Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 282: Episode 280: Tanith’s Growth Spurt

"Roxy, my feral form is massive. I will take up the entire mattress. And my fur is rough, I don’t want to scratch you—"

"I don’t care," Roxy interrupted, a stubborn pout taking over her features. She patted the large expanse of the mattress beside her. "I want to snuggle into your fur, Rian. Please?"

Torian stared at her for exactly two seconds. The White Tiger Alpha could never deny her anything, especially not when she looked at him with those wide, expectant violet eyes.

He didn’t argue further. Torian stepped back from the edge of the bed. His broad, heavily scarred shoulders hunched slightly. His body expanded, dropping to all fours as thick, stark white fur rapidly erupted across his skin.

Within seconds, in his place stood a massive, terrifyingly beautiful White Tiger. He was easily the size of a small carriage, his thick muscles bunching under his striped coat, his large paws equipped with lethal, retractable claws.

He let out a soft, rumbling chuff that vibrated through the floorboards.

Torian hopped onto the bed. The heavy, reinforced timber frame actually groaned under his sheer, concentrated weight. The mattress dipped significantly, creating a natural crater that Roxy immediately rolled toward.

The feral tiger crawled forward, looming entirely over her. He lowered his massive head, his dark, intelligent eyes locking onto hers. Before Roxy could even reach out to pet his ears, Torian opened his mouth and dragged his enormous, sandpaper-rough tongue directly up the side of her face.

"Ah!" Roxy gasped, instantly bursting into a fit of bright, ringing giggles. She threw her hands up, trying to shield her face as Torian eagerly licked her cheek, her nose, and her forehead. "Okay! Okay, stop, you giant cat! That tickles!"

Torian let out another satisfied chuff, his breath warm against her skin. He stopped his aggressive grooming, satisfied that she was sufficiently covered in his scent.

Roxy wiped the tiger saliva from her cheek with a laugh, sinking deeper into the pillows. She didn’t know why she was suddenly so incredibly sleepy.

Torian sensed the immediate drop in her energy. The massive tiger turned in a tight circle on the mattress, carefully rounding her until he found the absolute perfect spot. He laid down, his enormous body curling into a thick, protective crescent moon around her back and legs.

Roxy didn’t hesitate. She scooted backward, pressing her spine flush against his warm underbelly. She laid her head directly onto his thick, white fur, burying her face in the softest part of his coat.

She reached over to the nearby pillow where Tanith was resting. The tiny, emerald-green snake slithered happily into Roxy’s open hands. Roxy pulled her daughter close, cradling the cool, smooth coils against her chest.

Wrapped in the absolute security of the Tiger’s embrace, with her baby safely in her arms, Roxy closed her eyes. She fell asleep almost instantly, the steady, booming rhythm of Torian’s heartbeat lulling her into a deep, dreamless void.

When Roxy finally stirred, the room was shrouded in the deep, dim shadows of late evening.

She didn’t wake up naturally. She woke up because she couldn’t breathe properly.

A heavy, suffocating weight was pressing down relentlessly on her chest and arms. The air in the room felt incredibly stuffy, the intense heat radiating from the tiger behind her combining with the strange, localized pressure pinning her to the mattress.

Roxy groaned, her heavy eyelids fluttering open. Her brain was sluggish, thick with sleep. She tried to shift her right arm, but it wouldn’t move.

She blinked, her vision slowly adjusting to the dark room.

The tiny, delicate emerald snake that she had pulled into her arms hours ago was entirely gone. In its place was a massive, thick coil of heavy green scales. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The snake currently draped across Roxy’s chest and wrapped around her waist was easily the thickness of a small tree trunk. The brilliant, iridescent green scales were hard and mature, radiating a surprising amount of retained heat.

Was this the growth Syris talked about?

Tanith had grown in size. The magical fever hadn’t just been a minor adjustment; the toddler’s beast form had undergone a massive, staggering biological leap while they slept.

"Oof," Roxy wheezed, trying to gently push the heavy coils off her ribcage.

As if she inherently knew her mother had woken up and was uncomfortable, the giant emerald snake instantly stirred. The massive triangular head lifted, the vertical green pupils blinking sleepily in the dim light. Tanith let out a soft, apologetic hiss.

The heavy coils immediately loosened. The giant snake slid seamlessly off Roxy’s chest, pooling onto the empty space of the mattress near the foot of the bed in a massive, shimmering pile of green scales.

Tanith shifted into her human form. Sitting directly on the mattress, wearing the same slightly wrinkled silk dress from the day she went snake mode, was Toddler Tanith.

She hadn’t aged a day. Her chubby little cheeks, her dark hair, and her bright, inquisitive green eyes were exactly the same. Her beast form had evolved into a massive, formidable predator, but her human form had completely remained a sweet, innocent toddler.

Tanith looked up, spotting Roxy sitting up in the bed. A massive, toothy grin broke out across the toddler’s face.

"Mama!" Tanith giggled, throwing her chubby little arms up into the air.

Roxy immediately squealed. "Oh, my baby Tanith!"

The sudden, high-pitched squeal of pure joy completely shattered the quiet of the bedroom.

Behind Roxy, The feral tiger was startled awake by the sudden noise. Torian shifted back.

He landed squarely on his two feet beside the bed, his chest heaved, his eyes wide and fully dilated, his thick claws extended as he scanned the dark room for an enemy.

His frantic gaze landed on the foot of the bed.

It was just Roxy, leaning forward and pulling a giggling, chubby toddler into a massive hug.

Torian blinked, his claws slowly retracting. He let out a long, heavy breath, his racing heart finally settling. He looked at the little girl, thoroughly inspecting her.

He had felt the massive weight of the snake on the bed just seconds before he woke up, and he quickly connected the dots. He stepped closer, leaning over to check that the little one had indeed safely shifted back from her growth spurt.

Torian was so happy and relieved that he reached down, his massive hands easily scooping Tanith right out of Roxy’s arms. He cradled the toddler against his broad chest, his thick tiger tail giving a happy, rhythmic thump against the wardrobe behind him.

"Her snake form is formidable," Torian noted, his deep voice thick with Alpha pride as Tanith patted his cheek. He looked at Roxy. "She will be a powerful hunter. But her human form... it hasn’t changed."

"It doesn’t matter," Roxy smiled warmly, reaching out to stroke Tanith’s dark hair. "She is still my baby. She can be a giant monster in the grass, but she’s always going to be my sweet little girl."

Tanith babbled happily in agreement, nuzzling her face into Torian’s neck.

Roxy pushed the heavy furs entirely off her legs and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. To her absolute surprise, she felt better now. Vibrant. Her muscles didn’t ache, her stomach was perfectly settled, and a steady, pulsing warmth radiated from her core.

The System’s ’Tiger’s Vitality’ buff was clearly hard at work, giving her the biological endurance she needed to carry an Alpha’s cub. She felt incredibly energetic again.

Roxy stood up, smoothing down the front of her lavender silk gown. She stepped into Torian’s space, reaching up to take Tanith back into her own arms. She settled the toddler comfortably onto her hip.

Roxy leaned forward, pressing a deep, appreciative kiss to Torian’s lips.

"Thank you," Roxy murmured against his mouth, her green eyes shining. "For the fur, and for the sleep. I feel like a brand new woman."

Torian’s eyes softened entirely. He traced her jawline with a thick finger. "Anything you need, Roxy. Now and always."

"I need to check on the kitchen," Roxy decided. "Kaelen and Zarek have been working for hours. We need to see how much of the Wither-Rot cure they managed to package."

She didn’t wait for his response. Roxy turned on her heel and strode confidently out of the bedroom, carrying Tanith with her.

Torian quickly grabbed his linen trousers from the floor, pulled them on, and trailed obediently right behind her, his protective instincts keeping him within arm’s reach of his pregnant mate.

They walked down the dimly lit upstairs hallway, the absolute silence of the Manor suddenly striking Roxy as odd. There was no shouting. There was no clanging of iron pots, no children bickering.

That’s weird.

It was too quiet for a house that was supposed to be operating as a massive kitchen.

Roxy reached the top of the wooden staircase. She placed her hand on the banister and looked down over the railing into the sprawling, open-concept living room below.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh my god..." Roxy whispered, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.