Transmigrated to Raise Panther Cubs novel Chapter 258

Chapter 258 Where the River Took the Past

+5 Rears

Matthew’s low whine faded into the quiet forest, yet the sadness in it seemed to remain among the trees.

Zachary wrapped both arms around the black panther and held him tight. His hand moved slowly along the side of Matthew’s neck, gentle and steady.

The place where the Black–winged Kite therian had discovered the necklace was not directly beneath the cliff. It was farther away, near the river below.

From above, the water appeared calm, but the unseen current beneath was swift and strong. It vanished into a complex network of underground caves, reappeared downstream, and ultimately continued toward the open sea.

“There.” The Black–winged Kite therian pointed to a pine tree growing out from the cliffside. “I found it hanging from that branch.”

Matthew and Zachary searched for a long time.

They checked the cliff, the riverbank, and the surrounding forest. Using the pine tree as the center, they looked over every nearby area, yet there was no sign that anyone had ever lived there.

In the end, it might really have been nothing more than a coincidence.

Maybe the necklace was lost somewhere else long ago. Perhaps a bird picked it up, carried it here, and left it behind. After many turns, it somehow ended up back in Matthew’s hands.

Matthew stood beside the river and watched the winding water in silence.

Zachary tightened his hold on his hand. “We can keep looking. We will take it slowly.”

Matthew lowered his eyes to him. His thumb gently brushed the faint shadows beneath Zachary’s eyes. “We are going home tomorrow.”

Zachary looked up. “Let us stay a little longer. We still have time.”

Matthew shook his head. “I want to go home.”

Ten years had already passed.

Perhaps some things should have been released a long time ago.

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By dusk, Matthew had started a fire. He and Zachary sat beneath a tree, with Zachary resting against him.

After a long stretch of quiet, Matthew asked, “Zachary, do you remember my Alpha?”

The question pulled Zachary back to the first days after he had crossed into this world.

“I remember.” He leaned into Matthew and spoke softly, “Your Alpha was tall and strong. He used to tuck me inside his beast–hide robe, and it was very warm.”

A faint smile touched his mouth. “He also called me a little fool.”

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11:16 am pp

Chapter 258 Where the River Took the Past

45 Pearls

Matthew’s expression finally loosened a little. The heaviness in his face eased, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Zachary tilted his head to look at him. “Did you think I was a fool, too?”

“I did,” Matthew answered honestly. “You kried all the time, and I could not understand your words.”

Zachary immediately defended himself. “I was only six. I suddenly ended up in a strange world. Of course I cried.”

Matthew pulled him deeper into his arms. “You called me Matt and told me you would take me home.”

His voice dropped lower. “You kissed me, too.”

Zachary suddenly remembered it, and amusement curved his eyes. “Back then, I thought your beast form was a huge black cat. I kept trying to make you meow.”

Matthew smiled. “You promised to buy me candy and fish.”

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Zachary lowered his head and fiddled with Matthew’s fingers. “I really liked your beast form. I even jumped down from a tree just to touch you. But I got stuck halfway through the jump.”

Matthew recalled it vividly. “You cried very hard. Alpha and I both tried to comfort you, but nothing worked.”

“I was not that hard to comfort.” Zachary looked up at him. “Once you let me touch you, I stopped crying.”

They stayed pressed together by the fire, quietly turning over those old memories one by one.

The sky slowly darkened. Firelight swayed in the wind, and the shadows around them shifted with it.

Zachary grew sleepier as they talked. His voice softened with each sentence. When the forest finally fell quiet, Matthew looked down and found Zachary asleep in his arms.

Matthew took off his loose coat and wrapped it around Zachary. Then he sat beside the fire, holding him without moving.

The wind gradually strengthened.

Clouds gathered overhead, thick and dark,

Before long, rain poured down hard. The drops struck the skin with an icy chill.

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Zachary woke because of the movement. Darkness surrounded him, and he instinctively called out, “Matthew?”

“I am here.” Matthew held him firmly. “It is raining. We need to find shelter.”

Only then did Zachary realize Matthew’s coat was covering him. He shifted beneath it and managed to see Matthew’s outline through the darkness.

Cold rain blew straight into his face. Zachary shrank back and tried to climb down. “I can walk.”

11:16 am

PP

Chapter 258 Where the River Took the Past

+5 Pears

“We are almost there.” Matthew kept his arms around him and did not let him move. “Stay covered.” Zachary frowned. “I am fine. It is harder for you to carry me like this.

“You will get sick if the rain soaks you” Matthew adjusted his hold and lifted him higher. “Be good.”

Zachary could only pull the beast–hide coat back over himself.

After some time, Matthew stopped outside a small cave. He told Zachary to wait at the entrance, then shifted into beast form and went inside first. Only after checking every corner and making sure it was safe did he bring Zachary in.

The cave was narrow, dark, and empty. Wind swept in from the entrance with a low, hollow sound.

Zachary took a candle from his pack and lit it. Under the small glow, he cleared a cleaner patch of ground for them to rest.

Matthew found dry branches and dead grass inside a sheltered corner. He quickly started a fire, then placed a few sweet potatoes near the edge of the flames.

Once the rain came, the temperature dropped fast. At night, the cold became even sharper.

Zachary’s hands and feet were chilled. Matthew drew him close beside the fire and wrapped him in his warmth.

Outside, the rain intensified as water seeped in through the cave entrance. A sudden flash of lightning lit up the sky, briefly turning the forest white. Immediately afterward, thunder roared through the mountains.

Zachary flinched sharply, his face losing all color. Despite the firelight illuminating him, he appeared unnaturally pale.

Matthew tightened his arms around him. “What is wrong?”

“It is nothing.” Zachary leaned into him, though the tension in his body had not completely faded.

Even after all this time, that memory still felt unreal. The moment he crossed into this world, lightning struck him