Felicity's Beast World Apocalypse

Chapter 296: Building A Home

He gathered her limp body against his chest, wrapping his powerful arms around her possessively. The warmth of her against him, the scent of their coupling, the evidence of his claiming dripping down her thighs, it was everything. His eyes grew heavy, a bone-deep exhaustion washing over him. With Felicity secure in his embrace, he surrendered to sleep, falling into a darkness so profound that not even dreams could reach him.

The door creaked open. Victor entered first, his silver hair catching the dim light, his red eyes immediately finding Felicity’s limp form. The others followed, Voss with his calculating gaze, Damien’s brooding presence, Ivan’s stoic strength, and Lucan’s lithe figure sliding in last. Exile was visibly absent, still unconscious somewhere in the hallway.

"The bastard," Victor growled, his voice a dangerous rumble as he took in the scene Felicity covered in Dimitri’s seed, the man himself unconscious with her in his arms.

Voss moved forward first, producing a cloth from somewhere in his vest. "Focus on her," he commanded quietly. "We’ll deal with him later."

Ivan and Damien helped Victor carefully extract Felicity from Dimitri’s grasp. The man didn’t stir, not even when they moved his arms. Victor cradled her against his chest, his expression softening as he looked down at her blissful face.

"She needs to be cleaned," Victor said, already turning toward the veil that would lead to her space dimension.

"Wait," Voss said suddenly, his attention now on Dimitri’s still form. He knelt beside the unconscious man, studying him intently. "Something’s wrong."

Damien snorted, a dark humor in his voice. "Maybe he fucked himself to death."

Lucan chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Wouldn’t that be convenient? One less rival for our little treasure."

"Not dead," Voss said, pressing two fingers to Dimitri’s neck. His eyes widened slightly. "He’s... levelling up."

The room fell silent.

"Levelling?" Ivan asked, his stoic expression cracking slightly. "From sex?"

Voss nodded slowly. "His system signature is fluctuating dramatically. He’s breaking through a major threshold past level 100, I’d wager."

Damien looked between Dimitri and Felicity’s unconscious forms in Victor’s arms. "But she’s just passed out from the sex, right? Not levelling?"

"Correct," Voss confirmed. "Her system shows normal sleep patterns. But his..." He shook his head. "This is unprecedented."

Lucan’s eyes suddenly lit up with calculating interest. "Wait a moment. Are you telling me that having sex with Felicity is now a way to grind levels? To break through barriers that have been impossible for every team?"

Voss’s expression turned grave. "It would appear so."

"We must keep this secret," Victor said immediately, his arms tightening protectively around Felicity. "If others discover this..."

"They’ll hunt her," Ivan finished grimly. "Use her as nothing more than a power source."

Voss stood, his expression thoughtful. "We need to monitor both of them. Dimitri’s ascension could have unforeseen consequences. And Felicity..." He looked at her peaceful face. "We need to understand what’s happening to her."

Victor nodded, already moving toward the door. "I’ll take her to bathe. The rest of you, keep watch over Dimitri. If he wakes up, I want to know immediately."

As Victor disappeared with Felicity into her space dimension, the remaining men gathered around Dimitri’s unconscious form, a new tension filling the room. Whatever had just happened had changed everything, and none of them was quite sure what that meant for their future.

——- Later that day ——-

The hammer came down with a vengeance, echoing through the compound like thunder. Lucan wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, leaving a smear of dirt across his forehead. This wasn’t just any construction project; this was for the future.

"You’re putting that support beam in the wrong spot," Thane called from across the room, his voice carrying that infuriating sing-song quality that made Lucan’s jaw clench.

"It’s exactly where it needs to be." Lucan glared at the beam in question, the scar on his cheek pulling tight as he frowned. "Unless you want the whole thing to collapse when the cubs get rowdy."

From the doorway, Ivan’s massive frame blocked the light as he dragged in another sheet of plywood. "They’ll need separate sleeping areas. Boys and girls."

Lucan rolled his eyes. "They’re babies, not teenagers."

"Still," Ivan said, his voice a low rumble that filled the room, "they’ll need privacy eventually."

Thane hopped down from the ladder, tools jangling at his belt. "I’m telling you, we should make it symmetrical. Two cribs on each side, with a central play area." His hands sketched shapes in the air. "That way, Frost and Luna can easily check on both sides from the door."

Lucan scoffed, driving another nail into the wall. The nursery had to be perfect. After everything they’d been through, the attacks, the near-misses, the constant fear, these children deserved something stable. Something beautiful.

"We need reinforced walls," Ivan said, running his scarred hand along the unfinished partition. "The bowral’s safe, but I don’t want any surprises."

"Always the pessimist," Thane muttered, though he nodded in agreement. "What about colour schemes? I found some old paint cans in the storage shed."

"Blue and pink? That’s so... pre-apocalypse." Lucan set down his hammer, surveying their progress. The room was taking shape, with walls going up and the beginnings of a ceiling taking form. "Besides, the cubs might want something different."

Ivan grunted, lifting a heavy beam into place. "They’re infants. They won’t care about colours."

"But they will someday," Thane insisted, his eyes brightening with that creative spark that both fascinated and annoyed Lucan. "We should make it special. A place they’ll want to grow up in."

Lucan paused, considering. The nursery was directly across from Frost and Luna’s room, a strategic decision. Close enough for the men to respond immediately to any cry, but separate enough to give Frost and Luna some space. The manor was finally becoming a home rather than just something temporary.

"What about these windows?" Ivan pointed to the openings they’d framed. "Security is more important than natural light."

Thane threw his hands up. "They need sunlight! It’s good for development."

"Bullets are bad for development," Ivan countered.

Lucan stepped between them, the familiar role of mediator settling on his shoulders like a well-worn jacket. "We’ll compromise. Reinforced glass, but still lets in light. Maybe those special shutters, as we have in the main hall."