"Ren!"
Kael's thunderous voice ripped through the trees just a split second before his massive body burst into the small clearing. He took one look at Ren, pale and pressed flat against the oak tree, and crossed the distance in a single bound.
Kael pulled her away from the bark and enveloped her in a tight, crushing hug, burying her face into his broad, warm chest. Ren clung to him, her entire body trembling like a leaf in a hurricane.
Right on Kael's heels, the rest of the rogue strays and a few of the defiant white tigers came rushing through the brush, drawn by the overwhelming stench of fresh blood.
They all stopped dead in their tracks.
A collective gasp of absolute horror echoed through the forest. They stared at the mangled, unrecognizable pile of meat, fur, and shattered bone that used to be the scrawny goat beastman. Some of the strays covered their mouths in shock, while others took terrified steps backward, their eyes wide with fear.
