Chapter 41: Strong enough to breed
Six lion cubs, Jia Hao stared in disbelief at the cubs wrapped in fur, soundly asleep in a row, side by side.
The lion clan which was on the verge of collapsing due to the lack of an heir now had six heirs. Jia Hao was overwhelmed with joy. He did not know how to process this nor how to react calmly. There was nothing calm about the situation.
It was so beautiful to witness. Never in a million years would anyone have imagined something this miraculous happening in the lion clan. They had been saved and now had six chances of revival.
Jia Hao peeled his eyes away from his cubs to the person laying soundly asleep on a different bed. Mira. The woman who made this possible and gave his clan hope for a future. Jia Hao brushed a hand across his eyes, wiping the tears that brewed at his lower eyelids. He was so in love with her and wanted to show it.
Mira just went through the most excruciating experience and gave birth to his heirs. Their heirs. He hated that she passed through so much anguish to make it happen but good gracious, what he would do for that woman.
A whimper caught Jia Hao’s attention. Mira. The noise came from the side of the room she was at. Jia Hao went to meet her. Mira was still asleep. She looked to worn out. So fragile and weak. So vulnerable.
Jia Hao had never seen this strong woman be this vulnerable before and it healed him to know he was the first to witness that. Mira’s brows furrowed in her sleep and she groaned. Jia Hao watched her try to turn and the grimace that followed when she couldn’t.
Her eyes went straight open.
Mira gasped and panted hard. Her eyes locked in the ones that met hers, staring at her so passionately and warmly. So full of adoration and what she assumed to be loving captivation.
"Jia Hao." Mira breathed. Her voice was so low and was followed by heavy breathing. She felt so weak.
"Yes, love?" Jia Hao answered.
"Why aren’t you. . ." Mira tried to move her hip. "Why aren’t you asleep?"
Jia Hao used a careful, lazy hand to help her reposition herself in her desired posture. "I can’t sleep." Jia Hao muttered.
"You should." Mira said. "It would give you strength." She added. A moan slipped out her mouth. She felt so uncomfortable. Her grade skill was still activated yet it seemed to work gradually, healing her from inside out. But hey! It was working.
"I have all the strength I need watching you." Jia Hao said. "My woman." He leaned his torso forward to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Mira’s heart raced. Her cheeks went flush at his words.
"Do you need something? Anything at all. Tell me and I will do it." Jia Hao stated.
"Something warm against my stomach and between my legs would be nice." Mira attested.
Jia Hao trailed his head downward and pressed his lips on her cheeks. "I will go and fetch some warm water. I will be back soon, my love." Jia Hao said. He waited for Mira to give him a signal before leaving the room.
Every single cub in that room belonged to him. Not Mu Yang. Mira never got entangled with Mu Yang and came to meet him as Ming Tao suggested. Jia Hao let out a sigh. It was nice having family outside the pride that he would do anything for. That he would risk anything to protect.
Jia Hao walked to the hot spring and scooped some water into a bowl that was just by the spring bank. He held the bowl in his hands and walked back to the room his family was. Family. It felt nice having to think that word.
While Jia Hao witnessed countless lives be born into different families, he never had one for himself. Being the lion king was quite lonely.
Everyone wanted to be with him and bear his heirs but the one woman he actually wanted to be with and now. . .that woman was lying on a bed in the same room as their children. Mira gave him more than he could have ever asked for. He could not even begin to express how that got him feeling.
Jia Hao made his way into the nursery and straight to Mira’s side. He dropped the bowl of water on a fur coated stool and grabbed a fur vest. He dipped it into the water, squeezed it slightly so it was not dripping then placed it over her lower stomach. Mira cooed with relief. This was it.
"Thank you." She said.
"Please, don’t. I am simply carrying out my responsibility. It is the least I can do for the mother of our children. Ask me for anything and I will do. For you, my love."
Mira felt her heart beat quicken. "Stop saying things like that. I am too beaten down to want to breed." Mira joked. The last time he said words like those was when she got pregnant. And it was less of sweet words and more of an assertion of dominance ordering her to say what she wanted from him.
Jia Hao chuckled at the tease. Now was not the time for that joke. Mira looked just as scrumptious and heavily attractive just laying on the bed and she was not doing anything. "Oh really?" Jia Hao questioned, a half grin on his face. The question was a tease but he could not deny, if there was a way to make her body feel a euphoria that would put her back to sleep without hurting her, he would gladly do it. She needed the rest.
"Can you sleep?" Jia Hao asked. "Or is your way of handling body ache distraction?"
He saw right through her. Of course he did.
"My body feels like a tree fell on it." Mira confessed. It was why she needed something warm.
Jia Hao walked to a corner of the room and picked some things. He went back to meet her. "This is a mix that helps numb pain. It will get you through the night. It causes deep sleep."
"And what will you be doing once I am asleep?"
"Keeping watch."
No. This would not do. The father of her kids needed to be in good health:
"I will take the mix on the condition you join me in bed." Mira worded. Jia Hao’s eyes softened.
"Sure." He caved. He dipped the fur into the warm water again and settled it between her legs and stomach. Now he got on the bed.
Mira felt a poke at her side. She could not help but grin. For a sick reason she could not understand, she wanted to stay away from his cock yet was drawn to it. For now, she would just enjoy the feel of having it press against her side.