Hidden Gem - Beasts of Beauty Series - Book 4

Chapter 14

The sound of loud, happy chatter greets my ears as we round the corner into the dining hall. The sight of my sister and ten wolves crowding the room is enough to make my heart race with anxiety. I notice the Gammas and Lena are missing from the group, but my attention is drawn to Amethyst and Celeste talking animatedly as they fawn over my sister's neck.

More specifically, the giant, painful looking mark that adorns it.

My eyes widen and I instantly leave Zakreus's side to take a closer look.

"It looks different than others did," Celeste is saying, squinting her eyes at the puffy red scabs. "You said he did it yesterday?"

"Yeah," Amethyst shrugs nonchalantly, throwing me a wide grin. "It was only last night. Why would it be healed already?"

"Lena's was fully healed after a couple hours," Celeste informs us both. "How much time does it take you guys to heal from other injuries?"

"The normal amount?" I question her.

"No, I mean like if I were to accidentally get a cut that isn't too deep, I would heal within a couple hours and there wouldn't even be a scar," Celeste explains. "Do fairies heal slower than that?"

I think back to the last time I cut my hand on some fighting equipment. My mother bandaged it up and it was healed over within three days, but there was a mark for about a week. I tell Celeste this and agree that our bodies must function differently.

"I wonder what else is different," she ponders. "You guys get pregnant by having sex, right?"

"Gods Celeste," someone chastises from behind me. "Of course that's what you first think of."

"It's important to know, Walker," Celeste defends herself as her brother comes up to stand next to me. "Amethyst could be pregnant right now!"

I nearly choke on my own spit as I assure them, "Amethyst is not pregnant."

I guess I don't know how it works for wolves, but female fairies can only get pregnant on certain days and our bodies tell us when. It's not always exact, but about every three weeks watery discharge will leak out of the lady bits for a few days. That's when Newt and I would always avoid having sex.

As far as I know, male fairies don't have a cycle and are always just locked and loaded.

"How do you know when you're fertile and when you're not?" Celeste asks in disbelief.

"Seriously, Celeste, back off," Walker says with a chuckle. I glance around the room and notice Zakreus standing with Damascus and Bestian. He doesn't seem to be listening to the brothers, though, but rather to the conversation taking place over here.

Good gods.

"No, I'm curious," Celeste argues. "This is fascinating. Is it only like one day?"

"Normally it's two or three days," Amethyst answers her. "And our bodies will tell us, but I'm not getting into the details." I notice her glance towards Damascus and I bet she's noticing he is keeping an ear on our conversation just like my mate is.

Taking a closer look at my sister's face for the first time, I notice an oddly shaped freckle on her cheek that certainly wasn't there before and I make a note to ask her about it later.

"Lucky," Celeste mutters, bringing me back to the conversation at hand. "Wolves are always fertile all the time. If we don't want to get pregnant we need to drink a special tea or wrap the guy's-"

"I think I'm going to get some food, now," Amethyst cuts Celeste off with a laugh. "Mal, come with me."

She grabs my hand, dragging me over to a wall far away from everyone else where there is a large table set up with food for us to grab as we please. I notice the four elders huddled together, picking at plates of food as they discuss whatever serious matters are causing their brows to be scrunched together.