Free Web NovelChapter 37: Episode 037: He is the Father.
Late in the evening.
Rue stepped out of the bedroom for just a moment to grab fresh water from Minx, leaving Knox entirely alone in the room with a sleeping Theron.
Her throat was completely dry from spending the entire afternoon teaching the giant panther how to keep his face blank. She left the heavy wooden door cracked open, intending to be gone for less than a minute.
Knox stood rigidly near the stone wall. He was still riding the quiet, internal high of passing her manners test. He felt incredibly proud of himself. He kept his hands clasped behind his back, enjoying the rare, perfectly peaceful silence of the dim bedroom.
Then, a tiny noise broke the quiet.
Ehh.
Knox’s golden eyes darted instantly to the dark ironwood crib in the corner of the room. His breath hung from fear. He stared at the soft white moon-fox furs, praying to the jungle ancestors that the noise was just a sleepy sigh.
Waaah.
Theron woke up. The baby started fussing, his tiny fists kicking against the knitted blanket.
Knox froze. Complete, absolute terror gripped the Black Panther King.
He was an apex predator. He had faced down armies of feral beasts. But he had absolutely never been left entirely alone with something this incredibly small, fragile, and loud.
The crying quickly got louder. Theron squeezed his bright golden eyes shut, his little face turning a bright, angry pink.
Knox looked desperately at the open doorway. Where was the rabbit? Where was the snake? Why did they leave him alone with the tiny, crying baby?
"Shh," Knox whispered gruffly from across the room. He did not move his feet. "Do not do that. Your mother is getting water. She will be angry if you cry."
Theron completely ignored the King’s royal command. The baby took a deep breath and let out a sharp, demanding wail.
Knox panicked. His heart hammered against his thick ribs. If Caius walked in right now and heard the baby screaming, the giant snake would probably assume Knox had laid on him. Knox wiped his sweaty palms firmly against his dark linen pants.
He took a slow, heavy step toward the crib. He walked on his toes, moving as silently as a hunting cat.
He looked down over the edge of the carved wood. Theron was waving his chubby little arms in the air, deeply unhappy about waking up entirely alone.
"I am right here," Knox tried again, his deep voice incredibly awkward. "I will give you a very sharp knife when you are older. Just stop crying."
Theron wailed louder.
Knox had absolutely no choice. He leaned his massive upper body over the crib. Very hesitantly, his giant hands reached down into the soft furs. He was terrified of breaking the fragile infant. He moved his thick fingers under the baby’s back and head, treating Theron like a piece of explosive glass.
He lifted the infant out of the crib.
Theron weighed almost nothing. To Knox, it felt like holding a single, soft cloud. He awkwardly pulled the crying baby directly against his chest, trying his best to mimic the way Rue held him.
Knox naturally ran incredibly hot. His panther metabolism kept his resting body temperature much higher than a normal human or a snake.
He was basically a giant, walking radiator. The very second Theron felt that massive wall of warmth, the crying stopped instantly.
The sudden silence in the room was deafening. Knox blinked in absolute shock.
Theron sniffled once. The baby opened his eyes. His bright, clear golden eyes looked straight up, locking directly onto Knox’s glowing golden eyes. They shared the exact same eye color.
Theron wiggled slightly. Instead of pushing away, the baby completely snuggled his soft, silver-white hair right against the rough fabric of Knox’s shirt, chasing the deep heat. Theron let out a tiny, happy sigh that vibrated against Knox’s chest.
Then, Theron reached out with one chubby little hand. His tiny fingers searched blindly for a second before finding Knox’s hand. The baby firmly grabbed the panther’s incredibly thick index finger.
Theron let out a soft coo. He stared up at the giant, terrifying beast as if he wanted to say something highly important.
Knox completely lost the ability to function.
He froze, not moving a single inch. He stood as stiff as a stone pillar in the middle of the room. His eyes were wide with a bizarre mixture of sheer panic and wonder. He was entirely trapped. If he moved his arm, the baby might slip. If he breathed too heavily, the baby might cry again. If he stayed exactly like this, his heart might actually burst straight out of his ribcage.
He stared down at the tiny hand holding his finger. A completely foreign, overwhelming wave of protective warmth flooded his chest. It completely washed away the violent, arrogant pride of a King, leaving behind a man who was utterly captivated.
Right at that moment, Rue walked quietly back down the stone hallway.
She held a fresh clay jug of cold water in her hands. She reached the open doorway and stepped into the room.
She stopped dead in her tracks.
Rue stood completely still, watching the ruthless apex predator completely melt over a child that wasn’t his.
Her New York brain immediately started running a heavy, highly descriptive commentary. She did not speak out loud, but her internal voice was loud and clear.
Why is he holding him like that, Rue thought, leaning her shoulder casually against the wooden doorframe, as a chuckle slipped past her lips.
He had changed so much. She watched Knox carefully. He looked completely terrified to even blink.
This means Theron had finally accepted him, Rue observed in her mind. Theron is not even fussing. It makes complete logical sense, I guess. Snakes are cold-blooded. Caius is warm because of his beastman biology, but Knox is a literal furnace. Theron likes the heat. He is basically using the giant cat as a heated blanket.
She looked at the incredibly gentle way Knox allowed his thick finger to be held.
He really isn’t trying to eat my baby, Rue thought. Her internal voice softened significantly. It is ridiculous how huge he is compared to Theron. It is actually kind of... sweet.
A warm, heavy chest pressed softly against Rue’s back.
Caius walked up right behind her in the doorway. The Left General of the Swamps moved without making a single sound. He rested his chin completely casually on Rue’s shoulder. frёewebnoѵēl.com
He had heard every single loud, descriptive thought running through her mind. Caius looked into the bedroom, and saw exactly what Rue saw.
A few days ago, the snake would have lunged into the room, hissed violently, and ripped the panther’s throat out for daring to touch his son.
But Caius listened to Rue’s thoughts. And he looked at Knox’s incredibly gentle, terrified face.
Instead of growling in heavy jealousy, the snake beastman just watched the quiet, domestic scene over Rue’s shoulder. He felt completely relaxed. He finally understood that Knox was entirely safe for his family. The panther would rather die than drop the infant.
Caius let out a very soft, highly amused breath that brushed against Rue’s silver hair.
"Someone would think he is the father."
