Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 215

Chapter 215: The Tracking Mission

Stealth was an absolute science. It required the complete elimination of sound, scent, and visibility. A true assassin merged with the environment until they were nothing more than a trick of the light.

And it was incredibly difficult to merge with the environment when you had a bright yellow, violently cheerful frog strapped to your chest.

Lucien stood at the edge of the dense forest bordering the cliffside manor, adjusting the heavy leather baby-carrier Cassian had hastily modified. Inside the carrier, completely secure against Lucien’s chest, was Pip.

The two-year-old Duck-kin had utterly refused to take off the yellow canvas raincoat. If Lucien tried to unbutton it, Pip’s lower lip would tremble, and the tears would well up. So, the Lord of Shadows—the most feared killer in the Empire—was going on a tactical reconnaissance mission carrying a neon yellow amphibian.

"This is a tactical disaster," Cassian sighed, standing on the patio with his arms crossed. "He is practically glowing. You might as well light a signal fire and announce your presence to the entire coast."

"I will dim the coat with shadow-magic," Lucien replied smoothly, though he was already silently funneling an embarrassing amount of ancient, dark mana just to mute the bright yellow dye.

"Let me come with you!" Rurik argued for the fifth time, pacing the grass like a caged beast. The Wolf Warlord had his massive battle-axe strapped to his back. "I can track! I can sniff out the poachers! If there is a fight, you will need the Alpha!"

"If there is a fight, I will end it before they even draw their weapons," Lucien said, his voice dropping into that cold, terrifyingly calm register. "You are too loud, Rurik. Your heavy boots break branches. Your scent is too strong. If these poachers get spooked, they will kill their captives to destroy the evidence. We need absolute silence."

Rurik ground his teeth, but he gave a sharp, frustrated nod. He knew Lucien was right. "Fine. But the guards and I will be waiting at the tree line. If I hear a single roar, I am charging in."

"Understood," Lucien said.

He looked over at Silas. The six-year-old panther-cub was dressed in dark clothes, his violet eyes completely focused. Silas didn’t need to be told how serious this was. He was ready.

"Let’s move," Lucien commanded quietly.

They slipped into the trees, leaving the loud Warlords and the safety of the manor behind.

The forest was dense and humid, but Lucien moved through it like smoke. He didn’t disturb a single leaf. Beside him, Silas copied his movements perfectly, placing his small feet exactly where Lucien stepped to avoid making any noise.

Normally, Lucien preferred to work entirely alone. Attachments were dangerous in his line of work. They made you hesitate. But as he felt the soft, rhythmic breathing of the little toddler strapped to his chest, he realized that this attachment didn’t make him weak.

It made him absolutely lethal.

"Papa," Pip whispered loudly, pointing a chubby finger at a bright blue butterfly fluttering past them.

"Shh, little bird," Lucien murmured, his voice barely a breath. He raised a gloved finger to his lips. "We are playing the quiet game. Like shadows."

Pip’s dark eyes widened. He seemed to understand. He aggressively slapped both of his chubby hands over his own mouth, nodding fiercely. The giant stuffed frog eyes on his hood bounced with the movement.

Lucien felt a sharp, painful tug in his chest. *I will find her,* he promised silently to the little boy. *I will bring your mother home.*

They navigated the dense woods for twenty minutes before the tree line broke, giving way to the sprawling, wind-swept coastal cliffs. The tall, golden sea-grass swayed heavily in the ocean breeze. It was beautiful, but it was also the perfect place to hide an ambush.

Silas dropped to a low crouch, creeping forward. Lucien followed, his senses expanding. He pushed his magic outward, feeling the temperature of the air, the shifts in the wind, the vibrations in the dirt.

"Here," Silas whispered, stopping near the very edge of the cliff drop-off.

Lucien knelt down. The sea-grass here wasn’t just swaying; it was violently flattened in a massive, chaotic circle. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Lucien’s violet eyes scanned the scene, his assassin instincts instantly piecing the violent puzzle together.

"Three attackers," Lucien noted softly, pointing to the deep, heavy boot prints pressed into the mud. "They surrounded her. They used heavy iron-mesh nets."

He reached out and touched a scorched patch of earth. "She didn’t surrender. She used magic. Wind or lightning, judging by the burn marks on the grass. She blew one of them backward." He pointed to a deep, sliding heel mark in the dirt where a heavy man had clearly been knocked off his feet.

"Mama strong?" Pip babbled quietly, his tiny hands still covering his mouth, but his eyes watching Lucien intently.

"Yes, Pip," Lucien whispered, a fierce surge of respect filling him. "Your Mama is very strong. She fought like a Warlord."

Lucien crawled further into the crushed grass. He found the exact spot where Silas had picked up the silver-tipped feather. And right next to it, hidden deep beneath a thick clump of uncrushed reeds, was a small, perfectly hollowed-out little nest lined with downy feathers.

It was tiny. Just big enough to hide a baby.

She had known she was outnumbered. Instead of trying to fly away and risking them shooting her down with her baby, she had hidden Pip in the deepest part of the grass, covered him up, and then stepped out to draw the poachers’ attention away from the nest.

She had sacrificed her own freedom to ensure they didn’t find her son.

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