Transmigrated to Raise Panther Cubs novel Chapter 118

Chapter 118 Going Out

“Yeah. Take care of Taylor and Jaden. And yourself too.” Quincy’s voice came out low and muffled. Every time he had to say goodbye to Yael, his chest felt heavy for at least two days afterward.

“Make sure you eat properly.” Yael held him tight. “If you feel scared at night, go find Elias.”

Elias nodded. “Don’t worry about a thing.”

Mid–conversation, Kyle walked over with his arms already spread open. “Elias, give me a farewell hug.”

“Ethan said your luck is incredible. Let me get some of that.”

A perfectly reasonable argument.

Elias stepped forward without hesitation. “This guarantees you make it home safely.”

Kyle smiled with deep satisfaction. “Thanks, Elias.”

“Alright, that’s enough.” Ethan reached out and pulled Kyle back by the arm. “You’re never satisfied, are your

Everyone walked the group to the edge of the settlement and then stood watching as the procession disappeared into the distance.

The merfolk lived along the eastern coastline of the Beastworld.

Black Panther Tribe had made this trip several times over the years and knew the route well. The group formed a long, steady line, carrying and hauling their supplies as they made their way east.

This was Taylor’s and Jaden’s first real journey away from home, and the two of them were beside themselves with excitement. They scrambled along on all four paws, heads swiveling in every direction, wanting to nose into absolutely everything they came across.

To keep Jaden and Taylor from wandering off, Yael and Matthew positioned themselves at the front and back of the cubs, corralling them between the two so neither could fall behind.

The further east they traveled, the denser the forest became. Some of the canopy was thick enough to block out most of the sky, and what filtered through the trees was dim and grey.

Taylor and Jaden were still young, and by late afternoon their energy had flagged considerably. Their ears drooped, and their tails hung low.

But it wasn’t time to make camp yet.

Yael had both cubs shift back to human form and carried them for a stretch on his own back, letting them rest before setting them back down to run with the group again.

When night fell, the temperature dropped steadily.

Donald and Henry, who were at the front of the group, found a suitable clearing and called for everyone to rest for the night.

The path to the salt trade could bring them across wandering therians, so to protect their supplies, the

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group agreed to take turns keeping watch through the night.

Zachary turned to Matthew with genuine curiosity. “What exactly is a wandering therian?”

“One who’s been exiled from a tribe,” Matthew said.

Yael added. “And some are survivors of fallen tribes who never joined a new one.”

“A fallen tribe?” Zachary had a hard time imagining it. From everything he’d seen, therians were formidable beings.

Whatever could bring an entire tribe to ruin had to be something truly catastrophic.

Kyle said quietly, “Starvation. Brutal cold. Flooding. Disease. Beast tides. There are forces none of us can hold back.”

They believed these were the consequences of the beast god’s wrath.

“Beast tides?” Zachary had heard the term more than once already, but he still couldn’t fully grasp what kind of disaster it actually described.

“The wild beasts that normally stay hidden in the deep forest go feral, Matthew said. “They attack anything living, without exception.”

Once they’d cleared a patch of ground, the therians gathered firewood from the surrounding trees, piled it together, and lit it for warmth.

The night air carried a sharp chill, and Zachary, who had very little tolerance for cold, sat closest to the fire.

Jaden and Taylor had been drooping with exhaustion just a little while ago, but after a short rest, their energy came roaring back. They craned their necks with wide, curious eyes at everything around them.

Taylor especially wanted to sniff and bite at everything in reach, and Jaden had to stop him more than once.

The therians skewered strips of meat on thin branches and propped them over the fire. Then someone pulled out a wrapped bundle from their pack, the outer layer cowhide, the inside layered with leaves, and when they peeled it all back, it revealed a blend of ground spices.

Before the journey, Zachary had gathered the tribe together and had them dry chilis, peppercorns, and an assortment of other aromatics over a fire, then grind everything down into powder with flat stones. Combined together, the result was the single most transformative ingredient you could add to roasted meat, a stir, or a broth.

The therians treated the mixture like treasure. Several of them had even sewn dedicated pockets into their clothing specifically to hold the precious blend.

Afraid of using it up too quickly, everyone measured it out with exaggerated care, some pinching only the tiniest amount between two fingers.

Yael called the two cubs back over, pressed a skewer of roasted meat into each of their hands, and turned his full attention to constructing his own magnificent dinner.

He threaded alternating pieces of mushroom and meat onto a skewer, then brushed the whole thing in a sweet glaze sauce. Quincy had learned that recipe from Zachary specifically and stayed up the night before

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Chapter 118 Going Out

the journey to make a batch just for Yael.

Finished

Yael had been moved to the verge of tears over it and had promptly deposited Taylor into the neighboring cave and spent the entire night showing Quincy just how appreciated that gesture was.

The next morning, Quincy had barely managed to get out of bed. His legs were shaking when he stood, and yet he’d pulled himself together through sheer will and seen Yael all the way to the edge of the settlement.

Taylor caught the scent drifting from Yael’s skewer and drifted closer, and Yael immediately reached out. and pinched his lips shut. “Eat your own.”

“I want that sauce too.” Taylor knocked the Alpha’s hand away with visible indignation.

Yael was unapologetic. “Sire made it for me.”

“Sire didn’t say that. You’re making it up.”

“If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself when we get back.”

That part was actually the truth, even if the method hadn’t been particularly honorable. Quincy hadn’t offered it freely. Yael had simply refused to move until it was produced.

Taylor stamped his foot in frustration and then spotted Zachary waving him over. He let out a sharp little sound of displeasure and sprinted over without a moment’s hesitation.

Jaden was already seated on Zachary’s right. Taylor dropped down on his left and pressed close.

Zachary reached into his pack and pulled out two pieces of chestnut cake.

Taylor’s entire mood reversed instantly. He bit into his piece with great enthusiasm and muttered through a full mouth. “Is there any way I can have two Sires and just get rid of the Alpha?”

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