Free Web NovelChapter 30: Episode 030: Stay and be my brother’s mate.
What are you saying—
"You are going to be her second Mate?!!! How can a King—"
The female panther’s shrill voice cut her internal thought off immediately. She kneeled on the hard stone floor, her green eyes wide with absolute disbelief.
Knox did not let her finish the sentence. The Black Panther King simply raised his hand and flicked his wrist toward the doors.
Two panther guards stepped out of the shadows. They grabbed the screaming female by her arms and dragged her roughly out of the throne room.
"Kill her," Knox ordered flatly.
The heavy doors slammed shut. A few seconds later, a harrowing, blood-curdling scream echoed through the thick stone walls. Then, absolute silence.
Rue shivered in Caius’s arms. The air in the room suddenly felt incredibly cold. She tucked her face against Caius’s solid chest. Caius tightened his grip on her. His golden eyes were hard and completely void of patience.
"I am taking her out of this territory," Caius announced. His voice left absolutely no room for debate. "We are leaving right now."
He turned toward the door, carrying Rue like she weighed nothing. He was not changing his mind.
"Wait," Knox said.
Caius stopped, but he did not turn around.
"Her leg is bleeding," Knox pointed out. His deep voice was surprisingly calm. The arrogant, bloodthirsty King from yesterday was completely gone. "If she travels with those cuts, the scent of fresh blood will attract every feral beast in the outer jungle. It will bring trouble to her and the baby. Stay. Let her wounds be taken care of."
Rue blinked. She peeked over Caius’s shoulder to look at the panther.
Knox was standing by the throne, his broad shoulders slumped slightly. His golden eyes were entirely focused on her bleeding leg. He looked genuinely guilty.
Who replaced the giant cat with a reasonable person
When she saw the guilt resting in his eyes, she knew he was not playing a political game. He was entirely serious about what he said previously. He wanted to be a second mate, and he was actually trying to keep her safe.
Caius opened his mouth, fully prepared to decline the offer and fight his way out of the jungle.
"Caius," Rue stopped him, patting his chest. "We will stay for three more days. That is all."
Caius stiffened. He looked down at her, his jaw clenching tight. He pressed his lips into a hard, thin line. Rue knew he was incredibly pissed. The snake wanted to take his family back to the Swamps immediately. But this was all she could do. She could not put her baby in danger.
Caius let out a sharp, angry breath. "Three days."
****
Caius carried her all the way back to the bedroom.
As soon as they approached the heavy door, a loud, frantic wailing echoed in the hallway. Caius pushed the door open.
The young female panther guard was pacing the floor, looking completely terrified. Little Theron was in her arms, screaming at the top of his tiny lungs. His face was bright red. The guard was bouncing him awkwardly, absolutely failing to get him to stop crying.
"I didn’t hurt him!" the guard panicked instantly, seeing the deadly look on Caius’s face. "He just woke up and started crying!"
Caius stepped into the room.
Immediately, Theron stopped screaming. The baby caught the familiar, comforting scent of his mother. He let out a wet sniffle. His bright golden eyes opened, and he reached out toward Rue with his tiny, chubby hands.
Rue’s heart completely melted.
"Give him to me," Rue said softly.
Caius gently set Rue down on the edge of the stone bed. The guard practically ran over and handed the baby over to her, looking incredibly relieved to be free of the fragile infant. The maid quickly apologized, bowed low, and bolted out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
Rue chuckled. The maid must have been terrified.
That left Rue entirely alone with Caius and Knox, who had quietly followed them down the hall.
Rue ignored the two massive apex predators. She adjusted her pink dress, pulled the fabric to the side, and started feeding little Theron. The baby latched perfectly, his tiny hands resting against her pale skin. Everytime his golden pupils met hers, he would smile and giggle, and it made her heart full watching him.
Are you not a chubby baby?
She made some faces at him and the baby chuckled with her breast in his mouth.
Caius stood right next to the bed. He snapped his head around and glared a massive hole into the side of Knox’s head. Knox was standing just inside the doorway. He was staring directly at Rue.
"Turn around," Caius hissed.
Knox did not blink. He finally tore his golden eyes away from Rue and looked directly at the snake.
"What?" Knox asked bluntly. "She is also my mate. I can watch her feed. Why? Are you jealous because I get to see her beautiful perky breasts?"
Caius choked on his own breath. His fangs fully extended. He lunged forward.
"Stop it both of you!" Rue shouted over the baby’s head.
Both massive men froze instantly.
Rue glared at them. She was exhausted, her leg throbbed, and she did not have the patience to parent two grown beastmen.
"If you won’t stand quietly, then get out," Rue ordered flatly.
Caius scowled, but he stepped back. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood rigidly by the bed. Knox simply nodded. He walked over to a heavy wooden stool in the corner of the room, sat down, and rested his elbows on his knees.
Complete, heavy silence fell over the bedroom, save for only the sound of Theron eating to his feel.
It was the kind of total silence that made Caius incredibly angry. The Left General of the Swamps was an anxious father. He paced near the foot of the bed. He constantly looked at the baby.
"Is he comfortable?" Caius asked quietly. "Does he need a blanket? Are you holding his head right? Is he drinking enough?"
Rue sighed. "He is fine, Caius."
Knox did not ask a single question. The Black Panther King just sat on the wooden stool like a massive statue. He watched the way Rue breathed. He watched the tiny movements of the baby’s hands. He didn’t offer unhelpful advice. He didn’t try to touch her. He just existed in the room.
Rue looked at Knox out of the corner of her eye.
He is basically a giant, quiet piece of furniture right now, Rue noted internally.
She realized something. Knox communicated almost entirely through his presence and small actions rather than words. When he spoke, he completely lacked a filter and ruined everything. But when he was quiet, his protective nature was obvious.
For the very first time, Rue actually tried to understand him on those terms instead of constantly comparing him to Caius. Caius was verbal and aggressively attentive. Knox was a silent, looming wall.
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, Rue woke up on the thick animal pelts. Caius was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed and holding a sleeping Theron against his broad chest. frёeωebɳovel.com
The heavy wooden door clicked open.
Knox walked in. He carried something incredibly large and bulky in his massive arms, and walked quietly to the side of the bed and set the object down on the floor.
Rue sat up and looked over the edge of the mattress.
It was a crib. But it was not just a wooden box. It was a perfectly carved, beautiful nest made of dark ironwood. The inside was lined with incredibly soft, rare white moon-fox furs. It was plush, highly practical, and completely safe for a fragile infant.
Knox stepped back. He did not ask for praise. He just looked at the crib, then looked at Rue to see if it was acceptable.
Rue stared at the beautiful, soft nest. A huge wave of genuine happiness washed over her. She hated seeing her baby sleep on the bed. This was exactly what they needed. It felt less like a gift for the baby and more like a direct, thoughtful gift for her peace of mind.
"Thank you, Knox," Rue said softly. A small, real smile broke across her face.
Knox’s face flushed dark red. He quickly looked at the floor, nodding once.
Before the quiet, surprisingly tender moment could settle, Minx walked right through the open doorway. The female panther carried a tray of fresh fruits and clean water. She took one look at the massive, perfectly carved crib, then looked at the soft smile on Rue’s face.
Minx set the tray down on the table and threw her hands up in the air.
"At this point," Minx announced loudly, completely ruining the quiet atmosphere, "just stay here and be my brother’s mate!"
