Chapter 801: Don’t Call Me Father-In-Law!
The boys’ heads snapped up. Their eyes went wide with relief like they heard their saviour.
"MAMA!"
"MOMMY!"
The boys launched themselves into the arms of a woman who had just appeared.
And the moment Joy saw her, she gasped.
This was because she looked almost exactly like Skadi!
Same face. Same silver eyes. Same silver hair.
But where Skadi was a mess of barely-contained energy, this woman was the picture of calm and gentleness.
Her hair was perfectly maintained, her features soft and welcoming.
Her eyes held a mother’s warmth, the kind that made you feel instantly safe and loved.
And her body—goodness, her body was entirely different from Skadi’s. Where Skadi was muscular beneath her softness, this woman was pure pillow.
Her breasts were abundant and plush, straining against the fabric of her dress.
Her waist was thick and inviting, the kind of pillowy softness you could just rest your face against and fall asleep.
Her hips were wide, the very definition of baby-bearing hips.
She radiated ripeness, maturity, a fertile warmth that was almost overwhelming.
This was, of course, Olga—Skadi’s mother.
"It’s alright, my darlings." Olga cooed, stroking her sons’ heads. "Mama is here. Tell me what happened."
The boys immediately launched into a tearful explanation.
"Big Sis Aisha left us!" Doki wailed. "She betrayed us completely!"
"It’s all because of that damn Cassius!" His brother added. "He stole her away! He stole Big Sis Aisha and Big Sis Skadi!"
"He’s gonna get you as well, Mama!"
Toki grabbed his mother’s hand, tugging her forward.
"Mama, you have to beat him up! You have to show him your wrath!"
Doki grabbed her other hand.
"Yes! Show him who’s boss! Beat him up, Mama!"
Olga allowed herself to be dragged along, her expression indulgent and amused towards Cassius.
"Alright, alright." Olga said, her voice soft and gentle. "If my brave little men need me to handle Young Master Cassius, then I suppose it’s my duty to give him a piece of my mind."
She raised her fist.
"Take that!" She said, swinging it toward Cassius’s face.
But instead of a brutal blow, her hand landed as a gentle pat against his cheek and she caressed his skin softly, almost tenderly.
"And that!" She patted his other cheek.
"This is the wrath of a mother’!"
"Bad boy!"
She continued her ’assault’ each ’punch’ more like a loving caress than an actual attack. Her hands roamed over his face, his hair, his shoulders, her touch lingering just a moment too long.
"Harder, Mama!" Toki demanded. "Put some muscle into it!"
"Yeah, make him cry!" His brother added.
Olga shook her head regretfully. "I’m trying, my darlings, but Mama’s hands are just so weak. This is the absolute best I can do."
"That’s not a punch! You’re just—"
Before he could finish his complaint, a new voice rang out.
"You two again? Can you go five minutes without causing a scene!?"
Whack! Whack!
Both boys were smacked on the head again, this time by a large, calloused hand.
They whirled around, ready to fight, only to freeze at the sight of an weak-looking man.
Their father stood before them.
Theo was a middle-aged wolfkin with brown ears and a bushy brown tail.
He had a large mustache that made him look like a caricature of a grizzled woodsman.
He might have been handsome in his youth, you could see the echoes of it in his sharp jaw and steady eyes.
But now he was thin and frail, like all his vitality had been drained away. He looked like a strong gust of wind would knock him over.
But he still had authority. That much was clear from the way the boys trembled.
"Papa!" They stammered. "We were just—"
"I saw everything." Theo interrupted, grabbing both their ears and pulling them close. "First, you were openly mocking Aisha, who is entirely too patient and sweet to actually throw you into a dumpster..."
"...and then you have the nerve to drag your mother into your petty drama."
The boys whimpered.
"And since when do we ask our mothers to fight our battles?!"
He crouched down to their level, his expression fierce.
"If another man wins over the girl you like, you don’t run to your mama crying. You stand up, you train, and you earn your pride back yourself!"
Olga sighed, shaking her head.
"Dear, please don’t fill their heads with such aggressive nonsense. They’ll turn into total hooligans."
Theo’s expression didn’t soften.
"Good! They need some grit! When someone tries to cross them or take what’s theirs, they need to be ready to throw hands!"
He glared at Cassius as he said the last part, his eyes filled with barely-contained hostility.
Olga tugged on his arm.
"Darling, stop glaring at Young Master Cassius. You really have to give it a break."
"I will NOT give it a break!" Theo declared, pulling Olga behind him protectively. "I’ll always have to be on guard against that boy!"
Joy watched the scene in confusion. "What’s his problem with Cassius?"
Carmela leaned in, her voice low. "I’ve heard rumors from the maids. Well—not heard. More like I listened in on them"
"Anyway, Skadi’s father hates Cassius with a passion. It started when Cassius ’stole’ Skadi from him."
"He’s basically an overprotective father who never expected his precious daughter to leave the nest, let alone for someone like Cassius."
Joy nodded slowly. "That makes sense."
But Carmela’s expression turned sly.
"That’s not all. Cassius’s reputation as a womanizer is well-known, and Skadi’s mother is still very beautiful. He’s terrified Cassius might steal her too."
Joy was taken aback. "You mean he thinks Cassius would...with his own mother-in-law?"
"It’s not unbelievable." Carmela shrugged. "He went after his one sister, so what’s a mother-in-law to him."
Cassius, meanwhile, was trying to smooth things over.
"Please, don’t worry, Father-in-law."
He said smoothly before glancing at Olga and saying,
"I will admit, you have an absolutely beautiful wife. I sometimes find myself looking at the moon and thinking of her face."
Olga blushed deeply. "Oh my." She said, pressing a hand to her chest. "Such flattery."
Theo’s face contorted with rage. "Don’t you dare speak of my wife like that!"
Cassius raised his hands placatingly.
"But I also know that she’s my mother-in-law and happily married to a formidable, legendary man like yourself. I would never dream of crossing that sacred boundary."
"You have my word!"
"I won’t believe it!" Theo shook his head, taking a defensive stance. "I’ve heard all the stories about you! The moment I let my guard down, you’ll steal my wife away from me!"
"Papa!" Skadi whined, stomping her foot. "Stop being mean to Master! He’s never done anything to you!"
Theo looked heartbroken.
"Skadi, you used to be such an adorable little puppy. You used to follow me everywhere when I went hunting."
"And now you’re defending another man against your own father!"
He sniffled, actual tears forming in his eyes.
"I’ve been replaced! My baby girl grew up and completely forgot about her old man!"
Olga quickly took out her handkerchief and began dabbing at her husband’s eyes.
"There, there, dear. Don’t be so dramatic."
The little sisters swarmed their father, hugging his legs and his arms.
"Don’t cry, Papa! We still love you the most!"
"We’re never leaving you!"
"You’re the best Papa ever!"
Theo’s eyes brightened. He scooped up all four daughters in a massive hug.
"My babies! You’re the only ones who truly understand your father! I love you all so much!"
Joy and Carmela watched the chaotic family scene unfold, utterly taken aback.
Each member of the family had such distinct personalities—the sweet, gentle mother, the overprotective father, the fiercely loyal daughter, the mischievous sons, the adorable little sisters.
It was chaos, pure chaos.
But it was also wonderful.
"You can definitely see where Skadi gets her liveliness."
Joy murmured, unable to suppress a smile.
"A mother that’s so fluffy, a father so loud...it only makes sense."
Carmela nodded thoughtfully. "Unlike us, Skadi was always living a happy, comfy, fluffy life. No tragedy, no darkness. Just love."
Joy watched as Skadi hugged Cassius protectively, rubbing herself against him while her father was being held back by Olga.
The little ones were cheering on the sidelines, completely at ease. Despite Theo’s hostility, there was an undeniable warmth to the scene.
"It really puts things into perspective."
Joy said softly, a gentle earnestness in her voice.
"Reminds me exactly why we do what we do out there."
"Why we fight so hard in the shadows."
"To keep families exactly like this one safe from the darkness."
She glanced over at Carmela.
"Makes every single bit of it worth it, doesn’t it?"
Carmela’s smile was soft, her eyes reflecting the warmth of the festival lights.
"Yeah. It really does."
