Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 132: The Descent pt2

Further down the mountain path, Orion was miserable.

He was trudging through the snow, his little boots crunching with every step. His teeth were chattering a rhythm that sounded like a broken clock.

"I hate snow," Orion mumbled into his scarf. "I hate ice. I hate elevation. I want a bathtub. With hot water. And bubbles."

He stumbled, slipping on a patch of ice.

A hand grabbed his collar before he could fall.

"Watch your step, fish-boy," Astrid grunted, hauling him upright.

Orion looked at her. Astrid had Vivi clinging to her left arm, but her right hand was gripping Orion’s jacket. She wasn’t wearing her helmet anymore. Her cheeks were red from the cold, but she looked... happy.

"I am trying," Orion chattered. "But my legs are freezing. I think my knees are locked. I’m going to turn into a statue and you’ll have to carry me."

He hugged himself, shivering violently.

Astrid rolled her eyes. She stopped walking.

"Hold this," she said, shoving her heavy steel sword into Orion’s arms.

"Oof!" Orion buckled under the weight. "Astrid! This is a safety hazard! I could drop this on my foot!"

Astrid ignored him. She unclasped her heavy, fur-lined cloak—the one with the ducal crest on the back. She swirled it around and draped it over Orion’s shoulders. It was huge on him, dragging in the snow, but it was warm. It smelled like pine needles and ozone.

"There," Astrid said, taking her sword back. "Stop vibrating. You’re making me dizzy."

Orion blinked, pulling the cloak tighter around himself. The warmth was instant.

"But now you are exposed," Orion pointed out, looking at her tunic. "You’re going to get cold."

"I’m a Wolf," Astrid puffed out her chest, grinning. "The cold doesn’t bother me. Besides..."

She looked away, kicking a pebble off the cliff edge.

"You came back for me," Astrid mumbled. "In the ruins. And you jumped into the web. Even though you’re... you know. Compact."

Orion frowned. "I prefer ’efficient’."

"Whatever," Astrid punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You did good. For a fish."

Orion touched the spot where she punched him. He looked at the fierce little girl with the yellow eyes.

"Thanks, Astrid," Orion said softly. "You are... acceptable. For a dog."

Astrid grinned, showing her sharp canines. "Come on. Race you to the bottom. Loser has to clean Rurik’s boots."

"I am not racing!" Orion protested as she took off running. "Astrid! That is unsafe! Wait for me!"

He waddled after her as fast as his little legs could go, the giant cloak flapping behind him like a superhero cape.

By the time the group reached the courtyard of Winter-Hold, the sun was beginning to rise. The pale winter light illuminated a massive crowd gathered at the gates.

The parents.

They had seen the beacon light. They had felt the earthquake when the Shrine opened. They knew something was happening.

When Rurik led the line of thirty-two missing children through the gates, the sound that erupted wasn’t a cheer. It was a sob. A collective, heartbreaking release of grief.

"Vivi!"

A woman in a baker’s apron sprinted forward, falling to her knees in the snow as the little red-headed girl ran into her arms.

"Mom!"

Everywhere, families were reuniting. Fathers crying, mothers hugging their cubs so hard they squeaked. It was chaos, but it was the beautiful kind.

Konrad stood back near the gate, watching. He leaned heavily on his claymore. He looked old.

Freya nudged him. "Go on."

Konrad took a deep breath. He sheathed his sword and walked into the crowd.

The cheering died down as the people saw the Marquis. The silence was heavy.

"My people," Konrad’s voice was rough. "I... I owe you an apology."

He bowed. Not a nod. A deep, formal bow at the waist—something a Lord never did to commoners.

"I failed to protect your children," Konrad said to the snow. "I let pride blind me. I kept secrets when I should have asked for help. The fault is mine."

A murmur went through the crowd.

Then, the baker woman stood up, holding Vivi. She looked at Konrad, then at Rurik, then at the strange Fox lady with the glowing tail.

"You brought them back," the woman said. Her voice was shaking, but clear. "You didn’t give up. That’s what matters."

"The Wolf Pack is whole again!" a guard shouted, raising his fist.

"Jaeger! Jaeger!" the chant started.

Konrad straightened up. He looked surprised. He looked at Rurik.

Rurik grinned, slapping his brother on the back so hard Konrad nearly stumbled.

"See?" Rurik laughed. "They don’t want a perfect Lord, brother. They just want one who fights for them. And you fought."

Konrad looked at the smiling faces. Then, he looked at his brother.

"Rurik," Konrad said, his voice low enough that only they could hear. "I am sorry. For everything. For sending you away. For calling you weak. You are... you are a better Wolf than I am."

Rurik froze. His grin softened into something genuine.

"Don’t get mushy on me, Konrad," Rurik punched him lightly on the arm. "Just fix the heating in the guest rooms and we’ll call it even."

---

While the reunion raged in the courtyard, Primrose slipped away.

She was exhausted. The adrenaline crash was hitting her hard, and her new tail felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. She found a quiet stone bench on a balcony overlooking the valley.

She sat down, sighing as she leaned back against the cold stone. She pulled her tail onto her lap, stroking the soft white fur.

"It really is real," she whispered to herself.

"It is magnificent."

Primrose jumped.

Caspian stepped out of the shadows. He had cleaned up, though his tunic was still torn where the spear had hit him. He looked pale, but his eyes were warm as the ocean current.

"Caspian," Primrose smiled tiredly. "You should be resting. You took a spear to the chest."

"I am a Merman," Caspian dismissed it, sitting down next to her. "I heal quickly. Besides... I wanted to see you."

He looked at the tail. He reached out a hand, hesitating.

"May I?" he asked gently.

Primrose nodded, her heart skipping a beat.

Caspian touched the fur. His long, cool fingers brushed through the white strands. A shiver went up Primrose’s spine.

"It’s... sensitive," Primrose squeaked, her ears twitching.

"My apologies," Caspian smiled, pulling his hand back slightly but not letting go. "It radiates magic. Pure, cleansing frost. It is exactly the kind of power that balances the Void."

He looked into her eyes.

"You were amazing today, Primrose," Caspian said softly. "You charged into a nightmare with nothing but a bag of snacks and a stubborn heart. You saved Vali. You saved all of them."

"I just did what a Nanny does," Primrose shrugged, looking down at her hands. "I couldn’t let my cub suffer."

"You are more than a Nanny," Caspian said.

He leaned closer. The air between them felt charged, heavier than the storm.

"You are the glue that holds this family together," Caspian whispered. "You tamed the Wolves. You melted the ice. And..."

He reached up, cupping her cheek with his cool hand. His thumb brushed over her cheekbone.

"...you stole the heart of a King who thought he had forgotten how to love."

Primrose’s breath hitched. She looked at his lips, then up at his abyssal blue eyes.

"Caspian..."

"I know," he murmured. "Bad timing. We are covered in dirt. We are exhausted. But I needed you to know."

He leaned in.

Primrose closed her eyes. She felt his breath on her lips. It smelled like rain and sea salt.

THUD.

A snowball hit the side of Caspian’s head.

SPLAT.

Caspian froze. Primrose’s eyes flew open.

They looked down into the courtyard.

Vali was standing there, grinning maniacally. Beside him stood Astrid, Orion, and Rurik.

"NO SMOOCHING!" Vali screamed at the top of his lungs. "IT’S AGAINST THE RULES!"

"GROSS!" Astrid yelled.

"You know, kissing in public is really unsanitary!" Orion called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. "And embarrassing for the rest of us!"

"GET A ROOM, FISH!" Rurik howled with laughter.

Caspian slowly wiped the snow from his ear. He looked at Primrose. He sighed, but his eyes were crinkling with amusement.

"We have no privacy," Caspian noted.

"Welcome to parenthood," Primrose laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "It’s terrible. I love it."

Caspian chuckled, wrapping his arm around her.

"Yes," he agreed, looking down at the chaotic family they had built. "So do I."