Mommy Wolf: Raise A Cub, Claimed By His Beast Daddy-Chapter 40: Godfather (II)

Marik was perched atop the same tree he had hopped off earlier. The snowstorm was relentless, but it didn’t bother him at all. Because his mind was buzzing, occupied with the proposal Sisi had made that night.

He hadn’t expected things to develop this far to the point where he was hesitating over whether he should become Jojo’s godfather or not.

Naturally, he should reject it. But Sisi’s plea was a fatal temptation.

"I should’ve killed him while Sisi was still unconscious and blamed it on the bear. Sisi might be sad and angry, but at least it wouldn’t take long for her to move on, right?" Marik reasoned. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

However, deep down, he knew that if Jojo truly perished, Sisi might be so heartbroken that she would refuse to eat anything and eventually perish alongside the little wolf.

Since he didn’t want to be Jojo’s godfather, let alone teach him how to hunt and fight, Marik began considering another option: leaving.

Sisi was right. He no longer had a life debt. He could leave whenever he pleased.

"Yes, I should leave now, before things develop to the point of no return. I shouldn’t get too close to that little wolf boy, nor should I cling to Sisi, at least not while they’re together," Marik muttered.

He leaped off the tree and walked away. His figure slowly disappeared as snow began to blanket the land. Once he was truly gone, it would be impossible for Sisi and Jojo to track him down.

He could live comfortably for the next twelve to fourteen years, waiting patiently until Jojo became an adult, then land the killing blow and finally end the blood feud between them.

Yet, as he trudged through the snow, his steps grew heavier, especially when he recalled Sisi’s smile and Jojo’s trusting gaze.

He remembered Jojo’s words:

"Uncle, you are really kind. Unlike the tiger beastmen I met before."

"Kind, huh?" Marik scoffed.

He had been called many things in the past by fellow beastmen, human hunters, and even through hearsay; The Death Tiger of the Roc Forest, the Ferocious Beast, the Apex Predator.

But never kind.

It felt strange to him... yet he didn’t hate it.

A faint smile tugged at Marik’s lips as he recalled Jojo sleeping defenselessly in Sisi’s embrace, relying on her for warmth and comfort like a normal cub.

"If only we had met under different circumstances, Jojo. Maybe... just maybe, I could have accepted Sisi’s offer to be your godfather," Marik murmured.

His heart grew colder as he continued walking, until he stopped before a wide river separating him from the mother and son who was still in deep sleep inside that cave.

The river had not frozen yet, but once it did, the ice would be too thin to cross. Until winter ended, neither Sisi nor Jojo could pass through safely, unless they risked falling into the icy water and freezing to death.

Marik stood there for a long time, hesitating, annoyed by his own indecision.

He had never been this weak-willed. Once he set his sights on something, he pursued it relentlessly, just as a predator should.

Yet now, it felt as though the decision wasn’t his own, but Sisi’s.

As long as Sisi asked him to stay, he would.

Hell, if Sisi told him to perch back on that tree near the cave, he would do it without hesitation.

"Wait... Sisi—" Marik suddenly remembered the bear pelt he had left behind.

It was still damp and had been placed near the bonfire.

What if Sisi and Jojo fell asleep and the pelt slipped into the fire? Would they get burned?

No, no, the pelt was thick. It wouldn’t burn so easily.

But it could smother the fire.

And without fire... Sisi and Jojo could freeze to death.

Marik panicked.

His seven-foot-tall body shuddered at the thought. Without hesitation, he pivoted sharply and rushed back toward the cave.

*

"Hurm..." Jojo slept peacefully beside Sisi as dawn finally arrived.

The night had been long, but the warmth of Sisi’s embrace and the bonfire allowed him to rest comfortably.

When the snowstorm subsided, Jojo slowly opened his eyes and yawned. He looked up at Sisi, still deep in sleep, and smiled.

"Good morning, Sisi. Um... sleep, sleep. Jojo will protect you," he murmured, nuzzling his cheek against her neck for warmth.

Just as he was about to drift back to sleep, a gust of cold wind swept in from outside, followed by a tall figure blocking the cave entrance.

Jojo lifted his head and beamed when he saw Uncle Marik rushing toward them. Snow covered his body; even his hair had turned white as a pile of snow laid on top of his head. Yet, he was as imposing as ever.

Jojo jumped up and ran to him. "Uncle Marik, good morning!"

Marik was still catching his breath. He stared at the little wolf cub in a daze.

He had rushed back in fear that Sisi and Jojo might freeze to death, but seeing Jojo lively and smiling caused his worries to vanish instantly.

His lips twitched, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Why are you so noisy in the morning?" he scolded softly. "Sisi had a long night. Let her sleep a bit longer."

Jojo’s eyes widened. He quickly covered his mouth with both hands, as if he’d committed a grave mistake.

"Ssh! Yes! Jojo shouldn’t be noisy. Sisi must be tired," he whispered, then looked at Marik curiously. "Uncle, why did you go out last night? Wasn’t it cold? I was shivering, you know..."

"Hm. I just took a short walk near the river," Marik replied. "Once you’re as big as I am, a mere snowstorm won’t bother you."

"Really? Does that mean I can keep Sisi warm once I grow as big as you?"

"You can," Marik replied. He glanced at the bear pelt drying beside the dying embers and added, "Now go help me make a blanket for Sisi. We have a lot to do this morning."