Chapter 192: A missing toof

Chapter 192: Chapter 192: A missing toof

He pointed toward the shelter.

"Panther Papa."

He pointed toward Kael somewhere in the distance.

Then Nerin.

"Deer Papa."

Nerin’s face became so red Swanly genuinely feared he might faint.

"Miko," Swanly warned.

Miko looked thoughtful.

Then his eyes suddenly widened.

"Actually..."

No.

Swanly knew that expression too.

"Miko."

"I want Deer Papa."

Nerin choked.

Kairo blinked.

Nilo blinked.

Swanly whispered:

"Why?"

Miko pointed toward the newborns.

"Because if Mama has another baby with Deer Papa, the baby will not bite."

Nerin stopped functioning.

Swanly’s mouth fell open.

Kairo considered this seriously.

"That is true."

"KAIRO!"

He jumped.

Nilo quietly added:

"Deer do not have venom."

Swanly whipped toward him.

"NILO!"

He immediately lowered his head.

"Sorry."

Miko became more excited.

"See!"

He grabbed Nerin’s hand.

Nerin looked down like the cub had attached an explosive to him.

"Deer Papa can give us a nice sister."

Swanly looked around desperately.

Something.

Anything.

Her hand found a rolled piece of hide.

She threw it.

"OUT!"

The hide hit Miko in the head.

He squealed.

Kairo laughed and ran.

Nilo immediately followed.

Miko grabbed the hide.

"Mama!"

"GO!"

"But Deer Papa!"

Another rolled hide flew.

"AAAAAAAA!"

The three cubs scattered, laughing so hard they could barely run.

Nerin stood completely frozen.

His face was red from throat to ears.

Swanly covered her face.

"I’m sorry."

"No."

His voice cracked.

He cleared his throat.

"No. It’s..."

He looked toward the fleeing cubs.

Then very quietly:

"...fine."

Swanly peeked between her fingers.

Why did he look happy?!

"Nerin."

"Yes?"

"Do not encourage them."

"I didn’t."

His little tail moved.

Once.

Swanly narrowed her eyes.

He immediately forced it still.

Too late.

She saw.

"Oh my God."

He smiled.

Small.

Shy.

Ridiculously pleased.

Before Swanly could deal with that problem, a scream came from across the path.

"MAMAAAA!"

She spun.

"What now?!"

Miko came running back.

One hand was clamped over his mouth.

Kairo and Nilo came racing behind him.

"Mama!"

Miko slammed straight into Swanly’s legs.

"Oof!"

Swanly quickly caught his shoulders before he bounced backward.

"What happened? Why are you running like something is chasing you?"

Miko looked up.

His golden eyes were huge.

Wet.

Terrified.

He slowly removed the hand covering his mouth.

Then opened his fist.

Something tiny and white sat in the center of his palm.

Swanly stared.

Nerin leaned closer.

Kairo and Nilo crowded in from both sides.

Miko’s bottom lip began to tremble.

"My toof fell out."

Silence.

Swanly blinked.

Nerin blinked.

Kairo leaned so close his nose almost touched Miko’s hand.

"That is your tooth."

"I KNOW!"

Miko’s voice came out slightly strange now, air slipping through the new little gap at the front of his mouth.

His eyes widened even more.

He immediately slapped both hands over his lips.

Swanly’s mouth twitched.

Miko slowly poked his tongue against the empty space.

His entire face changed.

Horror.

Pure horror.

"There ith a hole!"

Swanly lost it.

A laugh burst out of her.

Miko gasped.

"Mama!"

"I’m sorry!"

She covered her mouth, shoulders shaking.

"I’m sorry, baby."

"Why are you laughing?!"

Except with the missing tooth, it came out softer and slightly lisped.

"Why are you laughing?! My mouf ith broken!"

That made it worse.

Swanly bent forward laughing.

Nerin turned away so Miko would not see his face.

His shoulders were trembling too.

Miko looked between them in betrayal.

"This ith not funny!"

"No, no."

Swanly tried desperately to straighten her face.

"It’s very serious."

Miko narrowed his eyes.

"You’re thmiling."

"I am not."

"You are!"

His little black ears flattened.

He grabbed the front of Swanly’s clothing with both hands.

"Mama, fix it."

"I can’t put it back."

His face went blank.

"What?"

"It’s a baby tooth."

Miko stared.

Then slowly pointed at himself.

"I am a baby."

Swanly choked.

Nerin made a strangled sound behind his hand.

Miko pointed harder.

"I am literally a baby!"

"You’re a growing cub."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No growing!"

"Miko."

"Put it back!"

He held the tiny tooth toward her like she had personally removed it and was now refusing to return stolen property.

Swanly crouched carefully in front of him.

"Your baby teeth fall out so your bigger teeth can grow."

Miko’s eyes widened.

"More teef?"

"Yes."

"Big teef?"

"Yes."

He thought about that.

His fear faded slightly.

"Like Papa?"

Kael’s large panther fangs apparently represented the highest possible level of dental achievement.

Swanly smiled.

"Maybe."

Miko touched his gap again.

Then his face crumpled.

"But I look stoopid."

That did it.

Swanly’s heart melted into warm soup.

"Oh, baby."

She cupped his round little cheeks.

Miko immediately pouted harder.

The tiny missing tooth made the pout completely useless.

He looked painfully adorable.

Swanly gasped.

"No."

Miko blinked.

"What?"

"You’re too cute."

His ears lifted.

"I am?"

"Look at you!"

She squeezed his cheeks gently.

"My tiny baby lost his first tooth!"

"Mama!"

"You have a little gap!"

"Don’t look at it!"

He tried to hide his mouth.

Swanly pulled his hands away.

"I want to see."

"No!"

"One smile."

"No!"

"One."

Miko pressed his lips together stubbornly.

Swanly kissed one cheek.

Then the other.

He fought it.

Really fought it.

Then she kissed his nose.

A giggle escaped.

His mouth opened.

There.

The tiny gap.

Swanly clutched her chest.

"Oh my God."

Miko immediately covered his mouth again.

"Mama!"

"You’re so cute!"

"I’m brave!"

"You can be brave and cute."

"I killed a monster!"

"And now you have one missing tooth."

"That ith different!"

Swanly nearly fell over laughing again.

Kairo had been watching all this with increasing concern.

Suddenly he pressed one finger against his front tooth.

Push.

His face changed.

He pushed again.

"Mama."

Swanly looked over.

"What?"

Kairo’s golden eyes were enormous.

"My tooth moves."

Miko gasped so hard his little gap whistled.

Everybody froze.

Miko froze too.

His eyes slowly widened.

He tried again.

"Th..."

A tiny whistle of air escaped.

Miko slapped both hands over his mouth.

Kairo forgot his own crisis and burst out laughing.

"You whistled!"

Miko’s face went red.

"I DID NOT!"

"You did!"

"I did not whithtle!"

Another tiny puff of air escaped through the gap.

Kairo doubled over.

Nerin bit his lower lip.

Swanly buried her face in one hand.

This family was going to kill her.

Nilo, meanwhile, had quietly begun examining his own teeth.

He touched one.

Nothing.

Another.

Nothing.

Then he touched the one beside his front tooth.

It wiggled.

Nilo became perfectly still.

"...Mama."

Swanly slowly looked toward him.

"No."