Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 103: Episode : The Severity of a Mating Mark.

The next morning, Roxy woke up with strong arms sliding under her back and knees, lifting her effortlessly from the coils of Syris’s tail.

Roxy blinked her eyes open, feeling the distinct shift from the cool, smooth texture of Syris’s scales to the heat of a Dragon’s chest.

"Zarek?" She murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

"Hush," Zarek mumbled, his voice a low vibration against her ear. He grabbed a thick fur blanket and wrapped it tightly around her naked form, cocooning her against him. "Sleep."

Roxy shifted, looking back at Syris.

He was deeply asleep. He hadn’t moved an inch when Zaerk picked her up. He was curled into a massive knot of emerald scales; he was in his full snake form now. His breathing was slow.

"Is he okay?" Roxy whispered, worry pricking at her tired mind. "He was... very active last night. Did I hurt him?"

"You fixed him," Zarek corrected gently, carrying her toward the door. "He has entered true hibernation now. The release allowed his metabolism to settle. He will not wake for weeks, perhaps a month."

Roxy felt a pang of fondness, nodding her head.

"Wait," Roxy said, "Make sure the windows are tightly closed later on." She ordered, and Zarek nodded, keeping it in his mind to remember.

He carried her out of the Sun Room, only for him to stop just as he got to the door. Roxy peeked out of her fur burrito and stood right outside, looking like two guilty puppies who had been caught chewing a shoe were Kaelen and Torian.

They were leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed.

"You are blocking the way," Zarek stated flatly.

"We heard noises," Kaelen grunted, his blue eyes scanning Roxy’s sleepy face, checking for any sort of distress. "Lots of noises..."

Roxy blinked innocently.

"We were worried," Torian added, looking at Roxy with wide, soulful eyes. "The snake is clumsy and was scared he would crush you."

Roxy rolled her eyes.

Worried? More like jealous that he was fucking me so good I was screaming.

The only thing she was glad about was that the children’s room was slightly soundproofed so it wouldn’t be greatly noticed.

"I’m fine," Roxy said, stifling a yawn. "Syris was a darling..."

Zarek snorted, shifting his grip on her. "Move aside. She doesn’t need to tell you the story."

He didn’t wait for them to reply; he shoved through them and walked toward the bathroom at the end of the hall.

The tub was filled with steaming water, heated by his own flames, and the room was warm and humid.

Zarek lowered her into the water.

Roxy moaned as the heat seeped into her sore muscles. She sank down until the water lapped at her chin, closing her eyes. "This is heaven."

Zarek knelt beside the tub, rolling up his sleeves. He reached into the water, his large hands finding her shoulders and beginning to knead the tension away.

The door creaked open.

Roxy didn’t open her eyes. The Tiger King squeezed into the room with a proud look on his face. He was holding a crystal vial filled with an amber liquid.

"This," Torian announced, uncorking it, "Is the Royal tiger Mist. It cleans the skin and leaves it smelling of flowers and fruit. Much better than only the water you use."

Roxy opened her eyes and looked at it, and she smiled, so it was a shower gel. He poured a generous amount into the water, and instantly the room smelled of Lotus and expensive perfume.

She wanted to ask him how they made this, but it was a question for another day.

The water formed instantly, turning to a milky color.

"Fancy," Roxy murmured, relaxing further. At least Torian had good use.

Kaelen stepped in next. It was getting ridiculous now, three massive Alphas crammed into one bathroom. Kaelen was holding a small basket of dried rose petals.

He sprinkled them over the water with surprising delicacy for a man who could rip a throat out with his teeth.

"Roses..." Kaelen muttered, his ears turning pink. "For... Roxy..."

Roxy narrowed her eyes. She knew that they wanted something with the way they gave her all these things. She stood in the tub, giving Zarek access to her back so he could reach for it.

As he did, the wet strands of her hair were pulled away to her front, and the moment she did that, the room went silent.

Dead silent.

Zarek’s hands stopped moving. Kaelen froze, and Torian’s pupils dilated, swallowing the blue of his eyes.

There, blooming across her shoulder, trailing down her spine was a new mark.

It wasn’t a bite scar like Kaelen’s, or a burn mark like Zarek’s. It was a tattoo-like manifestation of the Basilisk’s claim. It was an intricate, black mark that shimmered green under the sunlight.

It looked like a serpent was coiled protectively around her heart, vivid and undeniable.

It was a mark they all recognized, a brand that a beastman gives a female when he has sacrificed his heart, his whole being, and his soul to her.

The snake had only just come into her life, but he had already submitted his lifetimes to her.

The air in the bathroom grew heavy; their pheromones spiked in response.

They were jealous.

Why hadn’t they thought of that?! It was a primal, gut-wrenching jealousy. They had all been sleeping with her all this time, but the quiet snake was the one that marked her permanently.

They all clenched their fists and gritted their teeth.

Roxy felt the shift in the room and smelled their pheromones to know that something was wrong.

She turned her head and looked at them.

"Why did everyone just turn into a statue? What is it?"

"Nothing," Zarek lied quickly, grabbing a sponge and aggressively scrubbing her arm.

"It is... a lovely mark," Torian choked out, looking like the words physically hurt him.

"It suits you," Kaelen mumbled, looking at the floor.

Roxy narrowed her eyes. She looked over to her reflection in the silver mirror.

"Oh," she whispered, touching the mark. It felt warm. "He really did mark."

She turned back to face them. They looked miserable, and they looked like three little boys who realized their friend got the toy they wanted.

"Stop sulking," Roxy demanded, splashing water at them. "Tell me what you want. Use your words."

Zarek opened his mouth to speak, likely to demand equal time or perhaps to burn his own mark deeper into her skin to leave a mating mark, when a knock came from the cabin door.

It was a desperate pounding on the front door.

Roxy realized something had happened.

Kaelen’s head snapped up instantly, his ears swiveling toward the noise.

"Who is it, Kaelen?" Roxy asked.

"It’s Vorn." Kaelen spat.

"Check it out. I’ll get dressed." She ordered, pointing at the door.

Kaelen turned and walked out of the bathroom. Zarek immediately wrapped Roxy in a towel, while Torian grabbed her robe.

"Stay here," Zarek commanded as he approached the door, but Roxy stopped him.

"Not a chance," Roxy said, tying the robe tight. "If it’s pack business, it’s my business." They had been gone for days, and Roxy just hoped nothing had happened.

She followed them out.

"Papa!" A small voice yelled.

Drax, holding a wooden toy, ran straight into Kaelen’s legs. "Papa! Big dog outside!" he cheered, pointing at the door.

"I know, buddy," Kaelen said, scooping the toddler up with one arm.

He unlocked the door, and it swung open, revealing the biting cold of the winter morning.

Standing in the snow of the iron-wood forest was Vorn.

He was a mess, his fur was disheveled, his face was pale, and he was shaking violently, not from the cold, but from fear.

"Alpha!" Vorn gasped, nearly falling into the room.

"Vorn," Kaelen steadied him. "Calm down. Are we under attack?"

Vorn shook his head frantically, his eyes wild. He looked past Kaelen, scanning the room until his gaze landed on Roxy, who was standing between Zarek and Torian on her roof.

He was relieved.

"It’s Mara!" Vorn choked out, tears welling in his eyes, which meant he was really breaking down. "She is about to give birth!"

He looked at Roxy, falling to his knees instantly.

"My mate is giving birth and is begging for Roxy."