Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 57: The Warlords’ Wrath

The rain hissed as it hit the burning rubble of the Clock Tower. The heat of the fire battled the chill of the storm.

On the wet grass, the Rescue Team lay in a pile of exhaustion.

Arjun was snoring loudly, drool pooling on his chin, completely unaware that he had just leveled a building. Clover was sitting beside him, patting his head to keep him calm. Silas was wringing water out of his tail. Jasper was cleaning his glasses, muttering about structural integrity. Vali was pacing, adrenaline still spiking.

Jax sat a few feet away, his arm around Finn.

"You okay, kid?" Jax asked, checking his brother for injuries.

Finn nodded, his eyes wide. "That was... awesome! Did you see the Tiger? He went ROAR and the bear went FLYING!"

Jax smiled tiredly. "Yeah. It was—"

BOOM.

The ground shook. It wasn’t an explosion. It was the impact of four terrifyingly powerful figures landing on the cliffside at the same time.

The air suddenly grew heavy with Killing Intent. But underneath the rage, there was a palpable, suffocating panic.

Jax stiffened, pulling Finn behind him.

Out of the rain stepped the Four Warlords.

Lord Rurik looked like a demon. His greatsword was drawn, his eyes glowing with red fury. Rain sizzled off his skin because of his body heat.

General Rajah was vibrating with energy, his hand on the hilt of his saber.

Archduke Cassian was perfectly calm, which was worse. His golden snake eyes scanned the scene like a predator selecting a meal.

Duke Lucien didn’t even look like a person; he was a silhouette of darkness that seemed to swallow the light of the fire.

"EXPLAIN!" Rurik roared, his voice shaking the earth. "NOW!"

Vali stepped forward. He didn’t cower. He stood tall, despite being wet and muddy.

"We handled it," Vali stated, crossing his arms. "Pack business."

"Pack business?!" Rurik marched over to his son. He grabbed Vali by the shoulders and checked him for wounds with frantic, rough movements. "Luna told us Clover was taken! We were tearing the sewers apart looking for her! And then... then we go to the Daycare to check on you, and what do we find?"

Rurik shook Vali gently. "Empty beds! The windows open! Do you know what that does to a father’s heart?"

Archduke Cassian stepped forward, his monocle gleaming in the firelight. He looked at the burning tower, then at Jasper.

"We received a report of a magical detonation at the Old Clock Tower," Cassian said, his voice dangerously soft. "We deduced that if our children were missing, and a building exploded, the two events were likely related."

He looked at Jasper. "Report. Immediately."

"Kidnapping attempt neutralized," Jasper said, putting his glasses back on. "Target: Clover. Perpetrators: Hyena and Vulture. Location tracked by Vali. Breach led by Arjun. Extraction successful."

"And the building?" Cassian asked, looking at the pile of rubble.

"Collateral damage," Jasper shrugged.

General Rajah walked past them and knelt beside the sleeping Arjun. He touched the cub’s forehead. He felt the residual heat. He saw the faintly glowing stripes on the boy’s arms.

"The Khan’s Roar," Rajah whispered, looking at the destroyed tower with wide eyes. "He didn’t just breach the door... he leveled the fortress."

Pride warred with terror in the General’s eyes. "He awakened."

Cassian glided over to Clover. He checked her ears, ensuring she wasn’t hurt, then turned his gaze to the only stranger in the group.

"And you?" Cassian pointed a gloved finger at Jax.

The four Warlords turned. Four pairs of deadly eyes locked onto the Fox.

Jax stood up slowly. He didn’t draw his weapon. He knew he couldn’t win this fight.

"It was my fault," Jax said, his voice steady. "The kidnappers wanted me to burn the bakery. They took Clover to force my hand. I... I hesitated. And because I hesitated, they took her."

Rurik took a step forward, raising his greatsword. "You brought danger to the Sanctuary. You endangered my son."

"Wait!"

A small figure jumped in front of Jax.

Finn spread his arms wide. He was shaking, tiny compared to the Wolf Lord, but he didn’t move.

"Don’t hurt my brother!" Finn yelled, his voice squeaky but brave. "He saved us! He didn’t burn the bakery! He came to save the bunny!"

Rurik paused. He looked at the small fox boy wearing the patched cap.

Vali stepped up next to Finn. Then Jasper. Then Silas (silently). Even Clover waddled over, holding Arjun’s hand (dragging the sleeping Tiger with her).

The Cubs formed a wall between the Warlords and the Fox.

"He is Pack," Vali growled at his father. "He helped us hunt. You don’t hurt Pack."

Rurik looked at Vali. He looked at the determined faces of the children.

The Wolf Lord sighed, sheathing his massive sword on his back.

"Fine," Rurik grunted. "If the Alpha says he is Pack, he is Pack."

Archduke Cassian walked forward, adjusting his monocle. He looked down at Jax, then at Finn.

"You have a debt, Fox," Cassian said smoothly. "You brought danger to my son and my ward. How do you intend to pay it?"

Jax looked at Finn. He looked at the burning tower where his freedom used to be. He had nowhere to go. The Boss would be hunting them now.

"I can work," Jax said. "I can guard the bakery. I know the streets. I know the thieves. I can make sure no one ever gets close to this place again."

"A security consultant," Cassian mused. "Expensive."

"Free," Jax corrected. "Just... give my brother a warm place to sleep. And food. That’s all I want."

Cassian smiled. It was a terrifying, capitalist smile.

"Deal. But know this, Fox..." Cassian leaned in, his eyes slit like a viper’s. "If you betray them... there is no hole deep enough to hide from me."

Jax swallowed hard and nodded. "Understood."

General Rajah picked up the sleeping Arjun, throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Let’s go home," Rajah announced.

He paused, looking at the burning wreckage of the tower.

"Good thing Primrose isn’t here...but if she finds out we let the children blow up a historic landmark while she was away..."

The color drained from all four Warlords’ faces. Even Rurik looked terrified.

"We never mention the tower," Lucien spoke for the first time, his voice like the wind.

"Agreed," Rurik nodded vigorously. "They were... having a sleepover. A muddy sleepover. And Luna handled everything perfectly."

"Good lie," Jasper noted.

As the group walked back toward the city in the rain, Jax carried Finn on his back. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t looking over his shoulder.

He had a job. He had his brother. And apparently... he had a Pack.