Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 154: The Uninvited Guest

The violin screeching over the speakers wasn’t just a sound; it was a physical weight.

As the Blue Danube played in a twisted, slow minor key, the air in the Grand Pavilion turned heavy. The candles flickered and burned green. The water in the fountains turned into thick, black sludge.

Rajah slammed his hands on the High Table.

"Guards! Secure the perimeter!"

Nothing happened.

The Tiger Guards at the gates didn’t move. They were frozen, their feet encased in black crystal that had erupted from the ground silently.

"They can’t hear you, General," a smooth voice purred.

The spotlight on the stage shifted. It landed not on the band, but on a man standing in the center of the dance floor.

The Boss.

He wasn’t wearing a mask. He was wearing a pristine charcoal tuxedo that fit perfectly among the noble guests. He held a glass of champagne in one hand and a cane made of black Void crystal in the other.

He looked frustratingly human. Handsome, in a cold, forgettable way. Like a banker who had come to foreclose on their lives.

"Sorry I’m late," The Boss smiled, raising his glass to Leonora. "Traffic in the Void is terrible this time of year. Lovely dress, by the way. It will look stunning with a splash of red."

Rurik didn’t wait for a speech. He grabbed a heavy oak chair and hurled it at the man.

"Get out!" Rurik roared.

The Boss didn’t flinch. He just tapped his cane on the floor.

THUD.

A wave of purple force exploded outward.

The chair disintegrated into dust before it hit him.

The force wave hit the guests. It wasn’t an explosion; it was gravity.

Every normal guest—the nobles, the bakers, the musicians—was slammed into their seats. They couldn’t move. They couldn’t scream. They were pinned like insects in a display case.

Only the Warlords, the kids, Primrose, Leonora, Luna, and Jax could remain standing, though their knees buckled under the pressure.

"Please," The Boss chided, adjusting his cufflinks. "Sit. This is the reception. We haven’t even cut the cake yet."

Caspian pulled Primrose behind him, his trident materializing in his hand. The water in the air hissed, turning to steam against the Void pressure.

"What do you want?" Caspian demanded, his eyes glowing. "You failed in the East. You have no army here."

"I don’t need an army, Fish King," The Boss said, walking casually toward the tables. "I have quality over quantity."

He stopped near the High Table. He looked at Arjun, who was trembling but trying to be brave next to Rajah.

Then he looked across the room at Jasper, Orion, Vali, Silas, and Clover.

A hungry, terrifying smile spread across his face.

"The Dragon experiment failed because the subject was too old," The Boss explained, as if discussing a cooking recipe. "Adult souls are rigid. They break when you pour the Void into them."

He pointed his cane at Arjun.

"But children... children are malleable. They adapt. They evolve."

Rajah’s eyes turned into slits. A low, vibrating growl started in his chest that shook the floorboards.

"You are not looking at my son," Rajah whispered. The air around him began to distort with heat. "You are looking at your death."

"I’m looking at the Tiger Heir," The Boss corrected. "And the Snake Heir. And the Wolf Heir. And the Merman Prince."

He spread his arms.

"I’m not here to crash the party, Rajah. I’m here to collect my ingredients. I’m going to build a new pantheon. And your children are going to be the gods."

Leonora moved.

She didn’t use a sword. She grabbed the silver cake knife from the table. She ripped the heavy skirt of her wedding dress away, revealing the leather trousers she wore underneath (because a Lioness is always prepared).

"TOUCH HIM AND DIE!" Leonora screamed.

She lunged over the table, aiming for the Boss’s throat.

The Boss sighed.

"So emotional. Ushers! Show them to their seats."

He snapped his fingers.

The shadows behind him rippled. Six tall, faceless figures emerged. They wore tattered tuxedos, but their bodies were made of black smoke and Void static.

The Void Ushers.

Two of them intercepted Leonora. They didn’t hit her; they moved through her, chilling her soul and knocking her back with a blast of cold air.

"Protect the cubs!" Primrose shouted, her tails lighting up the dim room.

Chaos erupted.

Rurik charged, his axe colliding with an Usher. The blade passed through the smoke, but Rurik’s brute strength and lightning magic disrupted the form, forcing the creature back.

Lucien vanished into the shadows, appearing behind an Usher that was reaching for Silas. He summoned shadow spikes, impaling the creature to the ceiling.

"Silas! Get high ground!" Lucien ordered.

Silas transformed into a bat and shot up to the rafters.

Cassian threw daggers of green acid at the Usher approaching Jasper.

"Jasper! Pickles! Run!" Cassian yelled.

Jasper grabbed the baby snake and ducked under the table. Vali (holding the ring pillow like a shield) and Clover scrambled after him.

On the edge of the dance floor, Luna was frozen.

An Usher was gliding toward her. It didn’t have a face, but she felt its hunger. It raised a hand made of black needles.

Luna reached for her ladle, but her hands were shaking too hard. The gravity was crushing her.

I can’t move. I can’t breathe.

The Usher swung.

SHINK.

A silver flash intercepted the blow.

It wasn’t a sword. It was a steak knife.

Real Jax stood in front of her. He wasn’t a Warlord. He didn’t have magic. He was struggling to stand under the gravity spell, sweat pouring down his face.

But he had caught the Usher’s smoky arm on the serrated edge of the dinner knife.

"Hey!" Jax grunted, his teeth gritted. "Didn’t anyone teach you manners? You don’t cut in on a dance."

The Usher hissed, turning its faceless head toward him.

"Jax!" Luna screamed. "Run!"

"Not this time," Jax snarled.

He didn’t have magic, but he had military training. He stomped on the Usher’s foot (which was solid), pivoted, and jammed the steak knife into where the creature’s heart should be.

It didn’t kill the monster, but it confused it. The Usher stumbled back.

Jax grabbed Luna’s hand.

"Run with me, sweetheart!" Jax yelled, pulling her toward the kitchen exit.

---

At the High Table, the Boss was ignoring the chaos. He was focused solely on Rajah and Arjun.

Rajah was a wall of muscle and fire, shielding his son.

"You want him?" Rajah roared, his skin beginning to stripe with glowing orange markings. "Come and take him."

The Boss checked his pocket watch.

"I intend to."

He raised his cane. The green gem on top pulsed.

Void Art: Castling.

The air warped.

Suddenly, Rajah wasn’t standing in front of Arjun anymore. He was standing ten feet to the left, swapping places with a potted plant.

Arjun was left exposed.

"Hello, little Tiger," The Boss smiled, reaching out a hand.

Arjun didn’t scream. He remembered what Jasper had said about strategy. He remembered what his father said about courage.

Arjun grabbed the bowl of Hot Curry Soup from the table and threw it directly into the Boss’s face.

"MY DAD IS GOING TO EAT YOU!" Arjun screamed.

The Boss sputtered, blindingly hot curry dripping down his tuxedo.

For a second, the mastermind looked ridiculous.

Then, he looked angry.

"You brat," The Boss hissed, wiping sauce from his eyes. "I’ll peel you first."

He raised his hand to strike.

But a green vine shot across the room, wrapping around the Boss’s wrist and jerking him back.

Primrose stood on top of a table, her Green Tail glowing fiercely.

"Hey!" Primrose shouted, holding a ball of white fire in her other hand. "Get away from my nephew!"