Free Web NovelChapter 24: Episode 024: SO we could name him.
"Ouch ouch! That actually hurts!"
She gasped, pressing her thumb hard over the open wound.
Bright red blood welled up from the jagged slice on her palm. It dripped off her skin and hit the wet stone steps of the courtyard. The metallic scent of her blood instantly filled the damp air. To a normal human, it was just blood. To the apex predators in the yard, it was incredibly sweet, highly potent, and completely maddening. frёewebηovel.cѳm
The roaring stopped instantly.
Rue looked up. The massive black snake and the giant black panther were no longer trying to rip each other’s throats out. They had both frozen mid-strike. They slowly turned their heads toward her. Both pairs of eyes—Caius’s and Knox’s, were glowing a violent, terrifying red.
Oops, Rue thought flashing a smile at them. Miscalculated.
Knox was the first to react. The panther completely dropped his hold on the snake and made a blind, frantic run straight for her. The sudden scent of her blood had completely short-circuited his brain. He wasn’t thinking like a King anymore; he was acting on pure, unrestrained instinct.
Rue squeezed her pink eyes shut. She clamped down hard on her runaway emotions, trying her absolute best to dull any fear that would leak out into the air. Fear only provoked beasts.
A massive, sickening crash shook the stone steps.
Rue opened her eyes. Knox didn’t reach her.
Caius stood directly in front of her in his human form. He was breathing heavily. Knox was sprawled out cold on the grass ten feet away. The Left General of the Swamps had intercepted the panther and hit him with a single blow to the jaw, knocking him out completely.
Caius didn’t even look at the unconscious panther. He dropped to his knees right in front of Rue. He grabbed her bleeding hand, pressing his own large, warm palm firmly against the cut to stop the bleeding.
"Are you mad?!" Caius shouted.
His bare chest was heaving. His golden eyes were wide with pure, unfiltered panic and worry. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack right there on the steps.
Rue flinched. The loud noise rattled her completely exhausted brain. Her hormones, which were already a total mess from giving birth, decided to take the wheel. Her face scrunched down. Her lower lip wobbled.
"Don’t shout at me..." Rue whispered.
Then, she started crying. Big, fat, miserable tears rolled rapidly down her pale cheeks.
Caius panicked immediately. He dropped his angry general act in half a second.
"I’m sorry," Caius begged, his voice cracking as he held her hand. "I didn’t mean to yell. Please don’t cry, little bunny."
His frantic apology only made things worse. The crying intensified into heavy, loud sobs. She was tired, she was bleeding, and she just wanted to sit down.
The scene shifted back into the dark stone bedroom.
Minx had quietly left them alone, closing the heavy wooden door behind her to give them absolute privacy. The room was quiet, lit only by a few flickering candles that cast long shadows against the walls.
Rue lay back against the thick animal pelts on the bed. Her little boy was tucked safely against her side, happily feeding again. He made tiny, soft clicking noises.
Caius sat on the very edge of the mattress. He was incredibly focused. He held a small, clean white cloth and carefully wrapped it around her injured palm. He treated her small hand like it was made of the most fragile glass in the entire Beastworld.
Rue just stared at his face. She watched the sharp line of his jaw, the straight slope of his nose, and the dark circles sitting heavily under his golden eyes. freeweɓnovel.cøm
Why does he look paler than before? Rue wondered in her mind. He is still incredibly handsome though. But why didn’t he come for me sooner? I missed him.
She shifted slightly. The baby cooed against her chest.
Does this mean he isn’t mad at me anymore? she continued to ask herself, safely hiding behind her flat expression. Does he just want to take his son and go?
Because I absolutely won’t let him.
I will bite him if he tries to take my baby.
Caius choked loudly. He actually coughed, a harsh, painful sound that rattled his chest. He almost coughed out blood from the sheer, overwhelming onslaught of her internal thoughts. He couldn’t handle the guilt radiating from her mind.
He dropped the edge of the cloth. He looked at her with wide, highly distressed eyes.
"I’m so sorry," Caius blurted out. He looked like he was about to cry himself. "I would never take him and leave you. Never."
Rue blinked. What is he on about?
Caius didn’t stop talking. The words tumbled out of his mouth in a frantic rush. He told her exactly what happened that rainy day. He explained how Queen Tanith summoned him to the borders. He described the mutated hyenas attacking the guards.
"I told myself one hour," Caius explained, his voice thick with heavy, crushing guilt. "I thought I could finish the slaughter in exactly one hour and come straight back to the cabin. But they cornered me. I got injured."
He pointed a shaking finger to his side.
Rue looked down. She finally noticed the mark on his lower ribs. It was evident that it was a bloody wound
"You got hurt?" Rue asked. Her voice hitched in her throat.
A fresh wave of worry hit her stomach. Her pink eyes filled with water all over again. He was bleeding. He fought an army of hyenas, got bitten, tracked her all the way to the Nightwhisper Jungle, and then fought a giant panther in the rain—all with a gaping, untreated wound on his side.
"I’m fine," Caius quickly promised. He reached out with his uninjured hand and gently wiped a fresh tear from her cheek. "It’s already healing. Please don’t cry again. My heart genuinely cannot take it."
Rue sniffled loudly. She leaned her face into his warm palm. The rough texture of his skin felt incredibly grounding.
Caius took a deep, shaky breath. He looked down at the tiny bundle resting against Rue’s chest. His golden eyes softened completely. The fierce, bloodthirsty beast vanished entirely, replaced by a father looking at his child for the very first time.
"Can I hold him?" Caius asked softly.
Rue beamed at him. A bright, genuine smile lit up her entire face, wiping away the exhaustion. She carefully shifted the soft silk wrapping and pulled the baby away from her body.
"He took your eyes," Rue proudly whispered. "He’s so cute."
That warm, fuzzy feeling she felt earlier returned in full force. It settled directly into the center of her chest, making it hard to breathe. She carefully handed the tiny infant over to Caius’s massive, waiting hands.
Caius held the baby like he was holding the entire universe. He was completely entranced. He stared down at the small, sleeping face. To Caius, the boy didn’t look like a snake. He looked exactly like Rue. The boy had her bright silver-white hair, her incredibly soft nose, and her small, delicate features.
"He’s perfect," Caius breathed out. He gently brushed a single, large finger against the baby’s head. The baby shifted, letting out a soft, sleepy sigh.
Caius looked up from his son and met Rue’s eyes.
"Have you given him a name?" Caius asked.
Rue shook her head. Her silver hair fell over her shoulders in messy waves.
She shifted closer on the stone bed. She leaned her tired head heavily against Caius’s solid, warm shoulder. It was the safest she had felt in ten days. The damp smell of the swamp and his familiar heat enveloped her completely.
"I was waiting for you," Rue said softly. "So we could name him together."
