Chapter 111: Episode 110: They want attention
Rue ate exactly fourteen strawberries before she finally took a breath.
She sat flat on the soft woven rug right next to the warm stone hearth. The fire crackled loudly, throwing bright orange sparks against the dark stone. Knox placed a giant wooden bowl full of fresh red fruit directly into her lap.
They grew right in the thick swamp mud, fed by Beastworld magic. They were sweeter than anything she ever ate back on Earth. The sweet, sticky juice stained her small fingers a bright pink. She didn’t care at all. She just kept picking up another berry and chewing happily.
She was hungry. Her stomach felt like a bottomless pit, and she felt safe.
Caius sat very quietly on the floor right behind her. The terrifying Serpent Alpha held a small wooden brush in his pale hand. The brush had very soft boar bristles. He pulled the bristles very gently down the entire length of her long silver hair.
He moved slowly. He treated her fragile head like it was made of thin glass. He refused to pull a single tangle. If he hit a knot, he stopped. He used his cold, smooth fingers to untangle the silver strands manually before he used the brush again.
It felt absolutely amazing. His cold touch balanced out the hot fire crackling in the hearth.
Rue swallowed a bite of sweet strawberry. She let out a long, very happy sigh.
She felt different today. The brand new pregnancy hormones hijacked her brain. Usually, she liked having her own personal space.
Usually, she kept a quiet distance from the two highly dangerous warlords. She used to flinch if they moved too fast or talked too loud. She used to hide in the corners of the room when they argued.
Not today.
Today, her small rabbit body felt needy. She literally ached for constant physical contact. Her skin craved the feeling of their hands. She wanted absolute, undivided attention from both of them at the exact same time. She wanted to be pampered. She wanted them to treat her like absolute royalty.
She dropped a half-eaten green stem right back into the wooden bowl. She leaned her entire body weight heavily backwards. She rested her shoulders directly against Caius’s hard, flat chest.
Caius didn’t push her away. He adjusted his posture to support her. His cold arms came up to secure her waist. He just kept brushing her hair with slow, perfect strokes. He loved having her pressed right up against him. He smelled exactly like fresh water and deep green swamps.
Knox sat cross-legged on the rug right in front of her.
The giant Southern panther watched her eat with wide golden eyes. He looked absolutely mesmerised. He found out he was going to be a father just a few hours ago. He refused to blink. He stared directly at her face like he was trying to memorise every single eyelash she had.
"My left hand is cold," Rue complained softly. She pouted her lips just a tiny bit.
Knox moved instantly.
The giant beastman reached across the rug. He wrapped both of his rough hands around her tiny left fingers. His dark skin felt hot. He didn’t squeeze her hand. He just created a perfect, warm oven for her cold fingers. He rubbed his thick thumb slowly back and forth over her knuckles.
"Better?" Knox asked. His deep voice rumbled very softly in the quiet cabin.
"Yes," Rue whispered. She smiled brightly at him. "Don’t let go."
"I won’t ever let go," Knox promised seriously. He stared directly into her pink eyes. He looked ready to fight anyone who tried to make him drop her hand.
The two giant beasts were baffled by this sudden emotional shift. They absolutely didn’t understand what changed in her brain overnight. Yesterday she was quiet and slightly shy. Today she was literally giving them direct orders from the floor.
They just turned into her giant, muscular servants without a single complaint. They complied with every single thing she asked for. They fetched her water. They brought her food. They rubbed her tired shoulders.
They didn’t care why she was acting clingy. They didn’t try to figure out the pregnancy hormones. They absolutely loved it. They lived to serve her.
The cabin was peaceful. The bright morning sun shined straight through the open window, painting warm yellow squares across the wooden floorboards.
Theron slithered happily around the edges of the room. The little boy loved his new silver snake tail. He dragged his shiny scales across the floorboards, ignoring his wooden block toys.
He chased a tiny dust bunny right into the corner of the kitchen. He hissed a happy, harmless little hiss at a wooden chair. He looked absolutely adorable. Rue watched her son play and felt a wave of pure love crash over her heart. She was finally building a real family.
Rue grabbed the fifteenth strawberry. It was large and ripe. She took a big bite.
"I want the thick grey blanket," Rue announced suddenly. She looked directly at Knox. "The wool one from the big bed. My legs are getting a little chilly."
Knox looked down at his hands. He was still holding her left hand very securely. He didn’t want to let go of her warm fingers at all. It was his designated job to keep her hand warm. He looked up at Caius.
Caius stared right back at him with bright, unbothered golden eyes. The Serpent Alpha didn’t stop brushing her silver hair.
Caius made his stance clear without saying a single word. He wasn’t getting up to fetch the blanket. He had a very important job to do. He claimed the hair brushing duty, and he refused to abandon his post.
Knox let out a sigh. The giant panther carefully uncurled his fingers. He placed her small hand gently on her soft leg. He stood straight up. His thick muscles shifted under his dark skin as he walked quickly toward the giant stone bed in the back of the room.
He grabbed the grey woollen blanket off the mattress. He brought it right back to the hearth. He knelt down and tucked the thick fabric perfectly around her bare legs. He folded the edges in neatly. He made sure no cold air could reach her toes at all. Then he sat right back down in his exact spot and instantly grabbed her hand again.
"Thank you," Rue mumbled happily.
She finished the last strawberry in the bowl. Her stomach felt full. The warm fire crackled loudly right next to them. The grey blanket trapped the heat perfectly around her legs. Caius’s cold chest felt amazing against her hot back. Knox’s hot hands kept her fingers perfectly warm.
She felt sleepy. The intense neediness slowly turned into total exhaustion.
"I’m going to take a nap now," Rue declared flatly.
"You should definitely rest," Caius agreed smoothly. His cold voice vibrated right into her shoulders. He set the small wooden brush down on the rug. He wrapped both of his long arms securely around her waist. "Just close your eyes. We’ll stay exactly right here."
Rue wiggled a little bit to get comfortable. She rested her head heavily back against Caius’s collarbone. She squeezed Knox’s fingers just to make sure he was still paying attention.
"Keep holding my hand," Rue told the panther.
"I’m right here," Knox whispered. He brought her small hand up to his mouth. He kissed her knuckles very gently. "Sleep, little one."
Rue closed her pink eyes.
She fell asleep fast. She didn’t dream about scary monsters. She didn’t worry about the freezing North or the annoying system screens. She just drifted into a deep, safe sleep.
The two giant warlords sat still. They turned into literal statues for her.
They didn’t move a single muscle for two entire hours. They barely breathed. They ignored their own stiff joints and tired backs. They paused the construction on the new house rooms just so they wouldn’t make any loud noises. They dedicated their entire afternoon to keeping her safe while she napped.
Caius rested his sharp chin very gently on top of her silver hair. Knox just stared happily at her sleeping face.
Then, a tiny noise broke the quiet peace in the room.
Mochi woke up.
The little snow leopard cub yawned loudly. She stretched her fuzzy grey paws out across the woven rug. She blinked her bright blue eyes and looked around the warm cabin.
Mochi spotted the wooden bowl sitting empty on the floor. She smelled the sweet strawberry juice. Then she looked straight at the three people sitting by the fire.
The tiny cub noticed exactly what was happening. Rue was getting absolutely all the attention in the entire room. The two giant predators were focused on the sleeping girl. Nobody was petting the snow leopard. Nobody was offering her a bowl of fresh milk.
Mochi let out a very small, highly offended squeak.
She didn’t like being ignored. She was a feral predator too. She demanded equal pampering.
The fuzzy grey cub stood up. She padded softly across the wooden floorboards. She ignored Caius because the snake was too cold. She walked directly up to Knox.
Knox looked down at the tiny cat. He narrowed his golden eyes. He tried to send a silent, threatening warning to the cub. He didn’t want the animal to wake Rue up.
Mochi ignored his scary panther glare and jumped straight onto his thick knee.
Knox froze. He couldn’t swat her away because he was holding Rue’s hand with both of his hands. He was trapped.
Mochi purred very loudly. She climbed straight up Knox’s chest. Her tiny sharp claws dug into his dark skin. Knox gritted his sharp teeth to keep quiet. He refused to make a sound of pain.
The tiny snow leopard reached the absolute top.
Little Mochi decided she wanted attention too, and she claimed Knox’s broad shoulders as her own personal territory.