Chapter 137: Episode 136: A gift from the gods
[Congratulations Host]
The glowing blue screen materialized directly in front of Rue’s exhausted face. The bright light cut sharply through the dim shadows of the stone bedroom, hovering right above her heavy chest.
[Mission Completed: Successful Birth of a Predator Cub.]
[Special Rewards Unlocked: Postpartum Recovery Kit. One Eternal Heat Blanket and a bundle of rare Mountain Healing Herbs. Items will be deposited immediately.]
Before Rue could even process the glowing words, the empty air right above her lap shimmered. A bright flash of pure white light briefly blinded her tired eyes.
Three solid items dropped straight down from nowhere. They landed heavily on the wrinkled gray sheets right across her sore knees.
A pure white blanket folded neatly into a perfect square rested beside it. Finally, a large bundle of fresh, bright green leaves smelling sharply of sweet honey and wild mint tumbled over her leg, scattering tiny dried flowers across the bed.
Knox jumped completely backwards. The giant Southern panther nearly tripped over his own heavy boots. Drax entirely froze in place. The Dragon King’s dark eyes locked onto the strange objects that just fell directly out of thin air. His broad muscles coiled tight under his dark shirt, fully ready to fight an invisible enemy.
"Where did that come from?" Knox asked, stepping forward cautiously. His deep voice sounded totally rough with pure shock. He reached for the hunting knife strapped to his thick thigh, entirely confused by the sudden display of magic.
Rue’s heart hammered frantically against her ribs. She panicked instantly. She absolutely didn’t want them knowing about the weird system constantly tracking her life. She didn’t want to explain floating digital screens and magical inventories to a room full of wild warlords.
"It’s a gift from the gods," Rue lied quickly. She forced a very weak, tired smile onto her pale lips. "They saw exactly how hard I worked tonight. They wanted to bless the baby with protection."
She sounded completely unconvincing. Her soft voice shook with deep, bone-rattling exhaustion. She couldn’t even look them in the eye.
Drax narrowed his dark eyes at her. The Dragon King stared at the exact spot where the glowing blue screen just faded into thin air. He then looked right back at her flushed, sweaty face. He clearly didn’t believe a single word of her story. He knew the old gods didn’t just drop fresh herbs and neatly folded blankets directly onto beds. The gods of the Beastworld were cruel and distant.
But Drax saw the dark, bruised circles under her pink eyes. He saw her small chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath after hours of pure agony. He kept his mouth totally shut. He just offered a single, slow nod, deciding to let her keep her strange secrets for now. If she wanted to lie, he’d let her lie.
Rue couldn’t keep her eyes open for another second. The massive rush of adrenaline finally left her tired system, leaving a heavy, crushing fatigue behind. Her heavy head dropped back against the soft pillows. She fell asleep almost instantly. She completely passed out, keeping the tiny, warm baby tucked safely against her chest.
Drax shifted closer on the mattress. He gently adjusted her small arms so she wouldn’t drop the newborn girl in her sleep. He pulled the thick sheets up to her chin, making sure she was perfectly comfortable and secure.
Across the stone room, the heavy tension finally broke.
Axel leaned his broad shoulders against the cool wall. The white wolf grinned widely at the panther. "So, what are you naming her?"
"I don’t know yet," Knox whispered back loudly, trying not to wake the sleeping mother. The Southern King puffed his broad chest out with intense, overwhelming pride. "She needs a very strong name. A fierce, unbeatable panther name. Something that strikes deep fear into the hearts of all our enemies."
Axel let out a quiet snort. He crossed his thick arms over his chest. "Look at her, dog. She’s a tiny, pale girl with rabbit skin. She doesn’t look scary at all. She needs a pretty name. Something soft and sweet, just like Rue."
"I bet you five silver coins I pick the perfect name before the sun comes up tomorrow," Knox challenged, narrowing his bright golden eyes at the wolf.
"Make it ten," Axel shot back instantly. "And I bet Rue totally rejects your first three terrible choices. You have awful taste in names."
"You’re on," Knox grunted, shaking Axel’s hand firmly to seal the silly bet.
Caius ignored their wagers completely. The Serpent Alpha walked gracefully over to the messy bed. He reached out and picked up the strange gifts the supposed gods just dropped. He touched the glowing white blanket first. His naturally freezing skin met the hot, pulsing magic woven right into the soft fabric. The contrast felt incredible.
"This is perfect for her," Caius murmured quietly to himself.
He carefully unfolded the magical fabric. He draped it directly over Rue’s sleeping legs. The blanket adjusted its temperature instantly, wrapping her tired muscles in a perfect, soothing heat. It immediately chased away the nasty pregnancy fever that still lingered in her veins. Rue let out a soft sigh in her sleep, relaxing completely into the mattress.
Caius picked up the heavy silver amulet next. He ran his cold thumb over the intricate carvings, feeling a strong protective ward buzzing inside the cool metal. He placed it carefully on the wooden nightstand right next to her clay water cup.
He finally picked up the bundle of green healing herbs. He smelled the leaves carefully. They smelled extremely fresh, completely lacking any toxic traits. He knew exactly how to steep these into a sweet, restoring tea for her when she finally woke up in the morning. Caius loved having small, meaningful tasks to do. It kept his cold, calculating mind busy and stopped him from constantly worrying about how close she came to completely breaking tonight.
The large bedroom grew very quiet again. The men finally settled down, letting the exhausted mother rest in total peace.
Then, the heavy wooden door pushed open with a very soft, drawn-out creak.
Two tiny, incredibly curious figures waddled slowly into the bedroom. Mochi and Theron didn’t want to play in the nursery fort with Axel anymore. They missed their mother terribly. Both toddlers were entirely in their human forms tonight.
Theron wore a tiny dark shirt and soft pants. His messy silver hair stuck up in absolutely every direction. Mochi wore a simple, loose gray dress. Her wild silver curls bounced with every single clumsy step she took. She still had her fuzzy round leopard ears poking straight out of her hair, twitching constantly as she listened to the steady breathing in the room.
They walked awkwardly across the cold stone floor. Their short, chubby legs wobbled with every step. They looked like tiny, drunk sailors trying to find their footing on a rocking ship.
Axel smiled softly and stepped completely out of their way. Knox put a scarred finger right to his lips, telling the children to be extremely quiet. The toddlers understood the warning perfectly. They didn’t make a single loud sound. They just kept waddling forward with intense, adorable determination.
They reached the edge of the giant circular bed. It was much too tall for them to climb on their own.
Theron looked straight up at the tall mattress. He frowned in deep concentration, his golden snake eyes narrowing as he calculated the jump. The boy grabbed the edge of the thick gray blanket with both of his small hands. He pulled himself up, kicking his chubby legs wildly in the air until his knees finally hit the soft mattress. He scrambled up onto the bed, panting very quietly.
Mochi stayed on the floor. She reached her small hands straight up into the air, silently asking for a lift.
Theron grabbed her small wrists firmly. He pulled backward as hard as he could. Mochi scrambled her bare feet against the stone bed frame and tumbled right up onto the mattress beside him. They worked together perfectly as a tiny team.
They crawled very slowly across the messy sheets. They carefully avoided Caius’s hands and Drax’s legs. They stopped right next to Rue’s left shoulder, peering over the edge of the pillows.
Rue didn’t wake up at all. Her chest rose and fell in a slow, incredibly deep rhythm. The absolute exhaustion completely took over her entire body. She slept through the heavy mattress shifting under their tiny knees. She slept right through the toddlers pressing their little faces extremely close to her own chin.
Theron leaned forward. His bright golden eyes locked directly onto the tiny bundle resting securely in Rue’s arms.
The new baby slept just as soundly as her exhausted mother. Her soft, round panther ears twitched slightly in her deep sleep. Her tiny fists were curled very tight against her small chin. Her pale white skin practically glowed in the dim, flickering candlelight of the bedroom. Her messy dark hair matched Knox’s thick hair perfectly, but the delicate shape of her face was all Rue.
Theron reached out a tiny, shaking finger. He gently poked the baby’s pale cheek.
The newborn didn’t wake up at all. She just let out a tiny, soft, breathy sigh and wiggled her small nose.
Theron smiled widely. He pulled his hand back quickly, looking incredibly proud of his brand new sibling. He felt very protective already. He puffed his small chest out and looked over his shoulder at Mochi.
The little leopard girl tilted her head completely to the side. Her bright blue eyes studied the newborn very carefully. She leaned in extremely close, sniffing the baby’s dark hair to memorize her unique family scent.
Mochi goes ahead to say, "She looks like Mama... a lot."