Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 54: The Unlikely Alliance

Inside the Daycare

"Jax?" Luna’s voice was trembling, her hands still clutching his shirt. "Before they left... the Hyena said something. He said, ’Tell the Fox the clock is ticking.’"

Jax froze. The air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

Luna looked up at him, her tear-filled eyes searching his face. "Jax... do you know these people?"

Jax looked at her. He saw the trust in her eyes—the trust he didn’t deserve. He thought about lying. He thought about saying it was a random threat. But the weight of the little cap in his pocket felt like lead.

"I..." Jax started, then forced his face into a mask of confusion. "No. I don’t know them. It’s probably just a generic threat. A ’Fox’ is a common nickname for thieves."

It was a terrible lie. He knew it. But Luna, in her panic, nodded, desperate to believe him.

"Stay here," Jax commanded, pulling away from her. "Lock the doors. Do not call the Warlords yet. If the kidnappers see the Imperial Army, they might... hurt her. I will track them down myself."

He didn’t wait for an answer. He turned and sprinted out the back door into the rainy night.

The Abandoned Warehouse District

Jax found them in an old fish-packing plant near the docks. The place smelled of brine and rust.

Gnash and Krackle were sitting on crates, playing cards.

"You’re late, Fox," Gnash cackled, tossing a card down.

Jax stormed in, his fur bristling with rage. "Where is she? Where is the girl?"

"Safe," Krackle hissed, pointing a clawed finger at a locked storage room. "For now. She’s quiet. The magic sack works wonders."

"Why?" Jax snarled, slamming his fist onto a crate. "I said I would do it! I said I would burn the shop by Friday! Why did you take her?"

"Insurance," Gnash grinned, showing his yellow teeth. "The Boss thinks you’ve gone soft. He thinks you like playing house with the heroes. So, we took a little souvenir to remind you where your loyalties lie."

"Release her," Jax demanded, his hand going to his dagger. "Now."

"Or what?" Krackle stood up, unfurling his massive, ragged wings. "You gonna fight us both, Jax? You gonna risk your brother’s neck? Remember, Finn is with the Boss. If you mess up here, Finn pays the price."

Jax froze. The dagger slipped back into his sleeve.

"Friday," Jax whispered, defeated. "I burn the shop on Friday. You give me the girl and my brother then."

"Friday," Gnash agreed. "Midnight. Don’t be late."

The two thugs laughed as they walked away, disappearing into the maze of the warehouse.

Jax slumped against a rusty pillar. He slid down until he hit the floor, burying his face in his hands.

I’m trapped, he thought. I have to burn it. I have to destroy Luna’s dream to save my brother and Clover.

"So," a voice growled from the darkness. "It was you."

Jax’s head snapped up.

The shadows in the warehouse twisted and writhed. From the darkness, four small figures emerged.

Vali stood in front, his eyes glowing red with Alpha rage. His small fists were clenched, and his fangs were bared.

Jasper stood to his right, adjusting his glasses, looking cold and analytical.

Arjun was sniffing the air, his tail lashing angrily.

And Silas... Silas was melting out of the shadows directly behind Jax, effectively blocking his escape.

"You followed me," Jax whispered.

"Jasper tracked you," Vali snarled, stepping forward. "Triangulated your scent. We heard everything, Fox. You work for them. You kidnapped Clover."

Vali lunged.

"Vali, stop!" Jasper grabbed the Wolf cub’s arm. "Wait. Analyze the data. He didn’t order the kidnapping. He argued for her release."

"He’s still a traitor!" Vali roared, struggling against Jasper’s grip. "He’s planning to burn the daycare! He betrayed Primrose! He betrayed Luna!"

Jax flinched. The words cut deeper than any knife.

"I didn’t have a choice!" Jax shouted, standing up. "They have my brother! My little brother, Finn! He’s six years old! The Boss has him in a cage!"

The cubs went silent.

Arjun’s ears perked up. "A little brother?"

"Yes," Jax said, his voice cracking. "I’ve been trying to get him back for months. The Boss said if I destroy the Warlords’ sanctuary, he’ll let Finn go. I... I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I just wanted my brother back."

He looked at Vali, pleading. "I’m sorry. I really am."

Vali stopped struggling. He looked at Jax. He saw the desperation in the Fox’s eyes—the same desperation Vali felt when he thought about losing his pack.

"Family," Vali muttered, the red fading from his eyes. "You did it for family."

"It is a logical motivation," Jasper admitted, letting go of Vali. "Though the execution was flawed."

Silas stepped out of the shadows. He walked up to Jax. He looked him up and down, then pointed to the storage room where Clover was being held.

He tapped his own chest, then pointed to the door.

We save her.

"We can’t," Jax shook his head. "If we break her out now, they’ll know. They’ll call the Boss. And the Boss will kill Finn." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Then we go to the source," Jasper said. "We find the Boss. We rescue Finn and Clover simultaneously. A dual-extraction operation."

Jax laughed bitterly. "I wish. But I don’t know where the Boss is. No one does. He never shows his face. He only sends messengers like Gnash and Krackle."

"You don’t know where he is?" Arjun asked, tilting his head.

"No. He’s a ghost."

The cubs looked at each other. A silent conversation passed between them.

Jasper pushed his glasses up his nose. A terrifying glint appeared in his eyes.

"You don’t know where he is," Jasper said calmly. "But Gnash does. And Krackle does."

Vali cracked his knuckles. A wicked, wolfish grin spread across his face.

"So," Vali said. "We just need to make the bird and the dog talk."

Jax looked at the four small children. They weren’t scared. They weren’t running to their dads. They were planning an interrogation.

"You guys are insane," Jax whispered.

"We are Warlord cubs," Vali corrected. "And nobody touches our pack."

He looked at Jax.

"Are you in, Fox? Or are you out?"

Jax looked at the storage room. He looked at the determination in the cubs’ eyes.

For the first time in months, he didn’t feel trapped. He felt... backed up.

"I’m in," Jax said, pulling out his dagger. "Let’s go catch a bird."