Baby System: My Mates Can Read my Mind?

Rue grabbed the squirming grey furball right out of the air.

She moved fast, snatching the tiny snow leopard before the cub could launch a second attack. She pulled the baby animal tight against her chest and took a big step backwards in the deep snow. The little cub was hissing loudly. It sounded like a tiny, angry teapot.

Axel didn’t move. He just stood there in the freezing forest.

Three thin red lines slowly appeared across his pale cheek. The cub actually managed to scratch him.

"I’m sorry," Rue said quickly. She held the hissing cub securely. "She’s a feisty one."

Axel reached up. He touched his cheek with his large fingers. He looked at the tiny drop of blood on his skin. He didn’t look angry at all. He actually smiled. It was a soft, highly amused smile.

He closed his eyes for a single second. The skin on his cheek pulled itself together. The three red scratches simply vanished, leaving his face perfectly smooth again. He didn’t need bandages or potions. He just healed himself freely.

Rue let out a long breath. She was relieved. She really didn’t want to explain why her new pet attacked the King of the North.

Axel tilted his head. He looked at the fuzzy grey cub in her arms. Then he looked at Theron. Finally, his icy blue eyes locked onto Rue.

"Where exactly did you go?" Axel asked smoothly.

Rue opened her mouth. She tried to think of a good, believable lie.

Before she could say a single word, the dark trees around them started to shake. The wind picked up, howling through the pine needles.

The loud, painful headache inside Rue’s mind vanished. The frantic yelling from the mind-link went totally silent.

That meant they were here.

Massive footsteps crunched violently through the snow. The sound was loud in the quiet forest. Two giant figures broke through the tree line, stepping directly into the small clearing.

Caius looked terrifying.

The Serpent Alpha’s black hair was wild. His golden eyes were red. His dark fur coat was covered in ice and dirt. He looked like he had just fought a war. Knox was right beside him. The giant panther beastman was breathing hard, his hands balled into massive fists. They both looked ready to kill everything in the forest.

Then they spotted her.

They crossed the snowy clearing in a second. They ignored the giant white wolf standing right there. They only saw Rue.

Caius reached her first. His cold hands grabbed her small shoulders. He pulled her slightly closer, his red eyes scanning her face, her arms, and her clothes. He was frantically looking for any injuries. Knox stepped up right behind him, growling low in his chest as he checked the dark trees for hidden enemies.

Theron squealed with absolute joy.

The baby boy recognised his father immediately. He reached his chubby little hands out, ignoring the cold. He wanted Caius to hold him.

But the little snow leopard was not happy at all.

The cub saw two brand new, massive predators touching her new mother. The tiny cat puffed her grey fur up until she looked twice her normal size. She wiggled out of Rue’s arms and dropped safely onto the snow. She stood right in front of Rue’s boots. She bared her tiny teeth and let out a fierce, vibrating growl at the two giant men.

Caius stopped checking Rue’s shoulders. He looked down at the snow. His red eyes blinked. He had no idea what this tiny grey thing was.

Knox took a step closer. The cub hissed directly at the giant panther, raising her tiny paws like she was ready to fight him to the death.

"Hold on," Rue said quickly.

She didn’t want the giant men to accidentally step on the tiny cat. She also didn’t want the brave little cub to scratch Caius. She knelt down in the deep snow, ignoring the wet cold seeping into her jeans. She scooped the angry little leopard back into her hands.

"It’s okay," Rue whispered gently to the cub. "They’re safe. They’re just very loud."

She petted the cub’s head slowly. She rubbed behind the fuzzy ears until the grey fur flattened out. The cub stopped hissing and let out a soft purr instead. Rue set the baby down gently inside her open travel bag, making sure she was safe and warm.

Then Rue stood back up.

She looked at Caius. She saw the total exhaustion lines around his mouth. She saw the absolute panic slowly fading from his face. She remembered the cold hospital room in New York. She remembered spending years totally alone, knowing nobody was ever coming to check on her or look for her.

These two terrifying men just tore the whole world apart just to find her.

Her quiet, unbothered wall broke. She didn’t try to stop it. She didn’t try to hide it.

She stepped forward and threw herself directly into Caius’s arms.

She wrapped her hands tight around his waist. She buried her face deep into his thick black coat. It smelled like the deep swamps, wet stones, and green candles. It smelled exactly like home.

"I missed you," Rue mumbled into his chest.

Caius froze. He hadn’t heard her say anything like that before. His large arms came up and wrapped tightly around her small back, crushing her safely against him. His red eyes slowly shifted back to their normal, calm gold. He buried his face in her silver-white hair. He just held her, letting out a long, shaky breath.

Knox crossed his massive arms. He watched them for a few seconds. Then he cleared his throat loudly.

"What about my hug?" Knox complained. His deep voice was rough and tired. "I ran across three different mountains. My boots are ruined."

Rue turned her head slightly. She looked at the giant panther. A real, genuine smile spread across her face.

"Come here, you big guy," Rue said.

Knox didn’t wait. He stepped right in and wrapped his massive arms around both of them. He lifted Rue off the snowy ground. He squished her in a giant, warm bear hug. She could barely breathe under the weight of the two giant men, but she didn’t care at all. She felt safe.

For a solid minute, it was just the three of them and the babies. They stood together in the freezing forest, totally wrapped up in their own emotional reunion. They forgot they were not alone.

Somebody coughed.

It was a polite, quiet sound. It cut right through the sweet moment.

Knox put Rue back down on the ground. She turned her head and looked past Caius’s broad shoulder.

Axel was still standing there.

The King of the North watched the entire hugging session. His arms were crossed over his broad chest. His icy blue eyes were locked on Caius and Knox. He didn’t look angry, but he didn’t look friendly either. He looked like a wild wolf, carefully assessing a brand new threat.

Caius turned his head. His golden eyes locked onto the white-haired wolf.

The temperature in the forest seemed to drop another ten degrees. The quiet swamp predator stared at the Northern warlord. Knox stepped slightly in front of Rue, his panther instincts instantly taking over to block her from danger.

Rue swallowed hard. Her long ears twitched nervously.

She looked at the three giant, highly dangerous warlords standing in a circle in the snow. The silence was. It was awkward. Nobody moved. Nobody said a word.

Rue nervously looked at the white-haired wolf. Then she looked back at the serpent and the panther.

"Cai, Knox," Rue said quietly, breaking the silence. "This is Axel, the King of the North."