Chapter 185: Episode 184: You can hear my thoughts?

“I want to be your mate.”

Onyx immediately answers without thinking twice.

The heavy words hung in the quiet living room. He didn’t blink. He didn’t look away. His icy silver eyes burned with raw honesty. He stared at her like a starving man staring at a warm meal.

Axel let out a loud bark of laughter. The other white wolf leaned back in his wooden chair, highly amused by his twin’s sudden lack of pride.

Rue felt a massive wave of heat rush straight up her neck. Her cheeks burned bright red. She didn’t expect him to just say it like that. She expected him to grumble. She expected him to argue and fight his feelings a little longer. She held little Seika tight against her chest. She couldn’t handle the intense, burning stare anymore. She stood up fast, turning her back on the two wolves.

“I need to put her down for a nap,” Rue mumbled.

She hurried down the dark hallway. She hid in the nursery until her face finally stopped burning.

The next day started rough.

Rue woke up in the big circular bed. The morning sun peeked through the high window, casting bright squares of light on the stone floor. The thick gray blankets felt way too heavy. She tried to sit up, but the room spun in a slow, dizzy circle. Her stomach churned with a nasty wave of nausea. She pressed a hand to her mouth, taking a slow, shaky breath. She felt awful. A sharp headache pounded right behind her eyes.

She dragged herself out of bed. The cool stone floor felt nice against her bare feet. She tied her soft green cotton dress and stumbled out of the room. She needed to check on the babies. She needed some hot fruit tea. That always helped her upset stomach.

She walked into the nursery first. The room was empty. The wooden crib was neatly made. Someone already woke the kids up and took them out to the main hall.

Rue let out a tired sigh. She walked down the hallway and stepped into the living room.

The house was loud and busy. Knox sat on the woven rug, building a tall tower out of wooden blocks with Theron. Mochi chased a small woven ball around the heavy oak dining table. Drax stood near the blazing hearth, feeding dry logs into the roaring fire. Onyx lay on the couch, resting his bandaged ribs. Caius stood near the kitchen counter, chopping up a large slab of cured meat for breakfast.

Rue walked into the kitchen. She leaned heavily against the wooden counter.

My stomach hurts so much, she thought to herself.

She closed her pink eyes. She felt like throwing up. Her whole body felt weak and heavy.

Then, the smell of the cured meat hit her nose. It was a strong, salty, greasy smell. On a normal day, it made her mouth water. Today, it made her gag.

That meat smells terrible. Please take it away. I’m going to be sick, Rue complained in her own mind.

Caius suddenly stopped chopping. The cold Serpent Alpha didn’t ask a single question. He grabbed the heavy wooden cutting board and tossed the expensive cured meat straight out the open kitchen window into the dirt. He walked over to the clay basin and washed the smell off his pale hands immediately.

Rue opened her eyes. She stared at the open window. That was weird. Caius never wasted food.

I just want to go back to bed, Rue kept thinking. She rubbed her sore temples with her fingers. My head is pounding. I really don’t want to do any chores today. I don’t even want to sweep the floors.

“You don’t have to do any chores,” Drax rumbled from the living room.

Rue jumped. She looked at the Dragon King. He didn’t even turn his head. He just kept stacking firewood. She frowned deeply. Did she say that out loud? She didn’t think her lips moved. She must have mumbled it without realizing.

She watched Caius walk over to the herb shelf. He grabbed some dried mint leaves. He crushed the mint into a clay cup and poured hot water over them. He slid the steaming tea right into her hands.

“Drink this. It will settle your nausea,” Caius instructed smoothly.

Rue blinked. How did he know I was nauseous? I didn’t tell anyone.

Maybe I look pale, she reasoned in her head. She knew Caius was very observant. He always noticed small details about everyone’s health.

She took a slow sip of the mint tea. The warm liquid felt nice, but the pounding in her head just got worse. The toddlers were being very loud. Theron shrieked as his wooden tower fell over with a massive crash. Mochi giggled loudly, tackling Knox’s thick leg. The high-pitched sounds felt like sharp needles poking her sensitive brain.

They are so loud. My head is going to split in half. I just want it to be quiet for five minutes, Rue whined in her mind.

Knox reached out instantly. He grabbed both toddlers and pulled them to his broad chest.

“Okay cubs, time to go outside,” the giant panther announced. He didn’t yell. His deep voice was unusually soft. “We’re going to play in the dirt so your mother can have some quiet time.”

Theron didn’t argue. Knox carried the kids right out the front door, shutting the heavy wood gently behind him.

The house fell dead silent.

Rue stared at the heavy front door. Her heart beat a little faster. This was getting very weird. Every single thing she wanted just happened instantly. It felt like strange magic. But the magical system was still quiet. The glowing blue screens weren’t flashing in front of her face.

She took another sip of her tea. The warm mint slowly settled her rolling stomach. She felt a little better. She looked out into the living room.

Onyx watched her from his soft pillows on the couch. The white wolf looked much better today. The sickly gray color was gone from his bruised face.

He looks less pale today. I wonder if his ribs still hurt, Rue thought.

Onyx shifted on the cushions. “They sting a little bit, but Caius gave me good medicine.”

Rue choked on her hot tea.

She coughed hard, setting the clay cup down on the wooden counter with a loud clatter. She stared at the wolf. Her pink eyes went wide with absolute shock.

She definitely didn’t say that out loud. She kept her mouth shut the whole time. She was drinking her tea.

Wait. Did he just answer my thought?

“Yes,” Axel called out from the hallway.

The other white wolf walked into the living room, carrying a fresh pile of firewood. He offered her a bright, smug smile.

Rue felt her hands start to shake. The blood drained right out of her face. She looked at Drax. The Dragon King stood by the hearth, watching her with a soft, amused expression. She looked at Caius. The snake warlord just took a slow sip from his own cup, looking perfectly calm. She looked at Onyx. The moody wolf offered a tiny, shy shrug.

This couldn’t be real.

She decided to test it. She squeezed her eyes shut. She focused all her energy into her mind.

If you can hear me, someone tap the table twice.

Tap. Tap.

Rue’s eyes snapped open. Caius stood right next to her, his pale knuckles resting on the wooden counter. He just knocked twice.

She took a huge step backward. She bumped right into the cold stone wall.

They can hear me? Rue panicked in her mind. Every single thought? Oh my god. What did I think about earlier? Did I think about something embarrassing? This is awful. Get out of my head!

Drax let out a low, rumbling chuckle. The deep sound vibrated across the stone floor.

“Don’t panic, little rabbit,” Drax said out loud. He walked over to the kitchen archway. “The bond just settled deep into your blood last night. You accepted Onyx. The pack is full now. Our minds are connected. It is a natural part of a strong mate bond.”

Rue grabbed the edge of the wooden counter. She felt dizzy again, and this time it wasn’t from the morning sickness. Her private thoughts weren’t private anymore. They heard her complain about her headache. They heard her worry about bad meat. They heard every single secret thing floating around in her brain.

She remembered looking at Axel’s chest yesterday. She remembered thinking about Drax’s strong hands. She remembered thinking about Onyx’s intense eyes.

Did they hear that too?

Axel’s bright blue eyes flashed with pure mischief. “We hear everything, sweet rabbit.”

Rue wanted the stone floor to open up and swallow her whole. She felt so exposed. She lived her whole life keeping her thoughts locked away in a safe little box. She liked having secrets. Now, four giant warlords had the key. They could hear her anytime they wanted.

She looked at the four massive men staring at her.

“You can hear my thoughts?”