𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐋 || 𝐉𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐋

05.

The cub woke once in the late afternoon. Seungcheol gave him some more food, then settled him back to sleep. He found himself drifting off as well, only to wake with a jerk when the cub landed on his chest with a cry.

"What?" He tried to sit up and catch hold of the cub at the same time. The leopard cried plaintively and dug his claws in again.

"Okay," Seungcheol said, rubbing at his eyes. "I'm up. You're up. Let's..." He glanced at the window. It was dark outside. Groaning, he checked his watch.

"It's the middle of the night, kiddo. Time for little cubs to be fast asleep."

The leopard just stared at him, flicking his ears this way and that. Seungcheol listened and worked out what the cub could hear. It might have been quiet inside the house, but the woods outside were a hive of activity at night. Just thinking about it made Seungcheol restless. As the pack's Sentinel, their borders were his responsibility. It had been almost four days since he'd last walked them. Too long. Mindful of what Yuna had said about his state of mind being reflected in the cub's, he decided that was something he should tackle. A restless cub and an equally restless alpha weren't a good combination.

"How about we go on an adventure? I know you've been on one of your own, but it might be nice to stretch our legs and get some fresh air."

He stood and searched around, eventually returning to the bag Eunbi had packed and tugging out a small, thin blanket. It was just the right size for what he needed—fashioning a sling for the cub so he could keep his hands free while they walked. The little leopard wasn't too sure about it when Seungcheol helped him into it. But as soon as Seungcheol stepped outside, any anxiety about the sling was forgotten as the leopard hunched down into it, only his ears visible over the top. Seungcheol pressed a reassuring hand to him, but he didn't think the cub was scared, exactly. More like he was sizing up the new environment.

"You're safe with me, kiddo," he assured him. "I'll protect you. These woods are ours. No one and nothing can hurt you."

He took off walking, continuing to murmur to the cub now and then.

"Hear that? That's a barn owl. They like to hunt mice and voles and things. Not cubs, though, so you don't need to worry."

The cub's eyes, ears, and nose were visible above the top of the sling, taking in everything as they walked. Seungcheol's restlessness eased as he assured himself that nothing along the border had changed. It was the same as it always was.

He noticed the cub squirming more and more as they walked and found a little clearing where he could let him down onto the ground. At first, the cub stood stock still next to him, watching and waiting. But after a moment, he relaxed and raced into the bushes. He emerged a minute later, circling around Seungcheol's legs.

"Doing okay down there?" Seungcheol asked. The cub bumped Seungcheol's leg with his head in answer.

Seungcheol took a seat on a fallen tree trunk and let the cub explore and play. He noticed the leopard kept one eye on him the whole time and would run back to him frequently. Anxious little guy, wasn't he? Seungcheol supposed if he'd been abandoned in the middle of nowhere and left to fend for himself, he might be nervous too.

"Ready to go home, kiddo? It'll be dawn soon. I was thinking some hot milk might be just the thing to warm us up and get us back to sleep."

The cub could have milk. Seungcheol, who needed to get back into a normal daytime routine now that his night shifts were over, would be having coffee, and lots of it.

He got his answer a moment later as the cub raced back to him and nudged at his hand. Seungcheol swooped him up into the sling and settled him securely inside.