My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 204

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The smell of food woke Taylor.

Finisher

He blinked himself awake and found that Jaden was no longer lying beside him. For a moment, Taylor sat there yawning, confused. Hadn’t he been telling Jaden a story? How had he ended up asleep first?

Jaden sat quietly on a beast-hide mat near the fire, watching the adults prepare dinner.

He liked watching them like this.

Taylor was still hazy from sleep, but the sight of dinner cleared his head immediately. He padded around the food once, then squeezed back beside Jaden with a happy little laugh.

Yael was the most excited one there. “Time to eat!”

THE

The braised chicken turned out unbelievably good. The meat was soft and full of sauce, rich, savory, and spicy. The potatoes had cooked until creamy, while the noodles stayed chewy and soaked up every bit of flavor.

Because Jaden was sick, he only ate a little. But the turnip soup was mild and sweet, the eggs were smooth as custard, the fish was tender, and the potatoes were warm and fragrant.

Taylor ate with pure joy, his short legs swinging back and forth.

After dinner, Matthew and Yael cleaned the cooking area together. Taylor and Jaden leaned against Zachary and Quincy, listening to the adults chat.

The fire burned in a soft golden glow, making the shadows on the stone wall sway gently.

Jaden could not find the right words for what he felt. Curled in Zachary’s arms, he thought that he must be the luckiest child in the world.

Before sleeping, Jaden still had to drink another bowl of medicine. Matthew boiled it and poured it out so it could cool.

Zachary had also prepared wild berry pastries, sliced into neat little squares and arranged nicely on a plate. They were for Jaden after the medicine, to cover the bitterness.

Matthew received a piece too, fed to him by Zachary’s own hand.

Jaden knew that whenever he was unwell, Matthew became much softer. That night, Matthew did not even

compete with him for space and let him sleep in the

middle.

When Zachary held him, Matthew only stayed quiet

Seeing that Jaden’s eyes were still open, Zachary d reached

over to hug both of them together.

Jaden nodded, then said very softly. “I’m really happy.”

“Can’t slee

yet? Want a story?”

Matthew and Zachary both looked at him.

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Finished

Zachary smiled gently. “Why are you happy?”

Jaden answered with great seriousness, “Because you’re my Sire, and he’s my Alpha. Being together like this makes me happy.”

Zachary kissed his cheek. “I’m happy too. I have you and your Alpha.”

Matthew’s arm tightened slightly around them. At that moment, he felt he might be the happiest one.

That night, Jaden’s fever rose again. He curled up tightly, trembling from head to toe.

Matthew woke instantly. He had barely moved when Zachary woke as well. Zachary touched Jaden’s scorching skin, and every trace of sleep disappeared from his face.

“I’ll boil the medicine,” Matthew said in a low voice.

Zachary dressed quickly and went to the washing area. He took a piece of beast-hide cloth, soaked it in cold water, and began cooling Jaden down.

Jaden felt terrible, but after they woke him, he still did not cry or fuss. When he drank the medicine, he even told them he was fine and said they should go back to sleep.

Zachary sat on the bed with Jaden in his arms, brushing the hair away from his forehead and gently patting his back. “Sleep. We’re here with you. You’ll be fine…”

When Jaden was sick, the over-mature calm he usually carried disappeared. He held Zachary’s hand tightly and pressed close, his small pale face barely visible in the dim firelight.

Zachary and Matthew stayed awake with him until the latter half of the night. Only after Jaden’s fever finally. eased did they dare to relax.

But that was only the start.

In the morning, Zachary made congee. Jaden managed to drink half a bowl, but before long, he vomited it all back up.

His little face was frighteningly pale. His hunched shoulders shook without stopping, and moisture gathered at the corners of his eyes. In a weak voice, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Zachary hugged him tightly. Panic churned inside him, but he forced his voice to stay gentle and steady. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

Matthew brought the medicine over and helped Jaden drink it. Then, he held Zachary’s hand, trying to calm him. I’m going to Mr. Bruce.”

Jaden was truly ill.

After each dose of medicine, his temperature would drop for a while, only to climb back up again not long

after

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This cycle continued for several days.

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The small amount of weight he had finally gained seemed to vanish before their eyes. He grew visibly thinner and weaker, and even his voice became faint.

Zachary worried so much that he could not sleep. He could barely eat either, and he started losing weight along with Jaden.

Matthew knew he could not afford to collapse. He forced himself to remain steady, taking care of his mate and cub the way he always had.

For the moment, food was not a problem. Whenever Yael and Kyle managed to catch anything during their hunts, they always sent some over.

Bruce and Donald went to the Rabbit tribe, hoping to find better medicine there.

Children understood the world in simple, frightening terms. Jaden thought he might die, and what scared. him most was leaving his Sire and Alpha.

He was afraid. To him, death meant being gone forever.

It meant he would never see his parents again, never see Taylor, never see Quincy or Yael. Everyone loved would remain here, and he would disappear from them.

he

His chest hurt whenever he thought about it, but he kept it hidden. If his Sire and Alpha saw, they would hurt too, and they were already exhausted.

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Transmigrated to Raise Panther Cubs