Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband

Chapter 208: The Bouncing Harvest and the Water-Plums

There was an unspoken rule in the Warlord pack: The greenhouse was neutral territory.

It was my sanctuary. When the noise of five hyperactive beast-cubs and four terrifyingly competitive men became too much, I could step through the heavy ironwood doors and immediately breathe.

The air inside was always perfectly warm, smelling of damp earth, crushed mint, and sweet blooming flowers. High above, Cassian’s magically tempered glass dome let in the exact right amount of sunlight, while Caspian’s beautiful, glowing ice-pipes hummed softly along the wooden beams, misting the plants with fresh water.

It was peaceful. It was quiet.

Well, usually.

"Get back here, you little menace!" I hissed, lunging forward with a woven basket.

*Boing. Boing. Splash.*

I completely missed. The target—a perfectly round, incredibly juicy, bright blue plum—bounced off the edge of the wooden planter, ricocheted off a terra-cotta pot, and landed squarely in a small puddle of water near my boots.

I wiped a strand of silver hair out of my face and let out a frustrated sigh.

I had purchased a rare clipping of a Dancing Water-Plum tree from a traveling merchant. The merchant had warned me that the fruit was "energetic" when ripe, but I hadn’t realized he meant they literally tried to hop away to find the nearest water source so they could sprout.

"Having trouble, Sovereign?"

I turned around. Standing in the open doorway, holding a pink plastic bucket, was Clover. The little bunny-kin was wearing a pair of denim overalls and a wide straw sun hat. Right behind her, looking like a tiny, extremely focused bodyguard, was Vali.

"A little bit," I laughed, holding up my empty basket. "The plums are ripe, but they keep dodging me. I need to harvest them before they bounce out the window."

Vali’s golden eyes widened. His fuzzy wolf ears shot straight up. He looked at the bright blue plum currently vibrating in the puddle near my feet.

"The fruit is running away?" Vali gasped. He immediately dropped into a low, predatory crouch, his tail wagging so hard his entire body shook. "It is prey! I will hunt the fruit, Sovereign! I am the best hunter in the first grade!"

"Vali, wait, they’re delicate—" I started to say.

But the wolf-cub was already in motion. With a fierce, high-pitched howl, Vali launched himself at the nearest planter just as three more blue plums popped off the branch and started bouncing across the dirt.

Vali caught one mid-air, trapping it under his paws. "I got it! I have conquered the blue circle!"

"Don’t squish it!" Clover shrieked, marching over and tapping Vali on the shoulder. She held out her pink bucket. "Bruised fruit loses fifty percent of its market value! You have to handle it gently, Vali. If you smash the inventory, you’re fired from the harvest."

Vali immediately loosened his grip, carefully picking up the unharmed plum with his teeth and gently dropping it into Clover’s bucket.

"Good wolf," Clover praised, patting his messy silver hair. "Now, go flank the ones near the tomatoes. I will secure the perimeter."

I just stood back and watched, highly amused. Vali was darting back and forth across the greenhouse, using his incredible reflexes to snatch the bouncing plums out of the air before they could hit the ground, gently depositing them into Clover’s bucket.

He was practically vibrating with pride every time the little bunny-kin told him he was doing a good job. Rurik would probably faint if he saw his fierce Northern heir taking agricultural orders from a merchant-cub, but they made a surprisingly effective team.

"Look out!" Vali yelled. "A big one is making a break for it!"

I looked up. A massive, perfectly ripe water-plum had launched itself from the very top of the tree. It was arcing high through the air, heading straight for the open ventilation window near the roof. Vali jumped, but he wasn’t tall enough to reach it.

Suddenly, a sphere of water materialized in the air, wrapping perfectly around the flying plum and freezing it in place.

The water bubble floated gently downward, landing perfectly in the palm of a large, calloused hand.

Caspian stepped into the greenhouse, ducking his head slightly to clear the doorway. My husband was dressed casually in a soft linen shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His iridescent hair caught the sunlight pouring through the glass dome, and his teal eyes were crinkled at the corners in a warm, lazy smile.

"The fruit is trying to escape?" Caspian chuckled, handing the massive blue plum to a wide-eyed Vali. "You grow very strange things, Little Rose."

"They’re water-plums," I smiled, walking over to him. "They’re incredibly sweet, but they have a bit of a survival instinct. Thank you for the assist."

"Anytime," Caspian murmured. He reached out, his thumb gently wiping a smudge of dirt from my cheek. His touch was cool and soothing against my warm skin. "I was looking for you. The manor is too quiet. Orion and Jasper are in the library doing math, and Arjun is making Rurik do tactical pushups in the courtyard."

"And you decided to hide in here with me?" I teased, leaning into his hand.

"I always seek out the best view," he replied smoothly, his eyes dropping briefly to my lips.

"Bucket is full!" Clover announced loudly, completely ruining the romantic moment.

Caspian let out a soft, rumbling laugh, stepping back to let the kids through. Clover was struggling to carry the pink bucket, which was now overflowing with vibrant blue, slightly vibrating plums.

Vali instantly puffed out his chest and grabbed the handle. "I will carry the heavy cargo! I am strong!"

"Thank you, Vali," Clover said primly, adjusting her sun hat. She looked up at me. "Sovereign Primrose, what are you going to make with these? Can we eat them now?"

"We could," I said, tapping my chin. "But if you give me an hour, I can turn them into a caramelized water-plum tart with a vanilla bean crust. The heat stops them from bouncing, and the sugar makes a syrup that tastes like blueberry and honey."

Vali let out a dramatic gasp. "Honey-syrup?"

"Yep. But I need you two to guard the bucket in the kitchen while I wash up. Can you do that?"

"The perimeter will be secured!" Vali barked, already marching toward the doors with the heavy bucket. Clover trailed right behind him, ensuring he didn’t bump the fruit against the doorframe.

Once they were gone, the greenhouse fell quiet again, save for the gentle hum of the magical irrigation pipes.

I turned back to my gardening table, picking up my empty basket and a small trowel. Before I could start cleaning up the spilled dirt, Caspian stepped up behind me. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist, pulling my back flush against his chest.

"You work too hard," Caspian whispered, resting his chin on my shoulder. He breathed in deeply, his nose brushing against my neck. "You smell like sunlight and mint."

"I smell like dirt and sweat," I corrected with a soft laugh, resting my hands over his. "The farm-to-table lifestyle is messy."

"It suits you," he murmured.

He gently turned me around in his arms, trapping me comfortably against the wooden gardening table. The air in the greenhouse was warm, but the subtle, cool magic radiating from him was the perfect contrast.

"You know," Caspian said, his teal eyes darkening slightly as his gaze locked onto mine. "If you make a water-plum tart, Cassian is going to complain about the sugar content, Rurik is going to eat half of it in one bite, and the cubs are going to have a sugar crash by sunset."

"Probably," I smiled, wrapping my arms loosely around his neck. "Are you trying to talk me out of baking?"

"Never," Caspian chuckled softly. "I just think the chef deserves a moment of peace before she faces the chaos of the kitchen."

He didn’t wait for an answer. He leaned down and captured my lips.

The kiss was slow and deep, tasting like sea salt and the sweet, humid air of the greenhouse. My silver tails curled happily around his legs, anchoring him to me as his hands slid to the small of my back, pulling me impossibly closer. He kissed me with the steady, overwhelming devotion of the ocean tide, making my knees feel completely weak.

When we finally broke apart, I was breathless, resting my forehead against his chest. I could hear his heart hammering a rapid, heavy rhythm.

"Okay," I whispered, my voice a little shaky. "Peace achieved. I should probably go make that tart before Vali tries to eat a bouncing plum raw and chokes."

Caspian sighed, a sound of profound reluctance, but he slowly let me go. He picked up my empty basket, his eyes still dark and heavy with affection.

"Lead the way, my Sovereign," he said, offering me his arm. "Let’s go feed the wolves."

I took his arm, looking around my perfect, quiet little greenhouse one last time before heading back into the beautiful madness of our home.