My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 96

Chapter 96 Night Snack

‘Sleep.” Matthew was forced back into his own cave.

Zachary thoughtfully closed the door for him, then put out the fire in the fire pit. After that, he clapped his hands and headed back to his own cave.

Matthew stood alone in the empty cave and let out a sigh.

I just want to sleep with my mate. It’s harder than hunting. I am not giving up…

He lay on the bed with his eyes open, planning to make his move a little later.

As soon as Zachary lifted the beast–hide blanket and lay down, a fluffy little black ball pressed against him. Tiny paws gently grabbed at him and then wrapped around his arm.

A pair of round eyes glowed faint blue in the dark, staring straight at him.

Zachary noticed that Jaden, when in beast form, acted more like a child. He got clingy and loved pressing himself against people. He was also soft and fluffy to hold. When he felt comfortable, he would narrow his eyes and let out a soft purring sound.

So sometimes he would deliberately coax Jaden into shifting into a little black panther so that he could pet him.

Jaden never ruined the moment. Every time, he would obediently turn into a little black panther and wait for his hugs and pets.

Zachary would cup his round head, give him a quick kiss, and then hold him close and nuzzle him.

Jaden seemed to really enjoy it. Later at night, sometimes without Zachary even saying anything, he would already turn into his little black panther and crawl into bed.

Maybe Zachary had slept too much the day before, so he was not sleepy at all. He pulled Jaden into his arms and played with his fluffy paws.

The sharp claws were fully retracted, leaving only thick pink paw pads. A light squeeze from Zachary made them spread open like flowers.

The cub was full of energy too. He buried his head in

even stuck out his pink tongue and secretly licked

neck and face.

They played for a while, but Zachary was still

not hary’s shoulder and

kept rubbing against him. He

They played for a while, but Zachary was still not sleepy. In fact, he was getting hungry.

After all, he had skipped lunch, and dinner had been early.

Zachary rubbed his stomach and thought about just ignoring it, but the longer he stayed in bed, the hungrier he got. He even

arted feeling more awake.

Late–night cravings hit hard.

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Chapter 96 Night Snack

Finished

He suddenly thought of the potatoes in the storage room and couldn’t help licking his lips. He lowered his head and whispered to the little black panther, “Jaden, I’m gonna get up and make something to eat. Do you

want some?”

The little black panther lifted its fluffy head and let out an “aww–woo” before nodding.

People sometimes just need a reason, like right now. It’s not just me who wants to eat. Jaden does too. He’s still growing, so he can’t go hungry.”

They were instantly on the same page, and Zachary got straight to it.

He sat up in one smooth motion. The cub quickly shifted back into human form and got dressed right

away.

The two of them quietly slipped out the door.

Zachary made a small shushing gesture at Jaden. “Your Alpha worked hard during the day. He needs to rest. So we have to be quiet. Don’t wake him up.”

“Mm–hmm.” Jaden nodded.

Zachary first grabbed a few potatoes from the storage room, washed them clean, and then peeled them with a knife.

Jaden relit the extinguished fire and added more firewood before coming over to help.

Without a peeler, it was definitely a bit of a hassle.

They both squatted by the stove, wrestling with the big round potatoes.

Matthew, sitting up on the bed, listened to the noise outside and let out a deep sigh.

Why is everyone so energetic today?

Zachary cut the potatoes into evenly sized strips and soaked them in clean water for a bit. Then he pulled them out to drain. Since there were no paper towels, he grabbed handfuls and shook them hard to get the water off.

Jaden set the pot on the stove and poured in the oil.

“All of it,” Zachary said.

“All of it?”

“Yeah.” He smiled and lowered his voice, knowing what later.”

cub was worried about. “We’ll still have the oil

Once the oil was hot, he motioned for Jaden to back. Then he poured in the potato strips. A loud sizzle filled the air as they slowly turned golden. The rich, toasty smell spread through the cave.

Jaden sniffed the air. “Smells so good.”

Zachary used long, branch eating sticks to flip the fries as they cooked. He picked one up, blew on it, and took a bite. “It’s ready. Jaden, grab a plate.”

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Chapter 96 Night Snack

Jaden brought over their biggest plate.

Finished

With no strainer, the two of them stood by the pot and used the eating sticks to lift the fries out in small batches.

Looking at the golden fries glistening with oil, both of them couldn’t hide their excited smiles.

They sat around the stone table, their heads almost touching as they leaned in to smell them, letting out a soft “wow.”

Jaden licked his lips and looked at him hesitantly. “Should we call Alpha?”

“He’s sleeping. It’s not good to wake him up right now.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Then let’s eat first.”

“Okay.”

Matthew, still in the cave, had just started to feel a bit relieved when he heard that exchange.

Zachary took the first bite. The outside was crisp and slightly charred, while the inside was soft and fluffy.

Jaden’s eyes lit up as he ate, one after another. His cheeks moved as he chewed.

Zachary suddenly remembered there were still a bunch of tomatoes in the storage room. He figured he would cook some tomato sauce tomorrow, perfect for dipping Matthew’s fries.

Tonight, Jaden and I are just going to make do like this.

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