Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 200

Chapter 200: The Fox, The Bunny, and The Wedding Chaos

If anyone ever told me that catering a royal banquet for the Emperor was the hardest job in the world, I would kindly invite them to cater a wedding where half the guests were carnivores and the other half were vegetarians.

The kitchens of the grand Warlord estate were operating at maximum capacity. Steam rose from massive copper pots, the smell of roasting duck and sweet apricot glaze filling the air. Servants darted back and forth, carrying trays of delicate vegetable tarts and towering displays of spun sugar.

"More heat on the third hearth!" I called out, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. "The glaze needs to caramelize, not boil! And someone keep Vali away from the meat platters!"

"I am guarding the perimeter!" a small, serious voice announced.

I looked down. Arjun was standing in front of the roasting station. The nine-year-old tiger-cub was dressed in a tiny, perfectly tailored guard uniform, his arms crossed and his amber eyes scanning the kitchen for threats. True to his mother’s orders, he had left his tactical backpack at home, but he still looked ready to fight an assassin over a pastry.

"Thank you, Arjun," I smiled, wrapping my nine silver tails securely around myself so I wouldn’t knock over any bowls. "Where is Orion?"

"Right here, Mom!"

Orion came jogging into the kitchen, his iridescent silver hair bouncing. He was holding a massive, beautifully carved wooden cake stand. It was a masterpiece of structural engineering, wide at the base and reinforced with interlocking joints so it wouldn’t wobble.

"Dad and I finished sanding it," Orion said proudly, setting it gently on the island. "It can hold exactly thirty pounds of cake! I calculated the density of the vanilla sponge to make sure the center of gravity is perfect."

"You are a lifesaver, my little architect," I praised, kissing his cheek. "Now go wash your hands and get dressed. The carriages leave for the Eastern Watchtower in an hour."

Leaving the kitchen in the capable hands of my sous-chefs, I hurried up the grand staircase toward the guest wing. As the Maid of Honor, I had duties beyond just the food.

When I pushed open the heavy oak door to the bridal suite, I was met with a flurry of white silk and tulle.

"Hold still, Luna!" Clover’s bossy little voice echoed from the center of the room. "If you breathe too hard, the pins will fall out!"

Luna, the beautiful bunny-kin bride, was standing on a velvet stool, looking entirely panicked. Her long ears were pressed flat against her head. "Clover, I can’t breathe at all. The corset is too tight. What if I faint at the altar? What if Jax realizes he doesn’t want to marry a merchant? What if I trip on the dress and ruin the flowers?"

"Breathe, Luna," I said gently, stepping into the room and closing the door behind me.

I walked over, gently swatting Clover’s hands away to loosen the laces on the back of Luna’s dress just a fraction. Luna let out a massive, shaky breath, her shoulders dropping.

"Look at yourself," I told her, turning her gently by the shoulders to face the full-length gilded mirror.

Luna blinked, her large eyes widening. The dress was stunning. It was made of soft, flowing white silk that draped perfectly over her curves, embroidered with tiny, silver threads that looked like morning dew. A delicate crown of white roses sat nestled between her bunny ears.

"You look like a queen," I smiled, resting my hands on her shoulders. "Jax is going to cry the second he sees you."

"Do you really think so?" Luna whispered, a blush dusting her cheeks.

"I know so," I promised. "Now, let’s get your veil on. Clover, grab the bouquet."

While the girls were finishing up, I decided I needed to check on the groom. Leaving the suite, I walked down the hall toward the library, where Jax was supposed to be getting ready with his fellow guards.

Instead, when I opened the door, I found Jax sitting rigidly in a leather armchair, looking like a hostage.

He was surrounded by Warlords.

"Listen to me, fox," Rurik was saying, pacing in front of the fireplace. The Wolf Warlord was wearing a dark, formal fur mantle and looked entirely too serious. "When the priest asks if you take her as your mate, you do not just say ’yes.’ You must roar it! You must let the heavens know she belongs to your pack!"

"Please do not roar at a wedding," Cassian interrupted smoothly. The Serpent Warlord was meticulously adjusting the cuffs of Jax’s dark green uniform. "It lacks refinement. The key to a successful union is statistical reliability. You must promise her a consistent yield of happiness, preferably with a margin of error no greater than two percent."

From the darkest corner of the library, Lucien’s violet eyes gleamed. "If anyone objects to the union," the Panther whispered, "I have pre-dug graves in the western forest. Just give the signal."

Jax looked at me, his fox ears drooping in absolute terror. "Primrose. Sovereign. Please help me. They’ve been giving me advice for an hour."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. "Alright, clear out, you menaces. You’re scaring the groom."

"We are preparing him for the battlefield of matrimony!" Rurik argued, though he stopped pacing when I gave him my best Sovereign glare.

"Out," I pointed to the door. "Go find the cubs and make sure Vali hasn’t eaten the wedding rings."

The Warlords grumbled but filed out of the room. Caspian was the last one by the door. My handsome merman husband, dressed in a sweeping, elegant coat of midnight blue, caught my eye and flashed a brilliant, knowing smile. He winked at me before quietly shutting the door behind him.

I turned back to Jax, walking over to fix the slightly crooked collar of his uniform.

"Deep breaths, Jax," I said softly. "You love her. She loves you. The Warlords are just dramatic. All you have to do is stand there and hold her hand."

"I love her so much," Jax admitted, his voice cracking slightly. His fox tail gave a nervous little swish. "I just want everything to be perfect for her."

"It will be," I promised.

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