<h4>Chapter 764: They’re inherently chaotic</h4>


    "I’ll talk to Gabriel once he calms down. For now, don’t bother him," Karmen instructed. "And if anything like this ever crosses your mind again, Denzel, tell me first. Prince Dominick reacts with a specific kind of vtility whenever Juniper is mentioned. You should have known better than to poke that wound."


    "I’ll keep it in mind," Denzel replied from the other end.


    "I’m hanging up now. Don’t let this eat at you," Karmen said before ending the call. He took a steadying breath before stepping back into the restaurant. He slid into the booth and picked up his burger.


    "What happened?" Aisha asked, her eyes searching his. "You look like you’re back on duty."


    "Denzel, Gabriel’s Gamma, managed to create a disaster at the pce. It escted to the point where Gabriel and Prince Dominick actually came to blows in the hallway," Karmen exined, keeping his voice low to avoid eavesdroppers. "It’s over now, but the fallout is messy. Denzel has been stripped of his position as Gamma. I’m going to try and talk sense into Gabrielter, but for now, the damage is done."


    Aisha furrowed her brows, the lighthearted mood of their lunch evaporating. "A physical fight between the Princes?"


    "Lower your voice," Karmen whispered, his eyes scanning the surrounding tables. "Thest thing we need is a public rumor mill churning before the wedding."


    "Sorry," Aisha apologized quickly.


    "Let’s just focus on our meals for now," Karmen suggested. He settled into the rhythm of the meal, alternating between the savory burger and a few fries, all while keeping a steady eye on Aisha. She was eating slowly now, clearly preupied by what he’d revealed.


    "You can go and meet Prince Gabriel now, Karmen," Aisha said suddenly, setting her burger down. "I won’t hold you back from your duties. If the pce is in that much trouble, you should probably be there."


    Karmen shook his head firmly. "It’s not the right time to approach him. Gabriel needs space to dpress, or I’ll just be another target for his frustration. I’ll catch him in the evening when the air has cleared a bit." He took another sip of his shake, a genuine smile finally resurfacing. "Besides, I’m not leaving yet. This burger is actually quite good."


    Aisha rxed slightly. "I told you this ce was a hidden gem." Her smile reached her eyes, feeling genuinely happy in hispany.


    ~~~~


    "I wasn’t the one who fought," Cassio finally got to say the truth. "In fact, I was the one trying to pull them apart after they bothnded a punch. I’m just the mediator this time," he asserted, gently resting one of Zilia’s legs across hisp.


    Zilia’s eyes grew wide, a flush of guilt creeping up her neck as she realized she had scolded him prematurely. "Oh, I’m so sorry. I just assumed that with the three of you in one hallway—"


    "It’s fine," Cassio interrupted softly, already uncapping a small bottle of herbal oil. He poured a few drops into his palms, warming it before beginning a massage.


    "I told you the maid could do this, Cas," Zilia said, her voice trailing off as she watched hisrge, calloused hands move with surprising tenderness over her skin.


    "And where’s the fun in that?" Cassio chuckled, his eyes meeting hers with a sh of warmth. "I want to contribute to this journey, Zilia. I want to make things as smooth as possible for you. Besides," he added, his expression turning slightly more serious as his hands moved higher, "you’re still so small. The thought of you carrying triplets, it worries me. I need to make sure you’re asfortable as you can be."


    Zilia leaned back against the plush headboard. "What do you think they’ll be? Girls or boys?" Zilia asked, her voice softening as she watched him work.


    "Girls," Cassio replied without a second of hesitation. "Three beautiful, sharp-witted girls just like you," he asserted, his thumbs tracing slow circles over her skin to ease the swelling. "It’s not that I don’t want boys, but they’re inherently chaotic. Just look at Nick, Gabriel, and me. Katelyn was never the one causing the headaches; it was always the three of us tearing the pce apart."


    Zilia smiled, leaning her head back. "But Noah appears to be much less chaotic so far. He’s such a calm baby."


    "Let him grow," Cassio remarked with a knowing glint in his eyes. "Gabriel is going to have a daily headache once that boy starts walking. But then again, I believe Gabriel won’t even allow anyone to say a single cross word to Noah," he muttered, breaking into augh.


    He paused, his expression turning more grounded as he looked up at her. "In truth, we’ll be happy with either. Gender doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you deliver them safely and that you’re healthy when this is over. That’s the only thing making me lose sleep."


    "With you caring for me like this, I believe I’ll deliver smoothly," Zilia said, her smile widening as the tension in her legs finally began to dissipate.


    Casaio nodded, his expression softening into something uncharacteristically gentle. "We really havee so far, haven’t we? Not just one, but three pups at once. It feels like everything finally started falling into ce the moment we chose each other again," he said, his fingers easing their pressure before he shifted his focus to her other leg.


    "I think about that every day," Zilia admitted, her eyes fixed on him. "But I still believe you’re the true reason for all of this. If you had given up on me back then, Cas, we wouldn’t be here. You’ve been a man I never truly knew I deserved."


    Casaio paused, lifting his head to meet her gaze with an intensity that made the rest of the pce drama feel miles away. "I told you from the start, you were the only one for me. If it wasn’t you, it was no one. That’s what I told my wolf, and that’s what he told me, from the very beginning."