Baby System: My Mates Can Read my Mind?

Chapter 91: Episode 091: Can We have One too?

[From here on out. I will focus on Rue’s Life and Her Children Exclusively]

The corridors of the Northern Palace were supposed to be safe and warm, a sanctuary from the blistering snow outside.

But when the doors groaned open, a biting gust of cold air blew inside, and the entire entrance hall felt like it had frozen over.

Iris kept walking anyway. Her options were limited. Behind her was a freezing wilderness full of things that weren’t safe for Skoll. Ahead was the bright, torch-lit corridor. The light felt manageable.

But the sight she brought with her shocked the royal guards.

Iris was practically dragging a completely naked, filthy man into the warm palace corridors.

Skoll looked like hell. Thick mud, dried blood, and black soot coated every inch of his broad, heavily scarred chest. His long, matted brown hair hid most of his face, and he shivered violently under the bright lights, taking painful, limping steps. He looked exactly like a feral beast dragged out of the dark, his body trembling from the sudden temperature change.

The royal guards didn’t know who this was. They didn’t see the lost prince of the Northern pack. They just saw a massive, terrifying monster that had breached their walls.

Spears crossed immediately. Metal clanked loudly.

Skoll panicked.

He bared his sharp fangs, letting out a wet, terrifying growl that rattled the very stones of the palace. He backed up, his body completely tense, absolutely terrified of the bright lights and the men closing in on him. He looked three seconds away from tearing their throats out just to escape back into the cold.

Iris didn’t even flinch. She stepped right between the sharp iron spears and the feral wolf.

She grabbed his dirty face with her bare hands.

"It’s okay, it’s okay," she whispered, doing her best to calm him down because she noticed that he might not like the presence of other people. She kept petting his matted hair, completely ignoring the mud staining her pale skin.

Slowly, miraculously, that terrifying growl turned into a pathetic, shaky whimper.

Down the hall, Rue’s ears swivelled, and she felt goosebumps on her skin. Her nose twitched wildly, picking up the heavy, suffocating scent of a feral predator mixing with the snow.

"Stay here, Rue." Axel quickly warned as they all left the room, including Gianna.

But Rue found herself moving too. She clutched the thick blanket, holding little Theron closer to her chest and forced her legs to carry her out of the guest room to welcome them.

She expected to see chaos. She did not expect to see Iris comforting a giant, naked, filthy man in the middle of the hallway.

And then Axel made a move.

He closed in so fast she hiccuped. He placed his massive body squarely in front of her, becoming a wall between her and the danger to avoid any surprise attacks. He didn’t pull a weapon, but his protective stance was undeniable.

Gianna was beside her, arms crossed tightly over her dark leather tunic, eyeing the dirty wolf suspiciously as if he were a walking disease.

"Look, brother," Iris said, her voice watery and exhausted as she looked past the guards. "Skoll is back home."

Axel’s icy eyes scanned the Skoll. He looked at the ruin of what used to be his friend. And then, Axel smiled. A genuine, warm smile.

He took a slow, deliberate step forward to welcome him.

Skoll lunged forward, pushing Iris behind him to protect her. He let out a deafening howl, his fangs fully bared, completely ready to fight to the death.

Axel was having a problem.

He wanted to welcome his pack member, but Skoll growled, baring his fangs at him so aggressively that Axel had no choice but to stop. Axel stopped immediately. He held his hands up in a placating gesture, completely calm, knowing better than to push a cornered beast.

He leaned back, assessing the situation. Skoll was completely feral. His eyes were wide, glazed, and confused, trying very hard to look unafraid and failing. He was unreasonably defensive. The kind of defensive that made something protective rise in Axel alongside everything else.

The silence in the hallway became so thick it was suffocating. Skoll’s massive chest heaved, his wild eyes darting everywhere. He was a trapped animal, ready to bolt. The guards tightened their grip on their spears, waiting for the Alpha’s command to strike.

Rue tightened her arms around Theron, who just looked at the chaos from inside his blanket.

The only reason why I am standing here safely is because of Gianna and Axel.

[I wouldn’t be so mean as to let you get eaten.]

.... You would.

[...]

"Ba-ba!"

Theron dropped his tiny, wet fist from his mouth and giggled. The baby kicked his chubby legs happily inside the thick white blanket, completely oblivious to the giant, terrifying wolf standing ten feet away. He just liked the bright orange torches flickering on the walls.

Skoll froze.

To everyone’s shock, Skoll only stops growling when he hears little Theron babble.

His ears twitched. The terrifying growl died entirely in his throat.

He looked past Axel’s broad shoulder, his wild gaze locking directly onto the tiny bundle in Rue’s arms.

The feral madness drained from his dirty face in a split second.

He stared at the baby like he was looking at an absolute miracle. The innocent cuteness of the baby left him in awe. He hadn’t seen anything soft, safe, or pure in so long. He spent months in the bloody snow, fighting every single day just to survive, and here was this tiny, happy life just babbling at the light.

Skoll slowly stood up straight. He ignored Axel. He ignored the guards standing by the door with their weapons drawn. He took a tiny, hesitant step forward. He didn’t look aggressive anymore. He just wanted to look at the baby.

Rue stopped shaking.

She frowned. Was he actually calming down?

She expected him to roar again, but instead, he tipped his head, staring at the innocent, babbling child with pure fascination. All the tension completely left his scarred body.

He leaned back into a less aggressive stance, completely disarmed.

He slowly turned his head to look down at Iris standing beside him.

He suddenly blurts out as he looks at Iris, "Can we have one too?"

[Target Skoll secured. Phase 1 Complete. Preparing reward.]