Mommy Wolf: Raise A Cub, Claimed By His Beast Daddy-Chapter 34: Unaware Dawn Star

Jojo sat next to the new tiger beastman Sisi had mentioned before she lost consciousness; Uncle Marik. But he had no intention of talking to him. His mind was flooded with worry for Sisi.

Would Sisi be alright? Her wound was so terrible that Jojo felt distressed just looking at it.

He wanted to help her in any way he could. He had even planned to jump into the battle to defend her, even if it meant dying.

But he had been in this situation before with his father. He felt the exact same desperation and helplessness.

’Why am I not strong enough? I couldn’t protect Daddy... now I can’t protect Sisi either...’ 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Jojo wanted to cry. He had been taught not to, and he very rarely did. But whenever the thought of being separated from Sisi crossed his mind, the little wolf boy couldn’t hold back his tears at all.

As his eyes welled up, he hugged his legs and buried his face in his knees to muffle his sobs.

Marik glanced at Jojo, and his gaze automatically drifted to the sun-shaped birthmark on the boy’s back—a conspicuous sign of the Dawn Star.

Once he grew older, he would become even more destructive than his father, the Dusk Star. This little boy was so fragile, completely unaware of the terrifying power within him. But that made it the perfect time to end him once and for all.

Marik unsheathed his claws again, staring at Jojo’s birthmark with malicious intent.

He raised his claws, but just as he was about to strike, Jojo began to sob like a normal, distressed cub, crying over the fear of losing his mother figure.

Marik paused as Sisi’s hopeful gaze flashed through his mind, the look she gave him before she fainted. Soft, full of trust, as if she truly believed Marik wouldn’t harm Jojo.

Marik was not kind to the boy, but whenever he thought of Sisi, his heart softened.

He hid his claws again and sat silently next to the sobbing pup.

’Hah... I shouldn’t have begged Sisi to save me back then. Now things are getting complicated,’ Marik thought. But if he hadn’t asked her for help, he would have died by the riverside and never had the chance to meet a wonderful woman like Sisi in this lifetime.

He looked at the crying pup again and wondered, ’Then... should I raise this boy if Sisi doesn’t make it?’

...

Marik shook his head quickly, dispelling the thought. He couldn’t imagine either thing; raising his own enemy, or seeing Sisi die.

Jojo eventually stopped crying. He lifted his head, looked at the tiger beastman, and asked, "Uncle, how do you know Sisi?"

"...She saved me once. So I became her... friend," Marik replied.

"R-really? When? How come Jojo never saw you before?"

"Because you’re too busy hunting hares every day. I’ve been watching from the top of a tree," Marik didn’t bother hiding anything, knowing a boy Jojo’s age couldn’t help asking questions.

Besides, he preferred listening to a child’s unnecessary questions rather than stupid sobbing, because he had no idea how to soothe a crying child.

"Mmm..." Jojo studied Marik, who didn’t seem to harbor bad intentions. Plus, he saved them from the bear and helped treat Sisi’s wounds. So Jojo said, "Uncle, you’re really kind, unlike the tiger beastmen I met before."

Marik’s body stiffened.

Of course he knew who those tiger beastmen were. He was the one who gathered them and led the pack. Tigers were naturally solitary, but he knew that to defeat the Dusk Star, he needed numbers, otherwise, he stood no chance.

Back then, Marik had no ties, no mate, and no desire for one. His life was consumed by vengeance for his mother’s death at the hands of the Dusk Star, and by the duty to end the curse that threatened every creature in Roc Forest.

As long as the Dusk and Dawn Star existed, massacre was inevitable.

But now that he was entangled with Sisi, he didn’t know what to do with Jojo.

"I’m not that kind, boy. I only have a life debt with Sisi, so it’s my responsibility to protect her," Marik said.

"That means you are kind! My Daddy always told me to remember people who are kind to me! Uhm, my name is Jojo. Thank you for saving Sisi, Uncle!"

Marik felt uncomfortable being stared at with such innocent gratitude by the son of his greatest enemy. So he turned his head and asked, "What do you think of your father? Was he kind? Did he ever hurt you?"

"My Daddy is very kind! He always protects me, hugs me at night, and teaches me how to hunt!" Jojo beamed happily as he remembered his father. But slowly, his smile dimmed as he remembered his father’s unknown fate. "But I don’t know where my Daddy is now... He’s very strong though, so he must be living somewhere! M-maybe he is currently searching for me. My Daddy always told me to stay alive if we’re separated, because Daddy is strong and will not die!"

’Your dad is dead,’ Marik wanted to say. It had been one versus ten, there was no way the Dusk Star survived. But he didn’t want to crush the hope of a four-year-old child. And Sisi might scold him if he made Jojo cry again.

Unable to bear the weight of Jojo’s innocent eyes, Marik stood and started gutting the bear with his sharp claws to keep himself busy.

Jojo became curious and approached. "What are you doing, Uncle?"

"Bear pelt is warm. I saw Sisi’s jacket was torn, so she’ll get cold soon. We can use the pelt as a blanket to warm her," Marik explained. "She’s not a beastman like us. She has no fur, so she needs help to keep herself warm, or else she’d froze to death."

"Ohh! Uncle is smart! Yes, Sisi must be cold. She needs warmth so she can sleep well!"

Jojo jumped in and eagerly helped Marik skin the bear faster.