Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: You think you can walk away from me?

Swanly looked over her shoulder.

The red fox female was watching them.

The golden lion male beside her had not taken his eyes off Swanly once.

He was tall and broad, with thick golden hair, amber eyes and a strong handsome face that had once probably made the original Swanly’s heart flutter.

Now he looked exhausted.

His left arm was wrapped in blood-stained hide, and several claw marks crossed his chest.

Prince Arion of the Sunmane Tribe.

The male the original Swanly had wanted.

Swanly looked back at Kael.

”And the loud red fox?”

”Selka.”

Kael’s voice cooled when he said the name.

”She was always cruel to you when I stayed in Sunmane.”

”You stayed there?”

”For a short time, before the infection spread this far. I had planned to continue moving.”

”What happened?”

Kael’s mouth tightened.

”I do not know everything.”

”Tell me what you know.”

He hesitated.

Swanly waited.

Kael finally spoke.

”One night, I woke inside your shelter.”

Swanly’s expression changed.

Kael’s claws slowly emerged, not from anger at her, but from the memory.

”My head was heavy. My body did not obey me properly. You were the same.”

Swanly’s chest tightened.

”We were both drugged.”

”I believe so.”

”And then?”

His gaze dropped.

”We mated.”

The words came out rough.

”I did not understand what was happening until it was already done. In the morning, they found us together.”

Swanly stared at him.

The pieces were already sliding into place.

”They said you had ruined your promise to Arion,” Kael continued. ”I told them females took more than one mate in many tribes. I did not understand why being with me meant you could no longer choose him.”

His eyes darkened.

”They did not care.”

”What did they do?”

”They kept you under guard until they knew you were carrying cubs.”

Swanly’s stomach twisted.

Kael looked toward the three tiny black panther cubs now being held far behind them by Tilla.

His entire expression softened.

”When they knew the cubs were mine, they gave me a choice.”

Swanly already hated the answer.

”What choice?”

”Pay what they demanded and take you away, or leave you there to be executed for betraying the Sunmane prince.”

Swanly’s eyes widened.

”They were going to kill me?”

”Yes.”

”Because I was drugged?”

Kael’s jaw clenched.

”They said you had shamed the chief’s family.”

Swanly looked toward the older lion couple.

The male was Garran, former chief of Sunmane, a huge aging golden lion with a heavy mane threaded with gray.

Beside him stood Maela, Arion’s mother, a tawny lioness beastwoman with carefully braided brown hair and the cold proud eyes of a woman who still believed hunger and displacement had not lowered her status.

Neither looked ashamed.

Swanly slowly turned back to Kael.

”So you bought me.”

Pain crossed his face.

”I paid what they demanded.”

”You paid for my life.”

”Yes.”

”And then you took me away.”

”You fought me.”

His voice became quieter.

”You cried. You kept saying you loved Arion. You said I had destroyed everything. You did not want me or the cubs.”

Swanly’s heart twisted at the naked hurt in his eyes.

Kael had been drugged too.

Used too.

Then forced to choose between paying for a female who hated him or watching her die while carrying his children.

And after he saved her, the original Swanly had blamed him.

No wonder he carried old wounds so deeply.

Swanly reached out and took his hand.

Kael’s fingers closed around hers at once.

”And you said my parents?”

Kael’s expression darkened. ”They died when you were young. You had no family left powerful enough to defend you.”

She looked back at the survivors.

”So let me understand this.”

Her voice became colder with every word.

”My parents died. I had no one powerful enough to protect me. These people treated me badly while pretending they were doing me a favor.”

Kael nodded.

”Then someone drugged both of us.”

”Yes.”

”They used that night to remove me from Arion’s side.”

”Yes.”

”They threatened to kill me unless you paid them.”

”Yes.”

”And somehow, I spent years believing you were the problem.”

Kael did not answer.

He did not need to.

Swanly released a slow breath.

The original Swanly’s life had been a pot of boiling poison.

So much hurt.

So many lies.

And no memories had followed her into this body to explain any of it.

She looked directly at Selka.

The red fox female stared back, chin lifted.

Swanly did not need evidence handed to her on a leaf.

Selka had wanted Arion.

Selka had hated Swanly.

Selka had benefited from Swanly being found with Kael.

A blind infected cub could put those pieces together.

”Do you think she arranged it?” Swanly asked.

Kael’s eyes hardened.

”I could never prove it.”

”That is not what I asked.”

”Yes.”

Swanly nodded slowly.

Very slowly.

Then she looked at Arion.

He was still staring at her.

His shock had not faded.

There was longing in his amber eyes.

Regret too.

Kael followed her gaze.

His hand tightened painfully around hers.

His golden eyes dropped.

For one terrible moment, Swanly understood exactly what he feared.

He thought she might look at Arion and remember loving him.

He thought the old Swanly might somehow return inside her and choose the lion again.

Swanly stepped closer to Kael.

Her shoulder touched his chest.

His eyes lifted.

”The past is the past,” she said.

Kael stared at her.

”I do not remember loving him. I remember you.”

His breath stopped.

”I remember you feeding me. Protecting me. Trying to make fire. Burning your hands. Sleeping beside our cubs. Following me into the Rot Nest when no one could stop you.”

Kael’s eyes burned.

Swanly squeezed his hand.

”You are my mate.”

His fingers trembled once around hers.

Then they tightened.

Possessive.

Relieved.

Almost desperate.

Swanly turned back toward the strangers.

”Let us finish this.”

They returned together.

Kael did not let go of her hand.

Selka noticed.

Her eyes narrowed.

Arion noticed too.

His face changed.

Soren stood at the front of Riverbone with his white tail curled behind him. His expression was cold, but his gaze flicked briefly toward Swanly’s joined hand with Kael.

Something dark flashed in his silver eyes.

Jealousy.

Immediate and sharp.

Then it vanished behind his usual indifference.

Swanly stopped before the strangers.

”I do not know any of you,” she said. ”I do not remember your tribe, and honestly, after hearing what happened, I am grateful for that.”

Selka scoffed.

”How convenient.”

”I also do not care why you came.”

Swanly pointed at Soren.

”This is Riverbone’s ruler. Discuss your business with him. Do not speak to me again. Do not cross my path. Do not touch my family.”

Selka looked toward Soren.

Her expression changed instantly.

The arrogance softened into interest.

Her eyes moved over his long white hair, silver eyes, pale skin and powerful serpent body.

She had heard about Riverbone’s White Snake ruler.

Everyone had.

The cruel male who overthrew the old elders.

The male whose venom melted bone.

The male who could enter minds and tear secrets out of them.

He was even more beautiful than the stories said.

Selka’s red fox ears lifted.

Swanly noticed.

She also noticed Selka’s many mating marks.

The lion.

The hyena.

A red big cat.

Possibly more.

Selka was already surrounded by males, yet her eyes had begun calculating how Soren might look among them.

Soren noticed too.

He looked at her as if she were mud on his tail.

Selka smiled at him.

”Lord Soren, I am Selka of Sunmane. I am the future chief female of our tribe.”

Soren’s expression remained blank.

”Former tribe.”

Selka’s smile stiffened.

Soren looked over the wounded survivors.

”You came here because your settlement fell.”

Garran stepped forward.

The aging lion chief lifted his chin.

”Sunmane was attacked. Our defenses failed. We require shelter until we can reclaim our land.”

Soren’s eyes grew colder.

”You require?”

Garran’s mouth closed.

Swanly almost smiled.

Selka’s attention returned to her.

She could not tolerate being ignored while Swanly stood there, clean, beautiful, protected and holding Kael’s hand.

”You think you can walk away from me?”

Swanly turned.

”Yes.”

Then she did exactly that.

Selka’s face twisted.

She strode forward and seized Swanly’s arm.

”Are you stupid? Who do you think you are walking out on?”

Swanly looked down at the hand gripping her.

Then she lifted her eyes.

”Release me.”

Selka pulled Swanly around.

Her palm flew.

Pow!

The slap cracked across the clearing.

...

DUN DUN DUN. Golden Tickets please ~