Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 311: Episode 309: I am not a kid.

The steaming hot water had been an absolute necessity.

After waking up from her three-day healing slumber to the impossible, heart-melting sight of Zale and Tyara sleeping peacefully together, Roxy had allowed herself a few precious minutes to simply lie there and marvel at her children. But the lingering, sticky residue of a grueling, unassisted labor and seventy-two hours of sweat had quickly made her feel entirely too human.

Moving with slow, deliberate care so as not to wake the sleeping babies, Roxy had slipped out from beneath the heavy furs. Her legs had trembled slightly, but her core felt miraculously intact.

She had padded into the bathroom, locked the door, and stood under the scalding spray of the shower until her skin was glowing and the heavy, exhausted fog had completely cleared from her brain.

Now, wrapped in a fresh, loose-fitting silk robe of deep violet, Roxy stepped back into the master bedroom. A cloud of warm, lavender-scented steam followed her out.

She paused near the foot of the bed, a soft, breathless laugh escaping her lips.

The children were awake.

Zale was sitting up amidst the mountain of pillows. The tiny, stark-white abyssal prince was completely silent, his eyes filled with intense, quiet curiosity. He was gently, incredibly carefully, poking his little webbed finger against the incredibly soft, fluffy white tiger ears perched on top of Tyara’s head.

Tyara, who was only three days old, was squirming actively against the furs. Her eyes were wide open, though entirely unfocused. Every time Zale’s cool finger brushed her ear, the corners of her tiny mouth would twitch upward into a small, fleeting expression of joy.

It wasn’t a true, social laugh. Roxy knew enough about human biology to recognize a reflexive newborn smile, but seeing the fierce little cub involuntarily reacting to her older brother was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"You’re being such a good big brother, Zale," Roxy whispered, stepping quietly toward the side of the bed.

Zale looked up, his silver-blue eyes lighting up with instant, undeniable recognition. He reached his little arms out toward her, opening and closing his hands in a silent demand to be held.

But before Roxy could reach down to scoop him up, Tyara suddenly realized she was awake. And she realized she was starving.

The tiny tiger cub’s reflexive smiles vanished instantly, replaced by a deep, incredibly demanding scowl. She let out a sharp, high-pitched squeak that quickly escalated into a furious, demanding wail, her tiny fists punching the air.

"Alright, alright, little tigress, I hear you," Roxy cooed, quickly climbing onto the edge of the mattress. She gently patted Zale’s head, silently asking for his patience, before she scooped the furious newborn into her arms.

Roxy untied the front of her silk robe, adjusting her posture against the headboard to bring Tyara to her breast.

The moment the cub sensed her mother’s milk, she rooted frantically for a microsecond before locking on with a desperate, incredibly aggressive force. Her tiny hands shot up, her chubby fingers wrapping tightly around the fabric of Roxy’s robe, her grip so shockingly strong it actually pulled the silk taut against Roxy’s shoulder.

Roxy hissed slightly, wincing at the intense, demanding pull. "Easy, Tyara! I’m not going anywhere. You act as if you’re fighting for your life."

Tyara ignored the reprimand entirely. The cub drank with the ravenous, single-minded focus of an apex predator, her fluffy white ears flattening slightly against her head in pure, unadulterated concentration.

Just as the chaotic feeding session settled into a steady, rhythmic cadence, the heavy oak door of the bedroom swung open.

Dena, the young wolf-shifter helper, bustled into the room. She was expertly balancing a large wooden tray laden with steaming bowls in one hand, while carrying a smaller, insulated flask in the other.

When Dena saw Roxy sitting up, freshly showered and actively nursing the new royal cub, the young girl let out a loud gasp.

"Queen Roxy! You’re awake! And you’re out of bed!" Dena practically sprinted across the floorboards, setting the heavy tray down on the bedside table with a frantic clatter.

"I am," Roxy smiled, though she kept one hand securely supporting Tyara’s aggressive feeding. "I feel much better, Dena. Thank you."

Dena’s brow furrowed in deep, panicked disapproval. She planted her hands on her hips, her wolf ears pinning back. "You took a shower by yourself? Queen Roxy, you should have called for me to help you! You were unconscious for three days! What if you had slipped on the wet stone? Alpha Torian would have literally thrown me into the eastern plains!"

"I needed a moment of normalcy, Dena," Roxy chuckled softly, her heart warmed by the girl’s genuine, frantic care. "And I feel very steady on my feet. But I am incredibly hungry."

"I brought food!" Dena announced proudly, her panic subsiding as she gestured to the tray. "Alpha Kaelen said your stomach would be very sensitive after not eating for three days, so no heavy roasted meats yet. He made a light, savory bone-broth congee with finely minced herbs, and some soft, mashed sun-melons."

Dena picked up the insulated flask and unscrewed the top. "And I brought specialized nutrient-milk for the little prince."

Zale, recognizing the flask, immediately reached his arms out, letting out a soft, eager babble. Dena smiled warmly, carefully lifting the child from the bed and settling him on her hip. She expertly tipped the flask to his lips, allowing the little boy to drink his fill while Roxy focused on the feral tiger cub at her breast.

Ten minutes later, Tyara’s frantic, aggressive feeding finally slowed. The tiny cub’s grip on Roxy’s robe slowly went slack. Her eyes fluttered shut, completely milk-drunk, and a tiny drop of white milk beaded at the corner of her plump lips.

Roxy carefully unlatched her, pulling the silk robe securely closed. She lifted the heavy, sleeping cub, resting Tyara high against her shoulder. Roxy gently, rhythmically patted the baby’s back until a tiny, surprisingly loud burp echoed in the quiet room.

"Such a lady," Roxy teased fondly, pressing a kiss to the fluffy white ears.

"Shall we take them to the nursery, Queen Roxy?" Dena asked, wiping Zale’s mouth with a soft cloth. "The Alphas finished decorating it perfectly while you were resting. The air in there is very fresh."

"Yes," Roxy agreed, carefully sliding off the edge of the massive bed. She adjusted her grip on the sleeping tiger cub, finding her balance much easier now that the crushing weight of her pregnancy was gone. "Let’s get them settled in their cribs, and then I am going to absolutely devour Kaelen’s congee."

Dena carried Zale, and Roxy held Tyara close to her chest. Together, the two women walked quietly out of the master bedroom, stepping into the dimly lit, sweeping second-floor hallway.

Roxy didn’t even make it three steps before she stopped dead in her tracks.

Standing directly outside the master bedroom door, leaning heavily against the wooden wall like a massive, immovable sentinel, was Torian.

The White Tiger Alpha clearly hadn’t left his post. Even after Kaelen had dragged him downstairs to eat, Torian must have sprinted right back up the stairs the second he was finished.

He was wearing loose linen trousers and no shirt, his heavily scarred, muscular chest rising and falling in a slow, vigilant rhythm. His stark white hair was slightly messy, and his dark eyes burned with an intense, protective fire focused solely on the doorway.

When Torian saw Roxy walk out on her own two feet, holding their daughter, the fierce, terrifying warlord completely melted. He pushed off the wall, closing the distance between them in two massive strides, though he stopped just short of touching her, as if terrified his immense strength might break her.

"Roxy," Torian rumbled, his deep voice thick with overwhelming relief and absolute devotion. His eyes swept over her face, drinking in the healthy flush of her cheeks. "You are awake."

Roxy smiled, her heart swelling until it physically ached. She knew exactly the kind of agonizing, protective hell she had put him through by sleeping for three days.

She stepped completely into his personal space. Shifting Tyara’s weight slightly, Roxy leaned forward, pressing her lips firmly against the sharp, scarred line of Torian’s jaw.

"You have been a good boy, haven’t you?" Roxy whispered against his skin, her tone laced with a thick, affectionate tease.

A massive, furious blush exploded across his scarred cheeks, painting them a brilliant, undeniable red. He swallowed hard, his eyes widening as he nodded his head in bashful, completely whipped agreement.

Roxy let out a bright, melodic chuckle, the sound filling the hallway.

Torian cleared his throat, desperately trying to regain a fraction of his composure. He looked down at the sleeping bundle in her arms. "Let me carry her to the nursery, Roxy. You shouldn’t be straining yourself."

Torian reached his massive, calloused hands out, fully intending to gently take his daughter from her mother’s arms.

"It’s fine, Rian," Roxy assured him brightly, taking a small step back toward the nursery door. "She isn’t heavy at all. I can carry her perfectly fine. My legs are completely steady."

Torian’s brow furrowed. His feral logic, fueled by three days of agonizing worry and an overbearing, biological need to serve his mate, processed her statement in a matter of microseconds.

If she refuses to let me carry the cub, then I must carry the vessel holding the cub.

Before Roxy could even blink, Torian lunged forward.

He didn’t grab the baby. Instead, Torian’s massive arms wrapped directly around Roxy’s waist and beneath the backs of her knees. With a single, effortless motion of terrifying physical strength, he scooped Roxy and the sleeping baby securely in her arms—entirely off the floorboards, pulling her flush against his broad chest.

"Ah!" Roxy screamed, her legs kicking wildly in the air as she clutched Tyara to her chest, completely shocked by the sudden elevation. She glared up at the massive, arrogantly satisfied Tiger holding her. "Rian, put me down! I am not a kid!"