"Absolutely not."
Ren crossed her arms, staring at the massive white tiger crouching in front of the cave entrance.
"I am not riding you bareback," Ren stated firmly. "I'll chafe. And it's undignified."
The tiger...Kael...let out a huff of air that ruffled Ren's hair. He turned his head, his golden eyes narrowing.
Get on, his telepathic voice grumbled in her head. "The Gathering is a day's walk for your short legs. It is an hour's run for me. Do you want to walk in the mud?"
Ren looked down at her hiking boots. They were already caked in prehistoric muck.
"Fine," Ren sighed. "But if you start chasing butterflies or marking trees while I'm up there, I'm pulling your whiskers."
She approached his massive flank. Kael was huge...his shoulder height was level with her chest. Getting up there was going to be an athletic feat.
Ren grabbed a handful of his thick, white fur and hauled herself up. It was like climbing a warm, breathing carpet. She swung her leg over and settled into the dip behind his massive shoulders.
It was... surprisingly comfortable. His fur was soft, and the heat radiating off him was pleasant in the cool morning air.
"Hold on tight," Kael warned. "I am fast."
"How fast can a big tiger possib—WHOA!"
Ren screamed as Kael launched himself forward with the acceleration of a Ferrari.
The jungle blurred. Green and brown became streaks of color. Ren slammed against his back, burying her face in his neck fur and gripping on for dear life.
"Slow down, you maniac!" Ren shrieked, though the wind snatched the words away.
Kael didn't slow down. He loved it. He could feel her soft body pressed against his spine, her thighs gripping his ribs. It triggered every predatory instinct he had...carrying his prize, his mate, to show off to the world. He roared, a sound of pure joy that sent birds scattering from the canopy.
[System Notification: Bond Level Increased. Host is technically 'Mounting' the Alpha. Does this count as intimacy? System is confused.]
"Shut up!" Ren yelled into the fur.
An hour later, the dense jungle gave way to a massive, sprawling valley.
Ren lifted her head, her hair a bird's nest of tangles. "Are we there?"
She looked down and gasped.
The "Beast Gathering" was spectacular. And chaotic.
Thousands of beastmen were gathered in the valley. There were distinct zones. To the north, giant tents made of gray hides—the Wolf Clan. To the south, open clearings where massive Lions sunbathed on rocks. By the river, the sleek, dark figures of the Reptile Clans.
The noise was deafening. Roars, howls, hisses, and the thud of heavy footsteps.
Kael slowed to a prowl as they entered the outskirts of the market. He didn't shift back to human form. He wanted everyone to see him in his full, Alpha glory.
And they did.
As the massive White Tiger stalked through the crowd, the sea of beasts parted.
"It's the White Tiger King!"
"He's huge! I heard he went Feral!"
"Who is that on his back? A monkey?"
Ren straightened up, trying to smooth her hair. "I am not a monkey," she muttered under her breath. "I am a species with indoor plumbing. Show some respect."
Kael chuffed, vibrating beneath her. "Ignore them. They are jealous."
He marched straight to the center of the valley, where the White Tiger tribe had set up their trading spot. Vara was there, arranging a pile of animal skins. When she saw Ren riding Kael like a queen, she snapped the stick she was holding in half.
Kael finally stopped. He crouched low so Ren could slide off.
Her legs were jelly. She stumbled, and Kael immediately shifted.
One second, a tiger. The next, a naked man catching her by the waist.
"Steady," Kael murmured, his hands lingering on her hips.
"Clothes, Kael," Ren whispered through gritted teeth, aware of the hundreds of eyes on them. "Loincloth. Now."
Kael sighed, grabbing his leather flap from a nearby rock. "You are boring."
Ren turned to look at the market. It was a sensory overload.
There were piles of strange fruits, giant bones, colorful stones, and... were those dried fish?
[System Quest: Market Day.][Objective: Your kitchen is empty. Trade for essential ingredients (Salt, Spices, Vegetables, Utensils). Warning: You have no currency.]
"Right," Ren realized. "Kael, do I have any money?"
"Money?" Kael tied his loincloth. "We trade meat. Or salt. Or skins."
Ren looked at her inventory. She had a frying pan, a knife, a bar of soap, and... that was it.
"I'm broke," Ren groaned. "I'm a hobo in the Stone Age."
"You are not broke," Kael said, puffing out his chest. "I am the Alpha. Anything you want, I take."
"No pillaging!" Ren scolded. "We trade like civilized people."
She wandered toward a stall run by a group of Boar-men. They were ugly, with protruding tusks, but they had a pile of something that caught Ren's eye.
Clay pots.
Real, fired clay pots.
"Kael," Ren pointed. "I need those. I can boil soup. I can store water."
Kael sneered. "Mud bowls? Why? We drink from the river."
"Hygiene, Kael. Dysentery is not a vibe." Ren walked up to the lead Boar. "Excuse me. How much for the big pot?"
The Boar grunted, looking Ren up and down. He licked his tusks. "Small female. Smooth skin. I trade pot for... one night with you."
Ren froze.
Kael didn't freeze. He exploded.
"ROAR!"
Kael didn't even shift. He just backhanded the Boar. The massive creature flew ten feet through the air and crashed into a pile of yams.
"SHE IS MINE!" Kael bellowed, his claws extending. "LOOK AT HER AND I GOUGE YOUR EYES OUT!"
The entire market went silent.
Ren face-palmed. "Okay, so diplomacy is going well."
She grabbed Kael's arm, trying to pull him back. "Kael! Down boy! He's just... an idiot! Don't kill him!"
"He insulted you!" Kael was vibrating with rage. "He thought you were a common whore to be traded for mud!"
"I know! But we still need the pot!"
Suddenly, a cool, sibilant voice cut through the shouting.
"Such noise. The Tigers are always so... loud."
The crowd parted again, but this time, it was out of fear, not respect.
A group of men walked...no, glided...forward. They were tall, impossibly slender, and pale. They wore intricate robes made of shed snake skins that shimmered in the light.
The man in the lead was breathtakingly cold. He had long, jet-black hair that cascaded down his back like ink. His skin was the color of moonlight, pale and flawless. But his eyes... his eyes were vertical slits of amethyst purple.
He didn't walk; he slithered. His movements were fluid, boneless.
He stopped ten feet away, looking at the chaotic scene with utter boredom.
[System Alert: Target Detected – Syris (Black Python King). Threat Level: Deadly. Wealth Level: Millionaire.]
Syris looked at the unconscious Boar, then at Kael, and finally, his purple gaze landed on Ren.
He didn't look lustful like Vex. He didn't look possessive like Kael.
He looked at her like she was a biological anomaly.
"A human," Syris whispered, his voice sounding like dry leaves sliding over stone. "Alive. In the Beast World. How fascinating."
Kael stepped in front of Ren, growling low. "Back off, Snake. Go count your rocks."
Syris ignored Kael. He pulled a small, glittering object from his robe.
It was a crystal. A pure, blue salt crystal.
"I heard a rumor," Syris said softly, tossing the crystal in his hand. "That the Tiger Alpha was cured of the Feral Curse. By a female who cooks with fire."
Ren stared at the salt crystal. It was high quality. Better than the stuff she had summoned.
Syris smiled. It was a cold, thin smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"I am cold, Little Human," Syris said. "My blood is ice. I have heard your fire-food brings warmth."
He held up the salt crystal.
"Cook for me. And I will give you this mountain of salt. Refuse..."
His eyes flashed dangerous.
"...and I will simply wait for the Tiger to sleep, and swallow you whole."
Ren gulped.
'Well,' she thought. 'At least he's offering to pay.'