My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 79

Chapter 79 Surprisingly Easy to Pacify

Matthew turned out to be far easier to mollify than Zachary had expected.

Finished

Once he noticed that Matthew’s mood had finally softened, Zachary immediately tried to press his advantage. “Since you’re feeling better now, let’s go back. We’re sitting too far from the fire, and it’s cold out

here.”

What he feared most was Matthew slipping away again to brood alone in some dark corner.

At that exact moment, his stomach growled loudly, ruining any sense of dignity he had left/

Embarrassed, Zachary quickly turned his face aside.

Matthew glanced at him and deliberately asked, “Didn’t you say you weren’t hungry?”

That instantly reminded Zachary of the excuse he had used earlier, and he felt awkward all over again. “It’s not that I’m hungry. I’m just… not full yet.”

“Let’s go.” Matthew rose and held out a hand to him.

Zachary lowered his eyes to his own grease–covered fingers and felt a little disgusted. “No, it’s okay.”

Matthew did not insist. He simply turned and walked back toward the fire.

Zachary followed close behind.

When they got back, Quincy handed over a piece of roasted meat he had intentionally kept aside for Zachary.

Elias waggled his brows at him from the side, silently asking how it went.

Zachary lifted one brow in return and mouthed, “It’s fine now.”

Kyle and the others instantly gathered near again, all of them wearing wide

near again, all of them wearing wide grins that made it obvious they knew far too much.

Yael even asked outright, “So, Zachary, is Matthew handsome or not?”

Before Zachary could even swallow his food, he nearly choked. He coughed violently, and his face turned bright red in a matter of seconds.

Daniel immediately added “we

didn’t hear anything.”

That only made it more humiliating.

At that moment, Zachary wished the ground would crack open beneath him so he could disappear on the spot. He had never been this embarrassed before.

Matthew, in contrast, remained unbothered. He reached slowly.”

dout and patted Zachary lightly on the back. “Eat

Kyle could only sigh to himself. So even someone like Matthew becomes gentle when faced with a beautiful face.

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14:57 Fri, Jun 5

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Chapter 79 Surprisingly Easy to Pacify

Finished

After spending the whole day running around, Zachary wanted to wash up a little, so Matthew went with him toward the river beneath the moonlight.

The path was tangled with creeping vines and wild plants. Clouds passed overhead from time to time, blocking the moon, and whenever that happened, the road ahead became much harder to see.

After Zachary tripped twice, Matthew reached over and took his hand.

Their footsteps stirred softly through the grass. Every now and then, a bird let out a long cry/somewhere in the dark woods, the sound stretching through the quiet forest.

The wolf’s attack earlier that day had left a mark on Zachary’s mind. Every time he looked into the darkness between the trees, he could not help imagining that another beast might be lurking there.

Matthew only allowed him to crouch at the shallow edge of the river to wash his hands. That suited Zachary just fine. He had never planned to step into the water anyway.

Not long after, the drifting clouds parted, and pale moonlight poured over the river again. Crouched at the water’s edge, Zachary rubbed the grease from his fingers with soapberry fruit. After a brief silence, Matthew finally spoke. “Why were you touching that white tiger today?”

“Huh?” Zachary looked up at him.

Moonlight softened the lines of his brows and eyes, laying a hazy glow across his face.

“I’d never touched one before,” he admitted. “I was curious.

Matthew looked down at

him.

curious?”

Zachary shook the droplets from his hand and lifted an innocent look toward him. “He was the one who offered. I just reached out without really thinking.”

Matthew followed up aron

“How did it feel?”

A

There was no way Zachary was going to tell the truth.

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Keeping his face perfectly straight, he answered without hesitation, “Not good at all. The fur was coarse, and it felt scratchy.”

That answer seemed to please Matthew. His expression eased as he replied, “If you want to pet a tiger again, I can catch one for you.”

Zachary was startled into panic. “No, absolutely not.”

He knew very well that Matthew was not dead giant tiger lying in front of the cave.

The

last thing he wanted was to walk out one day and see a pet Jaden’s.”

You can touch mine too,” Matthew answered at once, his face so serious that it was clear he meant it.

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14:57 Fri, Jun 5 M.

JM

Chapter 79 Surprisingly Easy to Pacity

Surprise flashed across Zachary’s face. “Yours?”

Something tightened around Matthew’s mouth, as though he had taken that the wrong way. “A black panther’s fur is soft, too.”

Zachary quickly nodded. “I know. It feels nice.”

Matthew continued, his tone completely serious. “You’re not allowed to touch other therians anymore. Eager to get past the subject. Zachary nodded immediately. “I won’t touch other therians again.”

“If you want to pet someone, pet me…” Matthew gave a small cough before awkwardly adding, “and Jaden.” A smile rose to Zachary’s lips. “Alright.”

They would be going back to the tribe the next day, yet Zachary felt wide awake that night. Lying there beneath the sky, he looked up at the stars scattered overhead, and before long, his thoughts drifted back to Hubert’s ears and tail.

Once the thought entered his mind, it lodged itself in his mind and grew harder to ignore in the quiet.

Propping himself up on one arm, Zachary turned to Matthew, who seemed to be in a fairly good mood again.

He edged a little closer and lowered his voice. “Matthew, can I ask you something?”

Matthew’s gaze rested on his fluttering lashes. “What is it?”

Zachary hesitated before speaking, “It’s just… When you’re in human form, can your ears and tail still come

out?”

Matthew clearly had not expected him to ask that. “You want to touch them?”

Zachary quickly shook his head. “No, I mean… I just want to see whether your ears and tail can come out while you’re in human form.

Matthew went quiet.

When he finally answered, his voice had become lower and slightly hoarse. “You want to see them?”

Zachary’s eyes lit up immediately. “Can I?”

He looked far too eager. The excitement in those pale blue eyes was so bright that Matthew could see his own reflection clearly inside them.

The fire beside them flickered in the wind.

For one brief moment, Matthew felt as though his heartbeat had skipped. His throat moved before he answered in a low voice, “Yes.”

Zachary immediately sat up and grabbed his arm, his face full of excitement. “Matthew, you’re the best!”

Matthew coughed lightly, then added a single condition, “Not here.”

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