My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Mushrooms and Ginger

Finished

After the gossip died down, Zachary wandered through the forest with a beast–hide bag over his shoulder. He was surrounded by strange plants on all sides, most of which were entirely unfamiliar to him, sparking his curiosity about nearly everything he encountered.

The ground was dense with weeds that reached his calves. Tangled vines and creeping stems covered the forest floor. One careless step could casily cause someone to stumble.

Zachary had already learned that lesson the hard way.

After tripping once, he moved much more carefully.

A short while later, he suddenly crouched down. Pushing the weeds aside revealed a rotting tree root. Growing beside it was a cluster of mushrooms he immediately recognized.

His hand reached out to pick them.

Right then, another hand grabbed his wrist before he could touch them.

Zachary looked up and found Quincy staring at him with clear tension. “Zachary, that plant isn’t edible.”

“Why not?” Zachary frowned.

Elias approached and joined the conversation, “Plants with strange colors are poisonous. Some therians ate them before and died.”

“They probably picked the wrong ones.” Zachary carefully plucked a brown mushroom and examined it. After a brief check, he nodded. “These are fine.”

His grandmother had taken him mushroom picking in the mountains many times when he was younger. Some mushrooms looked very similar, though experience eventually taught him how to tell them apart.

Concern still lingered in Quincy’s eyes. “There’s still food at my place. I can share. Don’t pick these.”

“Trust me.” Zachary gently patted Quincy’s hand. “I’ve eaten them before.”

Elias‘ eyes widened. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Zachary smiled. “They’re delicious. I’ll cook some for you when I get the chance.”

The moment Elias heard the word “delicious,” his eyes brightened. He swiftly moved to join Zachary and began helping gather mushrooms. “You better keep that promise.”

“Of course,” Zachary promised.

They only meant to pick a small amount, though the task quickly became addictive. Without noticing, they wandered farther into the forest.

One of the black panther therians responsible for guarding them suddenly darted over. After making sure nothing dangerous was nearby, the massive panther flicked its tail, jumped into a tree, and settled on a high branch to keep watch over the area.

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O

12:02 Thu, Jun 4 M

Chapter 10 Mushrooms and Ginger

Zachary had already witnessed many strange things in this world.

Even so, every time he saw one of those enormous black panthers–far larger than any shown in documentaries–his heart still skipped a beat.

“Elias, Zachary.” Quincy waved them over. “There’s fruit here.”

They walked toward him.

Finished

Zachary glanced down and saw clusters of green and red fruit scattered among the short grass. His eyes li up instantly. “Tomatoes!”

Quincy blinked. “Tomatoes?”

A hint of guilt crossed Zachary’s mind, and he hurried to explain, “That’s just what I call them.”

Elias studied the fruit and gave a small warning. “They’re sour.

“Yeah. They’re pretty sour when eaten raw.” Zachary nodded.

These tomatoes looked different from the cultivated ones he remembered. The fruits grew in clusters and appeared smaller, even though they were still bright and attractive.

Quincy and Elias preferred large, sweet fruits. When they noticed how interested Zachary was, they simply handed over everything from that plant.

The sun had begun sinking toward the western horizon, and the light in the forest slowly faded. The two patrolling black panthers signaled it was time to return to the tribe.

Their harvest was substantial.

The two black panthers carried part of the load on their backs, while the sub–therians carried the rest themselves.

Zachary switched between carrying items in his arms and tossing them over his shoulder. The effort quickly sapped his strength.

Quincy and Elias offered to help, but Zachary declined. The items they carried weren’t light either.

Exhaustion did not dampen anyone’s smiles.

The joy of a successful harvest showed clearly on every sub–therian.

The return route differed from the one they had taken earlier. Along the way, they gathered several additional wild fruit varieties, including kiwis.

The sub–therians called them “fuzzy fruit.”

Unfortunately, the vines had climbed high up a tall tree, and there was only one tree there. They were only able to gather a small amount.

Even so, Zachary felt satisfied.

One problem persisted: they lacked meat and basic staples, and food shortages continued.

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III

O

12:02 Thu, Jun 4 M

Chapter 10 Mushrooms and Ginger

Zachary began thinking about fishing once they got back. He had noticed a river near the tribe earlier, and Elias had mentioned a stream in the mountains behind the settlement. Where there was water, he believed there had to be fish.

Halfway back, the two black panthers suddenly caught the scent of wild animals—possibly wolves. To avoid unnecessary danger, they guided the group onto a different route.

The detour stretched the journey longer.

Zachary’s legs were heavy with fatigue, and his attention wandered as he kept walking.

Then something near his feet caught his eye.

A group of thin plants grew next to the path, with long leaves that looked like oversized bamboo.

Zachary suddenly halted.

As soon as he identified the plant, all his fatigue vanished.

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