My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 314

Chapter 314 Dividing the Household

Finished

“Time for a bath–The rest of Matthew’s words died away as soon as he reached the hammock. Zachary’s eyes were red from crying, and tears still clung to his cheeks.

“Did that thing bite you?” The sudden sharpness in Matthew’s voice startled the long–eared beast, making it flinch.

Zachary remained silent.

Frowning, Matthew gathered him up and gave his hands and arms a thorough inspection. “What happened?”

Zachary’s lips quivered. “I miss Grandma and Granddad…”

The tears started again almost immediately.

“I miss them so much…”

“They said they’d live to be a hundred. So why did they leave? Why’d they leave me here by myself?”

“Everyone else has parents… I don’t…” His voice caught. “They didn’t want me anymore… Grandma and Granddad left me too…”

“Nobody wants me…”

“I do. Zachary, I want you.” Wrapping his arms tightly around him, Matthew held him close. “Jaden and I are here.”

Pressed against Matthew’s chest, Zachary cried until his shoulders shook with grief.

Drunken fruit juice had a way of amplifying emotions. After crying his heart out, Zachary became dazed again, laughing one moment and crying the next. By the time Matthew lowered him into the large bath basin, Zachary was already trying to dunk his face in the water and blow bubbles.

Afraid he would choke, Matthew quickly pulled him back. “Sit properly.”

“Sit properly.”

Zachary rested his arms on the edge of the basin and stared at Matthew for a long moment before leaning over to steal a few kisses.

Before a smile could reach Matthew’s lips, a splash of bathwater hit him square in the face. He wiped the water from his face and found the culprit sitting there with a goofy grin, hands cupped full of water and ready to splash him again.

“Behave.” Matthew caught Zachary’s hands before he could splash any more water around and resumed washing his arms.

“Tell me a story.” Zachary quipped.

“I’m not good at telling stories.”

The answer clearly wasn’t what Zachary wanted to hear. He promptly went back to kicking up water.

11:11 am P ppp.

Chapter 334 tviding the Household

Finished

Matthew was soaked from head to toe. With a sigh, he stripped off the clothes plastered to his skin.

Zachary’s gaze immediately followed the movement. “Why’s that swollen too?”

“Mm.”

“Then I’ll help make it better!”

For all his drunken antics, Zachary could be surprisingly cooperative at times. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to be gentle.

Matthew’s shoulders tightened. The towel nearly slipped from his hand as he drew in a sharp breath.

“A little gentler.”

Zachary tilted his head up at him. “Does it hurt?”

Matthew looked completely serious as he replied, “A kiss will make it better.”

The scheming black panther was more than happy to take advantage of his sweet, unsuspecting little lynx.

Once the bath was over, Zachary sat obediently while Matthew dried his hair. The peace didn’t last long. Not long after, Zachary pressed a hand to his stomach, and his face immediately turned sour.

After spending the entire day abusing his stomach, feeling unwell was hardly surprising. He’d spent the morning working under the blazing sun and guzzling fruit tea, eaten plenty of ice jelly in the afternoon, then washed down spicy barbecue and sweet fruit with far too much drunken fruit juice that evening. No wonder he felt awful.

Not long afterward, Zachary was crouched outside the cave, retching until his face lost all color. Leaning heavily against Matthew, he looked so miserable that he didn’t even have the strength to complain.

Seeing him like that, Matthew immediately went to fetch the shaman.

The medicine was prepared quickly, but getting Zachary to drink it proved to be another matter entirely. He insisted Matthew was feeding him slop and complained that no one should be treated this badly. Despite looking half–dead, he still found the energy to announce that they were separating.

“You can keep the cow. She always tries to kick me anyway. But I still get milking rights.”

“Iron Egg stays with Jaden and me.”

“As for the chickens, ducks, and rabbits, we’ll divide them equally.”

Getting the medicine into Zachary proved far more exhausting than hunting. By the time it was over, Matthew’s forehead was covered in sweat. The pleasant evening he’d imagined was thoroughly ruined.

He’d even come dangerously close to losing half the household.

Zachary finally drifted off to sleep sometime later. Only then did Matthew get the chance to wash up.

11:11 am Pppp.

Chapter 314 Dividing the Household

Finished

Afterward, he lay down beside his mate, wrapped an arin around him, and closed his eyes.

When Zachary woke the following inorning, the events of the previous night were completely blank in his mind. Unfortunately, his body still felt a little sluggish.

Breakfast was already underway. Nearby, a clay pot simmered steadily, the cave heavy with the scent of medicine.

Curious, Zachary wandered over. “Are you sick?

Matthew didn’t even look up. “That’s for you.”

Zachary froze. “For me?”

Matthew gave him a rundown of everything that had happened the night before, making a point of emphasizing the part where Zachary had insisted on splitting up the household.

The more Zachary listened, the wider his eyes became. “I said all that?”

Matthew remained outwardly composed, though there was a subtle trace of grievance hidden beneath his calm demeanor. Even as he spoke, his attention never strayed far from the pot of medicine simmering nearby.

Looking a little sheepish, Zachary rubbed the tip of his nose. “Um… I was spouting nonsense last night. I didn’t mean any

of it.”

“I won’t drink that much drunken fruit juice again.”

Matthew merely hummed in response.

Taking that as a good sign, Zachary edged closer, Cradling Matthew’s face between his hands, he leaned in and kissed him.

“I’m sorry.”

“And?”

“I was wrong.”

11

After a brief pause, he added, “We’re good now, right?”

Matthew had never truly been angry. A few kisses were enough to soften the last traces of grievance lingering in his heart. “Does your stomach still hurt?”

Zachary shook his head. “No, but I’m starving.”

Matthew stirred the congee. “Then wait a little longer.”

Before long, breakfast was laid out: sweet potato congee, omelets, grilled meat, steamed apples, and salted duck eggs glistening with oil.

Having emptied his stomach the night before, Zachary ate with particular enthusiasm.

11:11 am P PPP.

Chapter 314 Dividing the Household

Finished

Once breakfast was over, it was time for Matthew to leave for the day’s hunt. Before heading out, he reminded Zachary more than once to stay inside the cave and avoid the midday sun. The heat had become unbearable, and spending too much time outside would make him sick.

Nodding, Zachary filled a large bamboo tube with cooled boiled water before tucking plenty of jerky and fruit into Matthew’s beast–hide bag

Jaden still hadn’t forgotten about the moo beast pen. After breakfast, he came straight back, with Taylor tagging along behind him. The two cubs grabbed their tools and got right to work.

As the days grew hotter, fewer and fewer cubs wanted to spend their time running around outdoors. Staying cooped up at home wasn’t much fun either, so Zachary decided to keep the children occupied by making something good to eat together.