My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 313

Chapter 313 Drunk and Homesick

The memory was still vivid in Matthew’s mind.

Finished

That day, Zachary had bounced from one thing to the next, his tail swaying behind him as he greeted everyone they came across. One minute he was scrambling onto rocks; the next, he was halfway up a tree.

Even the smallest setback was enough to make him burst into tears, as if the whole world had wronged him.

Still, he was remarkably easy to appease.

And, admittedly, that made him rather entertaining.

By the time the barbecue was in full swing, Zachary was already feeling the effects of the alcohol. A rosy flush colored his cheeks, and he sat pressed against Matthew with sleepy eyes and an easy smile. Anyone who spoke to him was met with a cheerful nod.

Throughout the meal, Matthew occasionally passed him a piece of meat, a mushroom, or some fruit. Zachary accepted everything without complaint, happily eating whatever was offered.

Afterward, Jaden wound up staying at Yael’s place. Whether that had been entirely his choice was… debatable.

When Zachary finally got to his feet, he caught hold of Matthew’s arm and gave his head a shake. “I think I’m dizzy again,” he muttered.

Matthew turned toward him. “Come on, I’ll carry your

Zachary climbed onto his back, only to sit upright again almost immediately.

Matthew glanced back. “What is it?”

“You’re too warm,” Zachary complained, his speech slightly slurred. “It’s uncomfortable.”

“If you try walking on your own, you’re going to fall.”

“I’ll be fine.” The words had barely left Zachary’s mouth before he proved himself wrong. After a few unsteady steps, his feet tangled together, sending him stumbling forward.

Matthew reacted instantly. Before Zachary could hit the ground, he slipped an arm beneath his knees and lifted him into his arms.

The sudden loss of footing made Zachary grab Matthew’s clothes on instinct. Matthew’s chest happened to be within easy reach, and Zachary latched on as though he were scaling a cliff face, digging his fingers in hard enough to make Matthew pause.

Matthew adjusted his grip and lifted him a little higher. “Put your arms around my neck.”

Zachary shook his head without hesitation, “No. It’s too hot.”

Amusement flickered across Matthew’s face. “Then don’t hold on so tightly.”

11:11 am Pppp.

Chapter 313 Drunk and Homesick

Finished

“Huh?” Following his gaze, Zachary looked down at his hand and immediately loosened his grip. He looked faintly embarrassed.

“Did I make it swell? Sorry…

A moment later, another thought seemed to strike him, Reaching over, he poked at Matthew’s other pec. “But I didn’t touch this one. Why is this side swollen too?”

Matthew couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s not swollen.”

Still unconvinced, Zachary gave it a cautious squeeze. The muscle beneath his fingers was firm.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

“No.”

“Oh,” Satisfied with his answer, Apparently reassured, Zachary grabbed hold of Matthew’s shirt again and leaned against him. His eyes drifted half–shut as he settled comfortably into Matthew’s arms.

Matthew’s steady stride soon began to lull him to sleep. He yawned, muttered something about wanting to go to bed, and gradually fell quiet.

But once they got home, Zachary was suddenly full of energy again. He wandered around outside the cave in circles, occasionally spinning around a couple of times for no apparent reason. He was so unsteady on his feet that it looked like he might topple over at any moment.

Seeing him sway, Matthew instinctively reached out to steady him. Zachary immediately recoiled. “Hey! Don’t touch me.”

“I feel all sticky now.”

With that option off the table, Matthew could only trail behind him, keeping a watchful eye on his every step. He wasn’t sure he’d been this anxious even when Jaden was taking his first steps.

Eventually, Zachary seemed to run out of energy. He sank into a squat and announced that he was overheated and wanted a bath.

Matthew pulled him back to his feet. “Then you can help me heat the water.”

Zachary nodded obediently. As they made their way toward the cave, he absentmindedly rubbed his sweaty forehead against Matthew’s shoulder before allowing himself to be led inside.

Matthew fetched a grass mat and laid it down a safe distance from the stove before guiding Zachary onto

1. it.

“Stay put.”

“Okay.”

Once Zachary was settled, Matthew turned his attention back to the bathwater. He filled the pot, lit the fire,

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Chapter 313 Drunk and Homesick

and Tossed in a few pieces of wood.

A short while later, he glanced over his shoulder.

Zachary was gone.

Finished

With a sigh, he headed outside. Sure enough, he quickly spotted Zachary leaning over the stone wall of the long–eared beast pen, completely absorbed in whatever was happening inside.

“What are you up to?” Matthew called.

Rather than answer, Zachary pointed into the pen. “I want to hold one of the baby rabbits.”

Matthew wasn’t convinced that was a good idea. “Why don’t you wait until tomorrow?”

Unfortunately, being drunk hadn’t made Zachary any more reasonable.

“No.”

Matthew knew better than to argue. He’d seen how quickly Zachary could go from perfectly fine to teary- eyed. With a resigned sigh, he climbed into the pen, grabbed one of the long–eared beasts, and brought it

over.

Zachary gave it a careful once–over before shaking his head.

“Not that

”

Matthew blinked,

“What?”

To his eyes, every single one of them looked alike.

But Zachary wasn’t satisfied, so Matthew had no choice but to keep searching. After several more failed attempts–and two kicks from an irritated adult long–eared beast–Matthew finally caught another one and held it out.

“What about this one?”

{

This time, Zachary accepted it without complaint, gathering the little rabbit against his chest with obvious satisfaction.

Only then did Matthew notice the distinguishing feature. Two tiny tufts of white fur sat atop its ears.

“Can we head inside now?” Matthew asked.

“I’m hot.” Zachary drifted over to the hammock and collapsed into it, the little rabbit perched comfortably

on his chest.

“Stay put this time…” Matthew gave the hammock a gentle push before heading back to the stove.

Zachary absently stroked the rabbit’s ears.

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Chapter 313 Drunk and Homesick

“Mm. I will:”

Finished

The hammock rocked lazily back and forth. Crickets chirped in the grass, and somewhere in the distance, a frog croaked.

As he lay there, a familiar memory surfaced. It was almost as if an old television were playing in the distance.

“The dark, dark sky hangs low, the bright, bright stars follow close… little bugs fly, little bugs fly, who are you missing tonight…”

Zachary gazed up at the night sky.

Before he knew it, his eyes had filled with tears. The moon blurred, and soon everything else did too.

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