Chapter 174: Can we see Mama?

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Can we see Mama?

Wrapped them in whatever soft hide he could find.

Selka lay exhausted against the wall.

Three tiny cubs cried against her.

Brann stared at them.

His face crumpled.

For one moment, neither remembered the cage.

The betrayal.

The hatred.

The future.

He touched one tiny head.

"They’re alive."

Selka closed her eyes.

"Yes."

Brann stayed beside her.

Even after everything.

And that somehow hurt more than if he had left.

...

Swanly was alone.

Not truly.

Her daughters were with her.

That made her more terrified.

The battle had shifted farther away.

Then closer.

Then farther again.

She could hear gunfire now.

Her weapons.

Good.

Nahla had made it.

Kael had not returned.

Soren had not returned.

The system was still gone.

Fantastic timing.

Swanly adjusted herself against the wall.

Pain immediately shot through her lower body.

"Fuck."

One daughter whimpered.

Swanly softened.

"No, no."

She reached over.

Touched the tiny cheek.

"Mama is here."

The word hit differently now.

Mama.

Not because cubs had adopted her.

Not because she had inherited someone else’s children and then fallen hopelessly in love with them.

These two had grown beneath her heart.

She had felt every kick.

Every movement.

She had pushed them into the world.

Another crash sounded outside.

Swanly raised the gun.

The entrance darkened.

A Veilkin appeared.

Blood coated its mouth.

Swanly aimed.

"Try it."

It lunged.

BANG!

The bullet caught it in the chest.

It stumbled.

Kept coming.

Swanly fired again.

It hit the floor.

Another appeared behind it.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."

BANG!

Swanly’s wrist hurt from recoil.

Her body was exhausted.

Her thighs shook.

She was still bleeding.

She should have been sleeping.

Instead, she was shooting subterranean mimic monsters while two newborns screamed beside her.

Zombie apocalypse Swanly would have laughed until she died.

The second Veilkin ducked.

Smart.

It came low.

Swanly missed.

"Shit."

It rushed the babies.

Something inside her snapped.

She dragged the basket toward her with one arm.

The creature grabbed the edge.

Swanly grabbed it too.

"No."

It pulled.

Her body screamed.

She refused.

"NO!"

Its claws reached toward the crying infant.

Swanly slammed the gun into its hand.

The creature hissed.

She fired point-blank into its shoulder.

BANG!

Blood sprayed her bedding.

Still it fought.

Swanly bared her fox fangs.

"You want my baby?"

She kicked it directly in the face.

Pain ripped through her.

She screamed.

The Veilkin fell backward.

Swanly raised the weapon.

"You can fucking die for her."

BANG!

The creature dropped.

Swanly collapsed back.

Her chest heaved.

One daughter started crying louder.

Swanly looked at her.

"Yeah."

WAAAAAAAH!

"I know."

WAAAAAAAH!

"This night is terrible."

The baby screamed harder.

Swanly laughed weakly.

"At least we agree."

...

Kael fought his way back.

He had chased one Veilkin.

Killed it.

Then found three more.

Killed one.

Got clawed across the side by another.

Broke the third’s leg.

Finished both.

Then heard gunfire from Swanly’s shelter.

His blood went cold.

He ran.

He reached the entrance.

Stopped.

Bodies.

Three of them.

Swanly sat against the wall.

White hair wild.

Face exhausted.

Blood on her clothing.

Gun in one hand.

Two tiny bundled babies beside her.

Alive.

She looked up.

Saw him.

Smiled.

Kael nearly collapsed.

"You took your time."

He crossed the space in seconds.

Dropped beside her.

His hands hovered.

Afraid to touch.

Afraid she might break.

"Swanly."

"I’m okay."

His eyes found the blood.

"You are not okay."

"I’m alive."

He looked at the daughters.

One yawned.

Kael’s face broke.

Swanly touched his cheek.

"You came back."

"Always."

Then Soren appeared.

He was bleeding from his side.

White hair stained dark.

Silver eyes furious.

He entered.

Saw Swanly.

Saw Kael.

Saw the babies.

Stopped.

Everything vanished from his face.

Swanly watched the terrifying ruler of Ironwood become completely still.

"Soren."

His eyes lowered to the newborns.

"My..."

His voice failed.

Swanly smiled tiredly.

"Your daughters."

One baby moved.

Tiny face scrunched.

Soren crouched.

Slowly.

Almost afraid.

He touched one little hand.

Her fingers curled around his claw.

Soren stopped breathing.

Kael looked away.

Giving him the moment.

Swanly noticed that too.

Soren’s throat moved.

"They are small."

Swanly laughed weakly.

"They came out of me. Be grateful."

His eyes flicked toward her.

Something suspiciously soft entered them.

Then he saw the dead Veilkin.

Three.

His expression changed.

"You killed these?"

Swanly lifted the gun slightly.

"I was busy."

Soren stared at her.

Kael stared at her.

Swanly sighed.

"Do not start."

Both males said:

"You just gave birth."

She closed her eyes.

"Wonderful. Now there are two of you."

...

The retreat began before dawn.

The Veilkin realized it first.

Ironwood had not broken.

The old sealed ground remained protected.

Druun still stood.

Thalara still had roots beneath the soil.

Soren was alive.

Raku was alive.

Arion’s fighters had not collapsed.

And now the beastmen had weapons that punched holes through bodies from a distance.

One Veilkin screamed something in a language nobody understood.

Another answered.

Then they began diving back toward the damaged tunnels.

Raku roared:

"THEY’RE RETREATING!"

"DO NOT FOLLOW BELOW!" Soren shouted.

That order saved lives.

Ironwood held.

Barely.

The settlement looked ruined.

Broken shelters.

Blood-dark soil.

Collapsed racks.

Cracked paths.

Bodies covered in hides.

Wounded everywhere.

Some crying.

Some staring silently.

Some calling names that would never answer.

But Ironwood still stood.

...

Inside the cub shelter, nobody celebrated.

Mora sat against the wall with her shoulder wrapped.

Tilla had blood dried beside her mouth and a swelling bruise across one side.

Ena held Lumi tightly.

Sari’s back had been bandaged after she returned from helping outside.

Two additional females guarded the broken floor opening.

The cubs were alive.

All of them.

Kairo sat beside Nilo.

His brave little posture was gone.

Nilo had both arms around his knees.

Tavi was pressed against Tilla.

Lumi clung to Ena’s side.

Miko sat quietly.

That was how everyone knew he was scared.

No jokes.

No climbing.

No declarations about bravery.

His dirty little hands rested in his lap.

Eventually he looked at Tilla.

His voice came small.

"Can we see Mama?"

Silence.

Tilla looked at him.

"You..."

She stopped.

Miko’s ears lowered.

"I just want Mama."

That was it.

Nilo started crying first.

Quietly.

His face crumpled and he hid it against Kairo.

Kairo tried to stay strong.

He lasted three seconds.

"I want Papa."

Lumi heard him.

Then she started.

"I want Mama."

Ena immediately pulled her close.

Tavi buried his face against Tilla.

Other cubs heard.

One cried for her father.

Another for his mother.

Then another.

Within seconds the entire room became one enormous wave of frightened children finally allowing themselves to break down.

Miko stared.

His bottom lip trembled.

"Oh."

Tilla looked at him.

He lowered his head.

"I made everyone cry."

She wanted to scold him.

Really.

She did.

Instead, she reached out.

Miko immediately crawled into her lap.

Kairo and Nilo followed.

Tilla had no idea how her bruised body ended up holding three panther cubs, her own mink cub, and half of Lumi.

But she held them.

"Your mama is alive."

Miko sniffed.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Papa?"

"Alive."

"Snake Papa?"

Tilla sighed.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Miko gave one watery laugh.

There.

Better.

Tilla kissed the top of his dusty head.

"You are all going to see them."

"When?"

"When the healers say."

Miko looked miserable.

"That takes forever."

"It has been ten breaths."

"Forever."

Tilla closed her eyes.

Her shoulder hurt.

Her ribs hurt.

Her head hurt.

She had nearly died three times.

And somehow this was still the hardest job in Ironwood.

...

In Swanly’s shelter, dawn had barely begun touching the entrance.

Kael sat beside her.

Soren sat on the other side.

For once, neither argued.

Between them lay two newborn girls.

Tiny.

Warm.

Alive.

Swanly could barely keep her eyes open.

The battle was over.

Her family was alive.

Ironwood still stood.

Then one of the newborns scrunched her tiny face.

Opened her mouth.

And screamed.

WAAAAAAAAAH!