Baby System: My Mates Can Read my Mind?

Rue turned away from the wooden shelves. The blue system screen completely vanished into thin air, leaving her to deal with reality.

Axel stood entirely frozen by the edge of the stone bed. The terrifying warlord held his breath while a tiny baby yanked hard on his hair. He looked completely helpless.

"Here," Rue said flatly.

She walked over and gently pried Theron’s chubby fingers loose from the black and white strands. She stepped close to the Alpha and adjusted his large, stiff arms, physically showing him how to properly support the baby’s small back and heavy head.

Axel relaxed slightly. He let out a slow breath and looked down at the child resting against his chest.

Theron smiled a bright, toothless smile. The baby kicked his legs happily. Then he opened his tiny mouth and threw up half-digested milk directly onto Axel’s expensive dark shirt.

Gianna fell backward onto the stone floor. She clutched her stomach and laughed so hard that actual tears streamed down her pale face.

"Gianna, enough," Axel scolded sharply, his face turning completely rigid.

But he did not drop the baby. He did not yell at Rue. He just stood there, dripping with warm baby spit-up, looking incredibly defeated. Rue filed the ridiculous image away under highly amusing.

A few days later, the gates of the Northern Palace finally opened for their departure.

The snow was falling lightly across the courtyard. Iris stood near the gates, wrapped in a thick gray coat. The Wolf Princess looked completely exhausted but entirely peaceful. Skoll was still unconscious in the healing wing. He had slept deeply for three straight days, his body finally recovering from months of pure survival. Iris refused to leave his side for more than ten minutes at a time.

They said their goodbyes quickly in the cold air. Iris hugged Rue gently, thanking her again for everything.

Then Rue climbed up into the massive, luxurious royal carriage.

The inside of the carriage was incredible. It was lined with thick, warm white furs and plush red velvet. A small metal heater sat in the center of the floor, keeping the space comfortably warm. It was incredibly spacious for a normal person. But with a giant Alpha wolf sitting inside, it felt entirely too small.

Rue squished herself firmly into the far corner of the bench. She squeezed against the frosty window. She tried very hard to pretend the giant wolf sitting directly across from her was just a piece of decorative wooden furniture.

It was not working. Axel took up way too much space. His long, muscular legs stretched across the wooden floorboards, completely invading her side of the carriage. His icy eyes watched her every single move.

Gianna claimed the entire opposite bench for herself. The Basilisk princess was already fast asleep, snoring softly into a thick fur pillow.

Forced proximity was terrible. Rue hated it.

Theron did not mind it at all. The baby boy was being aggressively cute. He wiggled entirely out of his thick travel blankets and tried to stand up on the bouncy velvet seats. His tiny hands grabbed the wooden window ledge. His chubby little legs wobbled violently as the carriage rolled over the snowy roads.

Rue reached out and caught him right before he tumbled backwards.

"Careful, little guy," Rue said softly, pulling him safely into her lap.

Theron giggled loudly. He reached up and grabbed a fistful of her long silver hair. Rue smiled. It was a real, completely genuine smile. She bounced him gently on her knees, making silly, soft faces at him. Theron shrieked with absolute joy, his tiny golden eyes shining brightly.

Axel watched them closely from his side of the carriage.

He did not say a single word. He just sat quietly and observed the soft, domestic scene playing out in front of him. A very strange, incredibly warm feeling rose right in the middle of his chest. He had spent his entire life fighting in the bloody snow. He built his kingdom through sheer violence and cold logic. He never allowed himself to think about having a family.

But watching the small, fragile rabbit girl play with her hybrid baby made his cold heart soften completely. He could not get enough of looking at the two of them.

The carriage rolled heavily out of the snowy plains and entered a dense, dark pine forest.

The tall, ancient trees blocked out the pale winter sun. The shadows inside the carriage grew longer.

Rue stopped bouncing Theron. Her nose twitched rapidly in the warm air.

She was currently plotting. The system gave her a vacation to the Sunken Springs. The system did not explicitly state she had to bring a terrifying Alpha King along with her. She did not want Axel invading her peaceful beach trip. She wanted to sleep in the hot sun without a giant wolf staring at her all day.

She needed to ditch him.

"Stop the carriage," Rue said suddenly, breaking the quiet silence.

Axel blinked. He leaned forward, his brow furrowing. "What is wrong?"

"I smell something nice," Rue lied completely. Her voice was perfectly flat and entirely unbothered.

She pointed a small finger toward the dark trees outside the frosty window. Her long rabbit ears swiveled fully forward, making her look entirely convinced and focused on the scent.

Axel looked highly confused. He took a deep breath through his nose. He smelled absolutely nothing but wet pine needles and freezing snow. But he knew prey animals like rabbits possessed an incredibly powerful sense of smell.

"What does it smell like?" Axel asked smoothly, his voice low.

"Like sweet berries," Rue answered quickly. "I want them."

Axel immediately reached for the heavy iron handle of the carriage door. "I will go out and get them for you. Stay here where it is warm."

"No," Rue insisted quickly, stopping his hand. She pulled her thick travel cloak tighter around her small shoulders. "I need to go. I have to pick them myself so they do not get squashed. You can come with me."

Axel frowned slightly, but he did not argue with her. He actually liked that she wanted him to come outside with her. He pushed the door open and stepped out into the freezing, deep snow.

He turned around and offered his large, warm hand to help her down the steep steps.

Rue ignored his hand. She held Theron tightly to her chest and stepped down onto the snowy path on her own.

The winter wind hit her face immediately, and she wrapped Theron tightly with his warm blanket. The giant pine trees towered over them, casting dark, scary shadows across the dirt road. The forest was entirely silent. Gianna was still snoring loudly inside the warm carriage, completely unaware of the escape plan.

Axel closed the carriage door quietly so he would not wake his sister. He looked down at Rue.

"Which way, Little Bunny?" Axel asked softly, completely ready to walk into the woods and hunt for berries.

Rue did not answer him. She did not look at the dark trees. She looked straight ahead at the invisible blue screen floating perfectly in front of her face.

The system was waiting patiently for her final command.

[Accept quest to travel to Sunken Springs?]

"Accept," Rue whispered very quietly under her breath.

Axel tilted his head. He took a single step closer to her, his sharp ears catching the tiny sound. "What did you say?"

Rue looked up at his handsome, confused face. Her pink eyes were completely calm. She did not feel sorry at all. She was a mother on a highly important mission to get a tan.

She offered him a tiny, polite wave.

"See you soon, Axel."