Chapter 159: Episode 158: You hit jackpot

Tired of swimming, she left the water.

She paddled slowly toward the grassy bank. Her arms felt heavy and tired. The warm turquoise water soaked deep into her bones, melting away the last bit of tension from the scary dragon flight. The hot spring felt amazing, but her muscles were still weak. She needed rest. Her soft rabbit body just reached its limit for the day.

She swam to the shallow edge. Her bare toes brushed against the smooth, slippery stones at the bottom of the pond. She planted her feet and stood up.

The mountain air hit her wet skin. She shivered fast. The cool breeze felt sharp after soaking in the steamy water for so long. She grabbed a thick clump of green grass to steady her shaky legs. She pulled her body up onto the dry bank with a soft, wet groan.

Stepping out of the pond was a massive mistake.

Gravity pulled the heavy water down instantly. The thin white cotton dress soaked up the pond water like a thirsty sponge. It didn’t hang loose around her knees anymore. It clung right to her skin. It molded to every single curve of her body like a second layer of tight skin. The thin fabric turned almost transparent in the bright afternoon sunlight.

She wasn’t the same skinny, fragile girl who first fell into the Beastworld. Having two wild predator babies changed her shape.

She carried Theron through a freezing, brutal winter. She carried Seika through the hot, sticky summer. Her body stretched and adapted to hold them both safely. Her hips flared out wider now, meant for bearing heavy cubs. Her stomach wasn’t flat anymore; it held a soft, gentle curve that she kind of loved. Her thighs were thicker, giving her a solid, grounded stance. Her chest swelled full and heavy from feeding the new panther baby around the clock.

She was curvier. She was softer. She looked like a real woman. She looked like a proud mother.

The wet fabric highlighted every new curve she had.

Rue felt a sudden, hot flush spread across her pale cheeks. She looked down at herself. The white cotton stuck tight to her legs. She felt very exposed. Back in New York, she hid her thin, sick body under baggy hospital gowns. She hated anyone looking at her pale, bruised skin. Now, she stood in the bright sunlight, displaying the raw, beautiful evidence of bringing life into this wild world.

She quickly crossed her arms over her chest. She tried to cover herself up. She felt a little shy. The wild woods suddenly felt way too open.

A loud splash sounded right behind her.

Zale broke the surface of the pond. The merman pushed his wet, sandy-blonde hair out of his sea-green eyes. He wiped the water from his face. He looked toward the grassy bank to see if she was okay.

He stopped swimming. His massive blue tail froze dead in the water.

Zale let out a long, loud whistle.

The sharp sound bounced off the dark ironwood trees. It broke the quiet tension in the clearing. The merman didn’t have a single filter in his brain. He spent his whole life swimming in the deep ocean or painting in a lonely tower. He didn’t understand the complex, messy rules of land modesty. He just saw something beautiful and called it out loud for everyone to hear.

"Wow, brother," Zale laughed, flashing a bright, cheeky grin. "You hit the jackpot."

Rue gasped. Her face turned the color of a ripe tomato. She wanted the soft ground to open up and swallow her whole. She ducked her head fast. She let her wet silver hair fall forward to hide her burning cheeks. Her rabbit ears pinned flat against her wet head in pure embarrassment.

On the grass, Drax didn’t laugh at his brother’s joke.

The Dragon King stood frozen. His dark eyes went wide. He stared at his mate. He watched the clear water drip from the hem of her white dress onto the green grass. He watched the way her soft, full hips swayed as she took a shaky step forward. His breathing turned harsh and ragged.

A low, dangerous rumble started deep in his chest. His dragon instincts flared hot and fast. He felt an intense, overwhelming wave of pure possessiveness. He wanted to hide her. He wanted to wrap his massive black wings around her. He wanted to burn down the forest so nobody else could look at her soft body.

But Drax wasn’t the only one watching her.

Onyx stood right next to Drax.

The moody white wolf didn’t answer Drax’s question from earlier. He didn’t need to speak a single word. The answer was written all over his face.

Onyx stares at her.

He couldn’t look away. His icy silver eyes were locked onto her wet, clinging dress. He saw the soft curve of her stomach. He saw the full, heavy shape of her chest. The sweet, warm scent of her damp skin hit his nose like a physical punch. It was a raw, powerful mix of fresh water, blooming mountain flowers, and soft prey.

His wolf lost its mind.

The wild beast inside him slammed against its mental cage. It wanted to rip its way out of his chest right now. It wanted to claim the soft rabbit standing on the grass. The sheer force of his own desire overwhelmed his sharp senses. He fought it hard. He dug his fingernails into his own palms until the thick leather gloves creaked under the strain. He tried to force his head to turn away, but the mate bond acted like a heavy iron chain pulling him right back to her.

His heart hammered a violent, frantic beat against his ribs. It thumped so loud he thought everyone in the clearing could hear it. His blood pressure spiked. The intense heat rushed straight to his head, making his ears ring with a high-pitched whine.

Onyx’s pale face turned bright red. The dark flush crawled up his thick neck. It spread across his sharp cheekbones. He looked like he was suffocating on dry land. He couldn’t drag enough oxygen into his burning lungs.

He opened his mouth, trying to pull in a shaky breath.

His face turning red before a drop of blood falls from his nose.

It landed on the collar of his scratched leather armor with a soft pat.

Another drop followed fast. Then a thin, steady line of dark red blood ran straight down his chin.

Onyx didn’t even notice. He just stood there, bleeding from his nose, staring at Rue like she was the only thing keeping his heart beating. He looked absolutely wrecked. The fierce, untouchable Northern warlord was brought to his knees by a wet cotton dress and a soft smile.

Drax noticed.

The Dragon King snapped his head to the side. He saw the bright red blood dripping down his brother’s chin. He saw the pure, feral hunger burning in the wolf’s silver eyes. He saw the exact same madness that lived inside his own chest staring right back at him.

That was the final straw.

Drax lost his legendary control. He didn’t care about being polite anymore. He didn’t care that Zale was watching from the pond. He refused to let another man stare at his mate like that, even if it was his own flesh and blood.

He let out a furious, deafening roar that shook the ironwood trees.

Drax growls, snatching a massive fluffy towel and wrapping Rue up so fast her head spins.