Chapter 145: No! Mama! Put Miko down!
Miko was not finished.
He threw both arms into the air.
"NOW YOU TOO?!"
The shout rang across the entire gate.
Silence.
The Veskari stared.
The beastmen stared.
Even Druun stopped growling for half a breath.
Swanly slowly covered her face.
No.
Absolutely not.
Behind the cub barrier, Tilla lunged.
"Miko!"
Too late.
The smallest cub had already jumped off the storage basket and was running toward Swanly on all fours.
"MAMA!"
"Miko, get back!"
"I protect!"
"You are the size of a cooking pot!"
"I BIG!"
Kairo burst out behind him.
"Miko! Come back!"
Tilla made another desperate grab.
Missed.
"KAIRO!"
Kairo did not even look at her.
"I get Miko!"
Nilo appeared next.
He stopped at the opening.
Looked at Miko.
Looked at Kairo.
Looked at Tilla.
For one beautiful second, Swanly thought at least one of her sons possessed sense.
Then Nilo sighed.
"I get Kairo."
And ran out too.
Tilla stared after all three.
Her mouth fell open.
Behind her were several other cubs now bouncing, squeaking, climbing over one another and trying to see through every possible gap.
"No!"
Tilla spread both arms.
"All of you stay!"
A tiny spotted cub ducked beneath her elbow.
Another female caught him by the tail.
A little bear cub began climbing the woven wall.
"DOWN!"
"I see strange!"
"You will see the inside of this shelter!"
Then Lumi’s voice shrieked from somewhere beneath the pile.
"WAIT! I COME TOO!"
Ena caught one white rabbit ear before Lumi escaped.
"No."
"But Kairo went!"
"That is not an argument!"
"I help Kairo!"
"No!"
"Mama!"
Ena hauled her backward.
Lumi’s tiny hands stretched dramatically toward freedom.
"KAIROOOOO!"
Kairo twisted while running.
"STAY THERE!"
"I HELP!"
"I NOT NEED HELP!"
"You always need help!"
Ena shoved her daughter firmly back into the cub shelter.
Tilla was nearly crying.
"Why are all of you like this?!"
Nobody answered because three more cubs were trying to crawl between her legs.
Outside the gate, the Veskari remained completely motionless.
One winged male slowly looked toward another.
The second male looked back.
Neither seemed to understand what kind of settlement they had found.
Swanly understood their confusion.
She lived here and still did not understand.
Miko reached her first.
Swanly immediately scooped him up.
"No."
He twisted violently in her arms.
"No! Mama! Put Miko down!"
"You are going back inside."
"No!"
She covered his mouth.
"Mmmph!"
"Miko."
His little hands grabbed her wrist.
He pulled her hand away with surprising determination.
"I NOT WANT ANOTHER PAPA!"
Swanly froze.
Kael froze.
Soren froze.
The chained Veskari prince blinked.
Miko pointed furiously at him.
"Two enough!"
Swanly stared at her son.
"What?"
"Two!"
Miko held up two tiny fingers directly in her face.
"One Papa."
He pointed at Kael.
"Two Snake Papa."
He pointed at Soren.
Soren’s eye twitched at the title.
Miko threw his hands up.
"ENOUGH!"
Several warriors turned their faces away.
Raku’s shoulders were already shaking.
"Miko," Swanly said slowly, "that is not why you run toward unknown armed creatures."
"Yes it is!"
"No, it is not!"
"Mama already busy!"
Swanly blinked.
Miko slapped both hands against her cheeks.
"Listen!"
Her eyes widened.
This child.
"Mama got Kairo."
He pointed.
"Kairo big trouble."
Kairo gasped.
"I not!"
"Mama got Nilo."
Nilo quietly looked away.
"Mama got Miko."
He slapped his own chest proudly.
"Miko need lots Mama."
That, unfortunately, was true.
"Then Mama got Papa."
Kael’s ears moved.
"Then Snake Papa."
Soren folded his arms.
"And now..."
Miko’s face became tragic.
He pointed toward Swanly’s stomach.
"Snake babies!"
The entire area went dead silent again.
Swanly’s soul briefly left her body.
She had known this conversation was coming.
She had not expected it to happen in front of an unknown armed species.
Miko looked at the chained prince with outrage.
"Mama already got babies coming!"
The prince’s pale-violet eyes dropped.
Directly to Swanly’s stomach.
Kael growled.
Soren hissed.
The prince immediately lifted his eyes again.
Miko leaned out of Swanly’s arms.
"You think we want MORE babies?!"
Swanly’s mouth dropped open.
Kael slowly closed his eyes.
Nerin made a strange choking noise somewhere behind them.
Miko was furious now.
"More Papa mean more babies!"
"No," Swanly said quickly.
Miko ignored her.
"More babies mean more Mama sharing!"
There it was.
Swanly went completely still.
The anger.
The outrage.
The strange obsession with how many mates she had.
The question after her pregnancy announcement.
Where will Miko sleep?
Her expression changed.
"Oh my God."
Miko jabbed one tiny finger toward himself.
"Miko already here!"
Swanly stared at him.
He looked genuinely offended by the possibility that future children might compete with his position.
"How anybody beat Miko?"
His face said it clearly.
Impossible.
He was already the smallest.
Already the cutest.
Already the one who required the most attention.
How dare unborn children challenge his throne?
Swanly did not know whether to laugh or scream.
"Miko..."
"No new Papa!"
"Miko."
"No!"
"You cannot decide how many mates I have."
His eyes widened in betrayal.
"WHY?"
Swanly nearly choked.
"Because you are my child!"
"I help!"
"You absolutely do not help with that!"
Kairo finally reached them.
He grabbed Miko’s hanging leg.
"Come back."
Miko kicked.
"No!"
"You make Mama angry."
"Mama need know!"
"She know!"
Nilo arrived and grabbed the back of Kairo’s hide tunic.
"Kairo, Tilla say come."
"I stopping Miko!"
"You also escape."
Kairo’s face fell.
"Oh."
Miko pointed triumphantly.
"See!"
Swanly looked between all three sons.
Her temples began throbbing.
Behind them, Tilla shouted:
"BRING THEM BACK!"
"I am trying!"
"You are holding one!"
"I HAVE THREE!"
"Then hold harder!"
Miko twisted again.
"I protect Mama!"
Swanly tightened her grip.
"From what?"
He pointed at the prince.
"HIM!"
The chained Veskari watched the entire exchange with open fascination.
Then his lips curved.
"You have cute cubs."
Miko stopped.
Kairo stopped.
Nilo stopped.
All three slowly turned.
Kairo’s little chest puffed.
"We not cute."
The prince raised an eyebrow.
Kairo planted both hands on his hips.
"We strong."
Nilo nodded solemnly.
"Dangerous."
Miko bared tiny baby teeth.
"Very."
The prince stared.
Then laughed.
Not cruelly.
That made it worse.
Kairo’s ears flattened.
"Why laugh?"
"No reason."
"You laugh at strong."
"I would never."
"You did."
"I admire your terror."
Kairo narrowed his eyes.
Swanly slowly turned toward Kael.
"Your sons."
Kael looked at her.
"Our sons."
Swanly stared.
Kael’s mouth twitched despite everything.
"You did not escape responsibility by waking later."
Swanly pointed at Miko.
"That one feels especially yours."
Miko gasped.
"Mama!"