Alpha Ember (ALPHA KANE BOOK 2)

39. Who's Pregnant?

Ember

"I'm p-pregnant?" I stammered.

"You're pregnant?" Arius asked.

Kane backed away to glare at the runaway fae- who regarded Kane with a similar hostility. Except it was a whole lot more feral on Arius' part. In fact, it wasn't just his expression that appeared more feral, there was something additionally wild about the man himself. Arius' absence the past week had led me to assume he'd been by the beach getting a tan and sipping a cocktail, the mess he'd left behind for us long since forgotten- but he looked far worse than the night he'd left me to deal with an angry Kane. Sure, his clothes were still impeccably white and his demeanor cool as ever, yet there was a visible loss to him, a more human quality he hadn't possessed before. It could be the visible exhaustion, or the fact that he'd lost weight. His cheekbones hadn't been that prominent before, his tan face not that lined with fatigue.

A haggard appearance due to guilt?

"If he lacks the brains to see how much of an honor it is to have your child, he doesn't deserve you," Arius said. "I shall take care of you."

Kane growled. "Back off."

Arius arched a brow. "Now you get territorial? You were quite lost earlier when Ember was being affectionate."

"I wasn't lost, I was confused," Kane snarled. "She's a shy person but it was apparent she was forcing herself to do things she wouldn't normally do."

The smile that touched Arius' lips was mocking. "She has to force herself to be affectionate with you?"

"Okay, okay, that's enough," I interrupted when the scent of murder became heavier than the fragrance of the nearby roses. "I'm not pregnant."

"You're not?" Kane asked.

"I'm not," I confirmed.

"She could just be saying that so she won't have to be tethered to you so soon," Arius observed.

I fought the urge to pick up a garden statue and throw it at him. "Stirring up trouble for me once wasn't enough but you pick it up again the moment you show up?"

"I'm merely pointing out that you can do better than him," Arius replied briskly. "As for the reason behind my absence, I've been gathering allies to help us defeat Light."

"You mean minions who will help you acquire the Autumn Lord's throne?" Kane inquired.

"You have a nasty way of putting things. No wonder Ember finds it painful to be nice to you."

I'm not proud of what happened next. I mean, I thought I was getting better at reading people but it's been a while since I've witnessed a werewolf erupt in a rage.

And that's precisely what Kane did.

Dirt kicked up, spraying where his heels pushed against the soil. Like an enraged bull goaded by a red flag, Kane slammed into Arius with a roar. They rolled in the grass, fists flying and sharp teeth bared, growling like wild animals. Curses decorated the air, almost as violent as the blows they exchanged.

"I've had enough of your crap," Kane said, grabbing Arius by his white collar and flinging him into a nearby statue. The statue collapsed on impact, its ugly head breaking in half. Unaffected by the blow, Arius got up right away, picked up one of the statue halves and threw it at Kane. While Kane was busy evading the chunk of stone, Arius closed in, unsheathing a sword I hadn't seen earlier. Releasing another colorful curse, he swung the blade upwards with a swift flash of steel.