Genevieve

Chapter 33: Suspicion

Separation was difficult. Even more so since it had been only a few days since Gen had accepted the kings as her mates. But she was hopeful that the separation was temporary and that they would reunite soon. She had to admit that she missed the kings and their presence. Their goofiness, their fights, and their quarrels. It was fascinating how the four brooding alpha males decided to compromise just for her. They were willing to share, willing to wait, and willing to work on themselves.

Gen would video call the kings often, and check if they ate and felt better, but they would seem busy and distracted. It was understandable since they were sick and tired. But she really wanted to be by their side. She tried to convince the kings to let her come and meet them, but they were adamant. They couldn't risk her falling sick because of them. Gen knew that they cared about her and only told her not to visit out of concern.

She never imagined that a week without them would be so tormenting. She would think about them all the time. So, when the week was over, she decided to visit them without informing them. But she was going fully prepared. She wore a mask and gloves, and she took food for them in disposable boxes.

When she reached Bella's place, she expected them to be sick and lying in bed, but she was astonished to see them hustling and bustling like everything was normal. They were washing dishes, sweeping the floor, packing the food, and dusting the room. They were so engrossed in their chores that they didn't even notice when Gen entered. She coughed to get their attention, and they were all taken aback to see her. They left everything that they were doing, and a huge smile graced their face.

"Surprise!" She told them, and she saw their eyes light up.

"Gen, we're so happy to see you!" Markus was going to rush up to hug Gen, but the other kings pulled him back, reminding him of the virus. The rest waved with a smile, and Gen waved back.

Gen inquired about how they were feeling, and they also asked about how she was and how everything was at her end.

"All is good. Where is Bella? Is she better now?" Gen inquired, and the kings pointed towards the restroom.

A few moments later, Bella came out, and the girls jumped excitedly when they saw each other.

"Oh, God! It feels like ages. I've missed you! I wish I could come up and hug you. How are you feeling now?" Gen asked, and Bella replied, "This week has been so hectic. I've never been so sick. It feels so odd and weird. But I'm better, all thanks to the kings. I don't know what I'd do without them."

Gen felt slightly jealous to hear her words, but she was most proud of the kings.

"I brought food for you all. Your favorites!" she told them happily. She was about to take out all the food to serve it, but then she looked over to the kitchen table, and it was filled with leftover food, which mostly consisted of the same things that she got.

"Sorry, we just ate," Bella revealed, and Gen was sad to hear that. But when the kings noticed the change in expressions, Damien spoke, "I don't know about you all, but I am hungry again." The other kings hopped on too since they couldn't see her sad.

The truth was that they weren't hungry, and they were famished. But anything for Genevieve. The kings invited Bella to come to eat with them, and they laughed and joked as they ate. Gen was happy to see them eat the food she brought, but she couldn't sit with them and tag along since they were all unwell, and Gen was at the risk of being infected.

Gen was astounded to see how close Bella and the kings got in such a short period of time. All of a sudden, Gen felt like an outsider. She felt invisible, and that they would be fine even without her. She didn't understand why she felt that way. Maybe because she was used to getting all the attention from the kings, and they had spoiled her. She tried to push those thoughts out of her mind since they were absurd and baseless.

But something struck her. The kings weren't humans. They were werewolves, and it was uncommon for them to get sick, and even if they did, they would recover or heal faster. On top of that, the kings seemed completely normal. She started to feel as if the kings were trying to stay away or keep their distance from her deliberately. She knew that something was fishy, and she started getting suspicious.

It was nighttime when she reached home, and she called the kings to inform them that she reached home safely. She was on call when she slipped from the stairs, and the kings were alarmed when they heard her scream.

"What happened? Are you okay?" The kings questioned haphazardly, and Gen replied, "I think I twisted my ankle," She squealed in pain. "I don't think I can stand up."

The moment she said those words, the kings sped out to her place to go help her, and a few minutes later, they were there by her side. Gen hadn't faked it, she was actually hurt, and she really couldn't stand up. So as soon as the kings reached, Lucius picked her up and put her on the bed.

"Eve, you should be careful. I'll get the ice pack. Your ankle is swollen," Tristan spoke out of concern, and the kings touched her and consoled her freely. They forgot about the virus and Bella. All they cared about was Gen. And she was quick to catch on to their act.

"I thought you caught a virus and that it was contagious," Gen remarked, hinting towards their hands which were all over her.

The kings were speechless since they didn't realize when they had dropped their act, and they tried to think of excuses.

"Wow, I think I've recovered," Markus tried to flip the situation, but Gen was still suspicious.

"Really? Then why did you pretend to be sick when I visited you?" Gen cross-questioned.

"We were just trying to be careful. You know prevention is better than cure," Damien answered, but Gen wasn't convinced.

"Answer honestly," She spoke in all seriousness. "Were you all even sick in the first place?"

The king's mouths dried up, and they felt like they had been caught. They knew that there was no use in making excuses, so they decided to come clean with her. They shook their heads and then lowered them immediately.

Gen was in disbelief. She had just made a wild guess, and it had turned out to be true. But why would they do such a thing? She was cross, and it was evident on her face.

"We can explain," Lucius tried to negotiate, but Gen stopped him immediately.

"Don't. I can't believe you all lied to me," She was upset, but then a thought came to her mind.

"I think I know what is going on," She announced, and the kings started to lose their minds. They didn't know how and what to tell her, but they had to, sooner or later. And that might've been the right time.

But before they could utter anything, Gen's expression changed from an angry one to an amused one, and she started to laugh. The kings were confused and lost.

"Oh God, look at you four. You look like you've been convicted for a crime," She laughed, and the kings did, in fact, feel like criminals.

"Silly boys, you should learn how to pretend better. I know you're all trying to plan a surprise for my birthday with Bella's help," Gen exclaimed. The kings wished that it would've been the case. But unfortunately, it wasn't. They didn't want to burst her bubble, but there were some things she had to know. The kings looked at each other and prepared themselves.

"We're sorry Genevieve. We've made a mistake."

Author's Note!
Good news! Updates twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday, starting from the next Saturday. Lots of love xoxo

Happy reading!