Chapter 169: Episode 168: Drax Seducing

"Why haven’t you conceived yet?" Axel asked, his bright blue eyes fixed right on her bare stomach.

Rue froze. The quiet crackle of the hearth fire suddenly sounded very loud in the large living room. She sat comfortably in the padded wooden chair, holding little Seika against her chest. The baby panther was busy drinking her warm milk, her tiny hands clutching the green wool of Rue’s dress. Rue blinked her pink eyes. She stared at the fierce white wolf sitting cross-legged on the woven rug right in front of her.

She felt absolutely dumbfounded. Her mind went blank for a second. She just gave birth to Seika four weeks ago. Her soft body was barely healed from the intense labor. She still got tired just walking from the kitchen to the bedroom. She needed naps in the afternoon just to keep her eyes open. She didn’t want to think about having another baby anytime soon.

"What did you just say?" Rue asked, her voice squeaking a little bit.

"I am just wondering," Axel mumbled. He leaned his weight forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He rubbed the back of his neck with his rough hand. "You had Theron. Then you had Seika right after. Wolf biology works very fast. We mate, and the bond demands a cub to prove our strength. I just thought I would see a little bump there by now. I want a baby too."

Rue felt a sudden, hot flash of sass bubble up in her chest. She didn’t want to explain human biology to a wild beast. She didn’t want to talk about healing times or her sore back or how much sleep she needed. She didn’t need to process things logically. She just looked right into his bright blue eyes and let the sassy thought slip right out of her mouth.

"Well, perhaps your swimmers were not strong enough for my egg!" Rue shot back.

Axel’s jaw dropped open. He stared at her, pure shock written all over his handsome face. He never expected his soft, quiet rabbit to say something so blunt.

A bright red flush exploded across his pale cheeks. The hot color crawled straight up his thick neck and painted the tips of his pointed ears. The fierce, arrogant Northern warlord looked like a shy boy caught stealing sweet berries from the kitchen.

But he didn’t just feel embarrassed. The sudden, fiery sass hit him right in the chest. His wild wolf woke up. He felt an intense, heavy rush of pure heat pool low in his stomach. He grew impossibly hard in a single second. The raw physical reaction was overwhelming. If he stayed in this room, his feral instincts would take over. He would snatch her right out of the padded chair and prove exactly how strong his swimmers were.

He couldn’t do that. She was feeding the baby.

Axel scrambled to his feet. He stumbled backward, his heavy boots tripping over the edge of the woven rug.

"I need to go check on the perimeter," Axel choked out. His raspy voice cracked straight down the middle.

He didn’t wait for her to answer. He turned around and practically sprinted out the heavy front door, desperate to get away before he went crazy. The thick oak door slammed shut behind him, shaking the stone walls.

Rue let out a breathless, bubbly laugh. She shook her head, watching the dust settle near the doorframe. She pulled the edge of her green wool dress down, covering her soft stomach again. She felt a little proud of herself. It felt really good to render the loud wolf speechless for once.

She focused back on the tiny baby in her arms. Seika finished her milk. The little panther let out a soft, sleepy sigh. Her golden eyes fluttered shut, her long dark lashes resting against her pale cheeks.

Rue lifted the baby up to her shoulder. She patted Seika’s back very gently until a tiny burp slipped out into the quiet room.

"Good girl," Rue whispered.

She stood up from the padded chair. Her bare feet made no sound on the cool stone floor. The house felt peaceful. The toddlers were still out in the dirt yard playing with Knox. Caius was busy in the kitchen, chopping green vegetables for dinner with quiet precision.

Rue walked down the dim hallway. She pushed the nursery door open and stepped inside. The room smelled like sweet milk and soft cotton. She walked over to the sturdy wooden crib. Knox built the crib himself, carving tiny flowers into the thick wood. She carefully laid her daughter down on the pink mattress. She pulled a warm, fuzzy blanket right up to Seika’s little chin. She watched the baby’s chest rise and fall with slow, steady breaths.

Rue turned around to leave the quiet nursery.

She bumped right into a solid wall of dark leather and hard muscle.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist instantly, catching her before she could stumble backward.

"Got you," a deep voice rumbled.

Rue gasped, her hands flying up to press against Drax’s broad chest. The Dragon King stood right inside the nursery door. He moved so quietly she didn’t even hear his heavy boots on the floorboards. He waited in the dark shadows just for her.

Drax didn’t let her go. He pulled her flush against his tall frame. The heat rolling off his skin felt like a roaring furnace.

"You scared me," Rue breathed out. She rested her hands flat against his dark shirt, feeling the steady, powerful thump of his heartbeat under her small palms.

"I am sorry," Drax murmured. He didn’t sound sorry at all. A slow, warm smile spread across his sharp face. His dark eyes locked onto hers, filled with a heavy, burning devotion.

He reached his large hand up. He brushed a loose silver curl away from her face, tucking it gently behind her long rabbit ear. His rough fingertips lingered on her soft skin, tracing the line of her jaw.

"You are so beautiful," Drax whispered. The raw honesty in his deep voice made Rue’s stomach do a fast, nervous flip.

"Stop it," Rue mumbled. A warm blush crept up her neck. She tried to look away, feeling shy, but he gently grabbed her chin and forced her to look back at him.

"I will not stop," Drax insisted softly. "You are the best thing in this world. You take care of the wild babies without complaining. You tame the grumpy wolves. You keep this whole house warm. You are a perfect mother, Rue. You are perfect."

He praised her constantly. He didn’t hold anything back. He told her how much he loved her soft smile. He told her how brave she was for putting up with his loud, messy family. He told her she was the true heart of the pack. He poured sweet, heavy words over her until her face burned a bright, fiery red.

She wasn’t used to hearing such nice things. In her old life in New York, she just blended into the sterile hospital background. Nobody wrote poems about her. Now, a fierce, ancient king worshipped the ground she walked on.

Rue felt dizzy. The intense affection made her knees feel weak. She leaned her weight into him, burying her flushed face against his strong shoulder.

Drax let out a low, pleased hum. He wrapped both arms around her back, holding her tight against his body. He buried his face in the soft crook of her neck. He closed his dark eyes and took a very deep breath.

He breathed her in.

"You smell so good," Drax groaned against her skin. The heavy sound vibrated right through her fragile bones. "You smell soft. You smell sweet and milky. It drives me mad, little rabbit. I want to lock you in my room and never let you out."

He shifted his wide stance. He pulled her hips snug against his own.

Rue let out a sharp gasp. The air trapped right in her throat.

She felt his hardness pressing right against her soft stomach. There was no mistaking the fierce, heavy desire rolling off him. He wanted her. The dragon inside him was awake and hungry. The thick leather of his trousers couldn’t hide the raw physical proof of his burning need. He let her feel exactly what she did to him just by standing in a dark room.

Her rabbit heart hammered a frantic, messy beat against her ribs. Her breath hitched. She looked up at him, her pink eyes wide and nervous.

Drax looked down at her. His dark eyes burned with a consuming fire. He leaned his head down, bringing his lips right next to her sensitive rabbit ear.

"I promise I will be extra gentle," Drax whispered.

Rue looked at his sharp jaw. She felt the massive, dangerous heat of his body pressing against hers. She knew his wild dragon blood ran hot. She knew he possessed raw, terrifying strength.

Lies.