Free Web NovelChapter 526: Episode 524: They Moved!
The five gang members stepped closer, their cheap, shiny knives catching the dim yellow light of the single streetlamp in the alley. The freezing rain poured down, soaking their dirty jackets. They smiled ugly, mean smiles, completely confident that they were about to score a massive payday. freewebnøvel.com
They looked at Torian and Ren. They saw the expensive leather jackets, the shiny gold watches, and the perfect haircuts. The gang assumed they were just two spoiled, soft billionaires who had never been in a real fight in their entire lives.
They were horribly, hilariously wrong.
Torian and Ren didn’t have their Beastworld magic anymore. They couldn’t turn into a giant tiger or cast a sneaky fox illusion. But they were still massive, highly trained fighters who had spent hundreds of years battling giant monsters. To them, five skinny human thugs with pocket knives were basically annoying mosquitoes.
Torian let out a deep, heavy sigh. He didn’t look scared at all. He just looked incredibly annoyed.
"Ren," Torian said calmly, not even looking at the gang leader. "Hold this for a second."
Torian handed the heavy wooden crate full of the rare Cherimoya fruit to Ren. Ren took it carefully, holding it safely against his chest like it was a priceless treasure.
"What do you think you’re doing?" the gang leader sneered, pointing his knife right at Torian’s chest. "I said give me the watches, tough guy!"
"You are wasting my time," Torian grumbled. "My wife is at home crying because she wants this fruit. If you make me late, I am going to be very upset."
The gang leader let out an angry yell and lunged forward, swinging his knife right at Torian.
It was a massive mistake.
Torian didn’t even flinch. He moved with terrifying, lightning-fast speed. He reached out with his giant, bare hand and grabbed the gang leader’s wrist right out of the air. With one totally effortless twist, he squeezed the man’s wrist. The gang leader screamed, dropping the knife into a muddy puddle. Torian easily lifted the man entirely off the ground and threw him backward. The leader flew through the air and crashed completely through a wooden fence, landing in a pile of garbage.
The other four gang members froze, their eyes totally wide with pure shock.
"My turn," Ren smiled.
Ren carefully set the wooden crate of fruit down on a dry barrel. He cracked his knuckles.
Two gang members rushed at Ren at the exact same time. Ren didn’t break a sweat. He ducked smoothly under a clumsy punch, swept his leg out, and knocked both men totally flat on their backs. Before they could even try to get up, Ren delivered two quick, sharp chops to the backs of their necks. They were out cold in two seconds.
Torian grabbed the last two guys by their jacket collars, literally lifting them both into the air at the same time, and knocked their heads together with a loud clack. They slumped totally limp like broken dolls.
The entire fight lasted exactly thirty seconds.
Torian picked the wooden crate back up, checking closely to make sure none of the fruit had a single bruise on it. Ren reached into his heavy leather jacket and pulled out a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills. He walked over to the unconscious gang leader in the garbage pile and dropped the money right onto his chest.
"That’s for your medical bills," Ren said cheerfully. "Have a great night!"
They climbed back into their armored SUV and drove as fast as they legally could all the way back up the mountain.
When they finally burst through the heavy front doors of the mansion, the house was quiet. They carried the crate straight into the massive kitchen. Roxy was still sitting on the tall stool, wrapped in a fluffy blanket, looking completely miserable and sniffing softly.
Torian set the crate on the marble counter and ripped the lid off.
"We got it, sweet bunny!" Torian cheered loudly.
Roxy gasped. She hopped off the stool and ran over to the counter. She looked down at the six perfect, green, heart-shaped fruits sitting inside the box. Her green eyes completely lit up like it was Christmas morning.
"You found them!" Roxy cried, throwing her arms around Torian’s thick neck, and then pulling Ren in for a massive hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
One of the highly paid private chefs immediately rushed over. He carefully took three of the exotic fruits, peeled the green skin away, and scooped the soft, creamy white inside into a fancy silver bowl.
Roxy took a bite. The sweet, amazing taste of strawberries, pineapples, and bananas exploded in her mouth. It was exactly what she wanted. She let out a happy, totally satisfied groan and ate the entire bowl in record time.
Torian and Ren just leaned against the counter, completely exhausted from their wild city adventure, but watching her smile made every single second totally worth it.
Later that evening, the giant mansion felt warm, cozy, and perfectly safe.
Outside, a cold, heavy rain was falling over the dark forest, but inside the living room, a massive fire was crackling happily in the huge stone fireplace.
Roxy was sitting sideways on the huge leather couch, wearing soft gray sweatpants. Her stomach was finally starting to grow into a very cute, noticeable little bump. Lira had come over to visit after dinner and decided that it was time for a spa night.
Lira was sitting cross-legged on the fluffy rug right below the couch. She had a bottle of bright pink nail polish in her hand, carefully painting Roxy’s toenails because Roxy was starting to feel a little too stiff to bend over comfortably.
"Okay, don’t move your pinky toe," Lira warned playfully, holding the tiny brush. "I am trying to make this look perfect for when you finally go to the hospital."
"I have months before the hospital, Lira," Roxy laughed, sipping a glass of warm milk.
Zarek was sitting in a heavy leather chair just a few feet away. He had a thick, important-looking business book in his hands, but he wasn’t reading a single word of it. His golden eyes were totally locked onto Roxy, watching her every move like a giant, protective guard dog. Whenever she shifted or sighed, he looked ready to jump up and catch her.
"Well, you never know," Lira smiled, blowing gently on Roxy’s painted toes to dry them. "With three babies in there, they might decide they want to come out early and cause some trouble."
Roxy giggled, resting her hands comfortably on top of her small tummy.
It was totally peaceful. But suddenly, the happy smile completely vanished from Roxy’s face.
She let out a loud, sharp gasp. Her green eyes flew totally wide open. Her back went completely stiff against the couch cushions, and both of her hands gripped her stomach tightly.
Zarek dropped his heavy book on the floor. It landed with a loud thud.
The Dragon King completely panicked. He jumped out of his chair so fast he knocked it backward. He thought she was sick. He thought the fruit had made her tummy hurt, or that something was terribly wrong with the babies.
"Roxy!" Zarek yelled, rushing over and dropping to his knees right beside Lira on the rug. His massive hands hovered nervously over her body, afraid to press too hard. "What is it?! Does it hurt? Are you in pain? Syris! Get Syris right now!"
"No, wait!" Roxy gasped, completely breathless.
She wasn’t crying. In fact, her eyes were shining with absolute, complete shock.
She reached out with her small, shaky hand and grabbed Zarek’s thick wrist. She pulled his massive hand forward and pressed it totally flat against the soft fabric of her shirt, right over her belly button.
Zarek held his breath. His golden eyes were wide with pure terror. He waited to feel her muscles cramping, or for her to start crying.
Instead, he felt something else.
Right against the center of his large palm, something bumped. It wasn’t a tiny flutter or a small bubble. It was a massive, incredibly strong, solid kick. Then, a second later, another strong thump hit a little bit lower, followed by a totally wild, rolling movement that they could actually see pushing against her shirt.
The babies were having a total wrestling match inside her.
Zarek’s jaw dropped completely open. All the terrifying panic instantly drained out of his body, replaced by a wave of pure, mind-blowing awe.
Roxy looked down at Zarek’s giant hand, a huge, beautiful, watery smile breaking across her face. A happy tear slipped down her cheek.
"Oh my god," Roxy whispered, her voice totally shaking with pure joy. "They moved!"
