I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!

Alina chuckled at his persistence and nodded. "Of course, Boo."

"Yay!!" Boo cheered, his whole body shaking with happiness before he floated down and nestled his head on her lap beside Lucien. His cold cheek pressed against her, but his face glowed with bliss.

And so, in the quiet darkness, Alina sat beneath the trees with Lucien and Boo resting peacefully on her lap. Her heart was full. Though her body was tired, she stayed awake, keeping watch over her little students.

••••••

Meanwhile, Alpha Ryker's patience had snapped. His daughter had not returned yet, and every minute his wolf instincts screamed danger. Without waiting for further news, he stormed into the Nightshade Court's council chamber, his aura dark and oppressive.

"Where is my daughter?!" he demanded, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Hellthorn, one of the elders lounging to the side with little care, flicked his wrist lazily. "We did not know the exact schedule. I am sure Dante will handle it if anything happens."

Alpha Ryker's jaw tightened, his eyes glowing with fury. "Dante handle it? And what about you? Shouldn't the great Nightshade Court at least try to know where the children are, to ensure their safety? How can you be so careless?" His voice was low, cold, filled with threat.

King Corvus, Kelpie's father, followed behind, his sea-blue cloak trailing like waves across the floor. His tone was just as sharp. "We entrusted our children here, and you cannot even account for them? You did not know the schedule? You did not check? This is beyond negligence." His eyes narrowed. "Perhaps this is why demons are winning over shadow demons. You have grown soft."

Hellthorn straightened slightly at that, his face hardening. But before he could speak, King Corvus had already turned his back, his voice like crashing waves. "Enough. I will find my son myself. I do not need to rely on your incompetence."

Alpha Ryker followed, his tone colder than ice. "Do not expect our support the next time you come begging. You have proven you cannot even protect a handful of children." He pivoted sharply before leaving the hall.

On their way out, they passed other parents arriving. King Boulder with his imposing frame, Dragon Lord Blaze, and Aine the mischievous fox goddess Aine with her husband General Yuki. Each had heard enough by the time they came in, and seeing Alpha Ryker and King Corvus leaving, they exchanged grim nods before stepping into the chamber.

"What is happening with our babies?" Blaze growled, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Your answers," Aine said sharply, pointing at the elders, "had better satisfy us. Because if anything has happened to my cub, you will regret more than just our anger."

Hellthorn rolled his eyes, slumping back into his seat. "Sick people. Always overreacting. Maybe they were attacked by earth worms. I warned everyone before. We should have sacrificed ordinary babies to keep balance, but no one ever listens to me." His voice dripped with disdain.

"You are insane," Hellscope, another elder, snapped, rising from his chair. His voice thundered through the chamber. "Do you hear yourself? Sacrificing children? Do you have any idea how disgusting, how foolish you sound?" He pointed a shaking finger at Hellthorn. "If word of this madness spreads, if the people hear that a Nightshade elder suggested sacrificing their young, our court will collapse under their hatred. Do you want that reputation? This is the last time you mention sacrifice. If you speak of it again, I do not think Dante will ever forgive you."

Hellthorn just smirked, muttering under his breath, "Better to be feared than to be seen as weak."

And with that, the uneasy silence between them cracked into dangerous hostility.

"Sacrifice other babies??" Aine's voice lashed out like a whip, her eyes blazing. "You are sick, Hellthorn. Sick! Have you not seen babies? They are delicate. They need care and love, not to be thrown away like scraps for worms!"

Hellthorn sneered, tapping his claws against the polished table. "You are letting your emotions rule you, goddess. You think like a mother, not a strategist. Earth worms devour babies without end. The Court must act with logic, not sentiment. Sacrificing a few ordinary children to protect the whole—"

"Ordinary?" Aine cut in, stepping closer until her presence filled the room with a hot, wild energy. "How dare you call any child ordinary. Every one of them carries a life, a soul, a future. And you" her lip curled with disgust, "you talk of sacrifice as though they are cattle for your convenience."

He held her gaze, but a bead of sweat slid down his temple. "It is necessary. Dante will not always win. Perhaps you—"

"Perhaps," Aine hissed, her voice dropping to a lethal softness, "I should turn you into the sacrifice. Let us see how brave your mouth is then."

Hellthorn blanched, but before he could stammer another excuse, Aine's hand lifted, glowing faintly with foxfire.

The air crackled. Her eyes narrowed, and with a voice that rang like a curse etched into stone she declared:

"Until our cubs are returned safely, you will live as the disgusting thing you are, slimy and small. May you feel what it means to be powerless, to be despised."

Before the council could even gasp, Hellthorn's form contorted. His robes sagged to the floor as his body shrank, twisted, and burst into the slick, ugly shape of a black frog. The slimy creature plopped against the floor, croaking furiously, its wide eyes rolling with disbelief.

Helldearth, the elder who had been silent until now, stepped forward with a scowl.

"Disgrace," he muttered, giving the frog a sharp kick that sent it skidding across the floor. "Stay out of sight until you learn shame."

Aine crossed her arms, her aura still sparking around her. "That is what happens," she said icily, "when you dare to suggest harm against children."

When Aine swept out of the chamber with Yuki at her side, the air seemed lighter, yet all the fury she left behind still clung to the walls. The fox goddess's curse echoed in every croak that spilled from Hellthorn's slimy mouth.

King Boulder stood unmoving, his face carved with disgust. Slowly, almost lazily, he lifted one hand. The ground trembled faintly, and small pebbles rose from the floor as if summoned by his will. With a flick of his fingers, the stones shot forward one by one, striking Hellthorn's slick body.