Chapter 749: Chapter 749: You look like I asked you to bring a dangerous beast into the room

Because the thought of strangers near her while she was weak, hurting, and giving birth made something inside him reject it immediately. His snake blood did not like it. His mate instinct hated it even more. The more vulnerable Isabella became, the stronger the urge rose in him to coil around her, keep everyone away, and let no one touch her except him.

But Isabella was looking at him with serious eyes.

She was not asking because she doubted him.

She was asking because she was scared.

That realization reached him properly.

His expression softened, though his reluctance did not vanish. "You want females you can ask questions."

"Yes," she said quickly. "And females who have done this before. Experienced ones. People who can tell me what is normal and what is not. I know this is normal here, and I know males can help, but I will feel better if women are there."

Cyrus lowered his eyes.

For a few breaths, he said nothing.

The fire cracked beside them. Snow scraped faintly against the outer wall. Isabella’s stomach tightened again, but this time the wave was shorter, and Cyrus immediately pressed his hand there to calm the heat before she even asked.

Finally, he nodded.

"Alright," he said.

The word came out reluctantly.

Very reluctantly.

Isabella noticed and squeezed his fingers. "You look like I asked you to bring a dangerous beast into the room."

His mouth tightened. "To me, anyone near you while you are like this feels dangerous."

Isabella’s heart softened despite everything.

"You will still be there," she said. "I am not chasing you away."

His eyes lifted to hers at once.

The relief in them was so obvious that Isabella almost wanted to laugh.

Almost.

But then another uncomfortable pressure moved through her lower back, and laughing suddenly felt like a dangerous hobby.

"I would not leave even if you chased me," Cyrus said quietly.

"I know."

"I will find women who are experienced. I will choose carefully."

"Good."

"No one careless."

"Good."

"No one with a strong smell that will disturb you."

Isabella paused. "That is also a thing?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful. I now have to worry about smell too."

Cyrus rubbed her stomach again, his face still full of guilt and worry. "I will prepare the room first. Warm water. Clean furs. Soft cloth. Herbs for strength. Food that can keep your body steady. I also need to prepare more suppression medicine in case the demonic blood rises during the birth."

There it was again.

The truth between them.

This time, he did not hide it.

Isabella heard it, and although her anger was not completely gone, the fact that he said it openly made something inside her relax a little.

"Good," she said. "Tell me things like that from now on."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She stared at him for one breath longer, then nodded.

Cyrus leaned closer, and for a moment he looked like he wanted to say something else. Perhaps another apology. Perhaps another promise. Perhaps one of the many fears sitting behind his eyes. But in the end, he only bent down and pressed his lips to her forehead.

The kiss was warm and lingering.

Then he moved lower and kissed her mouth lightly, so soft that it almost felt like he was afraid to take too much from her while her body was already working so hard. Isabella closed her eyes for a moment and let him, because even though she was still mad at him, she loved how gentle he became when he was frightened for her.

When he pulled back, his thumb brushed her cheek once.

"I will be quick."

"You better be."

His mouth moved slightly. "Yes, my love."

Then he turned his head toward the side of the room and called out, "Zyran."

Zyran appeared almost immediately, which meant he had never truly been far.

Of course.

He stepped in with his usual lazy posture, but his red eyes were not lazy at all. They went first to Isabella, then to Cyrus’s face, then to Isabella’s stomach, and he understood enough without asking too many questions.

Cyrus stood. "Stay with her."

Zyran lifted a brow. "You are ordering me now?"

"Yes."

Usually, that would have started a fight.

Today, Zyran only looked at Isabella again and said, "Fine."

Isabella narrowed her eyes at him. "You agreed too quickly. I do not trust it."

Zyran stepped closer to the bed and smiled faintly. "Would you rather I argue while your children are trying to escape?"

Isabella’s face changed. "Do not say it like that."

"It is accurate."

"It is disgusting."

"It is birth."

"It is still disgusting when you say it."

That tiny exchange made Cyrus feel a little better, because if Isabella could still glare at Zyran like that, then she still had strength in her. Still, leaving her was hard. Very hard. He stood there for one more breath, looking as if his body and mind were having a violent argument.

Isabella saw it immediately.

"Go," she said.

Cyrus looked at her.

"I will be fine," she said. "Zyran is here. And if he annoys me too much, I will make him stand outside in the snow."

Zyran placed a hand over his chest. "Cruel."

"You will survive."

"Sadly."

Cyrus finally nodded, though the reluctance in his eyes was still heavy. Then he left the room, moving quickly now because the longer he delayed, the more dangerous the waiting became.

The moment he stepped into the corridor, his whole body changed again. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The softness he used with Isabella tightened into purpose. His red hair shifted over his shoulder as he moved fast through the stone passage, and the guards he passed straightened at once because even without being told anything, they could see something serious had happened. His face was too tense. His eyes too sharp. His body carried the kind of urgency that made beastmen move out of the way before asking questions.

He headed straight for the kitchen first.

He needed water heated. He needed clean cloth. He needed soft furs. He needed the herbs that could calm pain, steady blood, and help the body keep strength. He needed food that Isabella could swallow even if she had no appetite. He needed the bitter roots that could keep the demon blood low for a little longer. He needed everything ready before the true pain came.

His mind was moving too fast.

Too many thoughts.

Too many fears.

Too many things he had to do properly because if he missed even one, Isabella might suffer for it.

Then, just as he turned sharply into the next passage, he almost collided with Osiris.

Osiris caught himself quickly, fiery blond hair falling around his face as he stepped back. He had clearly been coming from the direction of the outer room, and the moment he saw Cyrus’s expression, his own face changed.

"What’s the problem?" Osiris asked.