Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Raw meat? You eat raw meat?

It was no bigger than a dog, with a long nose, round ears, skinny legs, and a striped tail that stood up like a tiny flag. Its fur was soaked flat from the waterfall, and its eyes were huge with terror. It froze when it saw them.

Swanly froze too.

The cubs froze.

Kael gave one low growl.

The little beast made a sound like a dying squeaky toy, spun around, slipped on the wet stone, almost fell on its face, then bolted straight back out through the waterfall.

For three seconds, no one moved.

Then Swanly slowly looked at Kael.

”What the hell was that?”

Kael did not relax immediately. He stayed in front of them, listening hard, his ears turned toward the waterfall. His tail was stiff. His body blocked the whole entrance from her view.

”Water-runner,” he said. ”Harmless.”

Swanly stared at the entrance.

”That thing looked like it came in here, saw us, regretted its whole bloodline, and left.”

The smallest cub peeped from behind her ankle. ”Tiny fast.”

The second whispered, ”It scared.”

The eldest lifted his little chin. ”I scared it.”

Swanly looked down at him.

The eldest was standing behind her foot.

Behind.

Swanly pressed her lips together.

Kael looked back once, saw the eldest’s proud face, and for a second, something soft moved across his own expression.

Then it vanished.

The forest outside was still full of life. Wet leaves. Running animals. Things hiding in roots. Things watching from branches. Things that could run into caves by accident.

And things that were not harmless.

Swanly’s amusement faded quickly.

She turned towards the rice.

Then her whole body went cold.

The rice bag had been torn.

”No, no, no!”

She rushed toward it.

A small part of the rice had spilled onto the cave floor. Most of it was still inside the bag, thank God, but several white grains were scattered across the stone like tiny dead bugs.

The three cubs stood beside the bag with guilty faces.

The smallest had one grain stuck to his nose.

The second had a grain in his mouth and looked deeply unsure whether it was food or a mistake.

The eldest stood stiffly, trying to look innocent even though a torn corner of the bag was directly under his paw.

Swanly dropped to her knees. ”No, no, no. This is food. It cannot touch dirt.”

Kael’s whole body changed.

His eyes darkened.

He stepped forward at once.

The cubs shrank.

The smallest trembled so hard the rice grain fell off his nose.

Swanly saw it.

Kael thought she was about to hurt them.

The thought hit her so hard that she forgot the rice for a second.

Then she forced herself to move slowly.

She gathered the clean part of the rice bag first and folded the torn corner shut. Then she carefully picked up the grains from the cleaner part of the stone. She did not shout. She did not grab any of the cubs. She did not raise her hand.

When she looked at them, all three were staring at her with scared, sad faces.

The smallest’s eyes were already wet.

Swanly’s anger melted into something sore.

”I’m not angry.”

The cubs blinked.

Swanly held up the bag. ”This is for eating. When it touches dirt, it can make your stomach hurt. So we have to keep it clean.”

The second cub slowly opened his mouth and let one grain drop out.

Swanly stared.

He looked ashamed.

She softened her voice. ”You’re not supposed to eat it raw.”

The eldest tilted his head. ”Raw?”

”Yes. Uncooked.”

The cubs looked at each other.

The smallest whispered, ”We eat raw.”

Swanly froze.

She slowly turned her head toward them. ”You what?”

The eldest looked confused. ”Meat raw.”

The second nodded. ”Papa give meat.”

The smallest added with great seriousness, ”Chew hard.”

Swanly’s face twisted before she could control it.

”Raw meat? You eat raw meat?”

The cubs blinked at her.

Swanly turned to Kael.

”You were about to give them that meat raw?”

Kael frowned slightly. ”Yes.”

Swanly stared at him like he had just confessed to feeding the children rocks.

Kael looked back at her with the face of a man who had no idea why raw meat had suddenly become a crime.

Swanly pointed at the deer. ”That meat?”

”Yes.”

”For the children?”

”Yes.”

”Raw?”

Kael’s eyes narrowed. ”That is how they eat.”

Swanly placed one hand over her mouth.

She needed to sit down.

No.

She was already on the floor.

She needed another floor.

”What the fuck?” she whispered.

The smallest cub’s ears drooped. ”Mama no like meat?”

”It is not about liking meat. It is about worms. Sickness. Blood. Dirt. Bacteria.” Swanly paused. ”You don’t know what bacteria are.”

Kael watched her.

His expression had changed again. It was not anger now. It was thought.

She did not remember.

That was what his face said.

She did not remember the cubs eating raw meat. She did not remember refusing to nurse them. She did not remember him begging her to feed them when they were too small. She did not remember the nights he chewed meat soft before giving it to them because they were hungry and she would not let them near her body.

Maybe the poison had taken her memory.

Maybe the poison had taken the cruel part of her too.

Kael did not know which thought frightened him more.

Swanly looked at the deer again, then at the fruit.

”Wait. This meat is only for them?”

Kael nodded.

”What about you?”

”I ate before I returned.”

Swanly narrowed her eyes.

Kael looked away.

She pointed at him. ”Do not lie to me.”

His ears flicked.

The cubs all looked up at him.

The smallest gasped. ”Papa lie?”

The second whispered, ”Papa bad?”

The eldest looked personally betrayed.

Kael’s jaw tightened. ”I could not hunt larger prey. The dead-bitten are near the lower trees. Moving alone is not safe.”

Swanly stared at him.

”So your plan was to feed the cubs meat, give me fruit, and then what? Stand in the corner and live on air?”

Kael did not answer.

That was answer enough.

Swanly stood.

She was shorter than him by a lot, but anger gave her height in her own heart.

”Are you insane?”

Kael looked at her with surprise.

She pointed at his chest. ”You are injured. You burned yourself. You got bitten by a normal beast. You ran from infected creatures. You carried me and the cubs through the forest. And you planned to not eat?”

His gaze stayed on her face.

The cubs stared too, their tiny heads moving between them.

Swanly continued, ”No. Absolutely not. In this family, nobody starves quietly like a dramatic stone statue. If there is food, everyone eats. Do you understand?”

Kael’s eyes changed.

He looked confused.

Then warm.

Then almost helpless.

Swanly had scolded him.

Not because she hated him.

Not because he had failed.

Because he had planned to go hungry.

Kael lowered his head slightly.

”I understand.”

Swanly paused.

That was too obedient.

It was unfair.

”You better.”

The smallest cub whispered, ”Mama scold Papa because love?”

Swanly choked.

Kael looked at the cub.

The eldest nodded as if this made perfect sense. ”Mama love Papa. Mama love us.”

The second smiled shyly.

Swanly’s face heated. ”All of you are too young to be making comments.”

The smallest’s tail wagged. ”Mama red.”

”I am not red.”

Kael’s mouth almost moved.

Swanly pointed at him. ”You too. Don’t start.”

He looked away, but his ears flicked again.

Swanly stared at him.

This beastman was calm. Quiet. Strong. Painfully good-looking. Protective. A little too ready to starve himself for his family. A little too easy to please when she gave him even the smallest kindness.

Honestly, her alternative self must have been insane.

How could someone have this whole package and choose poison fruit?

Swanly shook that thought away because she still did not know the full story, and judging a dead woman while wearing her body felt weird.

”Fine,” she said. ”I’m cooking.”

Kael’s head snapped up. ”No.”

Swanly rolled her eyes. ”I can use fire.”

”You said this before.”

”And this time I’m going to prove it.”

The cubs immediately backed away.

The smallest ran behind the second.

The second ran behind the eldest.

The eldest realized he was now the front line and looked deeply regretful.

Swanly noticed and softened.

”Stay back. Fire is hot. It can hurt you. But if you use it properly, it helps.”

Kael stood close, tense and ready to pull her away.

Swanly gathered the dry grass, bark fiber, and the small pieces of wood. She moved the fire spot closer to the cave mouth where smoke could go out through one side of the waterfall curtain. Then she looked around, found damp leaves and a flat hide, and used them to half-cover the side where the smell might spread deeper into the forest.

Kael watched every movement.

Swanly was not careless.

That shocked him most.

She checked the wind. She checked the smoke path. She made sure the cubs stayed back. She placed stones around the fire pit so the flame would not crawl across the dry grass. Her hands were sure. Her eyes were focused.

This was not the female who demanded things and blamed others when danger came.

This was someone who had learned danger from the inside.

Swanly took out the lighter.

Kael’s eyes sharpened.

The cubs went silent.

Click.

A small flame appeared.

All four beastmen froze.

The cubs gasped so loudly that Swanly almost dropped it.

The smallest whispered, ”Mama made fire.”

The second whispered, ”Tiny sun.”

The eldest whispered, ”Mama strongest.”

Kael did not speak.

His golden eyes were fixed on the flame, then on Swanly’s face.

Swanly lit the dry grass carefully, added bark, then small twigs, then a thicker piece of wood. The fire grew slowly, not too high. Smoke curled upward and slipped toward the cave mouth, where the waterfall pulled it away.

”There,” she said. ”See? No one is dying.”

The smallest cub peeked from behind his brothers. ”Fire no eat Mama?”

”Not today.”

The cubs accepted this with deep respect.

Swanly washed the rice with water from her space, because no, she was not trusting cave water yet. Then she cut small pieces of meat with a clean knife from her space and put them into the pot with rice, water, a little salt, and the smallest pinch of seasoning. She did not make it too strong because the cubs were babies and this world did not look like it had stomach medicine beyond leaves and prayers.

The smell changed slowly.

At first, it was just meat and smoke.

Then the rice began to soften.

Then the salt and meat mixed into the steam.

Then the whole cave filled with a warm, rich smell that made Swanly’s stomach tighten with hunger.

The cubs moved closer without realizing it.

Kael moved closer too.

Swanly looked over her shoulder.

All four of them froze like thieves caught near a kitchen.

She narrowed her eyes. ”You can come closer, but not too close.”

The cubs crept forward.

The smallest’s nose twitched so fast it looked like it might fly away.

”Mama food smell good.”

The second nodded, eyes wide. ”Good.”

The eldest tried to stay serious, but his little mouth opened slightly, and a tiny line of drool appeared.

Swanly stared at him.

The eldest realized.

He shut his mouth at once.

Too late.

Swanly laughed.

Kael looked at the cub, then at Swanly, and something soft entered his face again.

When the food was finally done, Swanly put out the fire carefully. She did not just leave it. She poured water around the edges, pressed down the hot ash with a stone, and checked twice to make sure no spark remained.

Kael watched that too.

This female did not fear fire because she understood it.

That made her even stranger.

Swanly went back to the dim wall, opened her space quickly, and came out with bowls and spoons.

This time, Kael and the cubs stared again, but with less fear and more wonder.

The smallest whispered, ”Magic bowls.”

The second whispered, ”Magic sticks.”

The eldest corrected him. ”Not sticks. Shiny scoops.”

(Hey guys wanna see him use a spoon in the next Chapter😂?)

Ok so i want to know what you all think so far? I would love a review and Chapter comments please!!!! Also gift if you can💕