Chronically in love

Chapter Nine (Arthur)

"Don't be jealous, Arthur. Just because you don't have someone to share your breeding kink with doesn't mean it'll never happen."

I turn red immediately—because yes, I do have a breeding kink for Zoe, and of course Daniel knows it. He laughs so hard that he falls out of his chair.

I've been having dreams about her, with a round pregnant belly and a pup in her arms. These dreams leave me aroused and frustrated because, well, she thinks of me as her brother. Ugh. It's basic instinct though—Alphas want pups, and the only one who can provide them is our Luna. So, naturally, the urge to impregnate her is... strong.

Zoe's laughter fills the room, bright and infectious. It's hard not to laugh along with her. Her happiness spreads through the space, comforting us all. She glances at me, something unfamiliar flickering across her face. I point at her bowl, "You really do need to eat more, Zoe."

She blinks like she's been snapped out of a daze, then slowly lifts her spoon to her mouth.

Once dinner's over, I stop her from leaving. "Hey, Zoe, I've got something interesting I want to show you."

Her curiosity piques as she pushes her wheelchair in my direction. Without warning, I swoop down, lifting her out of the chair despite her protests.

"Wait! Arthur, what are you doing?"

I grin, holding her effortlessly in my arms. "It's faster if I carry you." My wolf, of course, is overjoyed that I'm holding her, but I can't exactly tell her that. Not yet, anyway.

She sighs and gives in, resting against me. "Fine. But this is never happening again."

It will. Why use that chair when she has me? With my werewolf speed, I sprint toward the library, and she gasps, gripping onto me tightly.

"Next time, Arthur, a little warning would be nice!" Her glare is sharp, but I gently place her in a chair by my desk.

"I thought you said there wouldn't be a next time?" Wrong thing to say. I instantly regret it as her eyes narrow.

"No, there won't."

I push a chair over, sitting next to her as I pull out my laptop from a nearby cabinet.

"Anyway," I say, changing the subject, "this is what I wanted to show you." I open the laptop and scroll to a video. "So, you know how the whole situation with Victoria began, right?"

Zoe shrugs, "I know the human-friendly version. But why don't you tell me the werewolf version?"

I nod. "Alright, so first off, Victoria created werewolves. We owe her everything—our very existence. In our eyes, she can do no wrong, though we try to stay as unbiased as possible." I pause before continuing. "This is what actually happened, with no favoritism."

I glance at her, making sure she's following. "The way you know demons are coming is when the sky rains red water. When it touches your skin, it burns. Thirty years ago, that red rain fell, but only in Victoria's country. Naturally, the other Five were suspicious because it's always rained worldwide to announce the demons. But that time? Only over Victoria's lands."

Zoe's eyes are wide with interest, and she nods, encouraging me to continue.

"They thought it was some sort of trick—maybe a trap to steal their magic. That broke Victoria's heart. They were siblings. They loved each other." I sigh. "When the demons finally attacked her clan, she begged her brothers for help. They refused. Victoria and her Ten warriors fought the demons on their own, killing them, but one of her Ten—Willow—was killed. Victoria herself was badly wounded. After that, she vanished. No one's seen her since. Her brothers have been searching for her ever since."