Mommy Wolf: Raise A Cub, Claimed By His Beast Daddy-Chapter 32: Winter in Roc Forest

And when the time came for Jojo to leave the nest, build his own, and find his mate...

Sisi wasn’t sure what she expected.

Surely, her life would go on, but she wasn’t sure what she would do next.

’Does a wolf beastman mature once they reach seventeen? Or earlier?’ Sisi wondered. She looked at Jojo and realized he resembled a regular four-year-old boy in his beastman form, and a normal wolf cub in his wolf form. ’I guess they age like humans since they’re still half-beast and half-human.’

Sisi forced her restless heart to calm down.

Yes, she was worrying about a distant future. It would take more than a decade before Jojo left her side, so there was no need to overthink it.

"What are you thinking about, Sisi?" Jojo asked innocently.

"Hm? Just imagining you once you grow up. Maybe you really will be able to hunt a bull for me."

"I will!" Jojo declared proudly. "I can even kill a tiger to protect you!"

Sisi raised an eyebrow when she sensed Marik shift on the tree branch above them at Jojo’s bold claim.

Truly, this little wolf’s courage was enormous when he wasn’t alone. When he was left alone though, he would cry for his Sisi to hug him.

"Alright, let’s go back, Jojo. We can wash this hare in the river," Sisi said.

Their current cave was close to the river, so Jojo wouldn’t feel anxious while she stepped out, as he could still see her from a distance.

Just as Sisi expected, the snow began falling even heavier. A snowstorm was inevitable, so they hurried back into the cave.

"Alright, I’ll wash the hare first."

"Sisi, you shouldn’t. Jojo isn’t hungry anymore..." Jojo said anxiously. "I can eat fresh meat too!"

"I still have to wash it for myself, you know?"

"But..." Jojo’s anxiety refused to fade. Even after living with Sisi for quite some time, he was still a wolf beastman with sharp survival instincts. Right now, every instinct screamed danger. He glanced at the increasingly heavy snowfall, then lightly bit Sisi’s ankle in warning. "Sisi, don’t go!"

Sisi sighed.

It was inconvenient to let Jojo cling to her like this. She had to teach him that nothing bad would happen if they separated for just a moment.

However, just as Sisi was about to scold him for being clingy, a freezing wind swept in from outside, and the snowfall instantly turned into a blinding snowstorm.

**

Thus, Jojo and Sisi stayed in the cave, huddled together in front of the bonfire.

Jojo was secretly relieved; with the snowstorm raging, Sisi had no choice but to stay with him for the time being.

"You should rest after eating, Jojo. The storm will last for a while," Sisi said.

"Mmm. Promise me you won’t leave!"

"It’s too cold and dangerous outside. Why would I want to leave?" Sisi replied before leaning closer to the fire.

She’d closed the entrance with vines to trap the warmth inside, while still leaving ventilation for the smoke to escape.

The cave was cozy enough that Sisi started feeling drowsy.

But just as she was about to drift off, she noticed a shadow by the cave entrance. Through the small ventilation gap, she saw a pair of vicious eyes glaring in, followed by a hostile growl that jolted Jojo awake and sent Sisi into full alert.

Sisi gasped as the vines covering the entrance were torn apart in a single swipe, and a huge grizzly bear lunged into the cave.

Jojo froze at the sight. He had seen his father fight a bear before, it was a difficult, hard-won victory.

Back then, Jojo had only watched from far away because his father forced him to hide. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

But with his father nowhere around, Jojo realized he had to be the one to protect Sisi.

He leapt from her lap, trembling, and declared:

"Get back, Sisi! Jojo will protect you!"

Sisi snapped out of her shock the moment she realized Jojo’s life was at stake.

She grabbed him by the scruff and flung him toward the back of the cave.

"Hide!" she commanded.

Jojo was stunned. He scrambled to return to her side, but Sisi instantly used vines to bind him in place. Then she snatched her dagger, ready to face the massive bear alone.

Judging by its size, it was likely searching for a warm place to hibernate—and their cave was perfect.

Sisi knew her chances of winning were slim, but she could at least injure the bear enough for Jojo to escape.

She looked back at him and smiled softly, "Stay right there until I tell you to run, Jojo."

"SISI!!!" Jojo wailed as a painful memory hit him. This was similar to that time when his father threw him off a hill and faced the group of tiger beastmen alone.

Jojo cried as he struggled desperately against the vines. He even shifted into his wolf form, but couldn’t break free.

Sisi ignored his cries and threw herself into battle, using both her dagger and her plant ability.

**

Marik was resting on a tall tree branch near the cave. His naturally tough body and high body heat allowed him to withstand the cold—even a snowstorm like this.

Visibility was terrible, but that shouldn’t be a problem. In weather like this, Sisi would always seal the entrance with vines and warm herself and the boy inside.

Thus, Marik was relaxed, until he suddenly heard a boy’s scream echoing from the cave.

His eyes snapped open.

He immediately leapt from the branch and landed in the snow.

Shifting into his beastman form mid-run, he sprinted toward the cave.

The storm made it hard to see, but as he approached, he noticed the vines at the entrance had been ripped apart. A bear’s roar echoed from inside.

Marik’s heart dropped. His claws extended instinctively as he charged in.

Inside the cave, he found a heavily wounded, enraged bear, and beyond it, Sisi shielding a little white-haired boy with her arms.

She was covered in injuries, the worst being a deep, gaping wound across her back.