I Abandoned My Beast Cubs for the Protagonist... Oops?-Chapter 67: Zhāo Yàn vs. Han Shān: Territorial Tug-of-War

After they returned, Bai Yue stood near the central fire, her knees aching from kneeling in the dirt for so long.

Beside her, Yan Shu was slowly finding his breath, his chest heaving beneath the tattered robes of a scholar who was far more accustomed to scrolls than sprinting for his life.

She glanced at Yan Shu from the corner of her eye.

He was trembling, not from cold, but from the overload of emotion. His large, fluffy red panda ears twitched nervously, and his brown eyes kept darting to her, then away, as if he were afraid she might vanish if he looked too long.

He was so soft. So incredibly, painfully soft.

They were all so different, her husbands.

Han Shān was ice and stone, a fortress of stoic protection that required a battering ram to breach.

Zhāo Yàn was fire, a cunning predator who wrapped you in warmth before you realized you were trapped.

But Yan Shu? Yan Shu was like warm water. Gentle, yielding, yet essential for life. The original Bai Yue had shattered him without a second thought, and looking at his hesitant posture now, Bai Yue felt a wave of guilt so strong it nearly brought her to her knees again.

"Papa!" Hóng Yè’s voice cut through the silence. The teenage Red Panda was standing a few feet away, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He looked pissed. His amber eyes were narrowed, darting between Bai Yue and his father.

Yan Shu straightened up. He offered Bai Yue a small, trembling smile.

Before Yan Shu could say anything, a loud crash echoed from the other side of the clearing.

"Move! Move, you filthy fur-bags!"

Cāng Yáo was on the warpath again. The Dragon Princess had recovered from her spicy ordeal and was now back to her usual haughty self. She swatted a poor wolf beastman aside with the back of her hand because he had accidentally stepped on the hem of her shredded silk dress.

"I require sustenance! Where is the chef? Where is the mud-rat who makes the pain-broth?"

Zhāo Yàn was instantly in her path, his nine tails fluffed out to maximum intimidation size. "You will not touch the tribe members, Princess. And you will not demand things from my mate."

"Your mate?" Cāng Yáo scoffed, leaning down so her face was inches from his. "She is my chef now!"

"She belongs to no one but herself!" Zhāo Yàn snarled, baring his fangs.

"My chef!" Cāng Yáo roared, sparking magic crackling around her fists.

Bai Yue groaned, rubbing her temples. "I have a name! It’s Bai Yue! And I am not a kitchen appliance!"

"Enough."

Oh?

Cāng Ji stepped between his sister and the Fox Lord. He looked exhausted, his golden robes still smudged with soot from clinging to the cauldron. He placed a hand on Cāng Yáo’s shoulder. "Sister, you are embarrassing the lineage. Stop beating up the locals."

Cāng Yáo squinted her glowing golden eyes, looking from her brother to Bai Yue. She tilted her head, a smile playing on her swollen lips. "You defend her often, brother. You cling to her hut. You eat her food." She leaned in, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "Do you like this female, Cāng Ji?"

Cāng Ji froze. His golden eyes widened, and a violent shade of crimson exploded across his cheekbones, spreading all the way to the tips of his ears.

"What? No! No, I... I just..." He stammered, his usual arrogance evaporating into thin air. "I just... she has....." The dragon trailed off, stealing a quick glance at a very confused Bai Yue.

"Are you two done talking?"

It was Zhāo Yàn now. The fox was suddenly beside Bai Yue, his arm draped posessively over her shoulders, glaring at the Dragon Prince.

Yan Shu, unsure of what to say or how to respond, nodded quietly. He turned to Han Shān, who had been standing silently nearby. "Thank you, Han Shān," Yan Shu said softly. "For... bringing me here."

Han Shān nodded once. "You needed to see."

Yan Shu offered Bai Yue one last, lingering look, a look full of questions and hope, before he turned and walked toward the cubs. Hóng Yè immediately fell into step beside his father, shooting Bai Yue one last glare before focusing on Yan Shu. Han Shān watched them go, then turned his attention to You Lin and Ruì Xuě, who were peeking out from behind Mo Xiao’s legs.

The Snow Leopard Alpha’s expression softened as he crouched down to gather the cubs, murmuring something low that made Ruì Xuě giggle.

Then, Han Shān stood up. He walked straight toward Bai Yue.

Zhāo Yàn tensed, his tails bristling, but Han Shān ignored him completely. He stopped in front of Bai Yue, his massive frame blocking out the moonlight. He reached out, his large, calloused hand wrapping around her wrist.

"Uh??" Bai Yue squeaked as Han Shān pulled her away from the fire, away from Zhāo Yàn, and away from the staring dragons.

"Hey! Where are you going with her?" Zhāo Yàn called out, taking a step forward.

"To check the perimeter," Han Shān rumbled without looking back. "She needs rest."

"I can walk!" Bai Yue protested, stumbling slightly as Han Shān’s long strides forced her to jog to keep up. "I have been pulled away by one husband tonight already! Argghhh!"

Han Shān didn’t slow down. He didn’t even look at her, but she saw the tips of his white ears turn a faint shade of pink. "You talk too much," he muttered, though his grip on her hand tightened slightly, ensuring she didn’t fall behind.

Bai Yue looked back over her shoulder. The clearing was a chaotic mess of rebuilding beastmen, glaring dragons, and a smug Fox Lord who looked ready to pounce.

But here, in the shadow of the treeline, with the stoic Snow Leopard pulling her gently into the darkness, the noise faded. Her heart was still hurting from Yan Shu’s sadness, still racing from Zhāo Yàn’s possessiveness, and still confused by Cāng Ji’s blush.

"Slow down," she whispered, squeezing his hand back.

Han Shān paused. He looked down at her, his blue eyes glowing in the dark. "No," he said. But he slowed his pace anyway.