Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Wolf Marquis and the Tail-less Fox

The next morning, I arrived at the Jaeger estate.

If the Argentis estate was a cold, silent museum, this was a fortress. The architecture was austere, all grey stone and dark, heavy timber, with banners of a snarling wolf’s head—the Jaeger crest—hanging from the walls. It didn’t feel like a home; it felt like a high-class, aristocratic barracks.

The man who opened the door was an old wolf-kin, as stern and grey as the stone walls. His face was all sharp angles and a neat, silver-grey muzzle, and his old-fashioned black butler’s uniform was immaculate. He looked me up and down, his sharp yellow eyes lingering on my fox-ears.

"Lady Primrose Thistle," he said, his voice a dry rasp. He didn’t sound happy about it. "I am Balthazar, head butler to the Marquis. His Lordship is waiting."

Marquis? My gamer brain rebooted. Oh, right! In the game, Rurik Jaeger wasn’t just a "Lord"; he was a Marquis and a Captain of the Aethelgard Empire’s top army, the Crimson Fang Legion. He was high-spec, high-status, and, as of yesterday, high-annoyance.

Balthazar led me through echoing stone halls. "His Lordship is in his study. He... appreciates punctuality."

Translation: He’s already mad I’m here.

The study doors were massive, carved from dark oak. Balthazar knocked once, then opened them, announcing me like I was a bad smell he was required to identify. "Lady Primrose Thistle, my Lord."

I stepped inside, and my confidence immediately shriveled.

Lord Rurik Jaeger was at his desk, in that same dark-blue Crimson Fang uniform. He looked even bigger and more imposing than he had in the market. He didn’t look up. He was just... radiating... irritation.

And in the corner of the room, the source of that irritation was busy disemboweling a priceless-looking armchair with his tiny, sharp claws.

Vali Jaeger, the Demon Cub, was back.

The white-haired, pink-eyed puffball was growling, ripping out stuffing, and generally proving that my Calming Biscuits had a very short shelf-life.

"He’s been like that since dawn," Rurik growled, finally looking up. His icy-blue eyes were cold and sharp. "Your... snack... wore off."

"They aren’t a ’cure,’ Lord Jaeger," I said, trying to find my professional footing. "They’re a supplement. The real problem is his main diet."

"I’ve already had a background check done on you," he cut me off, leaning back in his chair. His gaze was so intense it felt like a physical weight. "Lady Primrose Thistle. Twenty years old. Failed daughter of the failed Thistle house. Tail-less. No prospects. Recently... fled... your family home to open a commoner’s daycare."

He leaned forward. "I don’t trust beasts. But I especially hate foxes."

My blood ran cold. He wasn’t just grumpy. He was openly hostile.

Okay, husband route is offline. Completely, totally, do-not-pass-go offline. This man wouldn’t marry me if I was the last fox-kin on earth.

My Top Chef survival instincts took over. This wasn’t a capture target anymore. This was a client. A very difficult, very hot, very prejudiced client.

I switched tracks. "That’s fine, Lord Jaeger. I’m not here to be your friend. I’m here about your son."

I looked over at Vali, who was now hissing at the armchair’s leg. "Sir, I’m a chef. Your son isn’t a demon; he’s malnourished. You told me yourself yesterday, he’s just hungry." I turned back to Rurik. "How long... has he been like this?"

Rurik’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "Since his mother died."

Oh.

My snark softened, just a little. Okay. So he’s a tragic, grumpy widower. That’s... standard Otome game fare.

"I see," I said, my voice gentler. "I’m... I’m guessing he looks more like her... she must have been a very beautiful wolf. I can see why you must have fallen for her."

Rurik’s face snarled.

"It was a political marriage, Lady Thistle. Not a love marriage," he bit out, the words sharp as glass.

"Huh," I said, my "oh-no" filter completely breaking.

"But she was indeed a beauty," he added, his voice dripping with a cold, old anger. "A pure-blood silver wolf. But she was... weak. She died birthing him."

I just stared. He’s a jerk.

"Even if you didn’t like her," I snapped, my brain completely bypassing my "scared-fox" instincts, "you shouldn’t talk about her like that. Especially... especially in front of your son."

Vali had actually stopped shredding the chair to watch us.

Rurik Jaeger slowly stood up. He was at least a foot and a half taller than me, a mountain of pure, aristocratic rage. His icy-blue eyes were burning.

"The young master refuses all else," Balthazar said, his voice flat. "Cooked meats, vegetables, grains... he will not touch them. He eats only raw venison." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

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