Transmigrated to Raise Panther Cubs novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86 Do You Have Proof?

Finished

Zachary hadn’t expected Wesley to actually talk himself into it. His gaze sharpened as he studied him. “Did I ever say what I was talking about?”

Wesley forced himself to stay calm. “What else could it be besides that?”

“Keep pretending.”

Wesley tightened his grip on the skewer in his hand. “Do you have proof?”

“Nope.”

The relief that washed over Wesley was almost visible. There was even a hint of mockery in his tone now “Then don’t go around accusing people.”

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“Oh,” Zachary answered lightly, almost lazily, nudging the rock beside him a little closer with his foot.

Wesley was thrown off by his reaction. He couldn’t quite figure Zachary out

But just as he turned to leave, the instant he lifted his foot, a leg suddenly stretched out in front of him.

“Ah!” Wesley never saw it coming. With a startled cry, he pitched forward and s

ground.

His palms, elbows, and knees lit up with pain.

face–first into the

Wincing, Wesley jerked his head up and glared at Zachary. “You did that on purpose, didn’t

you?”

Zachary rested a hand on the leg he’d already pulled back and looked at him innocently. “Do you have proof?”

“You-“Wesley shook with rage.

This spot was already some distance from the bonfire, and it was dark. Everyone else was gathered in the middle, so no one was paying attention to them.

And even if someone had glanced over, all they would’ve seen was a guy stretching his legs after sitting too long.

A total accident.

Wesley had landed hard on one knee. There was even a chunk of roasted meat stuck in his hair, and the whole thing was so humiliating it was almost impressive.

He scrambled back to his feet, furious and red–faced.

Zachary felt so satisfied he could barely describe it, but he still put on an act—not because he had to, but because annoying Wesley was half the fun. So he said with exaggerated concern, “You should be more careful when you walk. Look at all that meat on the ground. What a waste.”

That moo beast probably died for nothing.

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Chapter 88 Do You Have Proof?

Wesley’s fists clenched so hard they cracked. He glared at Zachary through gritted teeth.

Finished

Zachary shrank back a little, pretending to be scared. “What, are you going to hit me? Because I will yell. And just so you know, I’ve got a pretty loud voice.”

“You-“Wesley was so furious he spat out some curse under his breath, then turned and limped away.

Watching him take the loss so badly, Zachary leaned back against the rock with a grin so wide it practically reached his ears. He felt amazing.

Life could get pretty boring. Messing with Wesley, though? Surprisingly entertaining.

After fooling around for a while, Elias and Quincy came over to keep Zachary company. The three of them chatted happily together, looking for all the world like a family.

Soon, the smell of food drifted over from the center of the tribe. Zachary had previously taught them how to marinate meat with things like ginger and wild onions, so the tribe’s big communal meals tasted way better now.

The skewers over the fire sizzled and dripped with fat, the meat on the stone slabs was crisp and fragrant without being greasy, and the soup bubbling away in the stone pots sent up thick waves of steam.

Everyone gathered around, sat right on the ground, and dug in. From a distance, it almost looked like some kind of wilderness cookout–warm, lively, and full of atmosphere.

Matthew had noticed the moment Wesley headed over to Zachary, but seeing that the two of them only seemed to be talking, he hadn’t gone over.

He disliked Wesley and the others enough already and usually avoided interacting with them whenever possible. It wasn’t until Wesley left that Matthew finally made his way over.

He brought Zachary a bowl of soup and picked out a few of the tenderest pieces of roasted meat before asking, “Want to eat something?”

“Yeah, okay,” Zachary really was starting to feel hungry again. He took the bowl and bit into the meat.

The meat had been marinated and seasoned this time, so it actually tasted good, and the soup was hot enough to warm his stomach the second it went down.

Seeing that Zachary was willing to eat–and could keep it down–Matthew finally relaxed.

Taylor and Jaden had run off with the other cubs in the tribe and were playing the “hawk catches chicks” game Zachary had taught them earlier in the open space near the bonfire. Their giggles carried from far away, bright and nonstop.

By now, they’d worn themselves out. Sweaty and panting, they finally stopped long enough to eat something.

Corey smiled and waved the two of them over. “Taylor, Jaden.”

The boys walked over. “Corey, did you need something?”

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Corey pulled out two orange fruits and crouched down, holding them out in front of the boys. “You must be thirsty. Here—one for each of you.”

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Chapter 86 Do You Have Proof?

“Sungold fruit!” Taylor’s eyes went wide. “For us?”

“Yes” Corey smiled and nodded. “They’re really sweet. Go ahead.”

Finished

Sungold fruit grew in the southern parts of Beastworld, usually near steep cliffs. They were juicy, delicious, and carried a unique fragrance. They tasted incredible–but they were also extremely hard to pick, which made them especially precious.

Taylor’s hand made it halfway out before he turned to look at Jaden instead.

Jaden didn’t move, so Taylor quickly pulled his hand back, too,

“Oh, don’t be shy.” Corey simply tucked the fruit into each of their hands, then gently brushed the messy hair back from their foreheads. “Go on. Eat. Only you tw

two get them.”

The people in the tribe doted on the cubs. They were the tribe’s future, after all, so the children generally had warm, easy relationships with the adults around them.

Even though neither boy could figure out why Corey was giving them something so valuable, Taylor and Jaden still obediently said, “Thank you.”

Corey motioned for them to sit, his expression soft and kind, as if he were only asking casually. Taylor… do you think I’m nice?”

Taylor nodded, still innocent and unguarded. “Yeah.”

Jaden pressed his lips together, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

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