My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 50

Chapter 50 The Stormy Night

Zachary said, “Put them on first. Let me see whether they fit.”

“All of these are mine?” Matthew’s surprise was plain on his face.

Zachary answered with a nod.

The upper garment was made from soft gray deerskin, simple in style and neat in shape, with nothing heavy or bulky. The trousers were crafted from a deep black-purple beast pelt. Matthew’s long legs made the work challenging, and Zachary nearly used up his entire supply of that hide to finish them.

The cloak’s most eye-catching feature was its fur. Snow wolf fur in a muted silver-gray draped over the shoulders, while the collar and cuffs were edged with darker silver-black hide. That additional trim gave the whole piece a richer, more layered look.

Matthew stood motionless with the clothes in front of him, as if the sight had left him unable to think. Only after Zachary pushed him again did he finally take them and head inside to change.

There was no reflective surface anywhere in the cave, so Matthew could not see himself. Even so, Zachary and Jaden’s expressions were enough to make the answer obvious.

The outfit suited him almost too well.

The pale coolness of Matthew’s skin grew even more striking beneath those gray-silver layers. His features were already sharp, and his build was tall and straight. Dressed like this, he appeared less like someone from the tribe and more like a man shaped by snowy fields and freezing winds-distant and incredibly handsome.

Zachary kept staring until he forgot to look away. He swallowed before he realized it. This is ridiculous. How can anyone look this good?

“Thank you, Zachary.” Matthew’s voice came from close by, low and quiet. “I like it very much.”

“That’s enough for me.” Zachary still had not taken his eyes off him. Something faint stirred in those blue irises, like ripples moving under ice.

For a fleeting moment, Zachary believed he saw the corner of Matthew’s mouth lift, but he wasn’t sure. Before he realized what he was doing, he had already advanced by half a step.

Matthew stayed where he was, but his eyes fell to Zachary’s lips. Beneath the beast-hide covering his hands, his fingers slowly drew inward.

One second passed, then another.

Just as the moment threatened to slip somewhere dangerous, Zachary’s mind cleared. He stopped himself where he was and looked up, only to find Matthew so near that his chest tightened.

He quickly stepped back.

A light soapberry scent wafted past Matthew, and he froze. A flicker crossed his face. It seemed like a distraction. It might have been regret.

1/4

10:45 Fri,

Chapter 50 The Stormy Night

He thought, I should lower my head and close the distance myself.

Zachary touched his nose, trying to hide the awkwardness. “It’s late already. We should sleep.

Matthew watched him with calm, taking in every small shift in expression. “Mm. You should sleep too.

The words had barely fallen when Zachary turned and escaped. Even after he got under the blanket, his pulse remained fast and uneven. He told himself it was only envy.

That explanation sounded quite reasonable. Since childhood, the type of man he admired had always berh someone built like Matthew: tall, lean, strong, with sharp features and a rugged kind of beauty. He himself had never fit into that category. When he was younger, people often complimented him on his delicate appearance, almost as if he were a girl.

Outside, the rain continued without mercy. The cave walls blocked little of the storm.

Each roll of thunder tore through the rocks and pierced straight into Zachary’s ears. Soon, the memory flooded back: that flash, that impact, the lightning striking him. Once it started replaying, it wouldn’t stop

The sound outside and the image in his head worked together to pull every nerve tight. The suffering inside his mind felt worse than any wound carved into flesh.

Darkness had swallowed everything.

Hidden beneath the blankets, Zachary curled tightly into himself until his body formed a small knot. Sleepiness pulled at him from one side, fear from the other, leaving him exhausted and unable to fight either.

He had not truly rested the night before.

By now, he had reached his limit.

His thoughts blurred at the edges. Consciousness gradually loosened Finally, his eyes closed.

Wind ran wild through the forest. Rain struck the ground in relentless sheets. The thunder never stopped, as if the sky itself had split open and could no longer close.

After an unknown stretch of time, the edge of the beast-hide blanket lifted.

Zachary’s eyes were open only a sliver. His pupils were dim and unfocused, as though he were awake without being aware.

He pushed himself upright, got out of bed barefoot, and walked onto the stone floor. The cold should have stunned him, but his face showed no reaction. In the darkness, he moved toward the doorway, step by step.

His arm rose.

The door opened.

Then it closed behind him.

Everything happened in one unbroken sequence, yet every motion carried a strange stiffness, like a puppet moving on invisible strings.

214

10:45 Fri, Jun 5

Chapter 50 The Stormy Night

The footsteps were gentle, almost too faint to hear, but Matthew woke as soon as they entered his range His eyes snapped open. He sat up quietly and listened.

The entrance shifted,

The

A shape was coming toward him through the dark.

Matthew’s hand clenched around the stone blade beside him. He moved quickly, covering the distance in a burst, and stopped only when the knife was at the other person’s throat.

It was Zachary,

Matthew quickly pulled back the weapon. His voice wavered with confusion. “What are you doing here? Do you need something?”

No reply came.

“Zachary?”

Still nothing.

Matthew grabbed him by both shoulders and stopped him forcefully. When he looked into Zachary’s face, he saw half-lowered eyes with no clear focus. “What happened to you?”

Just then, a violent crack of thunder burst overhead.

Zachary shook intensely, as if the sound had hit him straight through. The next moment, his whole body started to tremble. With both arms stretched out, he threw himself toward the warmth in front of him, desperate and unguarded.

Matthew went rigid.

His eyes widened at once. Even his breathing faltered. “Za-Zachary?”

There was no answer.

Even so, the truth was clear. The body pressed against his was trembling intensely.

Matthew hesitated just a moment before raising one hand to Zachary’s back. His touch was gentle, almost tentative. “Are you frightened?”

Zachary didn’t respond. He simply wrapped both arms around Matthew’s waist, buried his face in Matthew’s shoulder, and closed his eyes.

Cold spread from his skin to every point where they touched. Matthew lowered his gaze and finally noticed that Zachary had come over barefoot.

The stone beneath them was icy and unforgiving.

Matthew had no option. He bent down, lifted Zachary into his arms, and carried him back to the bed. without delay.

The breath brushing against his ear was uneven. Each time thunder rattled the cave, the person in his arms trembled more.

3/4

10:45 Fri, Jun 5 M

Transmigrated to Raise Panther Cubs