Chapter 50: 50: I Can Smell It
"There was someone else with you," Cassian continued. He took a step closer towards me, grabbing my upper arm.
I hissed in pain. "Don’t touch me!" I yelled, trying to struggle free, but his grip was strong, and I found it impossible to break free, no matter how hard I struggled against it.
"I saw it," Cassian growled. I stiffened slightly at his words, trying hard not to show my panic. "There was another figure with you. His scent is everywhere."
"There was no one else other than the rogues," I calmly replied. "There had to be a dozen of them. I stabbed one, and they got scared." I gestured to the silver knife a short distance away.
Cassian’s eyes slowly moved towards the silver blade, narrowing slightly as he examined the blood on it. It was true. I had managed to get the rogues, although that wasn’t the reason why they retreated. As long as Cassian didn’t examine the bodies that littered the forest floor, he wouldn’t realize that I was lying.
Frankly, I also assumed that Cassian wouldn’t be detailed enough to care. I prayed that he wouldn’t check.
"That’s not it," he muttered under his breath. For some reason, his voice was thick with emotion. He was wary and almost afraid. It made me do a double-take.
Cassian Hadeon? Afraid? That was something you don’t see every day. There were very few things that the triplet Alphas of the Shadowclaw Pack feared. It couldn’t be the rogues, considering they so bravely charged to the front when they attacked a month ago.
Also, I wasn’t so self-absorbed to think that they were afraid of losing me either. Or at least, out of the three brothers, Cassian wouldn’t be the one to fear that. He was probably the one who wanted me dead the most, second only to Violet.
Cassian continued to sniff the air, and the look on his face only darkened further.
"You smell different," he commented, frowning.
He looked more confused than angry, his head tilted to one side. His eyebrows were tightly knitted together, deep in thought. Then, his eyes suddenly widened dramatically as his lips fell apart. His eyes slowly trailed down to my stomach as his mouth gaped like a fish out of water.
I felt my spine turn frosty in dread.
"You’re pregnant," he stated. It was not a question― Cassian sounded very sure of that. In fact, he made it seem like a fact that he knew very well was true.
"Huh?" I said, frowning.
I had to play dumb. I could still remember the way Cassian reacted when he found Rowan and I, tumbling in the sheets. He was so disgusted by it, and I could only imagine the way he would react if he realized that my pregnancy was a result of that copulation.
I may have survived the rogues, but I sure as hell wouldn’t be surviving my fated mate.
"What gave you that ridiculous idea?" I asked, sneering.
"You’re not denying it," Cassian pointed out, his expression darkening even further, if that was even possible.
"Because it’s so stupid! I can’t believe we’re having this conversation right now!" I spat back, wiggling as I tried to get out of his hold. However, he held us both very still, and there was no way out of our current awkward position.
"I find it entirely possible," Cassian retorted. "You smell different. You’re obviously carrying pups right now."
"Why would I be pregnant?" I rolled my eyes. "That would mean―"
"Who is the father?" Cassian growled, cutting me off mid-sentence.
Now, I was truly gobsmacked. I had not expected those words to spill forth from his mouth. Then, I felt my throat go dry. Unless... Cassian somehow knew about what happened between Soren and I?
After all, the only time Cassian had caught me was with Rowan. As far as he knew, that should’ve been the only chance for me to be impregnated. Otherwise, I had no other bodily relations, and there wouldn’t be a second candidate as the baby’s father in Cassian’s point of view.
He watched me carefully, and when I stayed silent, his anger seemed to rise. He sneered, his eyes darting over to glance at the treeline before glancing back at me.
"Was it that man you were meeting just now?" he asked. "Did you fuck him?"
I blinked once. Then twice. Then, an uncontrollable need to laugh just bubbled up in my throat. I couldn’t stop myself, and before long, I was guffawing right in Cassian’s face.
I laughed so hard that my stomach even began to hurt. However, Cassian was not finding the same sort of humor as I did. He clenched his jaw, watching as I laughed.
"Are you actually being serious?" I asked, shaking my head. Tears had formed in my eyes just from how hard I was laughing. It was the greatest joke I had heard throughout my life.
"It’s entirely possible," Cassian barked. "I can smell his scent all over you! It’s another male."
"It’s not possible!" I exclaimed. "Do you even realize how hard you, your brothers, and your precious Violet have worked me over the past month? Did you really think I have the time to go out, prancing about with another man?"
"It could’ve been before that," Cassian rebutted. "Why are you laughing? How dare you!"
"Because!" I yelled, "You’re being absolutely ridiculous! That would have to have been before I found out you’re my fated mates! Unlike you three, I do not find it fun to cheat on my fated mate, especially when the Moon Goddess has been so kind as to let me find them so early in my life."
"Don’t act innocent with me!" Cassian’s face was practically purple with rage. "Who’s to know if you’ve had any relations with another male before you found us―"
I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I managed to raise the hand that Cassian wasn’t holding onto, and before he could react, I slapped him hard across his face.
