Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 39: The Pact of the Oven

Vali took a step forward. His ears were perked, desperate for a sound that wasn’t there. He looked behind Rurik’s legs. He looked behind Rajah’s cape.

"Dad?" Vali whispered. "Where is she?"

Rurik looked down at his son. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The great orator, the commander of armies, couldn’t find the words. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"We..." Rajah choked out, his voice thick with tears. "We were too late."

"Too late?" Arjun dropped his wooden sword. Clatter. "But... you’re the strongest. You’re the General."

"The water," Cassian said, his voice hollow. "She fell. The current... it flows to the Deep Ocean."

Jasper stood up. He adjusted his glasses, but his hands were shaking violently. "Statistically... survival in open ocean during a storm... without magic..."

He stopped. He looked at Cassian. "She drowned?"

Cassian didn’t answer. He just squeezed the piece of wet cloth in his hand.

Clover let out a tiny, high-pitched squeak. She looked at the safety rock in her hand—the rock Vali gave her to be brave.

"No," Clover whispered, tears instantly spilling over. "She promised. She said she’d make Moon-Cakes."

"She is gone," Lucien’s voice drifted from the shadows, final and cold.

Clover’s face crumpled. She started to wail—a heartbroken sound that filled the room.

Luna froze. Her own heart was shattering, but hearing her baby sister cry flipped a switch in her brain.

"Clover!" Luna gasped.

She ran across the room and dropped to her knees, pulling the sobbing toddler into her arms. Luna buried her face in Clover’s soft ears, rocking her back and forth.

"I’ve got you," Luna sobbed, her own tears soaking Clover’s fur. "I’ve got you, Clo. I’m here."

Jax walked over. He looked at the two Bunnies huddled together on the floor. He looked devastated. He knelt down beside them, wrapping his arms around both Luna and Clover, resting his chin on Luna’s head.

"I’m sorry, Carrots," Jax whispered into her hair. "We tried. The current was too fast."

Across the room, Vali stared at his father. His pink eyes filled with tears, then with rage.

"YOU PROMISED!" Vali screamed, launching himself at Rurik. He punched his father’s leg with his tiny fists. "YOU SAID YOU WOULD PROTECT THE PACK! YOU SAID YOU WERE THE ALPHA!"

Rurik didn’t stop him. He stood there, taking the blows, looking down at his heartbroken son.

"I know," Rurik rasped, tears finally spilling down his cheeks, mixing with the rain water. "I failed, Vali. I failed."

Rurik dropped to his knees and pulled his son into his chest. Vali fought for a second, then collapsed, burying his face in his father’s wet shirt, howling in grief.

Arjun looked at his dad. Rajah fell to his knees too, opening his arms. Arjun ran to him, sobbing. "I didn’t want a sword! I wanted Prim!"

Jasper sat down heavily on the floor. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Cassian sat beside him, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder. They sat in silence, the weight of their gold meaning nothing.

Silas looked at his drawing. The picture of the umbrella. He slowly crumpled it up and let it drop to the floor. Lucien stepped out of the shadows and wrapped his cloak around the boy, shielding him from the world.

The Little Whiskers Daycare was full of people, but it had never felt so empty.

The scent of cinnamon was fading, replaced by the smell of rain and sorrow. The oven was cold. The apron hung on the hook, still waiting for a chef who wasn’t coming back.

Outside, the storm raged on.

But inside, the storm was worse. The Pack was broken.

"We will mourn," Rurik whispered into Vali’s hair, his voice sounding like gravel. "And then... we will never speak of the ocean again."

The shop fell silent, save for the rain. It was the silence of a tomb.

Then, a small, shaky voice cut through the gloom.

"No."

Rurik looked down. Vali pulled away from his father’s chest. His eyes were red, his face was wet, but his jaw was set in a stubborn line that was 100% Jaeger.

"No," Vali repeated, louder this time. "We don’t stop talking about her. And we don’t mourn."

"Vali," Rurik sighed, looking exhausted. "She fell into the Dark Current. No one survives that."

"She tamed a Chimera with a bun," Vali argued, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "She made you eat vegetables. She is... un-killable."

Jasper stood up. He adjusted his glasses, which were fogged up. He looked at the map of the ocean on the wall.

"The Wolf Cub is correct," Jasper stated, his voice trembling but gaining strength. "Statistically... if a body drowns, it washes up within 24 hours due to buoyancy. We have searched the coast. There is no body."

Cassian looked up, a flicker of life returning to his golden eyes. "Jasper..."

"No corpse," Jasper declared, "means the data is inconclusive. She could have washed up on an island. Or..." He hesitated, looking at the map. "...she could have been taken by the Sea Folk."

"The Merman King," Rajah breathed. "If he has her... we cannot invade. It would mean war with the ocean. We would drown before we reached the gates."

"We can’t go get her," Arjun sniffled, picking up his wooden sword. "But that doesn’t mean she’s dead. Prim is tough. She’s probably... I don’t know... cooking for the fish right now."

Clover wiped her eyes. She looked at the cold, dark oven in the kitchen.

"If she comes back," Clover whispered, "and the shop is closed... she will be sad."

Tap. Tap.

Everyone turned.

Silas was standing by the counter. He ran a finger through the thin layer of grey dust that had settled over the past three days. He held up his dusty finger to the group, frowning deeply. Then, he pointed to Primrose’s apron hanging on the hook.

He looked at Lucien with intense, violet eyes.

Lucien let out a breath, stepping slightly out of the shadows.

"He says she hates dust," Lucien interpreted softly. "If she returns to a dirty shop... she will be displeased."

"She has bills to pay," Luna added, her voice gaining strength as she squeezed Jax’s hand. "She worked so hard for this place. If we let it close... then Grieve wins."

Vali walked to the center of the room. He looked at the four most powerful men in the Empire—defeated, wet, and broken.

"We aren’t closing," Vali commanded. "We are keeping the territory marked."

Rurik blinked. "Vali, we cannot run a bakery. We are Warlords."

"You have hands!" Vali shouted. "Use them!"

He pointed at Rajah. "You can lift flour sacks!" He pointed at Cassian. "You can do the math!" He pointed at Lucien. "You can clean!" He pointed at his dad. "And you... you can chop meat!"

Vali crossed his arms. "We keep the shop open. We keep the oven warm. So when she walks back through that door—and she will—she knows she still has a home."

The Dads looked at each other.

It was ridiculous. It was impossible. A Wolf, a Tiger, a Snake, and a Panther running a daycare bakery?

But as Rurik looked at his son’s fierce, hopeful eyes... he realized he had no choice. The Pack had given an order.

Rurik let out a long, ragged breath. He stood up, towering over the room. He wiped the mud from his face.

"Very well," Rurik grunted. "I will... secure the meat supply."

Rajah stood up, rolling his shoulders. A spark of fire returned to his eyes. "I will manage the kneading! It requires upper body strength!"

Cassian stood, smoothing his ruined silk coat. "I will manage the finances. We will not operate at a loss."

Lucien didn’t move, but the shadows in the room seemed to lighten, just a fraction. "I will ensure... no dust settles."

Jax grinned, a sharp, feral smile returning to his face. "And I’ll make sure no one steals the spoons while you’re open."

Luna squeezed Clover’s hand. "I’ll handle the front of house."

Vali nodded. He picked up a stale bun from the floor and placed it on the counter, like an offering.

"Operation: Waiting for Prim is a go," Vali declared.

Outside, the storm still raged. The ocean was still dark and terrifying.

But inside the Little Whiskers Daycare, a small, stubborn light had been lit. They wouldn’t mourn. They would work.

And God help the customer who complained about the Wolf Lord’s chopping skills.