’Why couldn’t I push him harder? It’s not like he’s hugging that tightly.’ Lethia lowered her gaze, unable to keep staring into Zeran’s annoyingly stunning eyes.
"And why is that? Can’t you just tell without..." Lethia swallowed hard, trying to juggle her racing heartbeat and the words she wanted to say.
"I need to be in this position so you can feel it. Isn’t it strange how your body betrays your intention to break free from my grip?"
’How did he know? And how could I even push this beast? A wolfless like is obviously weaker than him. Has his common sense died or what?’ She couldn’t say it out loud.
No, more precisely, she couldn’t defy him. The words jamd in her throat, like back when her father caught her trying to skip class in high school.
"Just tell , then." Her gaze still lowered, and that’s when she noticed one of his hands was resting on her belly. She hadn’t even realised when it got there.
"It turns out my sperm got swapped with whoever’s was ant to be used in your IVF process. So whoever you think is the father of your baby... is wrong. I’m the one."
Lethia’s eyes flew wide. His words struck her like a bolt to the spine, jolting every nerve and making her heartbeat thunder against her ribs.
Her fingers fidgeted, and when she looked up at Zeran’s face, she found no trace of humour in his expression.
"Lie... No... What—"
"You might be wolfless and unable to telepath with your pup. But I can. And more than that... your body knows it. Am I wrong?"
Lethia was still speechless, baffled by the news she’d just received. She could only catch bits and pieces of Zeran’s explanation—his voice sounded distant, almost muffled—as he tried to explain how the sperm could’ve been swapped in the first place.
From his long-winded explanation, the only thing that stuck in her mind was, soone had tried to use Zeran’s sperm illegally, and it had ended up being used in her procedure by mistake. And he was still trying to figure out who was behind the switch.
Zeran ended his explanation by telling her that tomorrow, they would do the parental genetic test, so she could be sure that the pup inside her was his too.
Lethia let out a dry, mocking chuckle. "And how about the one who stabbed ? Found them yet?"
Zeran went silent. "Not yet. We’re still working on that."
"You can’t even find all of them. So why the hell should I trust you?" She threw the words like daggers, her gaze sharp in agony.
"I don’t recall saying I need your trust." His tone was flat, cold.
"And you must be mistaken if you think I give a damn whether you trust or not. I only need you to do what I say. And you will do it."
Zeran released her from his arms, shifted her gently, and stood up. "Your pup’s cald down now. I’ve shared so of my energy bond with it. You can stop taking the dication. Just co to instead. It’ll be faster... and safer."
"You don’t get to dictate to like that!" Lethia’s voice trembled.
It was true, she could feel the heat in her body subsiding, and the storm in her belly had gone quiet.
Before this, when her heat struck with Caelum and Renar, she needed intimacy, real and consuming. A re skin-on-skin touch couldn’t calm it down.
But this man... he had sothing else.
Sothing in his touch, in his sheer presence, that could calm her heat with nothing more than skinship and proximity.
Could that really be possible?
But all of this just felt so wrong. She hated the way he spoke, commanding her like she was nothing more than a vessel for his seed.
Lethia stood up, fists clenched at her sides. "I’m a person with my own choices. And I won’t let you invalidate my right to speak and choose what I—"
"Marry ."
"Wh–what?" Lethia froze, taken aback by the sudden proposal.
This man was a walking grenade, ready to pull his own pin and detonate at will.
But that cold, flat voice... that wasn’t how a man proposed to soone he loved.
"Marry , and I’ll help you get your ranch back. Isn’t that why you’ve been putting up with all the shit in that ridiculous executive aide position?" He stepped in closer.
"You got yourself lewdly tangled with the other two Tuffin n, but neither of those boys can give you the kind of power I can."
Lethia stared, amazed in loathing, at how soone could be so emotionally constipated.
"You fucking crazy moron." Her clenched fists were already trembling, and without hesitation, she punched his chest.
Zeran didn’t even flinch. He didn’t dodge, like he knew she needed to let that punch out, and gladly offered his chest and shoulder for it.
"Why do powerful people always think you can toy with those who don’t have any? Is it fun, huh? Is it fun watching people scramble under your feet?"
Her breath ca in short, broken gasps, fighting back the tears threatening to fall.
She knew she should be grateful to Zeran, after all, he was telling her a hard truth she had every right to know.
But as he spoke, her mind kept flashing with mories of all the people who’d hurt her simply because they could. Her chest was tightening with rage.
And now, the man who acted like her savior... was toying with her the sa way. Just because he held the power.
She was fed up. Disgusted with the way the world worked. Tired of being dragged into soone else’s power play.
She raised her fist again, ready to throw the punch. But this ti, Zeran caught her.
"Think clearly... about the fastest way to get what you really want," he said, voice low, dangerous. "And seize the best opportunity you can have."
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