Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Giving the snake an impossible hunting task

Much colder.

A chill ran down Swanly’s spine.

She pulled all three cubs closer with both hands.

”They are children,” she said quickly. ”Tiny, rude children. They do not know what they are doing.”

The smallest peeked from behind her knee and whispered, ”Mama no wants.”

Swanly pressed his face gently back behind her leg.

”Helpful. Very helpful.”

Soren’s gaze stayed on her.

”You laughed.”

Swanly felt trapped by that simple statement.

”Because he shook his butt at you. It was objectively funny.”

Kael gave a low warning growl, not at her, but at Soren’s stare.

Swanly lifted her chin and forced herself not to step back.

”I am not sleeping with you tonight. I already agreed to sleep in your stupid cave. That should be enough. Take your cave victory and be happy.”

Soren’s eyes narrowed slightly.

”I am not happy.”

”That sounds like a personal problem.”

Kael’s eyes moved to Swanly.

Something fierce and proud warmed painfully inside him.

She was scared. He could smell it. Her fear was sharp and bright, wrapped around the softer scent of worry and hunger. But she still spoke back to Soren like the snake was a rude male at a fruit stall.

Kael loved that.

It terrified him too.

Because Soren did not look like a male who allowed people to speak to him that way for long.

Soren said nothing.

That was worse than a threat.

The cave became quiet again.

Too quiet.

Then Swanly’s stomach growled.

Loudly.

Everyone looked at her.

Her face heated for a completely different reason.

The smallest gasped like her stomach had spoken a prophecy.

”Mama hungry.”

”I know, thank you.”

The second touched his own belly. ”Hungry too.”

The eldest nodded solemnly. ”Meat?”

Kael pushed himself up before Swanly could even think.

”I will hunt.”

Swanly whipped around.

”No.”

Kael paused.

”I can hunt.”

”You can sit down.”

His jaw tightened. ”My cubs need food.”

”And their father needs his bones to stay inside his body.”

The cubs looked between them, worried.

Kael hated sitting there while they were hungry. A male fed his family. A male hunted. A male brought meat back and watched his cubs eat until their stomachs were round.

That was simple.

That was his duty.

But now he could barely breathe without pain, and Swanly was looking at him like she might bite him if he tried to stand.

He felt useless again.

Swanly saw it and softened immediately, because she did not want to cut his pride twice in one night.

”I know you want to go,” she said, quieter. ”I know. But if you collapse outside, then I have to go drag your handsome heavy body back, and I am not in the mood for that.”

Kael looked at her.

Handsome.

She had said it so quickly she probably did not even notice.

But he noticed.

His eyes warmed, just a little and his face heated up.

Soren noticed too.

He did not like it.

The snow fox female was hungry.

Her cubs were hungry.

The black panther was too injured to hunt.

And Soren hated that a small, sharp part of him responded to that before his mind gave permission.

She carried his scent now.

That was the excuse.

She wore his scale. She was needed for the seed. Her blood called to his broken core. Her mind held the dead world. He needed her alive. He needed her fed. He needed her body strong because soon, very soon, he would need to mate with a female or the crack inside him would grow worse.

No female had been right.

This one was.

That was all.

That was the reason.

Nothing else.

His lower body shifted fully again, the white serpent tail gleaming as it coiled behind him.

”I will hunt.”

Swanly turned back to him.

”You hunt?”

Soren’s eyes were flat. ”Yes.”

”It is already getting dark.”

”I know.”

Swanly stared at him.

He stared back.

The cave air felt cold around him, but his confidence was colder.

”What prey do you want?” he asked.

Swanly blinked.

What kind of question was that?

They were in the apocalypse. A beast apocalypse. With infected dead things outside. Hungry refugees. Crying cubs. Her injured mate sitting behind her. Her own stomach trying to sing for the tribe.

”Do we still have a choice?” she asked. ”Bring anything edible and not infected. I will eat it.”

Soren did not move.

He kept looking at her.

Swanly sighed.

Fine.

If he wanted a request, she would give him a request.

And if the request happened to get him bitten, crushed, dragged into the river, or humbled by nature, then who was she to interfere with the will of the forest?

She crossed her arms.

”Fine. Bring a red-horn marsh bull.”

The cave became silent.

Kael looked at her.

The cubs looked at her.

Even the air looked at her.

Swanly’s smile became innocent.

Too innocent.

She did not know exactly what a red-horn marsh bull was, but she had heard two males outside whisper about it earlier with the same fear people used for taxes and death.

Apparently it was huge, violent, and very hard to kill.

Perfect.

Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Swanly glanced at him and mouthed, Maybe he dies.

Kael stared at her.

For a moment, even with broken ribs, even with blood on his mouth, he looked like he could not believe this was his female.

That was cruel, his eyes said.

Swanly’s eyes replied, He crushed you.

Kael did not argue.

Because yes.

Soren watched their silent exchange.

His mouth curved faintly.

”Good.”

Swanly’s smile faltered.

Wait.

Good?

That was not the correct answer.

He should have refused. Or gotten annoyed. Or told her no. Or at least looked a little worried.

Instead, Soren turned and slithered toward the cave mouth.

The cubs watched his tail vanish into the shadows.

Swanly leaned closer to Kael, eyes bright.

”Oh my God,” she whispered. ”I think he is going to die. We might be free.”