Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: I cannot believe you are still alive

”Swanly?”

Swanly paused.

She slowly turned back and looked behind herself first, wondering whether there was another Swanly standing somewhere nearby.

There was not.

The exhausted survivors had gone quiet.

More than one hundred pairs of eyes moved between Swanly and the red-haired woman standing at the front of the group.

The woman was beautiful, even beneath the dirt and exhaustion of travel. Long rust-red hair fell around her shoulders. Two pointed red fox ears stood above her head, and a thick russet tail dragged behind her torn animal-hide skirt.

Several mating marks climbed across her neck and shoulders.

Three males stood near her.

One of them was the golden lion beastman Swanly had noticed earlier.

Another was a broad spotted hyena male.

The last one stood slightly behind them, dressed in the worst hides of the group.

The red fox beastwoman looked Swanly up and down as if she had just seen a corpse climb out of its grave.

Then she scoffed.

”I cannot believe you are still alive.”

Swanly’s eyebrows rose.

The woman’s gaze dropped to Swanly’s stomach.

”And those cubs you were carrying...” Her mouth curved cruelly. ”Did you actually give birth to them?”

A spotted hyena beastwoman beside her laughed.

Her name was Brea. She had short brown hair, dark spots along her arms, and the sharp eager face of someone who enjoyed cruelty as long as another person started it.

Brea covered her mouth and looked around at the survivors.

”She probably lost them. She was barely strong enough to carry herself when she left.”

Several people shifted uncomfortably.

No one corrected her.

Swanly stared at both women.

Her mind was completely empty.

Then one thought finally arrived.

Who the fuck are these people?

Kael went rigid beside her.

His hand, which had been resting against the small of her back, tightened around her waist.

Soren’s silver eyes narrowed.

Raku lowered his heavy stone weapon from his shoulder.

Thalara tilted her head, her one purple eye moving between Swanly and the red fox beastwoman.

The survivors noticed all of it.

They noticed the black panther standing intimately close to Swanly.

They noticed Riverbone’s feared white snake ruler watching from beside her.

They noticed the pale horned creature whose black claws had slowly begun to curl. They were uneasy and tried not to go near it.

But the red fox beastwoman did not stop.

She looked offended that Swanly had not answered her.

Before she could speak again, someone pushed through the survivors behind her.

”Swanly!”

The male’s voice carried such raw excitement that Swanly instinctively looked toward him.

He was the shabby male she had noticed earlier.

Now that he had stepped into the light, she could see him clearly.

He was a young silver deer beastman.

Soft gray-brown hair fell over his forehead, nearly hiding a pair of gentle green eyes. Two small silver antlers rose from his head, but one had been broken near the base. His clothes were torn and too thin, and bruises darkened his wrists.

Despite the dirt, hunger and exhaustion, he was painfully pretty.

Not powerful like Kael.

Not cold and dangerous like Soren.

Pretty in a soft way, like a frightened forest animal that had somehow remained gentle after being kicked too many times.

His name was Nerin.

A dark bite scar sat near his collarbone, ugly and too high to have come from an ordinary fight. It was not a mating mark, but Selka had clearly placed it where everyone would mistake it for one.

He looked at Swanly as if the entire terrible journey had suddenly become worth surviving.

”You are alive.”

His green eyes brightened.

”I knew you could not have died. I told them. I kept telling them that you would survive.”

Swanly became even more confused.

Before Nerin could take another step, Selka turned and slapped him.

The sound was sharp enough to cut through the entire clearing.

Nerin’s face turned to the side.

Everyone froze.

Selka grabbed his chin and forced his face back toward her.

”Why are you so excited?”

Nerin’s eyes lowered.

Selka’s red fox tail lashed behind her.

”Do not tell me you are still hung up on her.”

”I only...”

His voice was soft.

Selka’s fingers dug harder into his face.

”You only what?”

Nerin swallowed.

”She was my friend.”

Selka laughed.

”Your friend?”

She shoved him backward.

”You belong to me now. Stop looking at another female like a starving dog.”

Nerin stumbled but did not fall.

The broad hyena male beside Selka watched without reacting.

The golden lion male’s jaw tightened, but he also said nothing.

The older lions standing behind them did not interfere.

Swanly’s gaze sharpened.

She did not know Nerin.

She did not know why his face had lit up when he saw her.

But she recognized abuse when she saw it.

She had seen enough people hurt weaker survivors in her old world to understand what had happened.

Selka had struck him because she could.

And everyone around her had learned to pretend they did not see.

Nerin lifted his head again.

His eyes met Swanly’s for one brief moment.

Something desperate lived inside them.

Then he looked away.

Selka faced Swanly again.

”What are you even doing here?” she demanded. ”I thought you would have died on the road before the panther dragged you very far.”

Brea laughed again.

”You should be grateful we fed you for so many years. Now that you found another tribe, you are standing there pretending you do not recognize us?”

Swanly’s face went flat.

”Shut the fuck up.”

Brea’s laugh died.

The clearing fell silent.

Selka blinked.

Swanly looked directly at her.

”I said shut the fuck up. I do not know who you are, but every word coming out of your mouth is making me dislike you more.”

Selka’s face twisted.

”You want to act like you do not remember us now?”

Brea stepped forward eagerly.

”The Sunmane Tribe put a roof over your head after your parents died. We fed you when no one else wanted to deal with your useless crying. Selka even tolerated you chasing after Prince Arion for years, and now you want to act proud because another tribe let you stand near its gate?”

Kael’s body became completely still.

Swanly felt it.

She turned her head.

Kael would not meet her eyes.

That single reaction told her more than anything those women had said.

Swanly pointed toward a place several steps away.

”You. There. Me and you. Now.”

Kael’s golden eyes finally lifted.

Something close to fear crossed them.

Not fear of danger.

Fear of her.

Fear of what she was about to learn.

Swanly turned and walked away from the others.

Kael followed.

His long black tail dragged stiffly behind him.

They stopped near a thick root where the strangers could still see them but could not easily hear every word.

Swanly folded her arms.

”Who are those people?”

Kael looked toward Selka.

His jaw tightened.

”Swanly...”

”Talk to me.”

His ears lowered slightly.

That small movement struck her harder than expected.

He looked guilty.

Ashamed.

And beneath all of it, hurt.

Kael had almost forgotten that after Swanly survived the poison and woke again, she had lost all her memories. To him, she was still his female, only changed by what she had suffered.

She did not remember Sunmane.

She did not remember Arion.

She did not remember the night everything changed.

He did.

Every ugly part of it.

”They are from your former tribe,” he said quietly.