Mommy Wolf: Raise A Cub, Claimed By His Beast Daddy-Chapter 77: Sleep Powder (III)

"Jojo will go with you, Sisi!" Jojo volunteered eagerly. Worried about her injury, he shot the crimson-eyed demon a side glance.

Kael frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that? This woman tried to kill me last night too."

"But you’re not hurt, Daddy," Jojo pouted.

"That’s because I can’t be harmed," Kael replied. "Don’t you remember how she stabbed me in the chest? If it were anyone else, they would’ve died."

Jojo couldn’t voice his grievance. Instead, he went to Sisi’s side, hugged her tightly, and muttered, "I’m sorry, Sisi..."

"What are you apologizing for?" Sisi chuckled as she patted his head. "He’s right, you know. And you don’t have to come with me. I can sense the mushrooms nearby."

"Besides, it’s almost noon. It’s time to—what?" Sisi asked gently.

"To nap... wuu..." Jojo groaned. He hated afternoon naps. When he was with his Daddy before, he never had to take them because he said wolves didn’t need that much sleep to begin with. But Sisi insisted that a child his age needed proper sleep and naps to stay healthy and strong for hunting.

Kael wanted to argue that it was human nonsense, not beastman custom. Still, he found himself oddly amused by how reluctant Jojo looked, yet how obedient he remained to her words.

Kael recognized it as discipline through gentle authority.

He had never done that with Jojo before. Survival had always come first. Too many beastmen wanted him dead, and Jojo’s shimmering fur made him an even greater target. Humans, especially, would be blinded by greed at the sight of it, because his fur could fetch a price enough to build a palace.

Once, Kael had killed a hunter who merely glimpsed at Jojo, he snapped the hunter’s head before the man could act. He had to do it, because if that hunter had lived, word would have spread, and Jojo would have been hunted relentlessly by group of human soldiers.

Because of that, Kael had always allowed Jojo to do whatever he wanted, as long as it didn’t endanger him as he was too tired to discipline Jojo who had to live a lonely life like him.

Now, watching this, Kael realized Jojo wasn’t a willful or tantrum-prone child. He simply needed someone to guide and discipline him.

Jojo finally gave in and napped on Sisi’s lap. Once he fell asleep, Sisi carefully placed him onto Kael’s lap.

"Don’t move too much," she said softly. "It’s hard for him to take a noon nap."

"You’re teaching him useless habits. Beastmen don’t need noon naps."

"He’s still young," Sisi replied calmly. "It’s fine for him to sleep more, especially after such a long and difficult hunt. You don’t need to be so harsh."

Kael snorted but didn’t argue further.

When Kael was Jojo’s age, he’d had no one. He was abandoned shortly after birth, so he learned to survive alone. He didn’t want that life for Jojo, of course—but he also didn’t believe Jojo needed to follow human customs.

Still, he watched over the sleeping boy and said, "You said you wanted to find those mushrooms. Tell Grishaw to accompany you. I won’t be at ease if you leave my sight."

"I won’t run away," Sisi said reassuringly. "Not while Jojo is here."

Kael studied her with his crimson eyes, trying to discern her true intentions. Something about her felt off. But the longer he looked at her, the more guilt churned in his chest, washing away all other feelings except guilt.

In the end, he merely hummed and allowed her to leave.

The moment Sisi stepped out of the cave, her smile vanished.

She walked toward the eagle beastmen sleeping high in the trees and murmured, "I’m sorry, Sir Grishaw. I’ll make sure you won’t be punished for this. I know how to keep the Beast King from blaming any of us."

She pulled a dagger from her pouch and cut the rope suspending Marik upside down, then sliced through the bindings on his arms and legs.

Marik remained unconscious as he fell limply to the ground.

Sisi crouched beside him, placed a finger under his nose, then checked his temperature by placing her hand on his forehead.

"All good," she muttered. "Just exhausted."

She took out a flask and forced some liquid between his lips.

Then she lightly slapped his cheek. "Marik. Marik, wake up."

...

No response. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Remembering how badly injured he’d been when they first met, and how he’d still managed to walk and talk, Sisi resorted to a more primitive method.

She pinched his nose shut, stopping him from breathing entirely.

As expected, Marik’s body reacted. He struggled, then gasped and opened his eyes, sucking in air through his mouth.

"Awake now?" Sisi asked coldly.

Marik thought he ha died. So he stared at her in disbelief. "Is this... heaven?"

"Do you still think you deserve heaven after you forced Jojo to be separated from his father?" Sisi sneered.

She held no personal grudge against Marik and understood that he must have had his reasons. But she could never forget the first time she met Jojo; injured, starving, his bones fractured, barely clinging to life.

The boy would probably be dead if he hadn’t met her that night.

All because of the feud between Kael and Marik.

In the end, it was always the innocent children who suffered most in war, that’s why she disliked both sides equally.

"I had my reasons, Sisi," Marik said weakly. "Kael is cursed. He brings pain wherever he goes, and I have to stop him."

"Save the explanations," Sisi cut in coldly. "I can’t be bothered listening to your defense, or Kael’s. In my eyes, you’re both the same monster."

She glared at him. "And Jojo suffered because of the two of you."

Marik fell silent as he couldn’t defend against a cold, hard truth.

Sisi was right.

No matter the reasons, he had played a part in Jojo’s suffering, and there was no denying that.