Chapter 101: Regret And New Realizations!
After the news that Neve dropped like a bomb...
People starting shouting and gasping. They were even talking over each other, trying to process what Neve had just announced.
"Pregnant?!"
"Did he say pregnant?!"
"A male is pregnant?!"
"That red panda can get pregnant?!"
"Oh my god, is it actually true?"
"The red panda is carrying cubs!"
The noise was overwhelming. Everyone in the village was reacting. The leopard tribe was shocked but accepting. The tiger tribe looked like they could not decide if they were angry or amazed. Everyone else was just confused and fascinated.
Cael’s hand was frozen on Neve’s stomach.
His eyes were wide. His mouth was slightly open. He looked like he was trying to process what Neve had just told him.
Then slowly, his expression began to change.
A smile started to form on his face. A real smile. A genuine smile.
"I’m going to be a father?" Cael asked, his voice filled with wonder and joy.
"Yes," Neve said simply.
Cael pulled Neve into his arms, lifting him up and spinning him around carefully, being mindful of the pregnancy. The crowd watched as the leopard prince held his mate like he was the most precious thing in the world.
The noise of the village seemed to fade into the background.
All that mattered was this moment. This announcement. This proof that Neve belonged here. That Neve was building a life here. That Neve was creating a future with them.
Ryker was watching with complicated emotions on his face. Joy for Cael. Anticipation for his own turn. Protectiveness for Neve and the cubs.
Kelly looked like he was already imagining his future with Neve and children of his own.
Sorin was smiling, clearly relieved that something good was coming out of all this chaos.
The entire village was erupting in reaction to the news that their red panda was pregnant.
Bella, where she was being held by the hefty beastmen, heard the news clearly.
Even from across the village square, even with all the chaos and noise, her ears picked up every single word.
Neve was pregnant. A male was pregnant. The red panda could carry cubs.
"How is that possible?" she asked aloud, her voice filled with shock and confusion. "A pregnant male?"
"Quiet!" one of the men holding her arm barked.
His grip around her arm tightened painfully. She winced and tried to pull away, but his hold was unrelenting.
Bella glared up at him with all the fury she could muster.
"How dare you?" she snapped. "I’m the princess of this tribe."
The man laughed, a harsh sound that echoed through the square.
"You mean former princess," he said coldly. "Once your punishment is complete, I doubt anyone in this pack will let you live. You’ll be a pariah. You’ll be nothing."
Bella’s eyes widened as the reality of her situation crashed down on her.
She had not thought about what happened after the de-fanging and the Pariah Status announcement. She had been too focused on the horror of losing her fangs. Too focused on the embarrassment of being punished publicly.
But now she understood.
She had enemies. So many enemies in this tribe. People she had wronged or insulted or ignored over the years. People who had been waiting for an excuse to hurt her. The only thing that had kept her safe was the protection that came with being the daughter of the former chief. The respect that came with her status and her bloodline.
Now that Soren had stripped all of that away, she had nothing. No protection. No status. No respect.
And without those things, the people who hated her could do whatever they wanted to her.
She could die. Actually, truly die.
The thought terrified her more than anything else ever had.
She did not want to die. She did not want to be vulnerable. She did not want to be powerless.
But that was exactly what she had become.
’I need to find a way out of this,’
.
Meanwhile, while some of the beastmen in the square were genuinely happy for Neve and Cael, a large group from the tiger tribe was painted with a different emotion entirely.
Regret.
Deep, profound regret.
They stood together in their section of the crowd, watching Cael hold Neve like he was the most precious thing in the world. Watching the joy on both their faces. Watching the leopard prince kiss Neve’s forehead tenderly.
The tiger beastmen were processing something they had not considered before.
They had been against Ryker’s bonding with Neve. Their reasons had seemed logical at the time. A male could not contribute to the tribe. A male could not bear cubs for the survival of the species. A male was not useful for population growth.
If they had only known that Neve could get pregnant, they would have never opposed the bonding. They would have been thrilled. They would have celebrated. They would have encouraged Ryker to bond with him immediately.
Instead, they had tried to prevent it. They had pushed Ryker into giving up his chieftaincy. They had made him choose between his tribe and his mate.
And in doing so, they had lost the most valuable member of their tribe. They had lost the person who could have given them cubs. They had lost the key to their tribe’s survival and growth.
The regret was crushing.
One of the tiger warriors turned to another and shook his head.
"We made a mistake," he said quietly. "A huge mistake."
"Yeah," the other agreed. "We should have just asked. We should have been more open-minded. We should have given him a chance."
But there was no way to undo what had been done. Ryker was no longer their chief. Neve was bonded to Cael now. The leopard tribe had the treasure. The tiger tribe had nothing but regret and lost opportunities.
Some of the tiger beastmen looked angry at themselves. Some looked like they wanted to approach Neve and apologize. But they held back, respecting the moment that was happening.
Cael was still holding Neve in his arms, his face buried in Neve’s hair, breathing in his scent. It was a moment of pure connection. A moment of pure joy.
Kelly was standing nearby with tears in his eyes, happy for Cael but also anticipating his own turn to bond with Neve and have cubs.
Ryker was watching with a complicated expression on his face. There was joy for Cael. There was anticipation for when he would be the one holding Neve like this, knowing that the cub growing inside was his own creation. There was protectiveness for Neve and the cubs that would come.
Sorin was smiling genuinely, clearly relieved that something good and joyful had come out of all the chaos and betrayal of the past few hours. The pregnancy was a sign of hope. It was a sign of future. It was a sign that despite all the problems and the enemies and the outcasts, they were going to survive. They were going to grow. They were going to thrive.
The entire village continued to erupt in reaction to the news.
People were asking questions. How was it possible? When would the cub be born? Would there be more cubs? How long would the pregnancy last? Could a male carry multiple cubs at once?
The questions were endless.
But Neve just stayed in Cael’s arms, letting the leopard prince hold him, letting the moment wash over him. He was tired. His stomach still hurt from the early pregnancy symptoms. But he was also happy. Genuinely happy.