Mommy Wolf: Raise A Cub, Claimed By His Beast Daddy-Chapter 83: By My Side (II)

The eagle beastmen stared in the direction their king had taken. It had been nearly an hour since he rushed off, intent on confronting that poisonous woman.

Grishaw believed her fate had already been sealed.

She had dared to drug them with sleeping agents, allowing her to free the tiger. Because they had been unconscious for so long, it was practically impossible to pursue him afterward.

At the same time, however, they were deeply worried about their little prince.

It was painfully obvious that the boy was attached to that woman as if she were his own mother. But they also knew that Jojo’s real mother had long died, because of the rumor that their king’s fated mate had long since died.

What would the little prince think of his father if he killed his mother figure?

That question lingered in Grishaw’s mind, and countless grim scenarios filled him with dread for the future of the Beast Kingdom.

Grishaw’s sharp eyes finally caught sight of the Beast King approaching. Instinctively, he checked the king’s hands for blood, but they were clean.

’D-did he strangle her, then?’ Grishaw wondered. ’It’s possible to kill someone without spilling blood. After all, the little prince would be traumatized if he witnessed a gruesome death.’

Once again, Grishaw was wrong.

The woman followed behind the Beast King, carrying the little prince in her arms. She appeared unharmed, though her neck was red.

She wasn’t missing any limbs, nor did she appear seriously injured.

In fact, she was smiling.

Grishaw and his subordinate exchanged stunned looks, utterly baffled as to why their king had spared her after everything she had done.

Was it because the little prince had begged for her life?

That was the only explanation they could think of.

’And if that’s the case,’ Grishaw thought, ’Then this child truly is the crown prince of the Beast Kingdom. I’d better curry favor with him as well. So I can keep my position as one of the military generals once he ascends the throne.’

As soon as the Beast King stopped before them, Grishaw and his subordinate dropped to their knees.

"Thank you for sparing our lives, My King!" Grishaw said hurriedly. "W-we swear we will never make the same mistake again!"

Kael snorted. "It’s not entirely your fault. This witch should be the one apologizing for drugging you."

Kael glanced at Sisi, who stood next to him. She maintained her magnanimous smile and tilted her head slightly.

"And for what should I apologize for, My King?" Sisi asked calmly. "I don’t recall doing such a thing. It’s unwise to accuse someone of a heinous crime without proper evidence."

"Heh. You really do have a glib tongue," Kael sneered. "No matter. This case is settled. I’ll prepare another search party to hunt down that damned tiger. He’s undoubtedly headed for the Jing Forest."

Then he turned to Grishaw. "You and your subordinate will fly ahead. Scout the area as we return to the Beast Kingdom—now."

"N-now?!" Grishaw blurted out. "My King, are you certain? It’s already late afternoon, and night will fall soon. The little prince may grow cold."

"Jojo will be fine," Kael replied flatly. "He can shift into his beast form. His fur is thick enough to keep him warm. And my body heat is sufficient even on winter nights."

"Un! My fur is thick, so the cold doesn’t bother me!" Jojo chimed in as he shifted into his wolf cub form and curled up comfortably in Sisi’s arms.

"Then... what about this miss?" Grishaw asked, glancing at Sisi.

Despite her gentle smile and delicate appearance, Grishaw felt uneasy whenever he looked at her. She had drugged two eagle beastmen, freed the king’s archnemesis, and still walked away alive.

She was anything but simple.

"I’m not sure she can endure the cold," Grishaw added carefully.

"You don’t need to worry ab—"

"She will ride me as well," Kael interrupted Sisi. "My body heat will keep her warm."

Sisi’s smile vanished. "Ride you?"

Kael shifted into his beast form and said, "Just like you rode that damned tiger."

It was Sisi’s first clear look at Kael’s beast form.

He was more than twice the size of a dire wolf, far larger than Marik in his tiger form. His entire body was cloaked in pitch-black fur, making his white fangs and glowing crimson eyes all the more striking.

Even without displaying anger, his presence was overwhelming, Kael had the unmistakable aura of an apex predator.

Sisi wouldn’t have been surprised if any beastman bowed instinctively before him. He was majestic and terrifying all at once.

"Are you... sure?" she asked hesitantly. "I don’t know what your subjects would think if the Beast King allowed a mere human to ride him."

"I can do whatever I please," Kael said arrogantly. "If anyone dares think it makes me look weak, they’re welcome to challenge me to a death match. Let’s see if they still hold that opinion afterward."

Then he added coldly, "Don’t make me repeat myself."

Seeing Sisi hesitate, Jojo suddenly leaped from her arms and landed right atop his father’s head.

The contrast between Jojo’s shimmering white fur and Kael’s pitch-black coat was striking. It made them look both amusing and even adorable in Sisi’s eyes.

Jojo patted the area behind Kael’s nape with his paws. "Come on, Sisi! Daddy is super warm and fluffy! You won’t get hurt riding him!"

Jojo’s enthusiasm—and the sight of father and son together—finally eased Sisi’s tension.

Still, Kael was too tall for her to mount easily, so she hesitated before asking, "Could you... lower your head a little so I can climb up?"

Grishaw and his subordinate were utterly stunned.

This was the Beast King, the strongest beastman they had ever known. The mere thought of riding him was tantamount to signing one’s own death warrant.

And yet, this audacious human woman had just asked him to lower himself further.

If Grishaw hadn’t awakened earlier in such a painful manner, he might have believed he was still dreaming!