Chapter 107: Papa! Put Miko down!
His black ears angled backward.
"Swanly."
"I nearly watched you fall into a ravine. Then you tore your wound open protecting me from a bird. Now forty strange males are watching us, and you are leaking blood where everyone can smell it."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Sit before I climb you and force you down."
Kael’s pupils widened.
Several nearby beastmen looked away very quickly.
Soren’s tail slammed against the ground.
Crack!
Nahla turned toward him.
"What now?"
"Nothing."
His voice suggested he wanted to kill the word nothing.
Kael sat.
Swanly moved behind him and removed the blood-soaked wrapping.
The claw marks were deep.
The skin had begun closing at the edges, but the center remained raw.
She opened the gel.
A sharp clean smell filled the air.
Kael’s ears turned toward it.
"What is that?"
"Medicine from my magic."
"Will it hurt?"
Swanly paused.
"A little."
He looked over his shoulder.
"You hesitated."
"Stop being suspicious."
"You lied to Miko before pouring medicine on his foot."
"That was different."
Miko appeared beside them as though summoned by his own name.
"Papa medicine hurt?"
"No," Kael said.
Swanly squeezed the gel into the wound.
Kael’s entire back locked.
His claws drove into the stone.
Miko’s golden eyes widened.
"Papa face funny."
Kael slowly turned his head.
His jaw was clenched so tightly the muscles stood out.
"I am not making a face."
Miko pointed.
"Making."
Kairo and Nilo wandered over.
Kairo studied his father.
"Papa hurt?"
"No."
Swanly spread another layer of gel.
Kael’s tail struck the stone.
Nilo tilted his head.
"Papa lying."
Miko’s chest puffed.
"Miko stronger."
Kael looked at him.
"You screamed until the entire forest heard you when your mother treated your foot."
"Miko was warning everybody."
"You screamed, ’Take medicine away.’"
"Very useful warning."
Swanly bit her lip.
Kael reached down with his uninjured arm and lifted Miko by the back of his clothing.
The cub squealed.
"Papa! Put Miko down!"
"You are stronger?"
Miko kicked both feet and laughed.
"Yes!"
Kael lifted him higher.
"Then escape."
Miko twisted dramatically in the air.
"Kairo! Nilo! Papa attack baby!"
Kairo folded his arms.
"You started."
Nilo nodded.
"Papa punishment."
"Traitors!"
Kael placed Miko across his lap and tickled his stomach with one claw.
Miko exploded into laughter.
"No! Papa! Miko die!"
"You were stronger."
"Miko change mind!"
Swanly finished wrapping Kael’s shoulder.
Then she leaned over both father and cub and tapped each of their noses.
"Naughty."
Kael caught her finger between his teeth.
Not biting.
Holding.
Swanly’s breath caught.
His golden eyes lifted to hers.
Miko gasped beneath him.
"Papa eat Mama finger."
Kael released her slowly.
"Not yet."
Swanly’s face heated.
Kairo stared at the ground.
Nilo stared at the sky.
Both cubs had developed the survival instinct to pretend their parents had vanished.
Tilla stood nearby with Tavi on her hip.
Her cheeks turned pink.
She quickly looked away.
"That is sweet."
Nahla followed her gaze.
Then looked toward Soren.
The snake sat alone on another stone.
His expression could have poisoned the air.
His tail struck the ground again.
Crack!
Nahla frowned.
"Stop doing that."
"The stone offended me."
"The stone is innocent."
"Nothing near me is innocent."
His gaze remained on Swanly, Kael, and their laughing cubs.
The darkness beneath his scales spread farther.
Nahla noticed.
Her amusement vanished.
"Soren."
He looked away.
"I said I am fine."
"No one asked."
"Then remain silent."
A few steps farther back, Nerin sat alone with a strip of cloth pressed against the bleeding base of his broken antler.
No one had noticed that his wound had reopened.
Or perhaps they had noticed but assumed he could manage it.
He watched Swanly wrap Kael’s shoulder.
Watched her scold him.
Watched the cubs climb over their father.
Something soft and painful moved across Nerin’s face.
Not anger.
Not resentment.
Only longing.
He wanted someone to notice when he was bleeding too.
He wanted someone to order him to sit.
To scold him for hurting himself.
To touch his face and make certain he was still alive.
But he remembered Kael’s eyes whenever he stood too close to Swanly.
He remembered the tribe already whispering.
So Nerin lowered his gaze and tied the cloth around his own head.
Arion noticed from across the camp.
For several seconds, the lion said nothing.
Then he picked up a water skin and walked toward Nerin.
Nerin looked up warily.
Arion held it out.
"Your antler is still bleeding."
"I know."
"Drink."
Nerin stared at the water.
Then accepted it.
"Thank you."
Arion sat a short distance away.
Neither male spoke again.
They did not need to.
Selka saw everything.
Swanly smiling.
Kael touching her.
The cubs laughing around them.
Soren glaring as though jealous enough to crack the ridge.
Nerin receiving quiet care from Arion.
Everyone continued circling Swanly.
Protecting her.
Wanting her.
Choosing her.
Even after Riverbone collapsed.
Even after people died.
Even when Swanly was covered in dirt, blood, and exhaustion, she still had the nerve to smile.
Selka’s claws dug into her palms.
She hated her.
She hated the sound of her laughter.
She hated the way powerful males looked at her.
She hated that Swanly had lost everything and somehow gained more.
Garran was speaking with Dagan again near the Ashclaw fires.
The old lion stood tall while the gray wolf listened as though his opinions mattered.
Selka’s eyes narrowed.
Perhaps there was still hope.
If Garran formed an alliance with Ashclaw, Sunmane could rise again.
Arion could regain power.
And if Arion regained power, Selka could stand beside him.
Above Swanly.
Where she belonged.
Selka did not want love.
Love was for foolish females who allowed males to disappoint them.
She wanted status.
Protection.
Power.
And Arion was useful only if he still had those things.
She found him alone near a split wall of stone.
The red mark from Garran’s slap still darkened his cheek.
Arion heard her footsteps but did not turn.
"What do you want?"
Selka smiled and moved closer.
"You should not have spoken to your father that way."
His shoulders stiffened.
"He is trying to restore what remains of Sunmane."
"With Dagan?"
"Dagan respects strength."
"Dagan respects weaknesses he can use."
Selka rolled her eyes.
"You always judge too quickly."
Arion finally looked at her.
His expression was tired.
Disgusted.
"Why are you here?"
Her smile sharpened.
"To remind you that you are still Sunmane’s prince."
"There is no Sunmane."
"There will be again."
She touched his arm.
Arion removed her hand.
Selka’s face tightened.
"You do not have to pretend with me."
"Pretend what?"
"That you never noticed."
"Noticed what?"
She moved closer again.
"Us."
Arion stared at her.
Then a humourless laugh left him.
"There has never been an ’us.’"
Selka’s smile vanished.
"You have pursued me for years," he continued. "I rejected you every time."
Her fox ears flattened.
"You were afraid of your father."
"No."
"You were waiting for Swanly."
...
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