Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 135: Home Sweet Home

The carriage wheels clattered over the cobblestones of the Capital, a sound that usually meant noise, bustle, and city life. But at three in the morning, the streets were silent, bathed in the soft glow of magical streetlamps.

The "Little Whiskers Daycare" stood at the end of the lane, dark and quiet. To anyone else, it looked like a large, slightly eccentric mansion. To the exhausted travelers inside the carriage, it looked like the Holy Grail.

"We’re here," Caspian whispered, nudging Primrose.

Primrose jerked awake, wiping drool from the corner of her mouth. "Whuh? Are we being attacked? I have a spatula and I’m not afraid to use it."

"No attacks," Caspian chuckled, unlatching the door. "Just bed."

Rurik kicked the door open and hopped out, stretching his massive arms until his back cracked like a gunshot. He reached back in and hauled a sleeping Vali out by the back of his tunic, carrying him like a duffel bag.

"Home sweet fortress," Rurik grunted. "It smells like city air. Disgusting. I love it."

Orion stumbled out next. He looked like a walking pile of laundry. He was still wearing his own coat, plus Astrid’s giant ducal cloak, plus three scarves. Only his eyes were visible.

"I’m turning into an ice cube," Orion announced, his voice muffled by wool. "My fingers are numb, my nose is frozen, and I think my toes have declared independence. I need a bath so hot it would boil a lobster."

Primrose stepped down last. Or, she tried to.

She turned sideways to squeeze through the carriage door.

Thump.

"Oof," Primrose grunted.

She tried to turn the other way.

Thump.

"Are you... stuck?" Rurik asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No!" Primrose hissed, her face turning red. "I am merely... calibrating my exit strategy!"

Her two tails—the massive White one and the sleek Silver one—had fluffed up in the cold air and were currently wedged against the doorframe like two stubborn pillows.

"It’s the fluff density," Caspian noted helpfully, placing a hand on the small of her back. "Allow me."

He gently compressed the white tail, tucking it closer to her body. Primrose wiggled, popped free like a cork from a bottle, and landed in the street.

"I hate this," Primrose groaned, smoothing her dress. "I have become a wide-load vehicle. How am I supposed to fit in chairs? Do I cut holes in all my pants?"

"We will figure out the logistics later," Caspian promised, guiding her toward the front door. "Let’s just get inside."

Primrose unlocked the front door of the daycare. She expected silence. She expected darkness. She expected to faceplant into her bed and sleep for a week.

She pushed the door open.

The lights in the main playroom blinded them.

Sitting in the center of the room, arranged in a semi-circle of judgment, were three armchairs.

In the left chair sat Rajah, the Tiger Lord. He was wearing a silk robe that cost more than the carriage outside, his arms crossed, his foot tapping an impatient rhythm.

In the right chair sat Cassian, the Snake Lord. He was filing his nails, looking bored, but his green eyes were sharp enough to cut glass.

In the middle chair sat Lucien, the Panther Lord. He was just... staring. Silently. Menacingly.

Behind them stood Luna holding Clover. And peeking out from behind the sofa were the other kids—Arjun, Silas and Jasper.

"Welcome back," Rajah boomed, his voice echoing off the walls. "Traitor."

Primrose blinked. "Hi? Why are you sitting in the dark like bond villains?"

"We were waiting," Rajah stood up, pointing an accusatory finger at Rurik. "You! You took them to the North! You had an adventure! A battle! And you didn’t invite us!"

"It wasn’t a vacation, Stripes," Rurik scoffed, walking past him to dump his bags on the floor. "It was a rescue mission. And it was freezing. You would have hated it. Your whiskers would have snapped off."

"I have excellent thermal regulation!" Rajah roared. "And that is not the point! I heard rumors! The merchants said the sky turned purple! They said a Void God appeared! A VOID GOD! And I was here, changing diapers and filing paperwork!"

"It was very boring," Cassian drawled, inspecting his fingernails. "I haven’t stabbed anyone in weeks. My dagger is getting rusty. It’s simply rude of you to hog all the violence, Rurik."

Lucien stood up slowly. He walked over to Caspian. He sniffed the air.

"You smell like blood," Lucien said quietly. "And ozone. It was a good fight."

"It was adequate," Caspian replied with a small, smug smile. "We saved the world. Again. No big deal."

"ARGH!" Rajah threw his hands in the air. "I demand a recount! Next time a god invades, I get first dibs! I am the Tiger Lord! I am the King of Beasts! I should be punching gods, not signing zoning permits!"

---

While the Dads bickered, the kids swarmed Vali.

Vali, sensing his audience, immediately woke up from his nap. He shook off his drowsiness and jumped onto the coffee table.

"It was huge!" Vali shouted, spreading his arms wide. "The spider was as big as... as this house! And it had lasers! Purple lasers!"

"Whoa," Arjun gasped, his little tiger tail twitching. "Did you punch it?"

"Punch it?" Vali scoffed. "I ate its magic! I sat on a throne made of shadows and I said, ’Hey, Spider-Face! You’re in my seat!’"

"Liar," Silas the Panther cub crossed his arms. He was the skeptic of the group. "Shadows don’t have faces. And spiders don’t have lasers."

"This one did!" Vali insisted. "Ask my Dad! I was glowing red! I was super scary!"

He looked around the room until his eyes landed on Clover. The little bunny girl was hiding behind Luna’s leg, clutching her stuffed carrot.

Vali’s expression softened. He puffed out his chest.

"I saved everyone," Vali told Clover directly. "I even saved a girl named Vivi. But don’t worry, Clover. I would have saved you harder."

Clover blinked her big, watery eyes. She twitched her nose. Then, she hid her face in Luna’s skirt.

"She’s overwhelmed by my heroism," Vali decided, nodding sagely.

"She thinks you’re loud," Jasper the Snake hissed, laughing. "You still smell like wet dog."

Meanwhile, Orion ignored the reunion entirely. He marched straight past the group, trailing water and snow.

"Where are you going, fish?" Rajah asked.

"To the tub," Orion declared without stopping. "My fingers feel like they’re going to crack off. I’m going to melt into a puddle of warm water and not come out until my bones are thawed."

He vanished up the stairs, leaving a trail of wet footprints.