so wrecked.
"Hey..hey..look at me." I take his face into my hands and force him to meet my gaze. "Tell me what you did, Silas."
He shakes his head as tears run down his flushed cheeks.
"He went and got a potion from a dark witch. Made his dick dysfunctional!" An annoyingly shrill voice calls out from behind him.
Silas instantly turns rigid. A threatening growl escapes him. His lips curl away, flashing his long canines. I take an involuntary step back as he whips around and shields me from whoever it is.
I lean sideways, irritated, and catch sight of the pantheress bitch from Nightgleam pack––Sierra.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Silas growls menacingly.
"Silas, you've been neglecting the pack! How could you allow absolute nobodies to fight for the position of the heir?"
Wait, what? Silas has put his precious pack's succession up for a trial?
"That's Alpha Silas to you. And it's none of your fucking business." He barks at her and Sierra flinches like she’s been slapped.
Hmm..alpha command packing a punch.
She's standing just beyond the wards that Azael and Alistair maintain meticulously around the mansion grounds.
She's in skin tight leather breeches and a tube top that shows her ample breasts.
There's a calculative gleam in her eyes that becomes more pronounced as she changes her tactics and adopts a more coy, breathy tone.
"I could still give you an heir, Alpha. I still remember your touch intimately.
We came so well together. You want me, I know.
" She runs a fluttery hand down her torso and thrusts out her melon-tits for maximum effect, and I have this sudden urge to stab them with a hot-poker. They'll probably go…foooossss.
My mental snicker comes to an abrupt halt as Silas shouts, "Silence, bitch!" His entire body vibrates with rage. "I've never touched you like that! I don't want you. I even locked myself up during past Veilmoons to avoid the likes of you."
This is news to me. A sliver of doubt enters my mind but one look at Silas's violent face clears it away. He seems beyond furious at this bitch's audacity. But the cunt unfortunately continues to spout shit.
"But you adore me. I know it. The pack elders agree that I’m the one for you.
Not this succubus bitch! If it weren't for her, we'd already have our litter of strong panthers.
" She sneers, casting me a baleful look, standing akimbo.
My horns itch to be unleashed. I contemplate ramming them into her face and gouging out her covetous eyes set on Silas.
"I'll fucking gut you, Sierra! Shut your fucking mouth!" Silas yells, the cords of his neck stand out from the strain.
He whips around, frantically grabbing my arms. "Don't listen to her, Kitten! I never touched her like that. I swear she's lying, please believe me."
Then drops to his knees looking up at me with wild eyes. "Believe me, Kitten! I'm sorry I ever even considered sleeping with that vile bitch for the pack's sake. I don't care for anything else but you."