Chapter 67: I’m not afraid of anything but your insanity

The drive to the Vane Manor was quick. The gray security outbuildings and manicured hedges of the estate sped past before Ren could even get a proper glimpse of them.

Inside the SUV, the air was chilled to a biting temperature, a sharp contrast to the humid island air still clinging to Ren’s skin.

As the vehicle pulled up to the side entrance of the medical wing, Cilian stepped out first. He didn’t wait for a servant; he opened Ren’s door himself.

"We’re here," Cilian said, his voice still carrying that eerily sweet tone.

Ren stepped out, his legs feeling heavy. He looked at the steel doors of the medical wing. He knew the layout of this place—it was designed for efficiency and total control.

Once he went through those doors, the chance to avoid a needle became slim.

"I need to wash up first," Ren said, stopping at the threshold. He kept his eyes low, playing into the exhausted, defeated persona. "I’m covered in salt and dirt. I won’t have your people touching me like this. It’s... unhygienic."

Cilian paused, his gold-brown eyes scanning Ren’s face for any sign of a trick. Ren just looked tired, the dark circles under his eyes doing most of the acting for him.

He stepped into Ren’s space, his fingers picking out the jasmine petals still tangled in Ren’s messy hair.

"A fair point," Cilian purred, his voice carrying that sweet, honeyed tone that always set Ren on edge. "Actually, now that you mention it, I can still feel the sand on my own skin. I suppose we both smell quite a bit like our honeymoon, don’t we?"

Ren looked up, a frown deepening on his face. "Then go to your room and wash. I’ll be in the prep suite."

"Oh, don’t be silly, wifey," Cilian laughed, that fox-like grin spreading across his face.

It was a beautiful, polite expression, one that looked entirely sincere if you didn’t know the monster hiding behind it.

"Why waste time in two separate rooms? We can just share. It’s more efficient."

Ren’s eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. "What?! You want to bathe where?"

"With you, darling," Cilian grinned, leaning down until their noses almost touched. He looked delighted by Ren’s shock. "Don’t be shy now. We already did much more than just bathe on the island, remember? The villagers would be quite disappointed to see us being so modest after such a ’vocal’ union."

"This isn’t the island!" Ren hissed, his face heating up despite his rage.

Cilian was still putting up that Island act here, as if it were ever real. It was all fake, a show to put up for the locals so they would accept them with pity and open arms.

To act like that here...

"Wake up, Cilian! This is reality. This is the outside world. There are people here! Doctors! Guards!"

"And they all know you’re mine," Cilian replied, his tone remaining light and sugary even as his hand settled firmly on Ren’s back, guiding him toward the large, private bathroom of the ward. "In fact, I think it’ll help you relax. You’ve been so tense since the helicopter landed. A warm soak with your husband is exactly what the doctor ordered."

Ren stumbled into the room, his boots clicking on the cold, white tile. This was a high-tech bathroom designed for patient prep in this mansion. It was so high-tech because it was designed for the Vane family, apparently. And among the Vane family, the only one living in the Estate was Cilian.

So, it was all for Cilian.

The tub was deep and built into the floor, surrounded by stainless steel rails and emergency pull-cords.

​"Cilian, get real," Ren hissed, backing away until his heels hit the edge of the sunken tub. "The doctors are literally standing on the other side of that wall. You can’t just—"

​"I can do whatever I want in my own house, darling," Cilian interrupted, his voice sweet as nectar but his eyes fixed on Ren with a terrifying intensity.

He reached out and began to unbutton his own shirt with a slow, agonizing deliberation. 1"Besides, if you’re so worried about the doctors, shouldn’t you hurry up and get in? The longer you argue, the longer they have to wait."

​Ren watched Cilian’s fingers move, his mind racing. This was a disaster. He had planned to use the shower’s steam as cover to raid the medicine cabinet for something dangerous to terminate his pregnancy, if there was any, before the rest began. But he couldn’t exactly reach for a syringe with Cilian standing three feet away, watching him like a predator.

​Cilian stepped closer, his shadow falling over Ren as he leaned in to whisper.

"Or... are you stalling because you’re afraid of what the tests will show? Afraid that the ’fruit’ the Elder spoke of is already taking root?"

​Ren’s breath hitched.

"I’m not afraid of anything but your insanity."

​"Good," Cilian purred, his hand moving to the drawstring of Ren’s trousers. "Then let’s get this over with. I’ll wash your back, and you can tell me all about how much you missed the ’comforts’ of home."

​Ren felt the hot water beginning to hiss into the tub, the steam quickly filling the small, sterile space. He had to think fast. If he got into that water with Cilian, he’d be completely vulnerable. But if he could distract him for just thirty seconds—maybe by pretending the water was too hot or causing a small slip—he might be able to reach the supply drawer built into the vanity.

Ren squeezed his eyes shut for a split second, trying to drown out the sound of the water hitting the porcelain. He had to be precise. If he made a move for the cabinets now, Cilian would tackle him before he could even break a seal. He needed Cilian’s focus entirely off the vanity and onto the tub.

"Fine," Ren muttered, his voice shaking with a mix of fury and forced submission. "But the water... It’s too loud. I can’t hear myself think. And it smells like... chemicals."

Cilian paused, his fingers still on the drawstring of Ren’s trousers. He laughed softly, that sweet, melodic sound that Ren wanted to choke him for. "It’s sterile, Ren. That’s the smell of safety. But if the temperature isn’t to your liking..."

"It’s too hot," Ren lied, stepping closer to the edge of the sunken tub. He reached out a hand, hovering it over the rising steam. "You’re going to scald me before the doctors even get a chance to see me."

Cilian’s brow arched. He loved playing the role of the doting husband, and Ren was banking on that vanity.

"Alright, I’ll make sure it doesn’t scald you."

Cilian stepped past Ren, leaning over the edge of the tub to adjust the heavy, chrome mixer.

Now.

As Cilian reached for the dial, Ren rushed toward the vanity. Even when exhausted, the endurance training he had done with his father paid off.

And as a medical student, he had a better understanding of where the high-alert supplies were kept in these Vane-spec wards.

Just so you know, the clothes they are currently wearing are the energy clothes the guards brought when they came to the island. That’s why Ren is wearing boots. Forgot to add that part, sorry, but they were already changing while Harris and Kaelo were having their moment