Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-three

Predictably, Lance was swimming with not just one cub on his back but eight. The clear water reflected the lazy clouds and the soft blue sky. Ripples from Lances slow movements looked as though he was wearing a cape of blue silk and the cubs were the buttons.

"A feral!? Wont he eat the cubs?" The color had drained from Qin's face and the whites of her eyes shown around her teal irises in fear.

Did she not recognize Lance? 

"That's my mate. And he doesn't eat cubs."

She looked at me and compared Lance's mark around my neck to the real McCoy. Visibly relieved, her clenched hands moved back to her hips. It was an interesting reaction. I hadn't pegged her for someone that cared about cubs. Maybe it's only her own she doesn't care for? Granted, if my cubs were destined to grow up to be my mates, I might not be as invested in their longevity either. The thought made me feel ill.

Laura chuckled as she watched the scene, "Lance is very good with the cubs. We couldn't keep them from seeking him out even if we tried. Floating on the lake is their favorite game."

Qin gave Laura a quizzical look, "And your mates are fine with that?"

She shrugged, "Our dear Lance is stronger than any male in the village. It would be silly to argue against having our cubs watched and protected by him."

Qin scoffed, "It's not wise to trust a feral."

Winston interrupted, "Lance has proven himself to be trustworthy and you are in no position to question our judgment."

Qin glared at my Tiger King and then turned away from him angrily, "Hmmph!"

Lance finally noticed our presence and started making his way over to us with his passengers. As soon as he got to shallower waters, he dipped down, depositing the cubs and forcing them to swim the rest of the way. They were all old enough that they had no issues keeping their heads above water and when their little paws could touch ground, they began a splashing war.

Kit in all his dripping Canidae glory ran straight for me. The thought of wet fox smell on my clothes made me take a step back. Shuu, noticing my hesitancy to receive the soaked cub intercepted him. In wolf form, he picked the cub up by his scruff and tossed him back into the shallows, then jumped in after him to begin their own battle. Laura's males chuckled and one followed suit as their own cubs thought they should rescue their slightly older comrade. Soon, four fox cubs faced off against one full grown fox and a wolf. The other cubs that had been on Lance earlier thought that was unfair and joined Kit's side. The adults were soon overpowered and lost beneath a doggy pile of saturated fur.

Lance, ignoring the ensuing chaos, shifted and walked up the pebbly shore like a male siren come for my soul. He combed a hand through his green hair. His muscles rippled and rivulets of water traced their outlines. I held my breath for a moment. The scent of my arousal must have caught on the slight breeze because my mates turned their noses to catch it.

The eagles, noticing Qin similarly staring at Lance's bipedal form were not to be outdone. All three ripped off their skirts and jumped into the water in an attempt to achieve the same effect. Unfortunately, their feathers don't react to water in the same way and instead of looking like juicy pieces of meat, they looked like fluffballs as their hair puffed out to reject the moisture.

Lance reached my side and held my hand, "What's with all the extra eyes. Are we going to be putting on a show?"

I blushed hard and smacked him on the arm. "No. Don't be cheeky. They're village guests and the others volunteered to show them around."

He probably knew very well who she was after everything I'd told him of the Ape King's mate. I would explain the details of her arrival later.

"Hmm?" He responded disinterestedly and went back to trying to seduce me by trailing his fingers up my arms to the back of my neck.