My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 83

Chapter 83 Home At Dusk

Quincy and Elias stayed close by too, glancing over at Zachary from time to time.

By the time they reached the tribe, dusk was just beginning to fade. From a distance, they could already see a crowd waiting at the entrance.

The cubs had run even farther ahead, some of them climbing trees and craning their necks to look into the distance.

The moment Taylor spotted the familiar figures, he threw his arms around Jaden in excitement. “I see Sire and the others!”

The pack of black panthers came to a stop in front of the tribe, and people immediately rushed forward to help carry the supplies they’d brought back.

Quincy had barely gotten off Yael’s back before Taylor launched himself straight into his arms. He was at that clingy age, and after several days apart, he’d clearly missed him to death.

Yael was displeased at being ignored by his son. Without warning, he shoved his big dark head under Taylor and flipped him up like a seal balancing a ball.

“Alpha!” Taylor kicked his little legs wildly, barely managing to cling to Yael’s head so he wouldn’t fall.

Yael deliberately messed with him, swaying side to side until the cub was both panicked and furious. With wide, watery eyes, Taylor looked to Quincy in grievance. “Sire, look at him!”

Quincy knew Yael had a sense of proportion. He was already used to the way those two got along. Holding out his arms, he said gently, “Come on, Taylor. Jump down. I’ve got you.”

Taylor had just gotten ready to leap when Yael twisted his head and swung him to the other side.

Taylor glared down at him, grabbed a fistful of fur on his forehead, and snarled, “I’m

gonna make

you

bald!”

He tugged so hard it looked like he wanted to yank Yael’s eyes upward with it.

Brat.

Naturally, Yael had to retaliate. With one dramatic toss of his head, he sent Taylor spinning in a full circle.

“Hey!”

Taylor refused to back down. He chomped right onto Yael’s head–only to end up with a mouthful of fur. Grimacing in disgust, he spat several times in a row.

“If you don’t put me down right now, I’m pulling your beard!” Taylor threatened through gritted teeth, his fingers already brushing the coarse whiskers at the edge of Yael’s jaw.

The father–son duo had Elias and the others laughing their heads off.

Quincy patted Yael. “Alright, enough. Stop messing around, both of you.”

Yael responded by tossing Taylor through the air like a projectile, sending him sailing neatly into a patch of

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Chapter 83 Home At Dusk

grass.

Finished

“Yael!” Quincy, who had missed the catch entirely, looked at his mate with helpless exasperation. “He’s a cub. He could get hurt.”

“He’s gotten so chubby he’d break your arm if he landed on you,” Yael said. Then he trotted behind a tree, shifted into human form, got dressed, and casually smoothed back his handsome hair on the way out.

“Sire…” Taylor, still wearing a few blades of grass in his hair after being called fat, looked utterly aggrieved af he threw himself into Quincy’s arms. “Do something about Yael!”

He was so mad, he didn’t even call him Alpha anymore,

Yael, of course, felt zero remorse and added another jab. “Little meatball panther.”

Perched on Quincy’s shoulder, Taylor pouted at him. “Stupid panther!”

Yael shamelessly grabbed Quincy’s hand. “Your cub is bullying me.”

Taylor kicked at him with his chubby little legs. “I’m getting a new.

“You dare?” Yael shot back. “Fine. I’ll get a new cub too.”

Alpha

“Enough, enough.” Quincy thought the two of them were unbelievably childish. After soothing the little one, he’d probably have to soothe the big one next.

That side was pure chaos. The other side, though, was much more peaceful.

Jaden wasn’t as free–spirited or restless as Taylor. He’d long since grown used to hiding his feelings, so no matter how happy he was right now, very little of it showed on his face.

He walked up to Zachary, tilted his head back, and called softly, “Sire.”

Zachary bent down and rubbed the child’s head. “Have you been eating properly these past few days?”

Jaden nodded. He wasn’t a picky eater, but every time he sat down to eat, he still missed the food his Sire

made.

“Sire, you don’t look very well.” The child frowned, worry flickering in his eyes.

Zachary hadn’t expected Jaden to notice something so subtle, and the observation left him both touched and comforted. Cupping the boy’s fair little face in both hands, he smiled warmly. “That’s because I missed you so much I could barely eat.”

The words came so suddenly that Jaden froze.

Two seconds later, he lowered his eyes shyly, lips pressed together, the tips of his ears turning visibly red.

The expression was so much like Matthew’s–serious and proper even when embarrassed,

Zachary nearly melted from how cute he was. He leaned in and planted a loud kiss on Jaden’s cheek.

Jaden’s pupils widened at once, his eyes full of pure shock and disbelief.

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Chapter 83 Home At Dusk

Then his pale face turned red all at once, like hawthorn jam cooked down over heat.

Finisher

Matthew walked over just then. His gaze landed on the spot on Jaden’s face where Zachary had kissed him, unreadable for a moment before he finally looked away.

The child stood there for a long time, like he’d been kissed so senseless he still hadn’t recovered.

“Come on,” Zachary said, laughing at the sight of him. He took Jaden’s hand and followed the others deeper into the tribe.

Jaden secretly touched his own cheek, then looked at his palm. His heartbeat seemed a little faster than before.

Once they were back in the tribe, Matthew took Zachary to see the shaman first.

The shaman examined him, then asked about what Zachary had been eating lately.

Matthew answered in meticulous detail.

After checking him over, the shaman said it was nothing serious and only cold foods from now on.

warned hi

not to eat so many

Medicine in this world was still extremely primitive. Bruce was considered a relatively skilled shaman, but even the remedies he could come up with were limited–mostly basic treatment for wounds, bleeding, or minor fevers and colds.

And most herbal discoveries had come through trial and error anyway, with no clear boundaries between

what treated what.

For small illnesses, everyone endured them.

For serious ones, one could die.

That was simply normal here.

Under ordinary circumstances, if one’s body could recover on its own, then one was fine.

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