Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 207: The Great Treehouse War

The ancient oak tree in the center of the manor’s eastern courtyard had survived centuries of coastal storms, lightning strikes, and harsh winters. But as I stood on the patio with my morning coffee, I realized the poor tree was about to face its greatest threat yet: bored beast-cubs.

"If we build the base platform on the lowest branch, we lose the tactical high ground," Orion was saying, pacing around the massive trunk with a piece of charcoal and a wooden board. "But if we build it on the third branch, the wind shear from the ocean might destabilize the floorboards!"

"The wind shear is a minor variable, Orion," Jasper replied, adjusting his round glasses as he looked up into the canopy. The nine-year-old snake-cub was holding a measuring tape. "We just need to install a sloped roof to deflect the coastal crosswinds. I am more concerned about the structural integrity of the wood. We must source premium oak planks."

"I don’t need planks!" Vali shouted. The little wolf-cub was currently hanging upside down from a lower branch by his knees, his tail wagging wildly. "I’m going to sleep on a pile of leaves! Wolves like the dirt! Treehouses are for birds!"

"We are not birds, Vali," Arjun said seriously. The little tiger-cub was doing perimeter checks around the roots, holding a wooden practice sword. "A tree-fortress provides an elevated vantage point to spot enemy troops. It is a necessary military installation."

I leaned against the stone railing of the patio, my nine silver tails swishing in amusement. Watching the cubs try to agree on a weekend project was always entertaining. Orion wanted a masterpiece of architecture, Jasper wanted a mathematically flawless bunker, Arjun wanted a watchtower, and Vali just wanted to climb things.

"Are you going to stop them?" a smooth, cool voice asked.

I didn’t jump. I was used to Warlords appearing out of nowhere. Cassian stepped onto the patio beside me, holding a cup of perfectly steeped black tea. The Serpent Warlord looked immaculate as always, wearing dark, tailored silk.

"Why would I stop them?" I smiled, taking a sip of my coffee. "It’s good for them to play outside. Orion has been drawing treehouse blueprints for three days."

"A treehouse is a splinter hazard," Cassian sighed, his narrow eyes fixed on his younger brother. "And Jasper has sensitive scales. If he falls from that branch, his trajectory will result in a highly inefficient landing. I should put a stop to this."

"Cassian, let your brother be a kid," I nudged his arm gently. "He’s having fun."

Before Cassian could argue, a loud, booming laugh echoed across the courtyard. Rurik marched out of the manor, completely ignoring the paved walkways and walking right over my flowerbeds.

"Pups!" the Wolf Warlord cheered, clapping his massive hands together. "You build a den in the sky? Excellent! A true predator must know how to strike from above!"

"Dad!" Vali cheered, dropping from the branch and landing perfectly on his feet. "Can we use your big axe to chop down a tree for the floor?"

"You may use my axe, my fierce pup, but you will not build a flimsy little bird’s nest," Rurik declared, puffing out his chest. "If the Alpha’s son is to sleep in a tree, it must be a fortress of timber and iron! We will build a Northern watchtower! Fetch me my hammer!"

"Hold on," Cassian hissed, setting his teacup down with a sharp clink. He gracefully hopped over the patio railing, landing silently on the grass, and marched toward the oak tree. "If my brother is going to inhabit this structure, it will not be a crude pile of logs hammered together by a barbarian."

Rurik narrowed his golden eyes, crossing his arms. "And what do you know of building, snake? You sleep in silk sheets."

"I know that your grasp of load-bearing physics is nonexistent," Cassian sneered lightly. He turned to Jasper. "Show me the blueprints, Jasper."

Jasper proudly handed over the charcoal-smudged wooden board. "Orion and I calculated the exact center of gravity, brother. If we anchor the main support beams here—"

"Unacceptable," Cassian interrupted, though his tone was entirely fond as he patted his younger brother’s head. "You forgot to account for the gravitational shift when Vali inevitably jumps up and down like a feral creature. We must use magically reinforced steel brackets."

"Steel is too heavy!" Orion argued, defending his design. "It’ll ruin the natural sway of the tree!"

"The architect is correct."

Caspian strolled out of the manor, looking devastatingly handsome in a loose white shirt and dark trousers. His silver, iridescent hair caught the morning light as he walked over to join the gathering crowd under the oak tree. He rested a heavy, affectionate hand on Orion’s shoulder.

"If you use steel, you fight the tree," Caspian explained smoothly, giving Cassian a knowing look. "You have to move with the current, not against it. We will use flexible, water-treated bamboo for the joints. It bends, but it never breaks."

"Bamboo?" Rurik scoffed. "That is panda food! We need ironwood!"

I put my face in my hands and let out a long, exhausted sigh. It was happening again. The Warlords simply could not let the cubs do a single normal, low-stakes activity without turning it into an extreme test of masculine dominance and engineering.

"I give it an hour before they accidentally build a three-story mansion in that tree," a quiet voice whispered from the shadows of the patio awning.

I looked over and smiled at Lucien. The Panther Warlord was leaning casually against the stone wall, watching his younger brother, Silas, who was sitting near the roots of the tree making a shadow-squirrel dance along the bark.

"You aren’t going to join the argument?" I asked.

Lucien’s violet eyes gleamed with dark amusement. "No. I am waiting until they finish doing all the heavy lifting. Then Silas and I will simply claim the highest, darkest corner of the room. It is the panther way."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Smart. I’m going to go make lemonade. They are going to need it."

By three in the afternoon, the treehouse was no longer a treehouse. It was a suspended palace.

I carried a massive tray of iced lemonade and sweet honey-buns out to the courtyard, staring in absolute awe at the monstrosity they had created.

Rurik had hauled massive logs from the forest, building a base so thick it looked like it could stop a cannonball. Cassian had refused to let Jasper step on raw wood, so he had used his magic to seamlessly fuse the floorboards together, polishing them until they looked like a grand ballroom floor.

Caspian had guided Orion in creating a beautiful, sweeping spiral staircase that wrapped around the trunk, entirely eliminating the need for a dangerous rope ladder.

And, true to his word, Lucien had stealthily woven a canopy of dark, enchanted vines over the roof, providing perfect, cool shade for his little brother.

The Warlords were covered in sawdust and sweat, but they all looked incredibly proud of themselves.

"Mom! Look!" Orion yelled, waving at me from the balcony of the treehouse. He had an actual balcony. "Dad helped me make the railing! It has cup holders!"

"I see that, my little prince!" I laughed, setting the tray down on a garden table. "Snack break, everyone! Come get it before Vali eats it all!"

The Warlords and the cubs swarmed the table. Rurik practically inhaled three honey-buns in one breath, while Cassian delicately wiped sawdust off his face with a silk handkerchief before taking a glass of lemonade.

"Admit it, snake," Rurik grinned, nudging Cassian with a heavy elbow. "The Northern timber makes the structure invincible."

"The timber is adequate," Cassian sniffed, though he didn’t move away from the nudge. "But it is my frictionless floor-sealing that prevents Jasper from getting splinters. You are welcome." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"The spiral staircase is the best part," Caspian said lazily, taking a sip of his drink and wrapping his free arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his side. "Orion’s design was flawless. I just provided the labor."

"It really is amazing," I said, leaning my head against Caspian’s shoulder. "But who is actually going to sleep in it tonight?"

The boys all froze. They looked up at the massive, incredible tree-fortress they had just spent six hours building.

"I prefer my sterile sleeping bag," Jasper noted, pushing his glasses up. "The outdoors contain unpredictable humidity."

"I am going to sleep in my bed," Orion agreed, grabbing another bun. "The mattresses inside are softer."

"I want to sleep on the rug in the living room!" Vali cheered.

The Warlords stared at the cubs in stunned silence. They had just spent the entire day engaging in back-breaking manual labor to build the ultimate cub hideout, and none of the cubs actually wanted to use it.

Cassian’s eye twitched. "You requested a treehouse. We constructed a masterpiece. And you are going to sleep indoors?"

"Yes, please," Jasper nodded politely. "Thank you for the structural exercise, brother."

As the cubs happily grabbed their snacks and ran off to play near the pool, the older brothers and fathers were left standing under the giant oak tree, looking completely defeated.

Rurik let out a heavy sigh, sitting down on a tree root. "Wolves are supposed to love the wild. He is becoming entirely too comfortable with indoor plumbing."

"It’s not a complete waste," Caspian chuckled, his deep voice rumbling against my side.

He looked down at me, his teal eyes sparkling with a familiar, dangerous sort of warmth. He reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of silver hair behind my ear.

"The cubs aren’t using it," Caspian murmured, leaning in close so only I could hear. "And it does have a very nice, sturdy floor. And a beautiful view of the stars."

A blush rushed to my cheeks as I realized exactly what he was implying. "Caspian! We are not sleeping in the treehouse!"

"Why not?" he grinned, pressing a soft kiss to my jaw. "Cassian made sure there are no splinters. And it’s very private."

"It’s a children’s fort!" I laughed, swatting his chest playfully, though I didn’t pull away from his hold.

"Not tonight it isn’t," Caspian whispered against my lips, stealing a deep, breathless kiss right there in the courtyard.

From the other side of the tree, Cassian cleared his throat loudly. "Please control your romantic inclinations, fish. Some of us are trying to appreciate the architecture."

I hid my red face in Caspian’s shirt, laughing softly as my husband just wrapped his arms tighter around me.

"Let him complain," Caspian murmured, kissing the top of my head. "The architect and the chef get the penthouse suite tonight."

Looking up at the ridiculous, over-engineered mansion in the tree, I couldn’t help but smile. With this family, nothing was ever simple. But it was always exactly right.