Chapter 96: Episode 096: I want to keep her.
Rue couldn’t help the soft giggle that escaped her throat.
She scooped the angry baby boy right up into her arms. He crossed his tiny arms tightly. His lower lip stuck out in a massive pout. He completely refused to look at the fuzzy gray animal sitting on the bed.
"It’s okay, little guy," Rue whispered. She kissed his chubby cheek. "You’re my number one. Always."
Theron uncrossed his arms. He grabbed a handful of her white hair and babbled a soft complaint. He wanted to make sure she understood he was in charge here.
Down on the sheets, the tiny snow leopard watched them. The cub tilted her round head. Her bright blue eyes blinked slowly in the sunlight. She seemed to understand that she had upset the human baby. Animals in the Beastworld were incredibly smart, even the infants.
The little female cub wobbled forward on her short legs. She didn’t try to steal Rue’s attention again. She didn’t cry for more milk. Instead, she bumped her tiny, wet nose directly against Theron’s dangling foot.
She let out a soft, vibrating purr. It was a clear apology.
Theron looked down. He stared at the fuzzy gray head rubbing against his toes. He uncurled his fist. He slowly reached out and patted the cub’s soft ears. The jealousy vanished entirely. He offered the cub a bright, toothless smile.
Rue felt a massive wave of relief wash over her. She didn’t want to deal with two fighting babies on her first day of vacation.
The afternoon stretched out beautifully. The Sunken Springs resort was exactly what Rue needed to forget the freezing North. The warm tropical wind blew straight through the open balcony doors. The giant blue pools bubbled softly outside, sending wisps of hot steam into the air. The heavy scent of blooming flowers filled the large room.
She didn’t have to wear heavy furs anymore. She didn’t have to shiver every time she took a breath.
Her body loved the heat. All the heavy tension holding her spine rigid completely melted away. Her long silver-white ears finally relaxed, flopping loosely down the sides of her head. She felt completely safe.
But she wasn’t on vacation yet. She still had a very important job to do.
The system said the cub had severe digestive issues. Rue knew exactly how scary that was. Her own rabbit body required constant, specific food just to keep her stomach working properly. If she stopped eating, her gut would shut down entirely. A sick baby carnivore was even more fragile. One bad meal could be fatal.
Rue spent the next four hours sitting cross-legged on the large woven bed. She completely ignored the inviting hot springs outside. She watched the little snow leopard closely. She monitored every single thing the cub did.
When the cub woke up from a short nap, Rue was ready.
"Open the shop," Rue whispered.
The blue screen appeared instantly in the warm air.
[Purchasing: Beastworld Carnivore Hydration Drops. Cost: 10 points.]
A small glass dropper appeared directly in her hand. Rue carefully picked up the little girl. She squeezed two tiny drops of the clear liquid onto the cub’s pink tongue. The little leopard smacked her lips and swallowed quickly.
Rue placed her hand flat against the cub’s belly. She checked the firmness. It wasn’t tight or hard anymore. It felt soft and pleasantly warm.
"Good girl," Rue said gently. She stroked the dark spots on the cub’s back.
She prepared another tiny bottle of the specialized formula. She didn’t rush the feeding. She let the cub drink very slowly. She pulled the bottle away every few minutes to let the baby breathe so she wouldn’t throw up on the clean white sheets.
Theron sat right next to them the entire time. He played with his carved wooden blocks, but he kept looking over at the fuzzy animal. He clearly decided the cub was his new best friend. Whenever the cub let out a tiny squeak, Theron babbled back loudly.
[Patient hydration levels: Optimal.]
[Patient digestive tract: Stabilized. Danger passed.]
Rue smiled at the floating text. She swiped her hand through the air, closing the screen. She didn’t need a digital reward to know she did a good job. The cub was breathing evenly and looking around the room with bright, curious eyes.
Rue gently wiped the excess milk from the cub’s whiskers with a soft cloth. The little girl purred loudly and licked Rue’s thumb with a rough, tiny tongue.
"You’re very welcome," Rue told her.
While the babies played quietly on the sheets, Rue decided she needed more information. She couldn’t just adopt a random wild animal without knowing where it came from.
"System," Rue whispered. "Why was she rejected? Where is her actual mother?"
The blue screen popped back up immediately.
[Scanning local resort data.]
[Patient was discovered abandoned near the hot spring vents yesterday. Snow Leopards are native to the high mountains, not the tropical springs. The mother likely dropped the weakest cub during transit to ensure the survival of the rest of the litter. This is a common Beastworld survival tactic.]
Rue frowned deeply. Her ears drooped slightly in pure sadness.
She couldn’t imagine just leaving a baby behind because it was weak. She looked at the tiny gray ball of fluff. The cub wasn’t weak anymore. She was a fighter. She just needed a little bit of help and some warm milk.
"Well, her mother is an idiot," Rue said firmly. "She’s perfectly fine."
[Host, you cannot insult wild apex predators. It is bad for your health.]
"I’m inside a locked room," Rue shot back. "I’ll insult whoever I want."
She reached out and scratched the cub right behind her fuzzy ears. The little leopard leaned entirely into the touch, soaking up the affection she never got from her real family.
While the babies were finally settled and playing without needing her constant attention, Rue stepped out onto the wide stone balcony.
The wooden floor felt incredibly warm under her bare feet. She leaned her hands against the smooth railing and looked out over the Sunken Springs. Massive pools of turquoise water stepped down the hillside like giant, glowing stairs. Thick white steam drifted lazily into the air. Colorful tropical birds flew between the massive green palm trees, calling out to each other with bright, musical chirps.
It was a literal paradise.
She took a deep breath of the damp, sweet air. Her nose twitched slowly, completely relaxed. She didn’t smell any danger. She didn’t smell wet pine needles or freezing snow or feral wolves. She just smelled flowers.
For the first time in weeks, Rue actually felt her shoulders drop. She didn’t have to be on high alert. She didn’t have to pretend she wasn’t terrified. She could just exist. She could be a normal girl hanging out in a beautiful place.
She turned her head and looked back into the suite.
Theron and the cub were wrestling gently on the soft sheets. Theron was laughing a loud, breathless laugh while the little leopard playfully chewed on his sleeve.
Rue smiled. She didn’t care about the system’s crazy rules right now. She didn’t care about the Convergence or the warlords. She just cared about the two tiny lives bouncing around on the bed.
The sun slowly started to set over the tall tropical trees. The bright yellow light filling the suite turned into a deep, warm orange. The shadows in the large room grew much longer. The evening air cooled down just a fraction, making the room incredibly comfortable.
Rue felt her own eyes getting heavy. She hadn’t slept well in days. The long carriage ride with Axel was exhausting. Now, she finally had a quiet moment.
The little cub let out a massive yawn. Her tiny pink tongue curled all the way up. She stretched her short legs out as far as they could go.
Theron yawned a second later. He rubbed his golden eyes with his chubby fists.
It was definitely bedtime for the babies.
Rue gathered the soft white pillows and made a safe, low nest right in the middle of the giant mattress. She placed Theron down first. He wiggled a few times until he found the perfect spot. He closed his eyes and immediately popped his thumb into his mouth.
Rue turned back and picked up the little snow leopard. She intended to put the cub in a separate pile of soft towels at the foot of the bed. She wanted to make sure they didn’t accidentally kick each other during the night.
But the cub didn’t want her own bed.
The tiny animal squirmed right out of Rue’s hands. She landed softly on the mattress and wobbled directly over to Theron. She sniffed his chubby cheek. Then she curled her small, fuzzy body into a tight ball right against Theron’s warm side.
She rested her chin perfectly on his arm and closed her bright blue eyes.
A soft, rhythmic purr completely filled the quiet room.
Rue stood perfectly still by the side of the bed. She stared down at the two sleeping babies.
The innocent cuteness was entirely overwhelming. It hit her right in the centre of her chest. She didn’t try to logically analyse the feeling. She didn’t force her brain to file it away under a clinical label. She just let herself feel it. She was a mother, and these tiny creatures trusted her completely.
Her heart melted into a puddle.
"I want to keep her!"