Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband

Chapter 230: The Warlord Academy for Gifted Waterfowl

Silence in an estate full of beast-cubs is never a sign of peace. It is a sign of a highly coordinated conspiracy.

I stood at the kitchen window, holding a soapy dishcloth, and narrowed my eyes at the southern courtyard. For the last forty-five minutes, all six Warlord cubs had been completely absent from the manor. There had been no explosions, no howling, and no arguments over who got the last honey-biscuit.

It was highly suspicious.

I dried my hands on my apron, pushed open the patio doors, and stepped out into the afternoon sun to investigate. I followed the faint sound of splashing and tiny, high-pitched peeps toward the lower eastern gardens, where the Duck-kin refugee pavilions had been set up.

When I peered around the thick floral hedges, I had to clap a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

The Warlord cubs had officially established a military training camp for the rescued avian children.

About a dozen wide-eyed, fluffy duck-kin fledglings and bird-cubs were lined up in a surprisingly neat row on the grass. Standing directly at the front of the line, acting as the proud, shining example of Warlord excellence, was Pip. The toddler was wearing his signature bright yellow canvas raincoat, a tiny wooden toy sword strapped to his waist.

"Attention, Waterfowl Squadron!" Arjun barked. The nine-year-old tiger-cub was pacing back and forth in front of the line of fledglings, his hands clasped behind his back like a hardened drill sergeant. "The world is full of predators! But you are under the protection of the Warlord Pack now. We will teach you how to survive extreme combat scenarios!"

Standing near the edge of the newly built bathing pool was Orion. The nine-year-old Jaoiren merman prince had his hands raised, his eyes focused in deep concentration. Pale blue water magic swirled around his fingertips. With a graceful flick of his wrists, Orion pulled a stream of water directly from the pool, freezing it mid-air to form a series of hovering, liquid hoops for the older bird-kids to practice flying through.

"Keep your wings tucked tight on the descent!" Orion called out encouragingly, manipulating the water rings to gently lower as a brave little eagle-kin hopped through them. "Let the water guide your aerodynamics!"

"Tactical obstacle course is functioning at optimal levels," Jasper noted from his high stool, acting as the overseer. The little snake-cub adjusted his round glasses, furiously scribbling in his leather notebook. Clover was standing right beside him with a small first-aid kit, her bunny ears twitching with serious concentration, ready to apply bandages to any scraped knees.

"Alright, recruits!" Vali howled, hopping onto a large tree stump to address the line of fluffy ducklings. The silver wolf-cub thumped his chest proudly. "You have to learn the Alpha Roar! A battle is won before it begins if you can terrify your opponent!"

The ducklings blinked at him, completely un-terrifying.

"Watch my Head of Security," Vali instructed, pointing down at Pip. "Pip, show them how to strike fear into the hearts of the enemy! Be a monster!"

Pip took a deep breath. His little chest puffed out under the yellow raincoat. He squeezed his eyes shut, tilted his head back, and unleashed his fury upon the heavens.

"HONK!"

The sheer, concentrated volume of the toddler’s shriek echoed across the gardens.

Inspired by their fearless leader, the entire line of avian fledglings threw their heads back and joined in.

*Peep! Honk! Chirp! SQUAWK!* It sounded less like a terrifying war cry and more like a highly agitated petting zoo, but Vali looked incredibly proud.

"Devastating," Jasper noted from his stool. "The synchronized sonic frequency of the waterfowl call is highly disorienting. A perfect psychological attack."

"Excellent!" Arjun praised, giving a sharp nod. "Now, onto stealth tactics. Silas, demonstrate the shadow-walk."

Silas, who had been sitting quietly on the grass, stood up. The little panther-cub didn’t make a single sound. He moved with the fluid, eerie grace of his older brother, slipping behind a nearby tree trunk and practically vanishing into the shade.

"A true Warlord knows how to disappear," Silas whispered softly from the shadows. "Now you hide. Become the night."

Pip nodded fiercely. He understood the assignment. He immediately dropped to the grass, sat cross-legged in the middle of the bright, sunlit lawn, and aggressively slapped both of his chubby hands directly over his own eyes.

Taking his lead, twelve other fluffy ducklings immediately sat down in the grass and covered their eyes with their tiny wings. If they couldn’t see the predators, the predators obviously couldn’t see them.

"By the ancestors," Arjun gasped in awe, playing along perfectly. "They have completely disappeared from my tactical line of sight. The flock is untraceable."

"Their stealth technique is revolutionary," a low, deadly voice murmured from behind me.

I jumped, spinning around. Lucien and Juni had silently walked up behind me on the path. Juni was pressing both hands over her mouth, her silver-tipped wings trembling slightly as she tried to suppress a massive fit of laughter.

Lucien, however, was not laughing. The Lord of Shadows was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, his violet eyes fixed on his son with absolute, overwhelming pride.

"You aren’t actually agreeing with them?" Juni whispered, leaning against Lucien’s side to keep from laughing out loud. "They are sitting in the middle of an open field covering their eyes."

"It is a bold strategy," Lucien defended in a deadpan rumble, though the corners of his lips were twitching upward. "They are lulling the enemy into a false sense of security before they strike."

"Let us observe the final trial," I smiled, gesturing for them to stay quiet as we watched the madness unfold.

"Alright, recruits!" Arjun announced, drawing a wooden practice sword. "You have mastered intimidation and stealth. Now, you must face a live target! Vali, release the training monster!"

"Releasing the monster!" Vali cheered.

Right on cue, the heavy thud of massive boots echoed from the main pathway.

Rurik came marching around the corner, carrying a literal redwood trunk over his shoulder for the manor’s hearth fires. The Wolf Warlord was sweating, his golden eyes bright and cheerful.

"Ho, cubs!" Rurik boomed, grinning widely as he saw the gathering. "Are we playing war? Point me toward the enemy!"

"He is the enemy!" Arjun yelled, pointing his wooden sword directly at the massive, terrifying Warlord. "Ambush the Northern Wolf! Waterfowl Squadron, attack!"

Rurik stopped in his tracks, blinking down as a dozen tiny, fluffy bird-cubs and one waddling toddler in a bright yellow raincoat suddenly charged at him.

Pip let out a ferocious, high-pitched battle-honk. He rushed forward, leading the infantry, and whacked Rurik’s massive, steel-toed leather boot with his toy sword. *Tink.* The other ducklings immediately swarmed Rurik’s ankles, peeping aggressively and flapping their wings.

The gardens went entirely silent.

Rurik looked down at his boots. He looked at the swarm of furious fluff. He looked at the Warlord cubs who were watching him with absolute, breath-holding anticipation.

Rurik’s golden eyes widened in mock horror. He dropped the massive redwood trunk onto the grass with a heavy thud.

"AGH!" Rurik bellowed at the top of his lungs, clutching his chest as if he had just been pierced by a ballista bolt. "The yellow warrior and his sky-army! Their strike is too powerful! My northern armor has been breached!"

Pip looked up, entirely mesmerized.

Rurik stumbled backward, his arms flailing dramatically. "Tell the Sovereign... I love her beef roast!"

With a final, earth-shattering groan, the massive Wolf Warlord collapsed backward onto the soft grass, sprawling his arms out and throwing his tongue out the side of his mouth to play dead.

The cubs erupted into absolute pandemonium.

"They defeated the Alpha!" Vali howled proudly, sprinting over and hoisting Pip’s arm into the air like a champion gladiator, while the other ducklings cheered and hopped around the fallen wolf.

"The tactical simulation is a complete success," Jasper nodded approvingly, closing his notebook.

From the hedges, Juni finally let out a bright, ringing laugh, no longer able to hide it. She stepped out into the open, with Lucien and I right behind her. The adult bird-kins who had been watching from the pavilions also began to clap, entirely charmed by the Warlord pack’s absolute dedication to making their children feel brave.

"Well done, warriors," Juni smiled, walking over and scooping Pip up into her arms, completely ignoring the fact that he was supposed to be a ruthless gladiator. She kissed his chubby cheek. "You saved the manor, my brave little bird."

"Mama! I stab the big dog!" Pip cheered, waving his wooden sword.

Rurik cracked one golden eye open from his spot on the grass, a massive, toothy grin spreading across his face. He sat up, being careful not to squish any of the ducklings surrounding him. "The boy has a heavy swing, silver-wing! Give him a few years, and I will forge him a real battle-axe!"

"Over my dead body," Juni replied sweetly, though her eyes were shining with fond amusement.

Orion let the water rings splash harmlessly back into the pool, jogging over to join his family. "They are very fast learners, Auntie Juni! The avian recruits are officially cleared for active duty."

Lucien walked over, his dark, elegant boots stepping over the grass. He stopped in front of Juni and gently took the wooden sword from Pip’s hand, tucking it safely into his own belt. He looked down at the toddler, his violet eyes completely soft.

"Your technique is flawless, Pip," Lucien murmured, reaching out to gently adjust the giant stuffed frog eyes on the raincoat’s hood. "But a true Warlord also knows when it is time to retreat to the mess hall. I believe Sovereign Primrose has prepared warm apple tarts."

At the mention of the word "tarts," all the Warlord cubs and the entire Waterfowl Squadron instantly snapped to attention.

"Tactical retreat to the kitchen!" Arjun commanded, already turning toward the manor.

"Move! Move! Move!" Vali barked, grabbing Clover’s hand and helping herd the flock of ducklings toward the patio doors.

In less than ten seconds, the entire "training camp" was abandoned, leaving only the adults in the sunlit gardens.

Rurik laughed, hauling the massive log back onto his shoulder. "I am going to eat five tarts to recover from my grievous battle wounds. Coming, shadow-cat?"

"In a moment," Lucien replied, not taking his eyes off Juni.

As Rurik tromped toward the house, I gave the couple a knowing smile and quietly slipped inside as well, leaving them alone in the garden.

Lucien reached out, his large hands gently settling on Juni’s waist. He stepped closer, pulling both her and the toddler she was holding into the safety of his chest.

"They love him," Lucien said quietly, resting his chin on the top of her golden hair. "The entire pack. He will never have to fight alone."

Juni leaned into him, letting out a soft, contented sigh. She looked at the abandoned water pool, and then up at the beautiful, quiet manor that had become her sanctuary.

"I know," Juni whispered, her free hand resting over Lucien’s heart. "Neither will we."