Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: You looked good killing that creature

They did not return to Riverbone through the front entrance.

The main path was still crawling with infected.

Even from far away, Swanly could hear them dragging their bodies against the roots, scratching at the stone walls, snapping at the guards above as if hunger alone could help them climb.

So Thalara led them around the side, through a narrow path hidden behind a wall of wet vines and crooked trees.

No one spoke for a long time.

They had survived.

That fact felt too large to touch.

Kael walked beside Swanly in human form now, one arm wrapped around her waist. His grip was firm, possessive and warm, his fingers spread across her side as if he still needed to keep checking that she was there, that she was breathing, that the Rot Nest had not swallowed her when he blinked.

The second cub slept against his shoulder.

His small face was still pale from crying. One tiny hand held Swanly’s torn sleeve even in sleep, and every now and then his fingers twitched as if he was still trying to hold on through the nightmare.

Swanly’s heart hurt each time she looked at him.

She wanted to carry him herself, but her arms were shaking too badly.

Kael knew.

He did not say it.

He only pulled her closer until her shoulder brushed his chest while they walked.

”You are touching me a lot,” Swanly muttered.

Kael looked down at her.

His golden eyes were dark with exhaustion, but there was something soft in them too, something fierce and almost helpless.

”I nearly watched the forest take you.”

Swanly’s mouth closed.

Fine.

That was a valid reason.

She let him hold her.

Raku walked behind them with a stone weapon resting over one shoulder. Mud covered half his body. Blood stained his claws, tail and chest, but not his mouth.

Even in the worst madness, he had remembered not to bite infected flesh. Swanly respected that. A crocodile beastman with self-control was apparently a terrifying blessing.

Soren moved farther ahead, his white tail dragging through the damp leaves.

He looked awful.

That was the only honest word for it.

His skin was too pale. Black blood stained the corner of his mouth. The remaining half of the Cleanbirth Seed was wrapped in leaves and held tightly in his hand, but his fingers trembled around it no matter how much he tried to hide it.

He was still standing because arrogance had bones.

That was Swanly’s current theory.

The path ahead was empty except for wet vines, crooked roots, and the faint sound of Riverbone’s guards in the distance.

Swanly kept watching the trees anyway.

She was too tired not to.

Kael suddenly looked at her again.

Swanly raised a brow. ”What?”

”You looked good killing that monster.”

She nearly tripped.

Raku made a rough choking sound that might have been a laugh.

Soren’s tail paused for one breath, then moved again.

Swanly stared at Kael. ”That is what you want to say right now?”

Kael’s fingers tightened at her waist.

”I did not know you could do that.”

There was pride in his voice.

Not fear.

Not suspicion.

Pride.

It warmed something inside her before she could stop it. Her chin lifted a little.

”Well,” she said, pretending her heart was not preening like a ridiculous bird, ”I am very impressive when my baby is bitten and the swamp decides to be stupid.”

A small golden flash appeared inside her mind.

The system floated there with its hands on its hips.

{Of course you looked good. It was because of me.}

Swanly’s eyes narrowed.

Do not ruin my moment.

{Host, I provided targeting, scanning, weapon support and emotional stability.}

You did not provide emotional stability.

{I provided violence stability.}

Swanly glared harder.

The system coughed, then vanished with a tiny poof.

Swanly looked away as if nothing had happened.

Kael watched her face.

”You are speaking to the magic again?”

”No.”

”You are lying.”

”I am recovering from battle. Do not interrogate your mate.”

Kael’s mouth curved faintly.

For a moment, the path felt almost normal.

A wounded family walking back after disaster. A tired mate keeping her close. A sleeping cub between them. The air was cleaner now, no longer rotten-sweet, and Riverbone’s outer wall was close enough that Swanly could hear distant voices.

Then she stopped.

Kael stopped with her at once.

”What is it?”

Swanly’s gaze moved to Soren’s back.

The question struck her so suddenly that she felt foolish for not thinking of it earlier.

”Soren.”

The white snake stopped.

He did not turn immediately.

Swanly’s hand moved to Kael’s arm.

”You hugged your infected brother.”

The silence changed.

Raku looked over.

Kael’s fingers tightened at her waist.

Swanly’s heartbeat quickened as the full thought settled in her mind.

”You held him. You pressed your forehead to his. You killed him with your fingers. His blood touched you.” Her eyes dropped to Soren’s shoulder. ”And that infected creature grazed you when you saved my cub.”

Soren slowly turned.

His silver eyes were cold, but his face was too sick for the coldness to work properly.

Swanly took one step back.

Kael immediately moved with her, placing half his body in front of her.

”You should be infected.”

Raku did not step back.

That made Swanly notice him too.

The crocodile beastman only looked tired, not afraid.

Swanly frowned. ”Why are you not scared?”

Raku’s gaze stayed on Soren.

”Because he would have turned long ago if that could take him.”

Swanly looked back at Soren.

Soren wiped the black blood from his mouth with his thumb.

”I cannot get infected.”

Swanly stared at him.

”What?”

”I said,” Soren repeated, slower now, as if speaking to a difficult child, ”I cannot get infected.”

Swanly’s fear turned into disbelief.

”No. That is not possible.”

”It is.”

”How?”

”I just cannot.”

”That is not an explanation.”

”Do you want me to prove it to you?”

Swanly did not answer.

For some reason she did not belive him at all and her gut kept telling her something was wrong.

And besides why did he look unsually pale too?

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