Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 201

Chapter 201: Chapter 201: The Alpha’s Achilles Heel

The morning after a massive wedding is usually a time for quiet reflection, leftover cake, and sleeping in.

Unfortunately, peace and quiet were foreign concepts in the Warlord estate.

I was sitting at the heavy oak dining table, perfectly content. I had a cup of warm chamomile tea in my hands and a plate of leftover sweet apricot pastries in front of me. The house was blissfully silent for exactly ten minutes.

Then, the floorboards vibrated.

*ACHOO!*

The sound was less like a sneeze and more like a canon firing in a closed cavern. My teacup rattled violently against its saucer. In the hallway, a heavy suit of decorative armor clattered to the ground.

"What in the world?" I muttered, setting my tea down and standing up.

Before I could reach the kitchen door, Caspian walked in. He was wearing his sleep pants and a loose robe, his silver hair sleep-tousled and falling over his teal eyes. He looked incredibly handsome, but he also looked highly amused.

"Did a siege engine just go off?" I asked him.

"Worse," Caspian chuckled, pouring himself a cup of water. "The Wolf has encountered a formidable enemy. One he cannot punch, stab, or intimidate."

I blinked. "An assassin?"

"Pollen," Caspian corrected smoothly. "Or perhaps a common cold. Either way, his immune system is currently waging a very loud war."

*ACHOO!*

Another shockwave ripped through the manor. From upstairs, I heard a loud, excited bark.

"Good howl, Dad!" Vali cheered from the second-floor landing. "Do it again! The windows are shaking!"

I hurried out of the kitchen and into the main living room, Caspian following lazily behind me.

Rurik was sitting in the center of the largest leather sofa. The massive, terrifying Northern Wolf Warlord, who had single-handedly conquered frozen tundras and slain giant beasts, looked utterly miserable.

His usually bright golden eyes were watery. His nose was bright pink. He was clutching a massive blanket around his broad shoulders, shivering slightly, but his ears were pinned back in pure, stubborn defiance.

"I am not sick," Rurik rumbled, his voice thick and congested. "Wolves do not get sick. It is a sign of weakness. I am simply... expelling inferior Southern dust from my superior Northern lungs."

"You are a biohazard," a cold voice stated.

Cassian stood at the entrance of the room. The Serpent Warlord was wearing pristine silk robes, but he had pulled a very thick, heavily enchanted scarf over his nose and mouth. He refused to step past the doorway.

"Your internal temperature is elevated," Cassian observed, his eyes glowing slightly as he cast a diagnostic spell from a safe distance. "Your mana flow is sluggish. You have contracted the Capital Sniffles. Keep your microscopic invaders away from my son."

"I will bite you, snake," Rurik growled, trying to stand up, but immediately swaying on his feet. He sat heavily back down on the sofa, wrapping the blanket tighter. "I am perfectly fine. I am going to the training grounds."

"You aren’t going anywhere," I said firmly, walking right up to the sofa.

Cassian gasped from the doorway. "Primrose, do not approach the infected zone! You will compromise the entire pack!"

I rolled my eyes and placed the back of my hand against Rurik’s forehead. He was burning up. The moment my cool hand touched his skin, Rurik’s fierce glare vanished. He leaned into my touch with a pathetic, rumbling whine that sounded exactly like a kicked puppy.

"My head hurts, Little Rose," Rurik mumbled, his tough-guy act completely crumbling the second he realized he could get sympathy.

"I know, you big baby," I sighed affectionately, smoothing his messy silver hair. "You have a fever. You must have caught a chill standing outside at the Watchtower last night."

"The Alpha does not catch chills," Rurik argued weakly, though he immediately grabbed my hand and held it against his hot cheek. "But... I will allow you to nurse me back to health. Because you are my mate. It is your right."

Caspian leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. "He went from a proud warrior to a helpless invalid in exactly ten seconds."

"Efficiency," Cassian noted dryly. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must go cast a localized quarantine ward over the Serpent wing. Jasper! Fetch the antibacterial mana-sprays!"

"On it, Father!" Jasper’s voice called out from down the hall.

I shook my head, smiling down at the miserable wolf. "Alright, Rurik. Couch arrest. I am going to make you my special spicy ginger and bone broth. It will clear your sinuses right up."

"Wait," Rurik reached out, grabbing the sleeve of my dress before I could leave. His watery golden eyes looked up at me with absolute panic. "What if I die, Primrose?"

"You have a cold, Rurik."

"My nose is completely blocked! I cannot smell the perimeter! An enemy could be standing right behind me!"

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