CHAPTER 97: CHAPTER 97: THE TEST

“What is this for?” I asked, staring at the pregnancy test in my hands.

Leo raised an eyebrow, his expression mocking. “I didn’t realize your reading comprehension was that poor, sweetheart.”

“I know what it is,” I snapped, heat rising to my cheeks. “I’m asking why you’re giving it to me.”

“Why do you think?” Leo leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. The casual pose couldn’t hide the tension in his shoulders. “To see if you’re pregnant.”

I tossed the box onto the bed. “That’s ridiculous. I’m not pregnant.”

“Really? After all that unprotected fun with your three mates?” His lips curved into a cold smile. “Better safe than sorry.”

My face burned hotter. “That’s none of your business.”

“Everything about you is my business now, Hazel.” Leo pushed off the door and walked closer, making me instinctively back up. “Take the test.”

“No.”

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t be difficult.”

“Why does it even matter?” I challenged. “What difference does it make to you?”

Leo’s jaw clenched. “It matters because I need to know exactly what I’m working with. Pregnant or not pregnant—simple question, simple answer.”

“Working with?” I echoed. “Is that what I am to you? Some kind of project?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he just stared at me.

Every time I looked at him, I saw echoes of the triplets—the same jawline, the same nose, even similar mannerisms. But where their eyes showed warmth when they looked at me, his held something different. Something I couldn’t name.

“Take the test,” he repeated, his voice lower. “I don’t have time for games.”

“Neither do I,” I fired back. “I’m not pregnant. Even if I am, it’s none of your damn business. End of discussion.”

He stepped closer, his body nearly touching mine. My heart pounded against my ribs.

“You don’t know that for certain,” he said quietly. “And I need to know. So you’re going to take that test right now.”

Before I could argue further, a knock came at the door. Leo’s expression darkened as he turned.

One of the scientists from earlier stood in the doorway. “Sir? We need you for a moment. The preliminary blood results are ready.”

Leo’s jaw worked, obviously annoyed at the interruption. He glanced back at me, then at the pregnancy test on the bed.

“Pee on the damn stick,” he ordered bluntly. “I’ll be back soon.”

He followed the scientist out, closing the door behind him with a click. I heard the lock engage.

I stared at the pregnancy test box, my stomach churning. Despite what I’d told Leo, a nagging doubt crept in. I’d had a lot of unprotected sex with the triplets. It was entirely possible I was pregnant. Not to mention I had been feeling increasingly nauseous in the last weeks.

Moving to the bathroom, I picked up the box again, turning it over in my hands. My fingers shook slightly as I read the instructions. Simple enough.

I glanced at the closed door. Leo would be back soon, demanding results. And part of me was curious too, if I was being honest with myself.

After making sure no one was watching through some hidden camera, I took the test.

I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have a child with them. Would I have even known which one was specifically the father? Would it have mattered?

Lucas, Liam, and Levi were triplets. Genetically, whatever children I had with them would still be siblings, and I knew for a fact that they would’ve been equally good fathers to all of them.

Those three minutes of waiting felt like the longest of my life. I sat on the edge of the tub, staring at the little plastic stick on the counter. While I waited, I examined the box more closely.

It was a house brand from a store I recognized.

Paulson’s Quick Mart.

But the store didn’t exist inside Emberfang territory. I knew there was a branch near Ironhound’s grounds, in the opposite direction from Emberfang. Slowly, I let out a shaky breath as a smile curved my lips.

They were either overly confident that I couldn’t escape, or they were just sloppy at hiding our current location.

My thoughts were interrupted as the results started to appear. One line formed clearly.

I waited for the second line.

It never came.

Not pregnant.

A sudden, unexpected wave of emotion hit me. I slid to the floor, test clutched in my hand, as tears sprang to my eyes. Why was I crying? Shouldn’t I be relieved?

It was almost like I was mourning for a child I never had. That seed that Leo had planted in my head had taken root.

Yet, none of it mattered now. I wasn’t pregnant. And I wasn’t sure I’d ever see my mates again.

The sobs came harder, echoing in the small bathroom. I felt ridiculous, crying over something that shouldn’t have happened anyway. But I couldn’t stop the tears or the hollow feeling in my chest.

“Hazel?”

Leo’s voice made me jerk my head up. He stood in the bathroom doorway, his expression unreadable. I hadn’t even heard him return.

“Leave me alone,” I said, trying to hide the test.

His eyes narrowed. “Show me.”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Everything about you is my business,” he repeated, stepping into the bathroom. “Give me the test.”

I clutched it tighter. “No.”

Leo moved with surprising speed. He grabbed for the test, but I twisted away, scrambling to my feet. I tried to dash past him, but he was too quick. His arm shot out, catching me around the waist.

“Let go!” I struggled against him.

We stumbled backward into the bedroom. My knees hit the edge of the bed, and suddenly I was falling, Leo coming down with me. He pinned me to the mattress, his body pressing against mine as he reached for the test in my hand.

For a moment, we froze. His face was inches from mine, his breath warm against my cheeks. Those eyes—so like the triplets’, yet different—stared into mine with an intensity that made my heart race.

Something flickered in his expression. I couldn’t tell what it was but the moment stretched between us.

Then he snatched the test from my hand.

Leo pushed himself up, examining the result. A frown creased his forehead.

“You’re not pregnant,” he said, his voice oddly flat.

I sat up, wiping tears from my face. “I told you that already.”

“You should be thankful,” he said, tossing the test aside. “A baby would only complicate things.”

His dismissive tone sparked anger in me. “Don’t tell me how to feel. And don’t act like you know what’s best for me.”

“You have no idea what’s best for you,” Leo snapped back. “If you did, you wouldn’t have let those three claim you.”

“My mates,” I emphasized, “will destroy you when they find me.”

Leo’s laugh was cold and harsh. “They won’t find you, Hazel.”

“They will,” I insisted. “They’ll never stop looking.”

He moved closer again, looming over me. “Even if they somehow tracked us to this location—which they won’t—we’ll be long gone.”

“Gone?” I whispered. My heart dropped. This was why he didn’t give a damn about giving me a clue on our current location. “Where?”

His lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“As soon as the preliminary results are ready, we’re moving to a more permanent location.” He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Where no one will ever find us.”