Chapter 167: Episode 166: Taking care of Seika

Rue closed the bedroom door behind her.

She just wanted a nap. Her back hurt. Her feet felt sore. She left little Seika in the living room with four giant warlords. They insisted they could handle one tiny baby for a few hours.

"I’ve got her," Knox had promised, puffing out his massive chest. "Go sleep. She’s just a little cub."

Rue warned them. She knew the truth. Seika slept most of the day, looking like a perfect little angel. But when she woke up, she was a menace. She demanded constant motion. She hated sitting still.

Out in the main hall, the four men stood around a padded woven basket. They stared down at the sleeping baby.

"She looks so peaceful," Axel whispered, leaning over the edge. The white wolf kept his hands tucked inside his pockets. He didn’t want to wake her up.

"She sleeps like a rock," Knox agreed. He crossed his thick arms. "I don’t know why Rue looked so tired. This is easy."

Caius sat at the heavy oak table. He read a thick leather book, flipping a page quietly. "Don’t speak too soon, panther. Babies are unpredictable."

Drax stood near the cold fireplace. He watched the baby with soft, dark eyes. He liked the quiet house.

Ten minutes passed. The house stayed dead silent.

Then, a tiny rustle came from the basket.

Knox stiffened. His golden panther ears twitched. He leaned closer to the basket.

Seika wiggled her little nose. Her dark curls fell over her pale forehead. She kicked her tiny legs against the pink blanket. Her bright golden eyes snapped open. She blinked at the tall wooden ceiling.

She let out a soft, breathy coo.

"Hey there, little princess," Knox cooed back. He reached his large, scarred hand down. He brushed his rough thumb against her soft cheek.

Seika didn’t smile. She scrunched up her tiny face. Her golden eyes narrowed. She took a very deep breath. Her tiny chest expanded.

Then, she screamed.

The sound was deafening. It didn’t sound like a soft human baby crying. It sounded like a tiny, furious wildcat. The high-pitched wail echoed off the stone walls. It rattled the wooden bowls sitting on the kitchen counter.

Knox jumped back. His eyes went wide with pure panic. "What did I do? I just touched her cheek!"

"You scared her," Axel laughed, stepping up to the basket. "Move over, dog. Let a real expert handle this."

Axel reached down and scooped the crying baby up. He supported her tiny head just like Rue taught him. He brought her close to his chest. He started bouncing on his heels, offering her a bright, confident smile.

"Shh, it’s okay," Axel hummed. "Uncle Axel is here."

Seika didn’t care. She hated the bouncing. She reached her tiny, pale hands up. Her little fingers curled into tight fists. She grabbed a thick handful of Axel’s messy white hair. She yanked it down with a surprising amount of raw strength.

Axel yelped. His confident smile vanished. He tilted his head down to stop her from ripping his hair out by the roots.

"Ow! Let go!" Axel pleaded. He tried to gently pry her tiny fingers open. She just squeezed tighter and screamed louder. "She’s so strong! Why is she so strong?"

"She has panther blood," Knox stated proudly, even though he stayed a safe distance away.

Caius shut his thick book. The Serpent Alpha stood up from the table. He walked over to the struggling wolf. He didn’t look panicked. He looked very calm and analytical.

"She’s hungry," Caius stated flatly. "Her feeding schedule dictates she needs milk right now. Hand her to me."

Axel managed to free his hair. He quickly passed the screaming baby to Caius. He rubbed his sore scalp, taking a big step back.

Caius held Seika with smooth, practiced ease. He carried her into the kitchen. He warmed a small bottle of milk Rue left on the counter. He tested a drop on his pale wrist to make sure it wasn’t too hot. He walked back into the living room, pressing the bottle to Seika’s lips.

Seika stopped crying instantly. She latched onto the bottle. She drank the warm milk with fierce, greedy gulps.

The loud room fell quiet again.

The men let out a shared sigh of relief.

"See?" Caius murmured softly. "You just have to apply logic. Babies operate on basic needs."

Seika finished the milk in record time. She pushed the empty bottle away with her tiny fist. Caius lifted her up to his shoulder. He patted her back very gently to help her burp.

Seika let out a tiny burp. Then she opened her mouth and spit up a mouthful of warm milk right down the back of Caius’s dark, neat shirt.

The cold snake warlord froze. He slowly turned his head. He looked at the white puddle soaking into his expensive clothes. His golden eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

Axel burst into loud, barking laughter. He pointed a finger at the snake, doubling over.

Caius glared at the wolf. He held the baby out. "Take her. Now."

"I’m not touching her," Axel wheezed, backing away fast. "She’s a tiny weapon."

Drax stepped forward. The Dragon King looked tired of the foolishness. He wiped his hands on his dark trousers. He walked up to Caius and took the baby.

Drax held Seika in front of his broad chest. He didn’t bounce her. He didn’t sing to her. He just looked right into her golden eyes. He let a tiny fraction of his heavy, ancient dragon aura leak out. It usually forced any wild beast in the room to submit and go quiet.

"Sleep," Drax commanded. His deep voice rumbled like thunder.

Seika stared at the scary dragon. She blinked her golden eyes. She wasn’t scared of him. She lived in a house full of apex predators. She shared her father’s wild, stubborn blood. She didn’t like being told what to do.

She took another deep breath. She let out a wail even louder than the first one. She kicked her legs, thrashing in Drax’s strong grip. She wanted to move. She wanted a specific rhythm.

Drax frowned. His dark eyes showed a hint of real fear. He fought rival kings without flinching. He burned rogue armies to ash. But this tiny, crying baby defeated him in ten seconds. He didn’t know how to fix it.

"Give her back," Knox groaned, stepping up to the dragon.

Knox took his daughter. He pulled her tight against his broad chest. He supported her bottom with one massive hand. He rubbed her back with the other.

He took a step forward.

Seika’s crying hitched. She went quiet for a split second.

Knox took another step. He bounced his knees just a tiny bit.

Seika let out a soft coo. She liked that.

Knox stopped walking to smile at her.

Seika started screaming again.

"Keep moving!" Axel yelled, covering his sensitive wolf ears with his hands.

Knox started walking again. He paced across the living room rug. He found the exact rhythm she demanded. Two steps forward. One bounce. Turn around. Two steps forward. One bounce.

If he slowed down, she fussed. If he bounced too hard, she wailed. He had to keep the pace absolutely perfect.

The giant panther warlord marched back and forth across the stone floor. He walked past the cold hearth. He walked past the heavy dining table. He walked past Axel, who watched him with wide, terrified eyes.

Ten minutes turned into twenty. Twenty minutes turned into an hour.

Sweat beaded on Knox’s forehead. A single drop rolled down his scarred cheek. His thick biceps burned from holding her in the exact same position. His knees ached from the constant, repetitive bouncing. He didn’t dare stop. He didn’t dare complain.

Caius sat back down at the table. He changed his ruined shirt. He watched the panther march with a look of deep sympathy. Drax leaned against the front door, offering silent support.

Finally, the heavy, demanding energy left the baby’s tiny body.

Seika’s little head dropped against Knox’s chest. Her golden eyes fluttered shut. Her fast, angry breathing slowed down into a deep, even rhythm. She let out a tiny sigh, blowing a soft bubble of spit on Knox’s dark shirt.

She fell into a deep sleep.

Knox froze in the middle of the rug. He didn’t move a single muscle. He barely even breathed. He looked down at her sleeping face.

He looked up at the other men. His golden eyes screamed for help.

Axel pointed a shaky finger toward the woven basket on the floor.

Knox nodded very slowly. He took a quiet step forward. He moved like he was walking through a field of deadly traps. His boot touched the floor without making a single sound. He took another step.

He reached the basket.

He lowered his arms with agonizing slowness. Every inch felt like an hour. His muscles trembled under the strain of moving so carefully. He finally touched the pink blanket to the bottom of the basket. He slipped his large hands out from under her tiny body one finger at a time.

He pulled his hands away.

Seika didn’t stir. She stayed fast asleep.

Knox took a massive step back.

The tension in the room broke all at once. The adrenaline drained right out of their veins. The fierce, terrifying warlords hit their absolute limit.

Knox collapsed backward. He hit the woven rug, sprawling out flat on his back. He stared at the ceiling, chest heaving.

Axel slumped against the heavy stone wall. He slid down until he hit the floor, resting his head on his knees.

Caius dropped his forehead right onto his thick leather book, letting out a long, exhausted groan.

Drax leaned his heavy head back against the thick wooden door, closing his dark eyes.

They looked like they just survived a brutal ten-day war. They were battered, bruised, and covered in baby spit.

The living room stayed perfectly quiet for one long minute.

Then, a soft rustle came from the dark hallway.

Mochi crept into the room. The little leopard girl stayed in her human form. Her bright silver curls bounced around her face. Her blue eyes looked wide and curious. She heard all the loud screaming earlier. She wanted to know what happened.

She saw the men lying on the floor. She ignored them. She zeroed in on the woven basket. She wanted to poke the baby’s squishy cheeks.

She took a step toward the basket.

A massive, scarred hand shot out from the floor.

Knox quickly grabbed her ankle. He yanked the little girl backward before she could take another step. He pulled her flat onto the rug right beside him. He clamped his other hand gently over her mouth, pinning her in place so she wouldn’t make a single noise.

Mochi’s blue eyes went wide. She looked at Knox.

The giant panther put a single finger over his lips. He glared at her with wild, desperate eyes.

Around the room, Axel, Caius, and Drax let out a long, shaky breath.

"Phew..." they echoed.