My cubs can walk, Mira thought to herself, watching the children she nurtured pace around the nursery, they can also shift! They’re not a defect like me! My cubs can walk, eat solid food and shift like normal beasts.

After so long, it was nice to see them play fight and grow without needing her breast milk. Now, they mostly went hunting with their father.

The scent of fresh forest leaves filled the nursery. Thinking of father. . . , Mira thought.

Jia Hao walked into the nursery with a bag.

"Dad!!" Jia-Yang Yi yelled. The other children’s attention left what they were doing and refocused to the entrance. They all ran to meet him. Jia Hao squatted and spread his arms wide to accommodate his children. Their weight pushed against his so much at once that it sent him falling backwards. And they still gathered around him.

"Welcome back, daddy."

"Yes! We missed you."

"Bring anything for us on your way?"

"Dad, tell me you got us girls something pretty."

"Dad, dad! My teeth is getting stronger." The cub who said that, Jia-Yang Wei, was biting his father’s finger to prove the strength. Mira just stared at them with adoration. It was good to know they were mostly his problem now. All that teething can finally not be on her soft tits but Jia Hao’s body parts. As long as they never came near his cock. That would be when there would be a great issue.

Right now, her babies sounded like babies. Their words were still undefined but she understood them. "Okay, children, come to mama, dad just came back from a long journey." Mira said. Her children all paused to look at her like she was some odd goose.

Mira’s brain twitched. You all came out from my vagina! She chorused in her mind. "Now." She worded, her voice sterner than usual. They all scurried away from Jia Hao and ran to their mom.

This gave Jia Hao the chance to stand up. He watched as his wife spoke to their kids before letting them off to play. "Well, aren’t you the strict, no fun parent. You would think that would not be the case knowing you but alas!" Jia Hao walked to her.

Mira let out a sigh. Right now, she felt like Katara from Avatar: the last airbender, only this time, she was the actual mom. "Too much playfulness would make them be mannerless and I do not want that for my children. I want them to be different from the old me."

When Jia Hao was in front of Mira, he pulled her in for a hug. He smelt so masculine and of wild leaves that it was attractive to Mira. "You are doing a great job being their mother, Mira. I love that we are going through this together." Jia Hao said. Mira rested her head on his bare chest. Unlike before where he had a massive fur, leather coat on, his chest was completely bare this time. And Mira loved it.

[With the event that host has nurtured her children long enough that they can fend off without her, it is time for a new task, host!] Chimed in front of Mira in a screen.

[New task: Go to the Mighty Cheetah’s Coalition and breed!

Time duration: Eight days.

Have fun host!]

7:23:59:02

(Translation of timer: Seven days, twenty three hours, fifty nine minutes and two seconds)

Mira swallowed. The system happened to be Jia Hao’s op today. He just mentioned that he was glad they were parenting together and now she had to leave.

"Me too." Mira worded. "I would not have it any other way." She added. Both of them just stood there for a while, in each other’s arms when a voice shot across the room. It belonged to a baby. That baby.

"Yuck!" The baby said and mimicked throwing up. Another one, the eldest female, Jia-Yang Mei, smacked her brother’s forehead.

"You’re yuck." Jia-Yang Mei said.

Mira and Jia Hao laughed at that. "Our children will grow up just fine." Jia Hao said.

Mira swallowed. With the timer blaring before her face, she needed to tell Jia Hao. "My king, we need to talk. Preferably privately."

Jia Hao swooped her up her feet and into his arms in a seamless raise then headed out of the nursery. He went straight to his bed chambers with his wife. Mira giggled. "The bedroom was the most private place for you to go to when you look as provocative as you do?" She questioned. He did not drop her on the floor to stand or on a stool to sit, he laid her carefully on the bed with him on top of her.

"Yes. For a lot of reasons." Jia Hao said. He brought his head lower and kissed her neck. Mira giggled at the gentle touch. "For this." He added. Now, he kissed her on the lips, a longer and more fulfilling kiss. "And most especially this." He said.

Mira spread her legs wide and swung in behind him. She let her legs intertwine, trapping her husband between them.

"If only you know this is where I would rather be." Jia Hao teased. He kissed her again. "Now, tell me what it is you want to tell me."

Mira bit her lower lip. She did not know a nicer way to say this. "I have to go, Jia Hao."

Jia Hao’s eyes darkened. "What? Am I not treating you well enough? Tell me if anything or anyone bothers you, I will have it rectified immediately."

Mira smiled. "No, you are and I am completely fine and happy with the life and lives we’ve built here."

Jia Hao’s hands rubbed her arms. "Then why do you want to leave me?"

Mira’s brows furrowed inwards. "Never. I would never leave you, husband. We are bound for life. I just have to perform my duty in the other clans too. I will always be your wife, always." Mira explained. This was so hard but her life was hanging on a thread here. "I need to go." Mira’s voice was soft. Jia Hao swallowed. He understood it very well and even though it ached him to let her leave, he knew she had to do what she had to.

"I understand." Jia Hao muttered. "It is just happening way too quickly."

Mira let both her hands up from the bed and trapped his face in it. "I’m yours, Jia Hao. I will always be yours." And my husbands too, she added in her mind. "I will never leave you and you and my children can always visit me when I’m in the other clans and me to all of you. You’re my family." Mira professed. She needed to believe her.

And she needed to live too.

"I know." Jia Hao kissed her, more passionately this time. "So when do you leave?"

"Today."

"Oh, wow, that seems like a whole lot." Jia Hao exhaled. "I will have the lions prepare supplies for the journey."

"I can leave first thing tomorrow morning." Mira immediately said.

Jia Hao breathed. "That will give us plenty of time to get you enough supplies." He paused. "Who will you be meeting with first?"

A wavy smile formed on her lips. She was not sure if he was ready to hear the name of the husband yet but she said regardless. "Ming Tao."