Lost and Found

Crime and Punishment

The cubs are now 2 weeks old. I did not think they could get any cuter, but when they opened their eyes to reveal the same glorious blue of their fathers, I lost it. I was a blubbering, melted pile of goo. Any hardships that I imagined from their ravenous feeding flew right out of the window.

It is a cuteness overload watching them attempting to walk. Stumbling about in pursuit of their current obsession. It is either milk or one of their fathers voices.

Alder is due to be released tomorrow. Finlay pulled through and teamed up with McBurney to facilitate his release.

All due to the elaborate plan to rescue the lord from blackmail has now been set in motion.

Arron, Thorne and Rowan have gone to do their part. They expect to be gone for two days. Felix and Luca are attempting to distract me with as many games as they can imagine.

It's all a bit to rambunctious for my frayed nerves.

Needing a little peace and quiet I take a long soak in a hot bath.

I wake up still in the now cold bath. I quickly get dressed against the chill and go to main bedroom.

It's too quiet.

I have the feeling that someone is watching me.

Where are my males? The boys? The cubs?

I spot Marsh, Felix and Luca on the bed. Are they asleep too?

No. They would never sleep all at the same time. There is usually at least two awake at any time.

Unconscious? No movement from my males, just the slow rise and fall of their breaths. They are alive at least.

I quickly scan the room for the cubs.

I spot them in the far corner, their basket on its side. Them cowering behind a defensive and angry looking Umber. I start racing towards them.

As if sensing me they start fussing. Umber hisses. His attention is on the doorway behind me.

Oh no. someone is here. My mates are knocked out, what do I do? I need to protect them and our cubs.

Where is my knife? I will need that and more.

I look towards the low table. It's there, I can see it just under some material.

It will look suspicious if I just go to it. It will look suspicious if I do not check my mates or the cubs.

I see movement in the shadows. The knife is between me and it.

The beastman steps forward with a sinister grin on his face. Ovie.

I race to the table and reach for the knife. My fingers just touch it as his fist hits my face.

It's not like in the movies, where you can shrug it off and continue. It hurts a lot. I lose my balance and my vision goes dark around the edges. The pain radiates across the left hand side of my face, a headache already forming.

My vision focuses in on the knife, just within reaching distance. Get knife, protect cubs.

This time I manage to grab it as his foot connects with my stomach.

I relax as much as possible and let my body be taken by the force of the kick.

It still hurts. Badly. I lay on my back struggling to take a breath. My head is pounding along with my stomach.

The cubs. I need to get to them. He is still here.

I roll further away from him, onto my hands and knees.