Chapter 208: Why are you holding my daughter?
"You are too soft."
Nerin’s ears drooped.
"Sorry."
Her heart hurt.
"No!"
He looked up.
"I mean it nicely."
"Oh."
Swanly stared.
"Do not apologize for being sweet."
His whole face heated.
He looked down at Eira again.
"Okay."
Swanly leaned back.
Then, because she was tired enough not to think about it, her head tipped sideways.
Onto Nerin’s shoulder.
Nerin stopped breathing again.
Swanly’s eyes closed.
Only for a second.
His shoulder was warm.
Steady.
He did not move.
Not one muscle.
After several breaths, he whispered:
"You can sleep."
Swanly opened one eye.
"What?"
"I’ll stay."
His voice was so quiet.
"I can hold her."
Swanly’s expression softened.
"And the triplets?"
"I’ll watch them."
Miko immediately said:
"Bad idea."
Nerin smiled.
"I’ll try."
Swanly closed her eye again.
"You’d let them climb you."
Nerin considered.
"...Maybe."
Kairo nodded.
"He would."
Nilo agreed.
"Definitely."
Miko brightened.
"Can I climb your antler?"
"No," three voices said.
Nerin laughed softly.
Then Eira’s hand moved.
Up.
Toward his broken antler.
Nerin stiffened.
Her tiny fingers wrapped around the damaged base.
Swanly immediately sat up.
"Eira, gentle."
Nerin’s voice came quickly.
"It’s okay."
Eira touched it.
No pulling.
No fear.
Just curiosity.
Her thumb rubbed over the rough broken edge.
Nerin’s expression changed.
His smile disappeared.
His green eyes became bright.
Swanly saw it.
"Nerin?"
He swallowed.
"I’m fine."
She looked at Eira.
The baby leaned closer.
Pressed her little forehead against the damaged antler.
Nerin’s breath caught.
Swanly’s chest squeezed.
"She likes it."
Nerin blinked quickly.
"She doesn’t know it’s broken."
Swanly looked at him.
"So?"
His eyes lifted.
"When I look at it, I see Nerin."
His lips parted.
Swanly smiled.
"Not something broken."
For a second he could not answer.
Then he gave her the smallest, sweetest smile.
"Thank you."
Eira patted his antler.
"Dee."
Nerin almost cried.
Swanly nearly did too.
Then Soren walked in.
Silence.
His silver eyes went first to Swanly.
Then Nerin.
Then Eira.
In Nerin’s arms.
His daughter.
Touching Nerin’s antler.
Soren stopped.
Nerin went rigid.
Every happy bit of color drained from his face.
Soren’s voice was completely cold.
"Why are you holding my daughter?"
Nerin flinched.
Actually flinched.
"I..."
Swanly immediately sat straight.
"I gave her to him."
Soren looked at her.
"I did."
Silence.
Soren had no argument.
Horrible day for him.
He looked back at Nerin.
Nerin was still holding Eira as though surrendering her too quickly might somehow be disrespectful.
"She was crying," he said softly.
Soren’s eyes narrowed.
"And?"
"She stopped."
Soren looked personally offended by that information.
Kael entered behind him.
He saw the scene.
Looked at Nerin.
Looked at Soren.
Then at Swanly.
His mouth twitched.
Soren stepped forward.
"Give her."
Nerin immediately did.
Carefully.
Very carefully.
The moment Eira entered Soren’s arms, she frowned.
Soren looked down.
"No."
Eira opened her mouth.
Tiny fangs appeared.
Soren’s eyes narrowed.
"Do not."
She tried anyway.
He moved his finger.
Chomp.
Air.
Eira looked furious.
Swanly covered her mouth.
Sira saw.
Immediately she leaned out of Swanly’s arms and tried to bite Soren’s sleeve.
He caught her forehead with one finger.
"No."
Sira made an offended little sound.
Eira tried again.
"No."
Sira tried.
"No."
Both girls glared.
Soren stared back.
Then his eyes moved toward Nerin.
The deer was quietly putting away Swanly’s herbs.
Not touching anyone.
Not doing anything.
Soren’s expression became even colder.
First Azren.
Now the deer too?
Swanly saw his face.
"Oh, stop."
Soren looked at her.
"Stop what?"
"You are jealous."
"No."
Nerin immediately stood.
"I can leave."
Swanly caught his wrist.
"No."
Nerin sat back down.
Instantly.
Soren stared.
Kael coughed into his fist.
Swanly narrowed her eyes at all of them.
"This family is exhausting."
Miko raised his hand.
"We know."
The investigation gave them almost nothing.
That was worse.
Soren, Kael, Raku, Thalara, Tovan and Druun had gone to the old sealed area.
The stone had not opened.
The old door had not moved.
No new tunnel had appeared.
No fresh scratches.
Nothing had broken through.
Druun stood before the old stone for a long time.
Then shook his enormous head.
"Not here."
Soren frowned.
"The pulse did not come from here?"
Druun touched the ground.
His face tightened.
"Deep."
Thalara’s forehead eye remained open.
"Deeper than the sealed passage."
Kael looked at Soren.
"So we still don’t know what moved."
"No."
When Swanly asked what they had found, Soren told her exactly that.
"Nothing new."
She frowned.
"Nothing?"
"The old seal is intact."
"Then why did the entire settlement shake?"
Soren looked toward the floor.
"I do not think the movement came from that chamber."
Something cold moved through Swanly.
Kael sat beside her.
"Whatever it was, it was deeper."
Swanly’s mind immediately returned to Azren.
His eyes.
His antennae.
The way he had looked north.
Then down.
The way he kept turning his flirting into cover every time she noticed him trying to tell her something.
She looked toward the wall.
"What?" Kael asked.
Swanly hesitated.
"The prince."
Soren’s face instantly soured.
"No."
"I didn’t say I wanted him."
"You thought about him."
Swanly stared.
"Can you hear my thoughts now?"
"No."
"You looked annoyed before I even explained."
"I know his face."
Kael nodded.
"Fair."
Swanly sighed.
"I think Azren knows something."
Soren’s expression changed.
Less jealousy.
More attention.
"He always knows something."
"He was trying to tell me something tonight."
"Then he can tell all of us."
"I don’t think he wants his people hearing it."
That made the room quiet.
Nerin looked toward her.
"You shouldn’t meet him alone."
Soft voice.
No command.
Just worry.
Swanly smiled at him.
"I wasn’t planning to."
His shoulders relaxed immediately.
Soren noticed that too.
Horrible day indeed.
Kael touched Swanly’s knee.
"Sleep."
She looked at him.
"That’s your solution?"
"For the next few hours."
Soren nodded.
"We cannot investigate what we cannot locate."
Nerin quietly stood.
"I’ll leave the herbs here."
Swanly looked up.
"You’re going?"
He smiled.
"You need rest."
Then, because he was painfully Nerin, he added:
"I put the sweetest fruit underneath the others so Miko doesn’t steal it first."
Miko gasped.
"I heard that!"
Nerin froze.
Nilo grabbed Miko around the waist before he could attack the basket.
Swanly laughed.
"Thank you."
Nerin’s ears turned pink.
"Sleep well."
He left.
Swanly watched him go for one second too long.
Soren noticed.
Kael noticed.
Swanly looked at both males.
"Don’t."
Neither spoke.
Good.
She lay down.
Kael settled near the cubs again.
Soren lay beside Swanly.
This time closer.
Not touching at first.
Swanly looked at him.
His silver eyes were still open.
"You don’t sleep?"
"I do."
"You barely do."
"Someone has to watch your children."
"They’re yours too."
Soren looked toward Eira and Sira.
Both daughters were staring at him.
He frowned.
"What?"
Sira smiled.
Soren narrowed his eyes.
"Do not."
She lunged.
He caught her forehead.
"No biting."
Eira immediately tried from the other side.
Soren caught her too.
Swanly burst out laughing.
Both babies wriggled furiously.
"Pa!"
"No."
"Bad Pa!"
"No."
"Bite!"
"Absolutely not."
Swanly buried her face against his shoulder, laughing.
Soren went still.
Then looked down at her.
She had leaned into him without thinking.
Again.
His expression softened.
His arm slowly came around her.
This time Swanly did not tense.
She tucked herself closer.
Soren’s tail curled loosely around her legs.
His hand stroked once over her back.
Quiet.
Careful.
Protective.
For a few breaths, the underground pulse disappeared from her mind.
So did the Veskari.
So did Azren.
Then Sira bit Soren’s wrist.
He looked down.
She had no venom.
Just spite.
Eira immediately copied.
Soren stared at both daughters attached to him.
Swanly laughed into his chest.
"I think they’re still mad."
"I noticed."
Sira released him.
"Bad Pa."
Eira nodded.
"Bad."
Soren closed his eyes.
Swanly smiled.
And despite the weight sitting over Ironwood, despite the thing sleeping somewhere far beneath them, the family slowly settled again.
No one slept deeply.
Not after that pulse.
But eventually the shelter grew quiet.
Outside the walls, the Veskari kept watch.
Below Ironwood, something remained still.
For now.
...
Some readers actually commented that I should kill the cubs off so they wouldn’t cause trouble in the future because their heart couldn’t handle it. 😭
No one is killing the cubs! They’re literally just babies. I love them way too much. I may be vicious sometimes, but I’m not THAT vicious, okay? 😭😂
And yes, more trouble is definitely coming. But now we also have more babies to add to our stress, so we’re going to take things slow, okay? 🥹💕