Tasting 302

302–I Am With Child

Nora:

“Your Highness, she was running her mouth too much,” the man complained, making me stare at

him in disbelief. I was being arrested and accused of murder, and he wanted me to stay silent.

Ryker stretched his neck, looking so intimidating that even I couldn’t argue with him at that moment.

I had never seen him like this before, despite witnessing his anger on many occasions.

“She has every right to speak up,” he said, turning to the man and glaring into his eyes. I watched as

his fists clenched.

“But she needs to-” the man began, but Ryker silenced him. He lowered his head, making a

shushing sound, and then stretched his neck again.

“I get it. My apologies, Your Highness,” Mr. Barrock quickly realized his mistake and nodded.

“I will investigate her alone,” Ryker said, taking a seat across the table and ordering his people to

leave. Though they didn’t seem too intrigued by his method of questioning, they had to bow and

leave.

Once we were alone, he stretched his neck and narrowed his eyes at my face from afar. I

remembered all the physical encounters we had, and my eyes filled with tears. He had told me to

only see him as my stepbrother now. I didn’t know how they managed to convince their wolves, but I

was suffering.

“They didn’t hurt you, did they?” he inquired, taking steady and deep

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breaths.

“No!” I shook my head while he bobbed his head after getting a desirable response from me.

“Why did you come back, Nora? Have we not told you to leave?” there was a weird heaviness in his

voice, more like breathlessness.

“I wanted to.” I couldn’t finish because he intervened.

“You wanted to do what? We told you, and you didn’t listen to us yet,” he shook his head

aggressively.

“Why would I listen to you all? Did any of you listen to me when I was begging to stay?” I wanted to

get up and scream at him but his presence was hostile and I was afraid of getting under his nerves.

“Now that you are here and we don’t have a choice,” he stretched his neck back and sighed,

relaxing his muscles by spreading his arms around. He sounded so tired and exhausted and I hated

that my eyes landed on the little lift of his shirt when he stretched his back even

more.

“Where were you the night of the murder?” he asked, his voice heavy and commanding. And as I

didn’t respond to him, he straightened his back in the seat and stared at me.

It felt so weird being observed under his gaze.

I knew where I was. I was with his brother, the eldest of the quadruplets, mating with him because it

was a full moon. But if I told this to anyone, I would be charged with adultery, and my baby would be

aborted. And Alpha King Nash would face severe punishment too. So I remained silent.

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“Nora!” my name sounded so full from his lips. There were breaths involved and a lot of emotions.

“Your silence is making you appear guilty; I hope you know that much,” he said, sounding like the

patrol warrior of the border that he was. There was no affection in his voice anymore.

“Nora-” He slammed his hand on the table, trying to force a response from me. I started talking.

“I think I am pregnant.”

“Say that again?” After a few minutes of silence, he inquired, lines forming on his forehead.

I raised my head and looked him in the eye as I repeated myself, “I missed my period.”

I was playing it safe, not wanting to outright say that I was expecting. I feared the consequences.

His face went numb, his beautiful gray eyes watching me with his eyes narrowed and his thick black

eyebrows furrowed.

“Are you sure you are pregnant?” he asked, his breathing erratic.

“I have been having signs-” I didn’t even finish talking when he intervened with a scoff.

“You are making this up to get out of this whole mess and also get to stay here. Do you have any

idea what will happen to you if you lie about this?” he sounded so worked up all of a suddenly

“I am not lying-,” The minute I raised my voice, he closed his eyes and grunted.

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“Then you should talk to Brody, the man you’ve been sleeping with behind our backs.” It was like he

had stabbed me in the chest with his bare hand. I raised my head and looked him in the eye in

shock. Brody was someone I started hanging around with when I needed a friend. I didn’t know he

was their enemy, but he was so nice to me.

When the rumor of me having an affair with my stepbrothers spread, it was these brothers and my

stepfather who suggested we tell the pack that I was dating Alpha Brody, just to clear our names. I

did it to help them secure their crowns and reputation, and in the end, they used it against me. Now

they believed I was having an affair with Brody behind their backs.

“I have never had sex with Brody,” I hissed under my breath.