Roxy froze, her brilliant green eyes darting between Zarek and the feral beast beside her. The deep, bone-rattling growl continued to vibrate through the mattress, a terrifying, purely instinctual warning from the Fox King.
Ren's massive jaws were parted, his sharp fangs fully exposed, his posture rigid with an uncompromising possessiveness over her pregnant form.
He didn't recognize her as his Queen in this state. His failing, desperately draining core had violently stripped away centuries of trickster intellect, leaving behind only the absolute, raw biological imperative to guard the vessel carrying his heir.
"Ren," Roxy whispered, forcing her voice to remain incredibly soft. She didn't make any sudden movements. She slowly turned her head, keeping her hands entirely visible against the furs. "Baby, it's me. I am not leaving. But I really, really need to use the bathroom."
