Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 22: Little Whiskers Matchmaking Committee

The morning sun filtered through the curtains of the merchant carriage as it rattled toward the common district.

Luna was humming, organizing her basket of fresh carrots, when a small voice broke the silence.

"Luna?" Clover asked, swinging her legs on the plush seat. "Do you know what Primrose likes?"

Luna blinked, her lilac bunny ears twitching. "Primrose? Well... she likes fresh ingredients. And clean counters. And she seems very happy when she’s cooking. I’ve never seen anyone smile like that over a pot of soup."

Clover nodded solemnly, filing this information away. Then she leaned forward, her olive eyes serious.

"Okay. Next question. Which one of the Empire’s powerful men do you think Primrose likes?"

Luna froze. She dropped a carrot.

"W-what?" Luna stammered, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Why would you... I mean... Primrose doesn’t seem... interested in romance. She’s very... professional."

Clover nodded again. "Understood."

"Clover," Luna asked, eyeing her little sister suspiciously. "Why are you asking these questions? Is this about a game?"

"No," Clover said innocently. "It’s just that Arjun, Jasper, Vali, and Silas all want her to be their mom."

Luna choked on air. "EH?!"

---

The carriage arrived at the Little Whiskers Daycare before Luna could process the political ramifications of that statement. She opened the door, still in shock, and Clover hopped out.

"Incoming!"

THUMP.

Vali launched himself off the daycare porch like a furry missile, tackling Clover to the ground.

"GOOD MORNING!" Vali howled right in her face.

A week ago, Clover would have fainted. Today, she just sighed, pinned under the wolf cub.

"Vali, get off," she squeaked.

Arjun marched over, grabbed Vali by the back of his shirt, and hauled him off her effortlessly.

"Clover," Arjun commanded, "next time he does this, just smack him. Use the Tiger Palm strike I taught you."

"I was showing signs of affection!" Vali barked, struggling in Arjun’s grip. "That is how we wolves do it! It’s a Pack Greeting!"

"Yes, brainless and primal as always," Jasper drawled from the doorway, adjusting his cuffs.

"It’s okay guys, no fighting," Clover said, dusting off her dress.

Just then, a shadow lengthened near the wall. Silas had arrived. He didn’t make a sound; he just stepped out from behind a pillar.

"Good morning, Silas," Clover beamed.

Silas nodded once.

"You are looking bright, Silas!" Arjun cheered, dropping Vali.

"Why didn’t you jump on him too, Vali?" Jasper teased, a smirk playing on his lips. "Or are you afraid of the quiet ones?"

Vali glared. "He doesn’t squeak. It’s not fun."

"Okay, Squad," Clover clapped her hands, leading them to the Council Rug before Primrose came out of the kitchen. "Listen to me. I asked my sister what Primrose likes. She said it’s cooking."

The four boys tilted their heads in unison.

"This is... not surprising," Jasper muttered. "But it will be tough. My brother cannot cook."

"My dad can’t cook either." Vali said.

"Same here," Arjun added.

Silas shook his head.

"Also," Clover continued, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "I asked her who she thinks Primrose likes out of your dads."

Vali’s ears perked up. Arjun leaned in.

"And she said Primrose has no interest in romance."

"She doesn’t want to mate?" Vali asked, confused.

"No interest at all," Arjun sighed, deflating. "Mission failure?"

"I don’t think this should concern us," Jasper said, trying to look indifferent. "We are kids. Matrimonial alliances are complex."

Silas slumped against the wall in defeat. He pulled out his drawing of Primrose and his uncle and sadly erased the hearts.

"But then again," Clover tapped her chin. "I think Primrose likes my sister more. What if they get married?"

"That is statistically impossible," Jasper scoffed. "Miss Luna and Prim are just friends. Besides, biology."

"Then what about you, Clover?" Vali asked suddenly, his tail wagging again. "When you grow up, who do you wish to marry and mate with?"

Clover smoothed her skirt. "Umm... my parents said if Luna finds a decent bunny-kin, I will also marry a decent bunny-kin. Someone safe."

"Boring!" Vali barked. "So you don’t want to mate with another species? Okay, let me be specific. Out of me, Silas, Arjun, and... this snake..."

"I believe you know my name," Jasper hissed.

"...who would you pick?" Vali finished, looking eager.

Clover looked at the four deadly heirs.

"Umm..."

Vali leaned closer, grinning.

"Jasper..." Clover started. "Is too smart. He uses big words."

Jasper nodded. "Acceptable."

"Arjun is too hyper," Clover continued. "I would be tired all the time."

Arjun did a pushup. "Valid."

"Silas..." Clover looked at the panther cub. "...is gentle. That’s perfect."

Silas blinked, his violet eyes widening slightly.

"WHAT ABOUT ME?!" Vali yelled, pointing at himself.

"Oh, you?" Clover wrinkled her nose. "You are too loud. And too playful. You’re always biting things and always trying to eat me."

She turned and walked toward the kitchen.

Vali stood there, devastated. His tail stopped wagging.

"But..." Vali whispered to the empty air. "But I don’t try to eat you anymore."

"Ouch," Jasper winced. "That was a critical hit."

"Vali, I feel like you got rejected," Arjun said, patting the wolf’s shoulder. "But why? Wolves are cool."

Silas walked over. He tapped Vali’s back once—a silent gesture of sympathy—and then walked away to follow Clover.

The Rejection Incident was thankfully interrupted by the arrival of the Head Chef.

I walked into the room, wiping flour off my hands and surveying my classroom. Vali looked devastated, Jasper looked smug, and Arjun looked confused. It was time for a reset.

"Alright, Squad! Morning briefing! Everyone take a seat."

The command worked. Arjun saluted and dropped into a cross-legged position. Jasper adjusted his robes and sat gracefully. Vali flopped down like a boneless rug. Clover scuttled to her cushion, and Silas silently glided to his spot.

"Today," I announced, walking to the front of the room like the preschool teacher I used to be, "we are doing something different. We are going to have a lesson."

Vali groaned, putting his head in his hands. "Learning makes my brain itchy."

"Not this lesson," I said, whipping a cloth off a tray on my desk. "Because this lesson comes with... incentives."

Under the cloth were five perfect, golden Scholar’s Cookies.

They weren’t just sugar. They were infused with Mind-Mint and Focus-Fennel. They smelled sharp, sweet, and clarifying.

"The prize," I said. "For whoever listens best and answers the quiz questions correctly."

The mood in the room shifted instantly.

Vali forgot he was heartbroken. His pink eyes locked onto the cookies. "Is that... mint? And meat?"

"Just mint and honey," I corrected. "No meat in cookies, Vali."

"Focus up, troops!" Arjun yelled, vibrating so hard he was blurring. "Target acquired!"

Jasper adjusted his glasses. "I shall dominate this intellectual exercise. My cognitive functions are superior."

"We’ll see," I smiled.

I pulled down a map of the Empire I’d pinned to the wall.

"Okay, listen closely. Today we are talking about The Geography of the Empire."

For the next twenty minutes, I actively taught. It was... chaotic.

"The Northern Territory," I pointed to the top of the map, "is cold and mountainous. It is famous for its hardiness..."

"AND WOLVES!" Vali howled, interrupting. "AND BITING!"

"Vali, hand down," I said patiently. "Arjun, stop doing seated crunches, you need to listen. The Southern Jungles," I pointed down, "are rich in minerals..."

"THE JUNGLE IS A GYM!" Arjun shouted. "THE TREES ARE PULL-UP BARS!"

"Incorrect," Jasper drawled. "The trees are flora. You are simplifying complex ecosystems."

"Stop fighting," Clover whispered, trying to take notes with a crayon.

Silas didn’t speak. He just watched me with intense, violet-eyed focus, sketching the map on his own slate.

I went through the trade routes, the climates, and the exports. I watched their eyes. I could tell who was absorbing it and who was just staring at the cookies.

"Okay," I said, dusting chalk off my hands. "Pencils down. Quiz time."

I picked up the tray of Scholar’s Cookies. Five hungry pairs of eyes tracked my movement.

"Question One: What is the primary export of the Northern Wolf Territories?"

Vali’s hand shot up so fast he almost fell over. "ME!"

"No, Vali," I sighed. "You are not an export. You are a liability."

"Snow!" Arjun guessed.

"Ice!" Clover squeaked.

"Close," I said. "Jasper?"

Jasper smirked, leaning back on his hands. "The Northern Territories export Iron-Wood and Frost-Crystal Ore. It is the foundation of the Empire’s military-industrial complex."

"Correct," I said, tossing him a cookie.

Jasper caught it with one hand, looking incredibly pleased with himself. He took a tiny, elegant bite. "Hmm. The fennel provides excellent cognitive stimulation. Acceptable."

Vali growled. "Nerd."

"Question Two," I continued. "The Southern Jungles, home of the Tiger Clan. What makes their rivers unique?"

Arjun bounced in his seat. "THEY ARE FAST! LIKE ME!"

"True, but not the answer," I said.

Silas raised a hand silently.

"Silas?"

The Panther cub didn’t speak. He picked up his slate and turned it around. He had drawn a squiggly line, and coming off the line, he had drawn little sparkles.

"Gold?" Clover guessed, squinting at the drawing.

Silas nodded.

"Correct!" I said, tossing Silas a cookie. "The rivers carry Sun-Gold silt. Very good, Silas."

Silas caught the cookie. He looked at it, then looked at Clover, who was eyeing the tray wistfully. He broke the cookie in half and offered the bigger piece to the bunny.

Clover beamed. "Thank you, Silas!"

Vali looked like he was about to explode. "Why does he get a cookie for drawing?! And why is he sharing with the bunny?! I want a cookie!"

"Because he was listening, Vali," I said patiently. "Okay. Question Three. This one is harder. The Western Coast. The domain of the Mermen. What is the one thing they cannot trade with land-dwellers?"

The room went silent. This wasn’t standard geography. This was cultural lore I’d mentioned only briefly.

Jasper frowned, tapping his chin. "Pearls? No, they trade those."

Arjun scratched his head. "Fish? Water?"

Even Silas looked stumped.

"Anyone?" I asked, holding up the biggest cookie.

Vali’s ears perked up. He tilted his head. He remembered something. Not from my lesson, but from a rant his dad had gone on after a council meeting last week.

"FIRE!" Vali shouted.

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Fire!" Vali barked, standing up on his cushion. "My dad said the Fish-King got mad because he couldn’t buy The Eternal Flame from the Dragons! My dad said, Those wet aristocrats can’t trade for fire because they live underwater! It’s physics, Vali! Physics!"

I stared at the Demon Cub.

He was right. It was a trick question from the game lore. Mermen couldn’t trade for magical fire sources because they couldn’t maintain them underwater.

"That is... surprisingly correct, Vali," I said, impressed.

I tossed him the big cookie.

Vali caught it in his mouth with a loud snap. He looked at Jasper triumphantly. "Ha! Who’s the nerd now? Physics!"

"You caught it with your mouth," Jasper observed dryly. "You are still a canine."

"Victory tastes like mint!" Vali cheered, crunching happily.

"Okay, last question," I said. "For the final cookie."