Bug shook off the soil that had fallen from the tunnel's ceiling onto her. The ground trembled for a few minutes more and then quieted down. With the recent reconstruction, the nest easily withstood a weak earthquake. Bug was not worried about the cubs, as they were outside, but she headed to the exit just to be safe.

The workers had already started to inspect the tunnels and possible damage. Their assistance eased her burden. She passed a female worker, recalling the Pushing Queen's habit. Although she had an idea of why the previous queen acted this way, Bug could not bring herself to do the same. Wolf ants' bodies were far stronger than a human's. But pushing someone out of the blue - this kind of action reminded her of bullies. She did not want to bring even this minor discomfort to her family.

When she got out of the tunnel, Bug saw her children snoozing between Dawn and Kindhearted. Tonight, her mate finally took them on a short stroll. The cubs, infinitely excited, explored the new area, sniffing and poking at every new thing they found. Their father followed them slowly, and when it was time, led them back to the nest. Worn out from the walk, the pups fell asleep in the meadow. Bug noticed a bone that Rainstorm had been hugging in his sleep. Just the other day, he brought her a small lizard. ‘I think he likes playing the role of breadwinner,' Bug thought, laughing to herself.

Mother's steps woke up Storge. Unlike her brothers, who slept like logs, she often dozed, raising her head at any disturbance. The cub yawned and then stood up to stretch her back. When Kindhearted lowered his head and tried to put her to sleep, she nuzzled back. Yet, like any other child, Storge stubbornly refused to take a nap again. Instead, she ran to her mother. Bug didn't want to wake her sons up, so she returned inside the nest. As expected, her daughter followed her.

They reached the queen's room. Despite being in a familiar den with a comfortable bed, Storge didn't look sleepy at all. Bug sat down, but stood up right away, feeling something hard under the grass and fur. She changed into a human form and picked up a walnut from the bed. 'Hailstone must have brought it in', she sighed and put the nut in a corner of the room. Her folded clothes were also stored there. She wasn't sure if she would need them ever again, but she decided to keep them anyway. Storge's gaze followed her mother's movements. Feeling her daughter's intention to play, Bug turned to her.

But instead of a cub, a small girl sat on the floor of the den. The child's black hair was messy, resembling a wolf's disheveled fur. Bugs froze, looking back at her golden eyes. The girl crawled closer to her, then clumsily stood up. She took a step but staggered and fell forward. Bug hastily stretched out her hands, catching the child before she could hurt herself. The girl giggled. Holding the child, Bug called out, "Storge?"

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The girl's small palm was on her cheek. After overcoming the first shock, Bug carefully looked at the child. She looked around three years old. 'But they were only born five months ago,' the chill ran down Bug's spine. She moved her daughter a bit away. at the girl in her eyes, Bug started talking.

She asked questions, tried to name the surroundings by pointing at them, called her name. She remembered everything she could about teaching children about speech. The child opened and closed her mouth, trying to imitate the movement of her mother's lips. Yet, she still couldn't say a single word.

With every effort, Bug's heart sank deeper into despair. Thoughts rushed through her mind. Countless fears, mixed with the realization of new problems, overwhelmed her with unbearable guilt. ‘What have I done? How could I condemn my own children to such a life, disregarding their well-being? I chose the life with wolf ants, but they didn't.’ The happiness she felt for the first time since her mother's death seemed like a dream. A beautiful and warm dream that Bug wished never to wake up from. Her desire for a loving family and friends had led her to cross a line. But now, her precious children were forced to face the repercussions of her decision.

Intrigued by this new game, the child laughed. Storge's attempts to speak were a complete failure, but she had no idea that it was an issue at all. Bug couldn't watch her innocent daughter struggling anymore. She embraced Storge, and words started to flow like an underground river of hopelessness.

"My poor, poor baby. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."

Bug was hugging her daughter tightly. The tears that she couldn't hold dampened her child's black hair. Storge hugged her mother back and lifted her face. She tried to look at her, to understand what had made her dear mother shed tears, but she couldn't. This upset her even more, and the little girl started to cry too. This brought Bug to her senses. She began to rock her baby, caressing the back of her head and shoulders.

"It's alright, it's alright," whispered Bug to her daughter's ear. "Everything will be alright."

The child sobbed, nuzzling into her mother's neck. Her small fingers felt warm on Bug's skin. 'Yes, it will. They just need to stay with the swarm. People will ridicule Storge if she can't talk, but wolves won't.'