Help! Five Beast Alphas Want To Breed Me!!(BL)-Chapter 223: Can You Smell That??

Zephan;

"I don’t think we emphasise enough how adorable Elián is," Zethar whispers in Nagarian beside me, and I look up at my brother, who is supposed to be walking beside Elián and not beside me.

"If he’s pregnant, I really hope he gets pregnancy fat. I want to see him with really chubby cheeks..." He adds, and I can’t help but shove my elbow into his side.

"Shut up!" I snap at him before turning back to look at Elián.

I know he doesn’t understand Nagarian, but both of us speaking in a different language in front of him is a bit rude.

I raise a brow when I realise his attention isn’t even on Zethar or me. His eyes are glued to the bowl in his hands, and his face is scrunched up.

Zethar is right. The boy is adorable. He insisted on wearing a top, and instead of wearing full pants, he ripped them right above the knee.

Now, he’s wearing pants that stop right above his knee. He insisted that Nagari is too warm, and full pants would cause him too much heat, so... that’s the reason behind what he’s wearing now.

Zethar and I are leading him to the nursery pit behind the main hall. It’s one of the halls where the newborn snakes are kept in heated enclosures until they are strong enough to roam freely through the palace. The pit is one of my favourite places in the kingdom.

Elián kept complaining about being bored and wanting to leave the room, so Zethar thought it would be a good idea to bring him to the nursery pit.

However, right now, Elián looks mortified, and we haven’t even gotten there.

His small arms are clutching the metal bowl to his chest with his eyes fixed on the contents of the bowl... a few tiny frozen mice, still limp and pale.

"Elián?" I finally break the silence, and without missing a beat, he speaks.

"This is... this is horrible," he says, swallowing so hard I hear it, and I raise a brow while Zethar snorts.

"They’re dead, Elián. It’s not like one will jump up and bite you." Zethar jokes, and that’s when I realise.

He feels bad for the mice!??

"That is not the point!" Elián squeaks.

"They look so... micey." He whines, and I try not to smile... However, it slips out anyway.

"Baby snakes need soft prey. It’s the easiest to digest." I try to explain, and he pouts at me.

"You could feed them fruits," He mutters.

"Or... porridge. Or something that doesn’t have faces." He adds as he looks back down at the bowl, and Zethar sighs before walking back to meet him.

He slings an arm over Eliàn’s shoulder, then leans down dramatically to whisper,

"If you don’t want to feed them, you can hold the bowl while I..."

"No," Elián quickly cuts him off.

"I’ll do it. I...I want to learn." He adds adamantly as he looks up at me, and the intrigue and interest in our tradition sparks something warm in me.

We finally arrive at the hall, and Zethar rushes forward to push the doors open. We walk into the dimly lit hall and lead him to the pit... a shallow stone enclosure warmed from beneath by enchantments conjured by Aunt Selthía and some mothers.

Tiny serpent heads poke out from between rocks, with their little tongues flicking curiously as they sense us. Elián freezes at the edge of the pit, and I smile at the panic that’s colored his cheeks.

"They’re staring at me." He whispers, and I gently place my hand on his back.

"That’s because you’re new... and I think they like you," I assure him.

"Everyone likes you," I add, and his ears turn pink.

Zethar crouches and lifts one baby snake gently.

"Okay, Elián. Just hold the mouse by the tail and offer it near their mouth. They’ll take care of the rest." He instructs as he demonstrates.

Elián and I watch the baby eat, and Zethar smiles before gently stroking the baby’s head, and I smile.

Who knew the chaos could be this calm around babies?

Elián slowly picks up a mouse, and I watch as he grips it like he’s holding a cursed relic. The babies around expectant slither towards him, and when he tries to back away in fear, I place a hand behind him to stop him.

"They won’t hurt you," I assure him, and he blinks at me before letting out a breath.

He lowers the mouse to one of the baby snakes, and just as she takes the mouse from him, Elián gags. Hard.

He jerks back, with one hand over his mouth, and Zethar and I instantly look at each other in worry.

"Oh...oh God, that smell...what is that?!" He questions in disgust, and Zethar and I blink while Zethar lets go of the little snake he was holding.

"There’s... no smell," I say slowly in confusion, and Elián raises a brow at me.

"There is! It’s horrible! Like burnt onions and old socks dipped in vinegar!" He rants as he gags again, and I blink in confusion.

"How are you guys breathing?!" He demands, and Zethar raises a brow at me. An expression I hate that I understand.

Elián is oblivious, but Zethar is already weaving theories.

He suddenly thrusts the bowl at me and rushes to his feet.

"Take it. Take it before I throw up on your snakes...please." He gags again, and I set the bowl aside and stand up before stepping closer to him.

"Elián... what exactly are you smelling?" I question, and he pouts.

"That!" he cries dramatically, waving at the pit.

"The... the everything! The mice! The air! Zethar’s hair! Something here is absolutely revolting!" He replies, and I pause.

"My hair!?" Zethar replies in dumbfoundment, and Elián blinks at him.

"Yes. Your hair. It smells like... like you drenched it in scorched garlic or something." He replies, Zethar’s mouth drops open.

"WHAT?! My hair smells amazing!" He retorts, and I try so hard not to laugh that my stomach cramps.

However, the laughter fades quickly as I meet Zethar’s eyes again.

He’s giving me that pointed look again.

Heightened smell. Sudden aversion to normal scents. Phantom odours... Those are classic pregnancy signs.

Elián is cluelessly giving us a pregnancy symptom.

"Elián... do you feel sick? Dizzy? Lightheaded?" I question as I move closer to him, and he looks up at me with tired eyes.

He nods, and I inhale slowly, studying him. His cheeks are flushed, his pupils wide.

His aura...normally soft and steady...is pulsing, like there’s something tiny but powerful stirring within him.

Zethar notices it too, and his expression softens.

I crouch a little so I can meet Elián at eye level.

"When did this start?" I ask, and he sighs like he’s tired of all the questions.

"Right now!" he says.

"Right when I bent down to feed them. It’s like someone punched me with a smell." He replies, and I take a deep breath.

"Interesting..." I mutter, and Zethar crosses his arms while staring openly at Elián’s abdomen like he’s expecting something to glow.

"Very interesting." He repeats, and Elián frowns between us.

"Why are you two doing that staring thing?" He damns, and my brows crease.

"What staring thing?" I ask innocently.

"That thing where you look at each other like you’re speaking in silent Nagari language," he says.

"Stop it, it’s suspicious." He adds, and I exhale softly.

"We’re sorry," I whisper, and he turns to me with his plum little lips puckered forward. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

This is the moment where everything starts shifting, the moment our suspicions start solidifying.

But I cannot tell him yet. Not without confirmation. Not without certainty. Not without speaking to Aunt Selthía first.

So, I just smile and place my hands on his shoulders.

"You’re okay," I tell him.

"Whatever this is, it’s not dangerous," I whisper to him, more like I’m trying to encourage myself.

"That is EXACTLY what people say before something dangerous happens," He protests, and Zethar snickers.

"You’re fine. Really." He says, trying to look serious, but his lips twitch.

Elián huffs and folds his arms. Zethar steps forward and pats Elián on the back gently.

"Come. Let’s sit by the fountain. Fresh air will help." He says, and Elián’s eyes brighten up.

"Yes, please," he groans dramatically, and I smile.

We guide him away from the hall, and the further we walk from the nursery, the more relaxed he becomes. A minute later, he’s breathing normally again.

"Better?" I question, and Elián nods slowly.

"Yeah. But that was weird. Really weird." He replies, and Zethar stretches his arms.

"It wasn’t weird. Maybe your senses are just changing." He says, and Elián squints.

"Why would they change?" He questions, and Zethar looks at me.

We can’t tell him.

Not yet. Not until we are a hundred per cent strong.

Pregnancy news isn’t something you wave about recklessly.

"Some people experience strange fluctuations after trauma. What happened at Gravemaw was... a lot." I whisper, and he looks down... with sadness flickering across his face.

"Yeah." He replies, and my heart aches.

"But you’re safe here," I assure him, and he glances up at me through his lashes.

"I know." He replies, and Zethar just watches Elián with his expression unreadable.

"You guys really couldn’t smell that?" Elian suddenly questions as he turns to Zethar, and Zethar shrugs.

"No," He replies.

"Not even a tiny bit?"

"No."

"So it was really just me." He mumbles, and this time Zethar and I chorus.

"Yes,"

The silence that follows is loud. And heavy... Then Zethar cracks a grin.

"On the bright side, if you ever join our palace patrols, you’ll sniff enemies from a mile away." He jokes, and Elián glares at him.

"I hate you!" He snaps, and Zethar laughs as he sits beside Elián.

"You wish you did, little rattle. You wish you did..." He replies as he pulls Elián to himself, and as I watch both of them laugh, I can’t help my smile.

I earnestly hope nothing ruins this. I hope all our problems get fixed and we can just be happy...

Elian deserve that much at least...