Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 26: Episode : The Wolves are Impatient.

Three Weeks Later.

The concept of time in the Beast World was fluid, but biology didn’t lie. And Beast biology was terrifyingly fast.

It had only been a few weeks since the birth, but baby Drax was in full swing.

It’s no wonder the baby grew so fast in her belly instead of taking 9 months.

Roxy sat on the dais in the Hall of the Peaks, watching the chaos unfold below. The once-silent, gloomy cavern was now a riot of noise.

"Drax! Put that down! That is not food, that is a spear!"

[The gods laugh at baby drax]

Roxy felt an ache in her head building.

Drax, who now looked less like a newborn and more like a human toddler on steroids, was currently dragging a spear twice his size across the stone floor. He stumbled, his little tail whipping for balance, and let out a frustrated roar that sounded more like a baby wail.

He was growing at a rate that defied physics. He could crawl already.

He could stand if he held onto things. And his scales on his skin were hardening into a protective armor that clinked when he fell over.

He was really half human half dragon now. And for some reason, Roxy was itching to see his shift.

"He is strong," Zarek said, sitting beside her, swelling with pride. He reached out and easily plucked the spear from Drax’s grip, replacing it with his rattle. Drax immediately bit it. "He will be a warrior by winter."

Roxy corked an eyebrow.

Is war the only thing you think of?

"No one is going to be a warrior. I don’t want you doing that!" Roxy snapped, but she was smiling.

But Drax wasn’t the only miracle.

Outside, the Clan was lively.

Lyra walked by, her belly now visibly rounded. She was glowing, laughing with Vorian as he tried to feed her extra potatoes.

And she wasn’t alone.

Three other females were showing early signs. Two more had confirmed conception just yesterday. Everything was working as it should be.

The females weren’t starving anymore, so their bodies were receptive. The males weren’t terrifying them with aggression, so the stress was gone.

The Dragon Clan wasn’t dying; so there was nothing she should be doing here.

"All hail the Queen Mother!" a passing warrior shouted, bowing low to Roxy as he carried a basket of grain.

"Hail the Queen!" a group of females echoed, waving at her.

Roxy waved back, her smile strained.

I fucking hate politics, I have to be stretching my face in weird angles to respond to them.

Though I kind of like it. I just can’t get used to it.

They brought her flowers. They brought her the best cuts of meat. They carved statues of her. They treated her like a fragile, divine porcelain doll that had descended from the heavens to bless them.

It made Roxy cringe so bad. And it was suffocating.

[TheWorldSaint wipes a tear. You have created a paradise.]

[TheSassyGoddess rolls her eyes. Paradise is boring, honey. Where is the drama?]

The drama is the ticking clock in my head, Roxy thought grimly. Five days left.

She looked at the happy families. She looked at Zarek, who was currently wrestling with his son on the floor, letting Drax chew on his indestructible arm.

They didn’t need her anymore. Not really. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

She had taught them to farm. She had taught them nutrition. She had taught them how to court. The cycle was self-sustaining now. If she vanished tomorrow, the Dragon Clan would survive.

I’m done here, the realization hit her with the weight of a stone slab. My job is finished.

But saying it and doing it were two different things.

Zarek looked up, catching her eye. He paused his play, sensing the shift in her mood instantly. His smile faded. He stood up, scooping Drax into one arm, and walked up the dais steps.

"You are sad," Zarek stated. It wasn’t a question. "Why? The Clan flourishes. The heir grows. The bed is soft."

"I’m not sad, Z," Roxy lied, smoothing his hair back. "Just... thinking."

"Do not think," Zarek commanded softly, leaning into her touch. "Thinking brings lines to your face. Be happy. You are the Queen. You have everything."

He kissed her palm. "I will hunt for you tonight. A stag. We will feast."

I nodded.

He looked so earnest. So devoted. He had given her his his home, and his heart.

And I’m going to break it, Roxy thought, her heart twisting.

She forced a bright smile. "A stag sounds great, Z. Go. Take Drax. Teach him how to... not set the forest on fire."

Zarek grinned. "He learns fast."

He turned and walked away, holding their son high so the Clan could cheer. Roxy watched them go, the picture of a perfect, happy ending.

As soon as they were out of the main hall, Roxy’s smile dropped. She stood up.

"System," she whispered. "Show me the map."

The blue screen flickered to life. The map of the continent appeared.

The Dragon Territory was a green safe zone. But surrounding it, encroaching on the borders like a dark stain, were red dots.

Wolves.

Thousands of them.

They didn’t need to move for Roxy to know that the wolves were impatient beasts. Like dogs hunting for bones. Once she got the king she was going to give him a huge spank.

[Diplomatic Status: Critical.]

[The Wolf King’s patience has expired.]

Roxy walked to the edge of the dais. She looked at the thriving clan one last time.

She had to go. If she stayed, the Wolves would attack out of desperation. Zarek would fight. Thousands would die. And the peace she built would be washed away in blood.

"I’m so sorry, Z," she breathed.

She turned and walked toward her room to start packing.

But this is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

*****

The wind did take it.

The cheers and happiness of the dragon clan, the smell of milk and the promise of the future.

It crossed the rocky wasteland that separated the Dragon Territory from the rest of the world. It traveled miles in seconds, carried by a magic that defied physics.

It reached the tree line.

The forest here was different. It wasn’t volcanic and warm. It was the Iron-Wood Forest, cold, dark, and silent.

Massive trees with grey bark blocked out the moonlight. The air usually smelled of pine, damp earth, and decay.

But tonight, the wind brought something else.

Deep in the heart of the forest, in a fortress built from woven living roots and grey stone, a King sat on his throne.

Kaelen, Alpha of the Moon Pack, looked nothing like Zarek. Where Zarek was bronze and gold and fire, Kaelen was silver and shadow and ice.

He was leaner, his muscles corded like steel cables rather than bulky boulders. His hair was brown and long, falling over eyes that were a piercing, icy blue.

He was tired.

He sat slumped on his throne, staring at a map of his territory.

"My King," Vorn, his Beta, stood before him. Vorn looked ragged. The encounter with the Dragon King weeks ago had rattled him. "The hunting parties return empty-handed. The deer move south. And... three more elders passed into the Long Sleep last night."

Kaelen didn’t move. He didn’t blink. "And the pups?"

Vorn flinched. "None, My King. The females... they can’t breathe."

Kaelen closed his eyes. The weight of an entire species rested on his shoulders, and his knees were buckling.

Extinction wasn’t a threat anymore; it was just too close. They had maybe two winters left.

"We failed," Kaelen whispered. "The Dragon King has a female. He guards her with fire. We cannot breach the mountain."

"We must try again!" Vorn argued, desperation creeping into his voice. "We must storm the gates! Even if half the pack dies, if we secure the female—"

"If half the pack dies, who is left to breed?" Kaelen slammed his hand on the armrest. "We are Wolves, Vorn. We do not throw lives away on suicide missions."

For centuries, every inter-species mating had ended in death. The females broke. The babies died.

They couldn’t breed their seed.

But this scent... this scent in the air was pure triumph. A healthy heir. A living mother.

"She lives," Kaelen choked out. "She birthed a Dragon, and she lives."

The implications hit him instantly. If she could survive a Dragon, the most destructive, volatile essence in the world, she could survive a Wolf.

She was the key. She wasn’t just a possibility anymore; she was the guarantee.

A low growl started in Kaelen’s chest. It wasn’t anger. It was a pure, unadulterated need. It was the sound of a starving man realizing there is a feast just over the hill.

"Summon the Pack," Kaelen commanded. His voice was no longer tired. It was that of determination.

Vorn blinked. "The hunting party?"

"No," Kaelen turned, "The Dragon King has hoarded the miracle for long enough," Kaelen growled, his claws extending, slicing into the wooden floor. "He thinks he can keep the world’s salvation in a cave? He thinks he can hide the sun?"

He stopped at the balcony, looking toward the distant, smoking peaks of the Dragon Mountains.

"We do not ask this time, Vorn," Kaelen said softly. "We do not bring flowers. We do not trade potatoes."

He threw his head back, and a howl ripped from his throat, a sound of sorrow, rage, and absolute determination.

"WE WILL TAKE HER!"