103

103
Emma 

Looking up at him, I push a strand of my hair behind my ear. “You bought them for Corvina, didn’t you?” 

I hate how my stomach churns as he looks at Ace and cuts me out of whatever conversation they are having. 

But even more, I hate how I flinch as he bends down, grabbing me by my arm to pull me onto my feet. 

“Don’t kneel like this,” he murmurs as if we weren’t in the middle of a conversation. “It is bad for the pup.” 

Bullshit. 

He pulls me away from the bags, and I don’t like the look in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t apologise. Just take care of yourself. Don’t strain yourself,” he reprimands me, and I nod, biting back my sassy retort as something feels awfully off. 

Ace shifts on his feet, reopening the door, and I hate how I take an actual breath of relief. “Come on, Aintín must be waiting already.” 

As we arrive in the dining room, we find Corvina setting up the table, and after helping her finish preparing everything for a cosy dinner, we sit down to eat. 

My stomach rumbles, and I dig in happily, listening to my mates telling Corvina everything that happened. She is elated and shocked at the same time, gasping several times as Kai recounts everything Morganna told us. 

Well, not everything as he wants Alpha Cayden to be the first to know that his late brother planted genes when he was still in the womb. 

“Oh, and we got you something,” Kai says with a broad smile, and my heart flips happily just until he puts the glasses onto the table, causing it to drop to my stomach. 

“This is amazing!” Corvina squeals excitedly, clapping her hands. “You are the best.” 

I force up a smile, tearing my eyes from the flasks, containing two of the three souleaters he bought at the witchy black market. 

Their words drown into nothingness as I lift my eyes to see if Ace is reacting to this as well, but also find him vibing to the nonchalance his brother is unfolding. 

Laying my hands onto my belly automatically, I gulp and my gaze drops to my plate, the food suddenly tasting sour. 

I can’t help but feel bad, my thoughts spiralling into a pitch-dark pit. 

“Emma.” 

I jump, Corvina’s gentle voice preventing me from getting sucked in too deep. 

“Yes? Sorry, I got lost in my own thoughts.” I lower my gaze onto my half-eaten food, bile rising in my throat as I think that I need to continue eating. 

I can’t stop eating just like my Luna did. 

I’m not that strong-willed. 

Even if it’s for my pup. 

Looking up at Kai, who is glaring at me, my panic just rises, constricting my throat completely. 

I know that Artemisia had a lot of trouble at that, too, and was only able to be that strong-willed because she had her mates. 

Well, not counting the one that totally played her. 

“Are you okay?” Corvina pushes further, and I force up a smile, squirming in my seat. 

For a moment, I think about holding my mouth shut, but then another plan materialises in my mind. 

Wanting to put something to the test. 

“Sure. Why shouldn’t I?” I smile brighter. “I just thought that we bought three souleaters, and there are just two of them.” 

Kai clenches his jaw, and I squint my eyes at him while Corvina looks at the two glasses and then at my mates, confused. “Oh, I didn’t drop one, did I?” 

“No, there were just two,” Ace chuckles. “I might have had one in my hands as Kai bought these for you, but I put it back.” 

Liar. 

I bite my tongue, keeping my jaw from dropping to the floor. “That might be it. Sorry for the confusion,” I say with a sarcastic tone, lowering my head back to look at my plate, poking at my food. 

Kai returns to his usual self, and I excuse myself to go to the bathroom, hearing them getting back to their conversation as if nothing happened. 

Instead of going to the bathroom, I slip into the guest bedroom and hurry to the bags. 

Rummaging through all of them, I am convinced that I’m going crazy. I search the bags again, but can’t find any other flask or container that would hold the third souleater. Sitting on my heels, I take a deep breath. 

These are all our bags, aren’t they? 

Looking around, my heart halts in my chest as I spot Kai standing in the doorway, leaning against its frame. “Looking for something, my love?” 

“Yeah, I was a little bit cold and was looking for my navy-blue cardigan. The one with the big black buttons. Did you see it?” I sigh theatrically, wiping my palms on my long dress. “Maybe I didn’t bring it.” 

In the blink of an eye, he stands next to me, pulling me back to my feet. “Why don’t you listen to me?” he mutters under his breath, bending down to pull out a piece of clothing. “Why don’t you wear that? If you can find the other?” 

He holds it out for me, and I smile at him, gliding into it. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome, my love.” 

As soon as I slip into the cardigan, and want to turn around, he pulls at the fabric, making me gasp as I fall back against him. “Such a bad liar,” he whispers against my ear, kissing the spot beneath it. 

“Kai, I…” I start, but as I have finally managed to get out of his hold and turn around, he has already disappeared. 

Letting the soft fabric go, my shoulders slump, and I sigh exhaustedly. 

This is too much for me. 

By the time I return to the table, I feel awfully uncomfortable. 

Also, because I am sweating my ass off, as I wasn’t feeling cold at all. 

I force down as much food as I can without throwing up onto the table, and I can’t get up fast enough as we start clearing the table. 

As my mates are still arguing about something silly in the dining room, I offer my help to wash the dishes, rejecting Corvina’s worries with the good old ‘I’m pregnant, not sick’, and finally she gives in, letting me stay in the kitchen with her. 

We engage in silly small talk, my heart feeling lighter as she manages to get my mind off my depressing thoughts. 

“Corvina,” I finally whisper, gulping down the lump blocking my throat. 

“Yes, honey,” she answers, interrupting her humming as she is drying a plate. 

I clear my throat, tapping my fingers against the surface of the counter as I step closer to her, lowering the tone of my voice even more. “Could you check me? If I have a souleater in me, I mean.” 

Her eyes widen, her pupils jumping back and forth between me and the door. 

I can see how her thoughts run wildly, and she fights against the urge to ask if something happens. 

And I'm thankful that she doesn't. 

“Of course, my dear,” she lifts her head, touching my neck, and starts whispering something I can’t understand over and over again. 

An invisible force streams through me, wrapping itself around my chest. It tightens around my heart, making me feel as if my air supply is being cut off. 

The voices in the other room die, and suddenly, Kai and Ace are standing in the doorway, looking at us with fully black eyes. “What are you doing?” Kai’s voice seems strangely unfamiliar, and still I’m a hundred per cent sure that it’s his. 

“Just a protection spell for the baby,” Corvina says calmly. “Please don’t interrupt.” 

I take a shaky breath, keeping my eyes on her as she continues to whisper, searching my body for the parasite that could infest my wolf spirit and mimic her to isolate me from her and her powers. 

“Done,” Corvina announces, lowering her voice as she caresses my cheek with her thumb. “It’s all good.” 

“Perfect, then,” Kai’s voice gets me to look at him, just in time to see his eyes return to their normal colour. 

Protective or controlling? 

A small voice resounds in my mind, making me gulp before I fight up another smile. 

I can’t wait to have my wolf back.