Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 115: Episode : Torian is Embarrased.

"Mama!"

The cry broke the silence of the living room.

Iris, the little girl who had been missing her mother, scrambled down from Torian with a wail that tugged at every heartstring in the room. Her little legs pumped as she threw herself at Roxy.

"Mama! Mama!" she sobbed.

Axel, realizing that the woman standing in the doorway was indeed his mother and not a dream, abandoned his position on Torian’s chest. He crawled across the floor, and Onyx followed behind, whining.

And Drax, the dragon boy, dropped his colander helmet. His lower lip trembled. He was meant to be the big brother here.

But seeing his mother, he could not help it.

"Mama came back," He whined as he went to hug her legs, too.

Roxy had just picked up Iris. She could barely brace herself, already leaning against the door frame, her legs feeling jelly, her head spinning from the sudden change in lighting and air pressure.

Why the fuck did I even leave the room so abruptly like that?

Oh yeah, because someone wanted to pull the house down.

"Hi... hi babies," Roxy rasped as she reached out to pat Axel, Drax, and Onyx, who hugged her legs like it was their lifeline.

Iris buried her head into Roxy’s neck, finding comfort there while her small hand rested on her mother’s chest, her small tail swishing side to side.

Axel was trying to climb like a tree, and Drax was hugging her waist so tightly. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Oof..." Roxy gasped.

Her knees buckled.

She didn’t have the strength. Five days of exercise, combined with the sudden withdrawal of Syris’s supportive energy, meant she had the stability of a newborn form.

She started to slide down the doorframe.

Well, until Zarek had caught her arm. He didn’t wait for her to say anything; he grabbed Axel and Onyx while still pulling Drax away. The twin boys struggled in Zarek’s arms, whining.

Then he looked at her.

His golden slit-pupil eyes swept over her face, taking in the dark circles under her eyes, the swollen curve of her lips, and the feverish flush of her skin.

Then his gaze dropped to her neck.

Fresh, purple bruises littered her collarbone.

The scent rolling off her was overwhelming. Zarek’s jaw tightened, and a vein pulsed on his forehead. Why was he even angry seeing her this angry?

That was the question he asked himself.

"You look terrible," Zarek stated flatly.

Roxy looked up at him, blinking sluggishly. "Hello to you, too, Zarek. You know how to make a girl feel special."

"You are trembling and dehydrated. You smell like a reptile." Zarek grunted.

"Technically," Roxy mumbled, leaning into his support because she had no choice, "you are a reptile too."

"I am a Dragon," Zarek corrected sharply. "He is a snake. There is a difference."

He looked down at her, his expression unreadable, somewhere between fury and concern.

Why was he looking like he wanted to skin me alive?

[Because he wants to? Why are you scared? Who was the one who stayed in the room with another male?]

And whose fault was it from the very beginning?

[Don’t point fingers here, woman!]

...

"You need a shower," Zarek announced, his voice leaving no space for an argument. "And food. In that order. If you try to eat now, you will fall asleep in the soup."

Roxy’s stomach gave a loud growl at the mention of food. "Soup sounds good," she whispered, her face flushed.

She looked past Zarek and finally landed her hazy gaze on the center of the wooden floor.

Kaelen was slowly standing up, dusting off his clothes. But on the floor, still lying on his back, was Torian.

The Tiger King looked defeated. His white robes were twisted, his hair was a bird’s nest, and there was a faint red mark on his forehead where Onyx had been sitting.

But the big bad tiger was looking at her.

But the moment her eyes met his, he flinched. A deep, furious blush stained his cheeks, turning his ears pink. He quickly looked away, staring intently at the ceiling beams.

"Torian?" Roxy called out, confused. "Why were you on the floor? Were you wrestling the kids?"

Torian didn’t answer. He couldn’t.

He felt extreme shame, thinking about what he almost did. A few minutes back, he had been ready to claw through a solid iron-wood door, driven by a primal, beastly rage to claim her.

He had been convinced that he needed to storm in there and assert his dominance. But seeing her now?

She looked wrecked. Like she had survived a heavy war and was barely standing. If he had broken down the door, dragged her to the hot spring, and tried to take her in this state, he would have been a monster.

The thought made him shudder.

The realization washed over him as if they had just drenched him in ice water. The beast inside him curled up and whimpered, silenced by the reality of how fragile her species was.

"He was playing," Kaelen answered for him. The wolf stepped forward, his voice gentle. He placed a hand on Torian’s shoulder, a silent gesture of solidarity among the males. "Just... blowing off some steam. Right, Torian?"

Torian snarled at the hand, but still answered quickly.

"Yes," Torian croaked, his voice thick. He finally sat up, refusing to look at Roxy’s bruised neck. "Just... playing."

Roxy frowned, sensing the tension, but her brain was too foggy to understand anything. "Okay. Well. I’m back. Did I miss anything?"

"Our Sanity." Zarek spat out.

Roxy widened her eyes, but before she was able to reply, he turned around and shoved the children into Kaelen’s free arms even before the latter could protest. He then bent down and picked up Iris, shoving the crying flower into Kaelen’s arms again.

Then he scooped Roxy up into his arms, bridal style. The sheet dragged on the floor for a second before he kicked it up with his foot and caught it, wrapping her securely.

"Z!" Roxy yelped weakly. "The kids... I didn’t get to hug them properly..."

Zarek didn’t answer her. Without breaking his stride, he walked to the bathroom, before Kaelen could protest and before the children could increase their wail again at their mother being taken away when she had just come out.

He kicked the door to the bathroom open and stepped inside, slamming the door shut behind him.

Zarek didn’t put her down immediately. He stood there for a moment, holding her against his chest, breathing hard.

Roxy was looking left and right in his arms.

Am I safe right now?

Roxy rested her head on his shoulders. She could feel his mood plummeting the longer the silence stretched.

Damn, I feel sore all over, and only that bath could relieve the stress.

"Z?" she whispered. "You’re gripping me kind of hard."

Zarek let out a sharp breath through his nose as if he was trying to be as composed as possible. He walked to the tub and set her down on the edge, but he didn’t step away.

He heated the water in the tub, and steam instantly began to rise.

He turned back to her, his face rigid as if he was trying to avoid any small talk with her. Roxy narrowed her eyes at him, as he suddenly grabbed him and put her into the water as if she were a little child.

You don’t need to look too closely to notice how pissed he was.

Roxy grabbed his arm just as he grabbed the washcloth. "Zarek," Roxy whispered, reaching up to touch his face.

"Are you angry at me, Z?"