Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband

Chapter 225: The King, The Chef, and the Quiet Night

There was a specific kind of magic that settled over the cliffside manor right around midnight.

During the day, the estate was a hurricane of activity. Between Rurik’s booming battle-cries, Cassian’s aggressive sanitization spells, the chaotic stampede of six growing beast-cubs, and now an entire refugee camp of avian beast-kins in the lower gardens, silence was a rare commodity.

But at night, when the hearth fires burned down to glowing embers and the cubs were finally asleep, the manor breathed a long, peaceful sigh.

I stood on the private balcony of the Sovereign’s suite, my hands resting on the cool stone railing. The ocean breeze was crisp, carrying the scent of sea salt and blooming night-jasmine. Below me, the sprawling estate was bathed in the soft, silver light of the moon.

A heavy, incredibly soft velvet blanket was suddenly draped over my shoulders.

"You are going to catch a chill, Little Rose," a deep, smooth voice murmured right beside my ear.

I smiled, leaning back instantly. Caspian’s strong arms wrapped securely around my waist, pulling my back flush against his broad chest. He buried his face in my neck, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to my skin that sent a familiar shiver down my spine. The Merman King smelled like the deep ocean and crisp, clean linen.

"I’m not cold," I whispered, resting my hands over his. "I was just enjoying the quiet. I think the house is finally asleep."

"Not entirely," Caspian chuckled softly, his chest vibrating against my back. He raised one hand, pointing a long, elegant finger toward the southern gardens below. "Look."

I followed his gaze. Down in the gardens, beneath the sprawling branches of a massive willow tree, the magical glow-moss cast a warm, soft light.

Sitting on a thick woven blanket in the grass was Juni. Her golden hair was loose, and her magnificent silver-tipped wings were relaxed. Curled up entirely in her lap, wearing his bright yellow frog raincoat like a pair of armor, Pip was fast asleep.

And sitting exactly two feet away from her, looking stiffer than a wooden board, was Lucien.

I couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped me. Even from up here, I could see the absolute internal panic radiating from the Panther Warlord.

The night breeze picked up, rustling the willow branches. Juni shivered slightly, rubbing her arms.

Lucien moved faster than a striking snake. In the blink of an eye, the terrifying assassin shrugged off his expensive, custom-tailored suit jacket. He carefully, almost reverently, draped the heavy dark fabric over Juni’s shoulders.

Juni looked up at him in surprise. Even from the balcony, I could see the brilliant, warm smile she gave him. She pulled the jacket tighter around herself, said something softly, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Lucien completely froze. For a solid ten seconds, he looked like he had stopped breathing. Then, very slowly, his arm came up. He hesitated, his hand hovering in the air, before he finally wrapped it around her, pulling her gently against his side.

"I never thought I would see the day," Caspian murmured, his teal eyes watching the scene with deep, fond amusement. "The Lord of Shadows, entirely domesticated by a woman who eats oats."

"Don’t tease him," I smiled, leaning my head against Caspian’s shoulder. "He is trying his best. It’s sweet."

"It is fascinating," Caspian corrected, his voice dropping into a low, entirely too smug purr. "The man has dismantling spells that can level a fortress, but he is currently terrified of making a wrong move and waking up a two-year-old duck."

I turned my head to look up at my husband. The moonlight caught the iridescent silver strands of his hair, making him look exactly like the ethereal, dangerous King of the Deep he was.

"You really can’t judge him, Your Majesty," I teased, reaching up to poke him in the chest. "Need I remind you of your own romantic strategies when we first met? You were the Final Boss of the entire continent. You literally tried to lock me in an underwater crystal palace so no one else could look at me."

Caspian didn’t even look guilty. Instead, his arms tightened possessively around my waist, his teal eyes darkening with that intense, overwhelming devotion that still made my heart race.

"My strategy was flawless," Caspian argued smoothly, a wicked smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "The crystal palace was structurally sound, incredibly luxurious, and entirely secure. You just proved to be frustratingly stubborn about needing sunlight and fresh air."

"I am a land beast, Caspian. We need oxygen," I laughed, swatting his arm.

"A design flaw I have learned to accommodate," he sighed dramatically.

Caspian gently turned me around in his arms so I was fully facing him. The teasing glint in his eyes melted away, replaced by a raw, profound softness that he only ever showed to me. He reached up, his cool fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

"When I look at Lucien," Caspian said quietly, his gaze dropping to my lips before rising back to my eyes, "I do not judge him, Primrose. I completely understand him."

"You do?" I asked softly.

"Yes," Caspian nodded. He looked down at the gardens one last time before focusing entirely on me. "Before you came to this world, we were not men. We were weapons. Rurik was a feral beast, Lucien was a ghost, Cassian was a machine, and I... I was just a monster drowning in my own abyss."

He stepped closer, backing me gently against the stone railing. The heat radiating from his body was the perfect contrast to the cool night air.

"We didn’t know what it meant to live," Caspian whispered, his hands sliding down to rest on my hips. "We only knew how to conquer. How to survive. But then, a stubborn, beautiful chef walked into my life, refused my crystal palace, and built a home instead."

My breath hitched. No matter how many years passed, the way he looked at me—like I was the very center of his universe—never failed to make my knees weak.

"You gave us a pack," Caspian murmured, leaning down until his forehead rested against mine. "You gave me Orion. You gave us a table to sit at. When Lucien looks at Juni, he is realizing what I realized the day I met you. He is realizing that the war is over."

"He deserves to be happy," I whispered, sliding my arms up his chest and wrapping them around his neck. "You all do."

"I am already the happiest man in the Empire," Caspian promised.

He didn’t wait for another word. He tilted his head and captured my lips.

The kiss was slow, deep, and devastatingly thorough. It tasted like sweet wine and the salty ocean breeze. There was no hesitation, no awkwardness—just the steady, heavy certainty of a man who worshipped the ground I walked on. My silver tails curled happily around his legs as I melted completely against him, letting the rest of the world fade away.

When we finally broke apart, I was entirely breathless, resting my cheek against his chest and listening to the rapid, heavy thud of his heart.

"You know," I smiled lazily, tracing the embroidery on his tunic. "If Rurik catches them out there in the gardens tomorrow morning, he is going to roar so loud the entire refugee camp is going to panic."

"I will put a silencing ward over the courtyard," Caspian chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "Let the panther have his peace tonight. Tomorrow, we can return to the chaos."

"Deal," I agreed softly.

I looked out over the moonlit water, securely wrapped in the arms of the most dangerous, wonderful man in the world.

Down in the gardens, Lucien was still sitting perfectly still, letting Juni sleep against his shoulder. Inside the manor, the Warlord-cubs were dreaming in their giant nest. And here on the balcony, I was exactly where I belonged.

The beast-kin Empire was loud, wild, and incredibly unpredictable. But as Caspian pulled me back inside our warm, quiet bedroom, I knew I wouldn’t trade a single second of it.