The cold, commanding voice of Zeran made Lethia press her lips together. It felt so wrong.
She should’ve spat back at him or just shrugged her body to escape his hold. But he was right—her knees were still weak and trembling.
She should’ve said something at least, but why did she feel so damn scared to argue back?
Zeran headed to a room at the corner of this floor. He ordered Lethia to tighten her grip as he reached for the door.
With her hands clinging even tighter to his nape, Lethia’s face drew nearer to the crook of his neck.
The raw, masculine scent that hit her nose made her inhale it deeper. It was a reflex she hated, yet couldn’t help but enjoy at the same time.
She didn’t know what was happening to her body anymore, betraying her so completely.
Was it the heat? But this felt different from what she’d felt with Renar and Caelum. This time, she didn’t overthink it and let herself drift toward the edge of submission.
Zeran seated her on the desk in the room, and Lethia froze when she saw him—he was completely naked, not a scrap of cloth covering his body.
In a flash, she covered her face with both hands, hearing a naughty chuckle slip from Zeran’s mouth.
"So, you do have a shy side?" his voice dripping with devilish amusement.
Lethia didn’t answer. Her body reacted oddly after catching a glimpse of Zeran naked.
Her hands clutched her face tightly, and she bit her lip hard, trying to calm the wild thudding of her heart.
But the more she shut her eyes, the clearer Zeran’s naked image burned into her mind, making her breath grow heavier. Lethia hated these lewd thoughts, but wasn’t it his fault too?
Seeing werewolves shift into their human forms while naked wasn’t exactly taboo. But this time, why did the sight of Zeran’s godly features turn her on?
She decided to blame it on the pregnancy heat. Maybe the effect of the medicine was finally wearing off.
"Are you done yet?" she asked hastily.
No answer.
"Ze—" Her words got caught in her throat as she felt Zeran’s presence in front of her, his hands caging her against the desk.
"I’m done," he said firmly.
But Lethia still hesitated, unwilling to move her hands from her face. She couldn’t bear the view she would face from this proximity.
"Didn’t you say I’m beautiful earlier? Why don’t you put down those tiny hands then?"
Lethia huffed in annoyance, quickly placing her hands on Zeran’s shoulders, intending to push him away—but he didn’t budge.
Zeran’s blue eyes met hers as she slowly lifted her gaze, and she winced, trembling hands pushing harder to get Zeran away.
"What do you want from me?" Lethia gave up trying to push him and now stared at him with a piercing gaze, though her heart skipped a beat as she still found his eyes as beautiful as the ocean.
"Shouldn’t you thank me first for saving you?" he said lazily, his gaze trailing from her eyes down to her stomach.
Her gaze softened. "Th–thank you." She said it half-heartedly, her eyes dropping.
Zeran chuckled lightly, "You looked so fierce, smart, cold-headed, unwilling to bend, tactical, and heartless throughout the game, like a burning fox. Why so obedient now?" He tilted his head with a smirk. "Is it just for me?"
Lethia frowned and shot him a glare. She did want to push him away and snort at him, then leave the room and get back to the game—ah, no, she’d punch and kick Rowan first after leaving this room.
But every time her eyes landed on Zeran, his lips, his neck with visible blue veins, and the fleeting image of his masculinity made Lethia soften her gaze.
The heat in her body became unbearable. She could even feel her core twitching because Zeran’s presence and closeness felt like a thirst trap.
She hated herself for feeling like that, and all she wanted was to get out and find her medicine.
"Let me go out." She tried to push Zeran’s hands away but failed.
She glared at him, though there was a plea in her eyes. She didn’t have the energy to argue with him right now. "Zeran... Plea—"
"You’re in heat, aren’t you? The closer you get to me, the more unbearable that heat gets, until you just want to get laid by me. Right?"
A wave of shame washed over Lethia as the heat rose in her face. She clenched her fists.
"Are you drunk? Why would I feel that?" Lethia denied it.
"Really?" Zeran clicked his tongue, holding up a red card in front of her with a teasing smile. "A gift."
Lethia furrowed her brow in confusion. "How..." Her gaze snapped, and she quickly patted the pocket of her vest, where the red cards were, finding all three still safely in place.
"Is that Rowan’s card?" Lethia reached for the card in Zeran’s hand, but he teased her by raising it higher, drawing her closer to him, until their faces were only a few inches apart.
With the distance so close, Lethia almost slammed her forehead into Zeran’s, the frustration already rising her blood pressure.
But what Zeran did stunned her. He leaned in, his cheek brushing against hers gently, stopping when his mouth was close to her ear.
"I’m glad my pup’s mother is a strong woman. I’ve enjoyed your game so far. So, let me give back and entertain you later, Firefox." Zeran’s low voice whispered in her ear, making Lethia’s eyes widen.
The brush of their cheeks and how Zeran deliberately slipped the card into her palm sent a jolt straight to her core, tilting her world as she realized something deep inside her needed attention. But there was something more important than the lust that stirred within her.
"Wh—what did you say, whose pup?" Lethia asked, her face scrunched in confusion.
Zeran smirked. "Finish your game first. And meet me after that."
He handed her ten blue cards, which Lethia accepted with a blank stare, still lost in what she had heard and what had just happened.
Her eyes followed Zeran as he walked toward the door and opened it.
"Go. Show them how the queen should rule the chaos," he commanded.
Lethia frowned and stepped down from the desk, her legs wobbling slightly, but she forced herself to walk toward him.
"No, tell me what you meant by what you said. I need—"
"I said go." He cut her off, his expression cold. "You need to find your medicine for the heat, don’t you? We’ll have plenty of time to talk about that later."
Lethia gritted her teeth, and her fist clenched around the cards in her hand. "You—"
"Or do you want my help to ease the heat right here, right now? I can do that, but—"
He stepped closer, and Lethia instinctively took a step back.
"No!" Her rejection came out sharp. "Where should I meet you after this?"
"Someone will pick you up in your room."
Lethia threw him a sharp glare before she left the room in silence. Her breath was heavy, her chest tight from holding in her emotions and the heat she could barely control.
She looked at the ten blue cards in her hand, wondering if Zeran had taken all the blue cards and given them to her.
She then walked over to Adam, who was still frozen, but soon enough, he moved normally again.
That’s when Lethia realized that Zeran had stopped time to save her from the balcony. But why hadn’t she frozen like everyone else?
Lethia approached Adam and told him what had happened on the balcony with Rowan.
She explained how they’d argued and fought physically, but Lethia had managed to dodge and grab Rowan’s red card. She avoided mentioning Zeran’s involvement to keep things simple.
By the look of confusion on Adam’s face, Lethia could tell he didn’t believe she could fight back against Rowan, but since she was in a hurry to finish the game—her stomach aching again and needing the medicine from her room—Adam didn’t press the issue.
They quickly made their way to the sixth floor.
When they arrived, Lethia noticed only two guards out of the three. She immediately suspected the missing guard was Zeran in disguise, given how he had handed her all those blue cards.
"You... how could—" Rowan, with a bruised and bleeding temple, stared at Lethia like she was a ghost. She wondered if Zeran had been the one to beat him up.
Adam, clearly pissed off, grabbed Rowan by the collar, ready to strike, but was quickly stopped by Chasey and Flo.
Lethia didn’t care about the commotion and walked straight to one of the guards, showing him the ten blue cards she held.
Without hesitation, she quickly listed who she wanted to bring back to life, making sure not to mention Rowan or Victor, which made both of them hang their heads, a mix of frustration and anger.
Rowan rambled, cursing Lethia and almost lunging at her, before one of the guards pulled him away.
When they finally managed to open the penthouse, Lethia excused herself, saying she needed to take her medicine.
"But Queen, aren’t you going to enter the draw for the Gala?" Chasey asked, holding her back.
"I don’t care. I’ve got more important things to do." Lethia knew her cold demeanor might make Chasey misunderstand, but she kept walking to get her fucking answers.