Chapter 190: I want a daughter too

Chapter 190: Chapter 190: I want a daughter too

Swanly tried not to laugh.

"Sira."

The younger baby smiled.

Miko gasped.

"She likes it!"

"That might be gas."

"It is not."

Sira stretched.

Her tiny tail curled.

Kairo’s chest puffed.

"She likes my name."

Miko’s face collapsed.

"Nobody asked me."

The entire family went quiet.

Kael looked concerned.

Soren looked concerned.

Swanly sighed.

"What is your suggestion?"

Miko proudly lifted the dried strip.

"Meat."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Swanly stared.

"Miko."

"Yes?"

"You want to name your baby sister Meat."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Meat is good."

Kael covered his mouth.

Kairo looked horrified.

Nilo whispered:

"That is terrible."

Miko’s ears flattened.

"It is not terrible."

Swanly shook her head.

"We are not naming her Meat."

"Why?"

"Because she is a person."

Miko looked toward Sira.

Then at the meat.

Then at Sira.

"Meaty?"

"NO!"

Sira smiled.

Miko shot to his feet.

"SEE!"

Swanly laughed.

"She smiles at everything!"

Kairo leaned closer.

"Sira."

The baby smiled.

Kairo looked triumphant.

Then:

Chomp.

"OW!"

Kairo jerked his finger back.

Miko gasped.

Nilo immediately crawled forward.

"Let me see!"

"She bit me!"

Soren looked completely unsurprised.

"She warned you."

"How?"

"She smiled."

Kairo stared.

"That is not a warning!"

Soren looked at his daughter.

"She is learning."

Swanly covered her face.

Miko pointed toward Sira.

"Meat would never betray me like this."

Swanly laughed so hard her healing stomach hurt.

"Ow. Stop. Stop making me laugh."

Nobody stopped.

For a while, the world outside disappeared.

No Rot Heart.

No Veskari.

No dead bodies.

No uncertainty.

Just one exhausted mother.

Two ridiculous males.

Three growing panther boys.

And two pale baby girls who looked innocent enough to fool anyone unfortunate enough not to know them.

Later, when Eira and Sira finally slept, the boys were sent to wash.

Soren went outside to meet Raku.

Swanly stepped behind the shelter.

The night was cool.

Stars glittered above Ironwood.

Cooking fires had burned low.

Somewhere nearby, somebody was singing quietly while repairing torn hides.

Swanly stretched carefully.

Her silver-white hair fell down her back.

Her large fox tail swayed once.

Then again.

She had finally started feeling more like herself after birth.

Still sore.

Still healing.

But herself.

Warm arms suddenly circled her waist from behind.

Swanly startled, then melted the second she recognized the scent. Kael’s chest pressed fully against her back, solid and hot.

One of his large hands spread over her still-soft stomach, the other sliding lower to rest possessively on her hip. His black tail coiled slowly around her calf, then higher, brushing the inside of her thigh in a deliberate stroke.

His mouth found the sensitive spot just below her fox ear.

"I want something," he murmured, voice low and rough.

The words vibrated straight through her.

Swanly smiled.

"What?"

Kael said nothing.

His chin lowered beside her ear.

His breath brushed her skin.

Warm.

Too warm.

Swanly’s fox ear flicked against his cheek.

"Kael."

"Hm?"

"You’re being suspicious."

His mouth moved close to her ear.

"I just want something."

Her eyes narrowed immediately.

"That sentence has never produced anything good."

He laughed softly.

The sound vibrated through his chest and into her back.

His hands moved slightly over her waist.

Still gentle.

Possessive enough to make her skin warm.

"Whatttttt?"

Kael hesitated.

Swanly turned her head slightly.

His lips were almost beside her temple.

Then his voice dropped. His golden eyes became dark and serious... and hungry.

"I want a daughter too."

Swanly froze.

Completely.

Slowly...

Very slowly...

She turned.

"What?"

Kael’s golden eyes were serious.

Far too serious.

Swanly’s mouth dropped open.

"You..."

He smiled.

She smacked his chest.

"YOU ARE INSANE!"

Kael laughed and caught her wrist.

Swanly hit him with the other hand.

"No!"

He caught that wrist too.

Swanly struggled.

"Let go!"

Kael pulled her carefully against him, catching both of her wrists easily and pulling her flush against him.

Swanly’s chest pressed to his. Her soft stomach brushed the hard line of his cock through their clothes. He was already half-hard just from talking about it.

She glared up at him, face burning.

His eyes had softened.

"I watched you with them," he said quietly. His hand on her stomach slid lower, fingers splaying over the soft curve of her lower belly. "Holding them. Feeding them. Looking at them like that. And I thought..."

His lips brushed the shell of her ear.

"I want that too. I want to put a panther cub inside you again. Watch you carry it. Watch you give birth to something that is only ours."

Swanly’s breath caught.

Heat flooded low in her stomach.

"You..."

Kael’s mouth curved against her skin.

"We can keep trying until we get one."

His hips pressed forward just enough for her to feel exactly how serious he was about "trying."

Her eyes widened.

"Keep trying?"

Kael grinned.

"I just gave birth!"

"I said eventually," he growled softly, leaning down until their noses almost touched. "But every time I look at you feeding them... every time I smell you... I start thinking about how you looked when you were pregnant. How you felt. How you sounded."

His thumbs stroked the insides of her wrists.

"I miss being inside you."

Swanly’s knees went weak.

"You shameless bastard!"

Swanly yanked herself free.

"You are insane."

He laughed.

"You’re all insane!"

She backed away.

Kael followed one slow step, his golden eyes locked on her like a predator who had already decided she was his for the night.

Swanly pointed a shaking finger at him.

"Stay."

He stopped.

Still smiling.

But his gaze dropped deliberately to her mouth, then lower, to her breasts, then to the place between her legs.

Swanly’s fox ears flattened.

Her tail flicked hard.

She turned and hurried away.

Not running.

She had enough sense left for that.

But definitely fleeing.

Kael called after her.

"You didn’t say no forever!"

His voice was pure sin.

Swanly spun around.

"KEEP TRYING?! YOU THINK I’M A BABY FACTORY?!"

Kael laughed harder.

"I did not say that!"

"YOU THOUGHT IT!"

His grin turned wicked.

"I think you’re mine. And I think I want to fill you again until you give me a daughter with black fur and golden eyes."

"You..."

"I want one daughter!"

"You have two!"

"They are Soren’s!"

Swanly stared.

Kael immediately realized the trap he had created for himself.

She pointed.

"Tell Eira and Sira that."

Kael’s face changed.

"No."

"Go on."

"They are mine too."

"Exactly."

His black ears flattened.

Swanly smiled triumphantly.

Then turned and left.

From behind the hide screen nearby...

Three little black heads rose.

Kairo stared after Swanly.

Then toward Kael.

"Papa is naughty."

Nilo nodded.

"Very."

Miko considered the matter with enormous seriousness.

Then nodded.

"True."

Kael slowly turned.

Three cubs ducked.

Too late.

"I heard you."

Miko’s head popped back up.

"But Papa."

"What?"

"I want another sister too."

Kael paused.

Kairo looked horrified.

"We already have two."

"Yes."

"Why do you need another?"

Miko’s expression became solemn.

"I want one that doesn’t bite."

Nilo considered that.

"What if the next one bites too?"

Miko froze.

His mouth opened.

Closed.

The possibility devastated him.

Then slowly...

His eyes brightened.

"We make Mama have a panther one."

Kael choked.

Kairo stared.

Nilo blinked.

Miko smiled.

"Panther babies don’t have snake venom."

Kairo looked toward where Swanly had disappeared.

"How are we supposed to make Mama agree?"

Miko thought.

Hard.

Very hard.

Then his face lit up.

"Food."

Nilo immediately nodded.

"Mama likes food."

Kairo crossed his arms.

"That will not be enough."

Miko leaned closer.

"Meat and fruit."

Nilo’s golden eyes widened.

"Both?"

"Both."

Kairo slowly nodded.

A plan was forming.

A terrible plan.

Miko whispered:

"We tell Mama another sister will be cute."

Kairo whispered back:

"She already knows babies are cute."

"Then we tell her Papa is sad."

Kael’s eyes widened.

"Do not involve me."

Three cubs looked at him.

Miko smiled.

"Papa wants sister."

Kael suddenly understood he had created monsters.

Inside the shelter, neither newborn slept anymore.

Eira had opened her silver eyes.

Silent.

Watching the ceiling.

Beside her, Sira’s little lips slowly curved.

A sweet baby smile.

Perfect little faces.

Soft pale tails.

Tiny hands.

Two angelic daughters.

And if Ironwood had known what those two innocent faces would become within only a few weeks...

They might have started praying immediately.