Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 229

Chapter 229: The Sky-Dancer and the Grounded Shadow

There is an old beast-kin proverb that says you can measure the true strength of a Warlord not by how tightly he holds his weapons, but by how easily he opens his hands to let something go.

Standing on the edge of the sprawling coastal cliffs behind the manor, Lucien was currently failing that test entirely.

The afternoon wind was strong and crisp, whipping off the ocean and creating massive, invisible pillars of upward drafts. It was the perfect weather for an avian beast-kin.

Juni stood barefoot in the golden sea-grass, about ten yards away from the cliff’s edge. She was wearing a flexible, light tunic and leggings that Primrose had tailored specifically for aerodynamic movement. Her eyes were closed, her face tilted up toward the sun, and her magnificent snow-white and silver-tipped wings were fully extended, catching the salt-heavy breeze.

She looked radiant. She looked entirely at peace.

Lucien, on the other hand, looked like he was preparing for a siege.

The Lord of Shadows was standing a few feet behind her, his posture rigid, his violet eyes frantically scanning the empty blue sky for imaginary threats.

"The wind velocity is exceptionally high today," Lucien announced, his low voice tight with suppressed anxiety. "Cassian cleared you for flight, not for navigating gale-force updrafts. Perhaps a low-altitude hover would be more tactically sound for your first excursion."

Juni opened her golden eyes and looked over her shoulder, offering him a bright, entirely fearless smile.

"Lucien, I am a Duck-kin," she laughed softly, her wings twitching with pent-up energy. "The wind is my element. It’s not going to hurt me. It feels like coming home." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Lucien’s jaw tightened. He knew she was right. He knew he was being irrational. But the last time he had seen her use her wings, she had been fighting a mercenary army to protect her son. The thought of her leaving the solid safety of the earth—leaving the ground where he could protect her—was setting off every single alarm bell in his assassin instincts.

"I have mapped out the optimal landing zones," Lucien continued stubbornly, pointing a gloved finger toward a flat patch of grass. "If you experience muscle fatigue, you must descend immediately. I can summon a shadow-net to catch you if—"

"Mama fly!"

Pip’s loud, joyful shriek interrupted the tactical briefing.

Sitting on a large picnic blanket a safe distance away was the Warlord cub squad. Primrose had brought out a tray of sliced apples and cheese, and the cubs were fully prepared for the show. Vali was bouncing on his knees, Silas was watching with wide, reverent eyes, and Pip was clapping his chubby hands together, absolutely thrilled.

Juni blew a kiss to her son. Then, she turned her attention entirely to the sky.

She didn’t need a running start. She crouched slightly, her powerful leg muscles coiling. Wind magic—pure, concentrated, and glowing faintly with a pale blue light—began to swirl around her bare feet, flattening the golden grass in a wide circle.

With a fierce, joyous shout, Juni pushed off the ground.

WHOOSH!

The sheer force of her takeoff sent a shockwave of wind blasting backward. Lucien’s dark hair whipped wildly around his face, and he had to plant his boots firmly in the dirt to keep from being pushed back.

Juni shot into the sky like a silver arrow.

Lucien’s breath completely left his lungs. He stared up, absolutely mesmerized.

She wasn’t just flying; she was dancing. The heavy, exhausted widow who had been trapped in the smuggler’s cave was completely gone. Up there, surrounded by the endless blue, Juni was an absolute force of nature.

She caught a massive thermal updraft, her silver-tipped wings snapping out to their full wingspan as she glided effortlessly higher and higher. She spun, executing a flawless, joyful barrel roll through the clouds, her golden hair trailing behind her like a comet.

"Woah!" Vali howled from the picnic blanket, his golden eyes wide. "She is so fast! She is faster than Dad’s axes!"

"Her aerodynamic drag coefficient is practically zero," Jasper whispered in awe, furiously scribbling in his notebook.

Lucien didn’t hear them. He couldn’t hear anything over the sound of his own heart hammering against his ribs. He tracked her every movement, his violet eyes locked onto her distant silhouette. He felt a profound, overwhelming ache in his chest—a mixture of absolute awe and the terrifying realization that he was entirely, hopelessly in love with a woman who belonged to the sky.

High above, Juni reached the apex of her climb. The ocean stretched out endlessly below her. The Warlord manor looked like a tiny toy castle. She felt the magic humming perfectly in her bones. She was strong. She was free.

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