I Abandoned My Beast Cubs for the Protagonist... Oops?-Chapter 94: It’s a She!

The cry that erupted from that tiny body was anything but tiny. It was enormous. It was magnificent. It was the most beautiful, perfect, absolutely glorious sound Bai Yue had ever heard.

"She is crying," Bai Yue sobbed, laughing and crying at the same time. "She i’s crying! ZHĒN IS CRYING!"

The baby screamed her little lungs out, her tiny face scrunching up in outrage at the cold, bright world she had just been thrust into. Her little fists waved in the air. Her tiny legs kicked.

It was perfect.

Wēn Jìng burst into tears, grabbing Gū Gū in a hug that the old woman actually returned.

Hán Bīng’s face crumpled, and for the first time, the ice queen openly wept, pressing her hand to her mouth as sobs shook her shoulders.

Outside, the tribe erupted.

"THE BABY CRIED!"

"BABY ZHĒN IS ALIVE!"

"HE’S CRYING! THAT’S GOOD! CRYING IS GOOD!"

"WAIT, IT’S A SHE?"

"WHY IS CRYING GOOD?!"

"IT MEANS SHE HAS LUNGS! VERY LOUD LUNGS!"

Han Shān’s voice rose above the chaos. "BAI YUE! IS HE—IS SHE—"

"She’s perfect!" Bai Yue screamed back, laughing through her tears. "ShE’S PERFECT!"

The door burst open.

Three Alphas tumbled through, no longer Lords or warriors, just fathers, terrified, desperate, overwhelmed fathers.

Han Shān reached her first, dropping to his knees beside the bed. His massive hands shook as he reached out, hovering over the screaming bundle as if afraid to touch.

"Zhēn," he breathed, his voice cracking. "It’s..... a girl. My beautiful daughter."

Zhāo Yàn collapsed on her other side, his face a mess of tears, his usual smugness completely gone. "Let me see her. Let me—" He couldn’t finish. He just stared at the screaming baby with an expression of wonder.

Yàn Shū crawled forward, his glasses askew, tears streaming down his face. "She’s beautiful. From what I can gather, she has the perfect number of fingers and toes. I counted. I need to count again. I need to—" He broke off in a sob.

Bai Yue laughed, holding Zhēn out so they could all see her.

The baby screamed louder, apparently offended by all the attention.

"She has your lungs," Zhāo Yàn managed, his voice wrecked. "Definitely your lungs."

"And your drama," Han Shān added, his lips twitching into the most genuine smile Bai Yue had ever seen on his face.

"And my.....probably my appetite," Yàn Shū sniffled. "She’s already demanding food."

From the doorway, Hóng Yè stood frozen, his face a mess of conflicting emotions. He had held the door all night. He’d protected them. He’d listened to every scream, every sob, every moment of terror.

Bai Yue caught his eye.

"Come here," she said softly. "Meet your sister."

Hóng Yè walked forward slowly, as if in a dream. When he reached the bed, he looked down at the tiny, screaming baby with wide eyes.

"She is so small," Hóng Yè whispered.

"She is exactly the right size," Bai Yue said.

Hóng Yè reached out one trembling finger and gently touched Zhēn’s tiny hand. The baby’s fist immediately closed around it, gripping with surprising strength.

Hóng Yè’s face crumpled, and a sob escaped him.

"Hi, little sister," he whispered. "I’m Hóng Yè. I’m going to protect you. Forever."

Ruì Xuě and Yòu Lín appeared in the doorway, having escaped whatever adult had been trying to keep them away.

"THE BABY!" Yòu Lín shrieked. "THE BABY IS HERE!"

"IS SHE CRYING?" Ruì Xuě asked anxiously. "A-Li said crying is good but also bad and I don’t understand!"

"She’s crying!" Bai Yue laughed. "It’s good! Come meet her!"

The two little cubs scrambled onto the bed, pressing close to see their new sister.

"She’s so tiny!" Yòu Lín gasped.

"She has Mama’s eyes!" Ruì Xuě observed. "And Papa’s hair! And—" He sniffed. "She smells like milk and new baby."

"That’s a good smell," Yòu Lín confirmed sagely.

The panther triplets appeared in the doorway, followed by the snake twins, followed by what seemed like half the tribe, all craning for a glimpse of the newest member of the Thousand Fang family.

Miao Miao pushed to the front, her eyes wide. "Can I see? Can I see? Is she fluffy? Please let her be fluffy!"

"She’s not fluffy yet," Bai Yue laughed. "But give her time."

"She will be the fluffiest," A-Li declared confidently. "I can feel it."

Xiao Hei nodded solemnly. "Fluffy baby. Very good."

Mo Xiao appeared behind his triplets, looking exhausted but deeply relieved. The Panther Alpha leaned against the doorframe, a rare genuine smile on his face.

"A girl," he said softly. "The tribe hasn’t had a new girl cub in years. She is going to be spoiled rotten."

"By everyone," Bai Yue agreed. "Especially you."

Mo Xiao’s ears went slightly pink. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Papa brings me extra meat all the time," Miao Miao whispered loudly to the baby. "He’ll bring you the best meat."

"She can’t eat meat yet, dummy," A-Li whispered back.

"She can APPRECIATE it. In her soul."

The snake twins slithered through the crowd, popping up at the foot of the bed.

"She’s very pink," Shé Yì observed.

"Babies are pink," Shé Èr confirmed. "It’s normal. Probably."

"Thank you for your opinion," Bai Yue said dryly.

"You’re welcome, cursed—I mean, Bai Yue!"

Elder Zhao pushed through the crowd, leaning heavily on his staff. The old wolf’s face was a mixture of exhaustion and curiosity.

"Well?" he demanded. "Is it—is she—"

"She’s perfect," Bai Yue said.

Elder Zhao took one look at the screaming, tiny bundle.

His eyes rolled back in his head.

THUMP.

The elder hit the ground like a sack of tubers.

"ELDER ZHAO!" several people shouted.

"I’m fine!" his voice came from the floor, muffled. "Just.....overwhelmed! Give me a moment!"

And then, a massive shadow fell over the doorway.

Tiě Xióng.

The Bear King stood there, his eyes fixed on the tiny bundle in Bai Yue’s arms.

The temperature in the room dropped instantly.

"What are you doing here?" Han Shān growled, rising to his feet.

"I wanted to see—" Tiě Xióng started.

"NO."

Zhāo Yàn was on his feet too, his nine tails flared, his claws extended. "You do NOT come near her. You do NOT look at her. You do NOT breathe in her direction."

"I only wanted to see," he said quietly.

"GO AWAY!" Yòu Lín shouted from the bed, throwing a small stuffed toy at the bear king. It bounced harmlessly off his massive chest. "GO AWAY, BEAR! THIS IS BABY’S ROOM!"

"Yeah!" Ruì Xuě joined in, grabbing a pillow. "GO AWAY!"

The panther triplets immediately joined the assault, grabbing anything soft within reach and hurling it at Tiě Xióng.

"SHOO!"

"SCAT!"

"GO ON, GIT!"

Tiě Xióng stood there, pelted with toys and pillows by a group of toddlers, looking more confused than threatening.

Mo Xiao sighed heavily. "You heard them. Leave."

"Mo Xiao—"

"I said LEAVE." The Panther Alpha’s voice was dangerous. "You have been lurking around this tribe for weeks. You’ve followed me. You’ve watched. But you do NOT get to be part of this. This is family. You are not family."

Tiě Xióng looked at Mo Xiao for a long moment. Then the bear king nodded slowly.

"I’ll come back," he said quietly. "When things are.....different."

"Don’t," Mo Xiao said flatly.

But Tiě Xióng was already turning, already walking away, his massive form disappearing into the night.

The tension in the room eased slightly.

"Good riddance," Gū Gū muttered.