CHAPTER 68: VIXEN

Roman’s POV

The woman, cold as ice and lost in her thoughts, blinked rapidly as the sudden wetness snapped her back to reality.

She looked at Fluffy, her eyes softening faintly. "Fluffy, you’re still like this. You really need a beating."

It was the exact softly annoyed tone she used to scold him in the past—and for a fleeting second, it felt like the old Eira was still there.

She tried to move, perhaps to stop him, but gasped as pain lanced through her chest. Her ribs. The sudden movement must’ve strained them.

I rushed to her side.

Lucian arrived a moment later. His angry gaze was fixed entirely on Fluffy.

"You just wait," he muttered. "I’m chopping your tail off so you don’t wag it at some random bitch anymore."

I clenched my fist, resisting the urge to punch him in the face.

Fluffy had just done the best thing any of us could have hoped for—he pulled Eira back into a moment that felt like the past.

But this bastard Lucian couldn’t hold his tongue, not even now.

I ignored him and asked, "Are you alright?"

She didn’t answer, and wiped the water droplets off her face with her hands.

"Don’t scold him," Rafe’s voice cut in. "I need him to look for my cat."

Lucian looked at him as if he realized someone was indeed missing around them.

"Where’s that Vixen?" Lucian asked.

I noticed Eira’s brows draw together in a frown at the way he referred to the cat. Well then, she was in for a little surprise.

As if on cue, after hearing what Lucian said, Fluffy ran toward the other end of the lawn, toward the rows of trees.

"Looks like he found her," Rafe muttered, already following after him. Lucian followed them as well.

Fluffy disappeared behind the thick tree trunks, his bark echoing from somewhere deeper within.

Rafe and Lucian circled around that larger tree, disappearing from sight for a moment before Lucian’s annoyed voice rang out.

"What the fuck is she doing here under the stack of dried twigs? And why the hell did she drag her blanket out here into the dirt? Can’t she just sleep in her own damn place? What a waste!"

I noticed Eira’s eyes dart toward the tree as she heard Lucian. Maybe she was curious to see the cat. That’s a good thing—another companion for her, if she liked cats as well.

From behind the tree, we heard Rafe’s voice—low but firm. "Come out, Vixen."

The tone wasn’t exactly inviting. This vampire had never quite mastered the art of coaxing.

But the cat obeyed.

She came out and Rafe scooped her up into his arms with surprising care, and we watched as he turned to head back towards us.

A beautiful feline with bright blue eyes, thick and fluffy with a soft cream-colored coat. Her head was perfectly round, her face flat and doll-like, her ears, paws, and tail shaded in deep brown, creating a graceful contrast against her pale fur.

She sat nestled along Rafe’s strong arm like a little princess, calm and regal. His other hand gently stroked her fur. Though he was strict, he had spoiled her in his own silent, possessive way.

Behind, Fluffy came running along with Lucian while dragging the blanket, which he had caught in his teeth.

As they reached near, I went to them. "Is she alright?"

Rafe hummed as he ran his hand down the cat’s back. "Seems to have put on weight, so she must be doing fine."

I nodded in agreement. "She really does look fatter. And it’s only been a few days."

Just then, the cat let out a soft meow and leapt from Rafe’s arms, her ears perking up as if something had caught her attention.

To no one’s surprise, she headed straight toward Eira. And without hesitation, she climbed into her lap and settled there, purring softly.

Lucian frowned. "Just like mine, your pet’s a traitor too."

Rafe didn’t comment, but he looked at Eira, who seemed to be surprised at something.

"Kitty? Is that you?" Eira asked in a whisper, as if uncertain, as if she were speaking to someone she had known before.

Lucian and I exchanged glances and looked at Rafe, who offered us a questioning gaze in return.

"Her name is Vixen," Rafe said, his words directed at Eira. "Kitty? One doesn’t even seem to take efforts in choosing names. Just like a bitch is called a bitch. Whore is called whore."

Eira ignored him entirely, her attention focused on the cat in her lap. She gently examined her, brushing a hand over the soft fur as if reacquainting herself with something long lost.

I glanced at Rafe. "And you thought you were being innovative naming her Vixen?"

"I didn’t have to. Every female kind is a born vixen," Rafe replied smugly and turned to his cat. "Vixen, let’s go."

But the cat didn’t move. She remained curled in Eira’s lap, perfectly content.

"You two need to start training your pets properly," Jason remarked as he finally joined us. "Already siding with the traitor."

Lucian agreed with a grunt. "They’re getting out of hand. A few lashes with a fine stick should set them straight and—"

"She is pregnant," Eira said all of a sudden.

All four of us were stunned to hear it. Vixen, pregnant?

"Don’t hurt her," Eira said again, looking at Lucian.

Both her hands wrapped protectively around Vixen, shielding the small cat against her stomach as if she truly believed we were going to beat that small cat. At the same time, there was pain in her eyes when she said it, as if she was considering Vixen’s pain as her own if we beat her.

"This can’t be," Rafe said with cold confidence. "There is no bastard cat around here to touch my cat. I made sure of it."

"Ignore her. Other than being fucked, what else does she even know?" Lucian commented. "Let’s take Vixen and go."

Before Eira could feel more upset with them, I stepped ahead and told her, "Let me get her."

Eira still didn’t let her go.

"Trust me, we never hurt her. She’s like our daughter," I assured her. "Don’t take their words seriously."

She hesitated, then slowly loosened her grip.

Finally, I lifted Vixen from her arms.

"She’s definitely heavier than before," I muttered, adjusting the cat in my arms. I turned to Jason. "Can you tell if she really is pregnant?"

Time to use his rotten knowledge from studying medicines, though he was not a vet.

Jason examined the cat while I held her in my arms. "Hmm, she is indeed pregnant."

And just like that, I felt a sharp chill pass beside me.

Rafe’s voice came next—low, furious, and ice cold.

"Who the fuck dared touch my cat?" His furious eyes narrowed, fixed on the woods as if searching for someone. "Whoever that bastard is... he’s going to lose his life today."

None of us doubted Rafe’s words. The Vampire was furiously possessive when it came to his cat.

Back then, when he brought her home, the cat was sick for days, as she seemed to have been soaking in the rain for a long time before he found her.

Rafe had cared for her personally, tending to her needs with a dedication none of us had expected. He had even gone so far as to threaten the vet—promising to drain him of every last drop of blood if anything happened to the kitten.

Too much possessiveness towards the kitten he had just found—it seemed crazy at that time.

But then I looked at Eira, whose eyes never left Vixen.

It made me wonder if she knew this cat. But as far as I remember, she didn’t have any pet and often complained to Alice that her grandparents wouldn’t allow her to have one.