My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48 Cozy Fireside Games

Seeing the two in front of him-one big and one small-both lifting their heads to stare at him in unisor. Zachary sighed helplessly. He had no choice but to brace himself and force down half a bowl of the ginger

drink.

At the same time, he silently swore to himself that next time, he would only make enough for two. Nota drop more!

The cave entrance was sealed tight due to the heavy downpour, so the lighting inside the cave was very din

There was only so much firewood stocked within the cave. Not knowing how long the rain would last, Zachary did not dare stoke the fire too much.

It was for that reason that the family of three, who rarely sat by the fire except during mealtimes, huddled close together.

After bringing the meat home, Yael braved the rain again to borrow some moo beast-hide.

Both Zachary and Jaden had been bored out of their minds, so they were thrilled to learn that Yael and the others were coming.

It didn’t take long for Yael to return, holding meat in one hand and carrying Taylor in the other. He dropped the cub off first, then went back to fetch Quincy.

Their arrival instantly brought liveliness to the quiet cave.

Naturally, Taylor was the happiest one of all.

”

As soon as Taylor arrived, Jaden hurriedly grabbed a piece of beast-hide and began vigorously drying his rain-soaked hair.

Jaden’s movements were so skilled and attentive that even Quincy couldn’t help feeling slightly ashamed, as he couldn’t compare.

Taylor, however, wouldn’t stay still. He kept reaching his cold little hands for Jaden’s arms, even trying to shove them down his shirt.

“Stop that,” Jaden gently scolded, holding down Taylor’s hands.

But Taylor simply grinned, without the slightest pause in his playful antics. “It’s freezing outside!”

Plopping down beside Matthew, Yael began drying his clothes by the fire.

Zachary took the fruit Quincy offered. After glancing at it, his eyes lit up at once. Pears!

The juicy golden-yellow fruit carried a sweet, refreshing fragrance, looking very tempting indeed.

He asked, “Where did you get these, Quincy?”

“I happened to spot Diego gathering them the other day. I thought you might like them.” Quincy smiled.

Every time they

thering, Zachary would always brighten at the sight of fruits. Therefore, Quincy

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Chapter 48 Cozy Fireside Games

had traded some meat for them. He’d been meaning to bring them over, but it had started raining out of

nowhere.

“Thanks!” Zachary happily threw his arms around Quincy, giving him a big hug. “You’re the best, Quincy!”

Seeing their interaction, Yael raised his eyebrows at Matthew as though saying, “See that? Look how we my family gets along with yours.”

Matthew ignored Yael. Shaking out the soaked moo beast-hide, he draped it over a piece of wood and set i by the fire to dry.

Following another deafening crack of thunder, Yael dropped his earlier carefree attitude. His expression grew more serious. “The weather doesn’t look good. It doesn’t usually start raining at this time of the year

“The earlier the rain, the sooner the cold comes.” Matthew’s expression was similarly grave. “The cold season

1 will probably come early this year.”

“Then the tribe…” Yael didn’t finish his sentence.

Food had always been the most critical issue for survival. Though the tribe currently had plenty, that would change once the cold season arrived. Everything outside would be buried under ice and snow. Combined with the plunging temperatures and the biting cold, it would become much harder for them to hunt.

On top of that, prey would be fewer and more alert.

Getting through the cold season each year was incredibly difficult, especially for the weaker sub-therians and cubs.

Matthew pondered for a moment. “We’ll need to start hunting earlier this year.”

“We should discuss it with the chief and the shaman.” Yael nodded, clearly having been thinking the same thing. “We should immediately head to the merfolk tribe to trade for salt as soon as the rain stops.

“Then we can start preparing for the hunt.”

Matthew nodded in agreement. That was indeed the safest plan for now.

Zachary, not being from this world, naturally could not understand their concerns. At this moment, he was washing the pears that Quincy had brought over. Cutting them into chunks, he tossed them into a stone pot with apples, raisins, and honey. Then, he simmered them over low heat.

His actions created a warm, cozy atmosphere by the fireside.

When Taylor saw the food prepared for the stingtail beast, he immediately recalled the pastries Zachary had made previously-and the thing called a “lollipop.”

He licked his lips in anticipation, hovering eagerly around Zachary. Not only did he help with adding firewood and passing various cooking utensils, but he even offered enthusiastic emotional support.

The fruit tea was soon ready. As steam rose from the surface, the drink smelled hot and comforting. It was also good for the stomach, lungs, and throat.

Gathered around the fire, they each held a cup of tea in their hands, feeling utterly content.

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Chapter 48 Cozy Fireside Games

It stood in stark contrast to the raging storm outside the cave.

There weren’t many forms of entertainment in this world-or perhaps Zachary just didn’t know them. In any case, he hadn’t discovered any particularly interesting games or activities so far

For him, a round of card games would have been the best way to pass some time, especially right now Not to mention, there were four adults among them. They had just the right numbers for a card game

If the opportunity ever arose, he was seriously considering carving some cards out of wood one day.

As he stared at the smooth ground, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind. He grabbed a piece of charcoal and began drawing a grid on the floor in quick strokes.

“What’s that?” Taylor asked curiously, peering over.

Jaden leaned closer, too.

“I’ll teach you a game.” Smiling, Zachary picked up some small pebbles and tore two leaves into evenly-sized pieces.

After briefly explaining the rules

in-a-row, he started demonstrating the game to them.

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Transmigrated to Raise Panther Cubs