Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 217

Chapter 217: The Duck, The Panther, and The Chaos

Pacing a hole into the expensive rugs of the cliffside manor was not befitting of a Sovereign, but I couldn’t stop myself.

It had been an hour since Lucien and Silas had vanished into the shadows. Rurik had already returned from the tree line, cheerfully announcing that a dozen terrified poachers had run screaming right into his guard blockade. The mercenaries were currently tied up and waiting for the capital dungeon.

But there had been no sign of the Panther Warlord.

"You are going to wear a groove into the floorboards, Little Rose," Caspian murmured.

My husband was sitting gracefully on the edge of the velvet sofa, looking entirely too relaxed for a man whose brother-in-arms was out fighting a black-market syndicate. Though, if I looked closely, I could see the subtle tension in his broad shoulders and the dark, swirling energy in his teal eyes.

"I can’t help it," I sighed, pausing by the large glass patio doors to stare out at the courtyard. "What if there were too many of them? What if she was already badly hurt before Lucien got there?"

"Do not insult his lethal efficiency," Cassian advised, adjusting his round glasses from where he sat reading a medical text. "Lucien does not fail. Especially not when he is emotionally invested. The only variable is the structural integrity of the cavern."

Suddenly, the air in the living room dropped ten degrees.

The shadows pooling beneath the massive oak tree in the courtyard didn’t just stretch; they ripped open.

I gasped, throwing open the patio doors and rushing outside, with Caspian, Cassian, and Rurik hot on my heels.

Lucien stepped out of the darkness first. He looked completely uninjured, though a faint smudge of blood—definitely not his own—was painted across his cheekbone. He didn’t look like a man who had just fought a small army. He looked like a man carefully leading someone through a minefield.

Right behind him stepped Silas.

And right behind Silas, looking absolutely exhausted but standing incredibly tall, was a woman.

She was breathtaking. Her wild, golden-blonde hair was tangled with dirt and leaves, and her clothes were torn at the hem. Tucked firmly against her side, securely wrapped in his bright yellow frog raincoat, was Pip. The toddler was fast asleep, his chubby cheek pressed against her collarbone, a tiny hand gripping her shirt.

But it was her wings that made me stop in my tracks. They were magnificent. Pure, snow-white feathers that faded into a shimmering, metallic silver at the very tips. Even battered and dusty, she radiated a fierce, undeniable strength.

Lucien hovered near her shoulder, his hand raised just an inch away from her back, as if he wanted to support her but was terrified of overstepping his boundaries.

I didn’t hesitate. I practically ran across the grass.

"Oh, thank the ancestors," I breathed, stopping just a few feet away so I wouldn’t startle her. I pressed my hands to my chest, a massive wave of relief washing over me. "You’re safe. You brought them back, Lucien."

Lucien stepped to the side, his violet eyes meeting mine. The terrifying, lethal aura around him was completely gone, replaced by a profound, exhausted softness. "Sovereign Primrose," Lucien said quietly. "This is Juni. She is Pip’s mother."

Juni looked at me, her golden eyes wide and guarded. She took in my linen dress, my apron, and then the nine silver fox tails swaying gently behind me. She instinctively pulled Pip a little tighter against her chest.

"You’re the Sovereign," she whispered, her voice rough and dry. She looked like she wanted to bow but was too tired to manage it. "The unifier."

"Just Primrose, please," I said warmly, taking a slow, non-threatening step forward. I offered her the gentlest smile I had. "I am so incredibly glad to meet you, Juni. We were so worried."

Juni blinked, completely taken aback by the casual greeting. She looked past me, taking in the three massive, terrifying men standing on the patio.

Rurik stepped forward, his golden eyes glowing with pure respect. He slammed a heavy fist over his heart in a traditional Northern warrior’s salute.

"I smell the blood of a dozen enemies on you, silver-wing!" Rurik boomed cheerfully. "Lucien said you held the line against the poachers to protect the pup! You are a true shield-maiden! The wolf pack honors your strength!"

Juni flinched slightly at the volume. "I... um. Thank you?"

"Please excuse the barbarian, he does not understand volume control," Cassian sighed, gliding down the patio steps. The Serpent Warlord immediately pulled a small, glowing vial of blue liquid from his pocket. "I am Cassian. I have prepared a localized healing salve for any blunt force trauma you may have endured. Furthermore, I must inspect your primary flight feathers. If a net snagged a silver-tip, the aerodynamic drag will be devastating to your posture."

Juni stared at him. She looked at Rurik. Then she looked at Caspian, who simply offered her a polite, devastatingly charming bow.

"Welcome to our home, Juni," Caspian said smoothly, his deep voice carrying over the ocean breeze. "We are honored to have you."

Juni slowly turned her head to look at Lucien. "Let me get this straight. You are the Warlords of the Empire. The most dangerous men on the continent. And you’ve been... babysitting my toddler?"

Lucien cleared his throat, his violet eyes suddenly dropping to the grass. The deadly assassin looked entirely flustered. "He is very persuasive."

"He demanded biscuits," Cassian clarified, adjusting his cuffs. "And we were forced to take him to a high-end boutique because Rurik attempted to dress him in bear fur. The frog coat was a compromise."

Juni looked down at the bright yellow raincoat with the giant stuffed frog eyes. A slow, genuinely amused smile broke across her tired face. She let out a soft laugh, resting her chin against Pip’s fluffy yellow hair.

"It’s definitely his style," Juni murmured.

"Alright, that’s enough standing around," I announced, switching instantly into my chef-and-mom mode. "She is exhausted and probably starving. Juni, come inside. We have a safe room prepared, a hot bath waiting, and I am going to make you the biggest meal you have ever eaten in your life."

"I... I don’t want to impose," Juni hesitated, shifting her weight. She winced sharply, favoring her left leg.

Before she could even take a step, Lucien was there.

"You are injured," Lucien said, his voice instantly tightening with panic. "Why didn’t you say you were injured? I should carry you."

"I just twisted my knee dodging a net, shadow-cat," Juni huffed, though her cheeks flushed a bright, dusty pink at his proximity. "I am perfectly capable of walking."

"Nonsense," Lucien insisted, stepping closer. "The terrain is uneven. Your weight-bearing joints are compromised. I will carry you."

"Lucien, I am holding a heavy toddler. If you try to pick me up, we are both going to fall over—"

"I have perfect balance."

Caspian and I exchanged a long, incredibly amused look. Lucien, the Empire’s most terrifying, untouchable killer, was currently hovering around a tired Duck-kin like a frantic, lovesick teenager trying to figure out what to do with his hands.

"I will take Pip," I offered gently.

Juni froze. Her golden eyes snapped to mine. Every maternal instinct in her body screamed against handing her baby over to a stranger, even if that stranger was the Sovereign. She clutched the yellow raincoat tighter, her breathing picking up.

Juni looked up at him, her golden eyes softening. "Alright, tough guy. Lead the way." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

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