Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband

Chapter 233: The Official Claim

The Warlord feasts were always a spectacular display of culinary excess and absolute chaos, but tonight’s celebration carried a different weight. It wasn’t just a celebration of survival; it was the christening of a new home.

As the night deepened and the fairy-lights strung through the ancient oak branches began to glow against the dark sky, the noise in the gardens finally began to settle. Rurik was snoring loudly by the hearth-fire, a half-eaten loaf of bread resting on his chest. Cassian was carefully wiping sticky berry juice off Jasper’s face, and Caspian was sitting beside me on a woven blanket, his arm wrapped securely around my waist as we watched the fireflies dance.

But my eyes were fixed on the two figures slipping quietly away from the crowd.

Lucien gently took Juni’s hand, lacing his fingers through hers. He didn’t say a word, just offered a soft, silent invitation with his violet eyes. Juni smiled, her silver-tipped wings fluttering lightly as she let the Panther Warlord lead her away from the noisy camp and up the winding rope bridge toward the highest tree-palace.

When they reached the expansive wooden balcony, the world below seemed to entirely fade away. The ocean stretched out before them, a vast expanse of dark, glittering glass beneath the full moon.

Juni walked to the railing, taking a deep breath of the cool, salt-tinged air. She felt lighter than she had in years. The heavy, suffocating mantle of fear had been completely lifted, replaced by the steady, quiet warmth of the man standing right behind her.

Lucien didn’t hover in the shadows this time. He stepped directly into the moonlight, stopping just a breath away from her.

"It is beautiful up here," Juni whispered, leaning back against him.

"It is," Lucien agreed, though he wasn’t looking at the ocean. He was looking entirely at her.

He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around so they were face-to-face. The deadly, terrifying assassin was gone. In his place was a man whose heart was practically beating out of his chest, completely stripped of his armor and defenses.

Lucien took a slow, deep breath. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, incredibly delicate box carved from dark redwood.

Juni’s breath caught in her throat. Her golden eyes widened as she looked from the box up to his face.

Lucien didn’t just stand there. With the fluid, deliberate grace of a Warlord pledging his absolute loyalty, the Lord of Shadows dropped to one knee on the wooden floorboards.

"Lucien..." Juni gasped softly, her hands flying to cover her mouth.

"In the Empire, a Warlord claims his mate with a display of power," Lucien began, his low, rough voice trembling with raw, unfiltered emotion. "He offers conquered lands, or the spoils of war. But I know you do not want those things, Juni. You have already survived a war."

He opened the wooden box.

Inside didn’t sit a bulky, ostentatious Warlord band. It was a stunning, delicate ring woven from dark, enchanted silver that seemed to absorb the moonlight, twisting elegantly around a single, flawless white sapphire. It was the perfect marriage of shadow and starlight.

"When I found you in that cavern, I thought I was walking into the dark to deliver death," Lucien whispered, his violet eyes locking onto hers with a devastating, overwhelming devotion. "But instead, I found the sun. I found a woman who fought an army to protect her son. I found the only light I will ever need."

Tears immediately spilled over Juni’s eyelashes, tracking silently down her cheeks. She lowered her hands, her silver-tipped wings wrapping slightly forward as if to embrace him.

Lucien’s gaze remained entirely steady, though his scarred hand shook slightly as he held the ring up.

"I cannot replace the man who gave you the sky," Lucien vowed, honoring Sora’s memory with a profound, heavy respect. "But I swear to you, Juni... I will be the earth you land on. I will be the shield at your back. I will raise Pip as my own blood, and I will spend my last breath ensuring you never have to be afraid again."

He swallowed hard, laying his soul completely bare.

"Claim me, silver-wing," Lucien murmured. "Let me be your shadow. Let me be your home."

Juni didn’t even hesitate.

With a choked, watery sob, she dropped to her knees right in front of him on the wooden floorboards. She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Yes," Juni cried, holding him as tightly as she possibly could. "Yes, Lucien. Always yes."

Lucien let out a ragged breath—a sound of such absolute, crushing relief that it echoed in the quiet night. He wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her golden hair, holding her like she was the only real thing in the world.

Magic flared around them. It wasn’t a violent explosion, but a soft, breathtaking pulse. A swirl of dark, comforting shadow magic intertwined perfectly with a bright, glowing current of pale-blue wind magic, spiraling up toward the sky and sealing the Warlord mating bond for eternity.

Lucien pulled back just enough to slide the beautiful dark-silver ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. He cupped her face in his large, calloused hands, gently wiping away her tears with his thumbs before leaning in.

Their lips met in a kiss that was a promise, a surrender, and an absolute vow of protection. It was slow, heavy, and completely perfect.

"PAPA!"

The romantic, breathless silence was violently shattered by the squeak of tiny rubber boots.

Lucien and Juni broke apart, both of them gasping in surprise, as they looked toward the doorway of the tree-palace.

Standing there, rubbing his eyes sleepily but looking incredibly determined, was Pip. The toddler had somehow managed to wiggle out of his bed, and he was currently wearing his yellow frog raincoat directly over his pajamas.

"Pip," Juni laughed, wiping her eyes as a fresh wave of happy tears threatened to spill. "Sweetheart, you’re supposed to be sleeping."

Pip ignored his mother completely. He waddled directly over to Lucien, who was still kneeling on the floorboards. The toddler reached into his little raincoat pocket and pulled out a slightly squished, half-eaten honey-biscuit that he had definitely stolen from the feast, alongside a shiny piece of blue sea-glass he had found in the courtyard.

With absolute, unwavering seriousness, Pip shoved both items directly into Lucien’s face.

"For Papa," Pip announced proudly.

Lucien stared at the sticky biscuit and the piece of sea-glass. The terrifying, lethal assassin felt his heart completely melt. He gently took the gifts, holding them with as much reverence as he had held the diamond ring.

"Thank you, Pip," Lucien whispered, his voice incredibly thick.

Pip stepped forward, throwing his chubby arms around Lucien’s neck in a massive, sticky hug. "My Papa."

Lucien closed his eyes, wrapping one arm securely around the toddler, and reached his other arm out to pull Juni against his side.

But before the circle could close, the shadows in the corner of the balcony shifted.

A tiny, silent figure stepped out into the moonlight. Silas hadn’t stayed down in the bushes with the loud Warlords. The five-year-old panther-cub had used his own budding magic to shadow-walk up to the tree-palace, wanting to make sure his older brother was okay.

Silas stood a few feet away, his small hands clutching the hem of his shirt. His large violet eyes were wide and shining with unshed tears. For his entire life, Silas had only known a cold, lonely brother who lived in the dark.

Lucien opened his eyes and saw the little cub standing there. The Lord of Shadows didn’t say a word. He just smiled—a real, fully open smile—and extended his free arm toward his little brother.

Silas let out a tiny, choked sob. He ran forward, throwing his arms around Lucien’s waist and burying his face in his brother’s dark shirt.

Juni shifted her weight, extending her magnificent silver-tipped wings to wrap entirely around all three of her boys, pulling Silas perfectly into the center of the family.

"My Silas," Pip mumbled sleepily, reaching out to pat the panther-cub’s messy dark hair.

"You aren’t losing me, Silas," Lucien whispered fiercely into the little boy’s hair, resting his hand on the back of his brother’s neck. "We just have a bigger den now."

Silas nodded against his chest, completely overwhelmed with happiness. He finally had a mother-figure, a loud little nephew, and a brother who knew how to smile.

Down in the bushes near the base of the tree, the rest of the Warlord pack was doing a terrible job of hiding.

"Did he do it? Did she say yes?!" Vali whisper-yelled, trying to climb onto Rurik’s shoulders to get a better view.

"Of course she said yes, you loud pup," Rurik sniffled loudly. The massive Wolf Warlord was aggressively wiping his golden eyes with the back of his hand. "I am not crying! It is the wood smoke! The hearth fire is irritating my corneas!"

"Your physiological response is a direct result of emotional overstimulation," Cassian noted dryly, though he was polishing his glasses with a pristine handkerchief entirely too fast for someone who wasn’t also crying. "And keep your voice down. You will ruin the statistical perfection of the moment."

I leaned against Caspian’s chest, hiding my massive, watery smile against his tunic.

"They did it," I whispered, watching the new family hold each other on the balcony above, perfectly sheltered by Juni’s wings.

"Indeed," Caspian murmured, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the top of my head. His teal eyes were warm and completely satisfied. "The shadow-cat is officially off the market. It appears we have a Warlord wedding to plan."