The atmosphere at the riverbank shifted instantly. The lingering steam from Kael's bath was cut by a sharp, cold wind from the north, carrying with it the iron-tang of fresh blood and the wild, sharp scent of pine.
Kael didn't wait for a command. In one fluid, explosive motion, he surged out of the water, his massive body dripping and gleaming like a bronze statue. He stood in front of Mei Lin, his tufted tail stiff and low, a sound vibrating in his chest that wasn't a purr anymore—it was the warning of a king.
"Stay behind me, Divine One," he ordered, his golden eyes fixed on the thicket of ferns at the edge of the woods.
Mei Lin, however, was already looking at her flickering blue screen.
[System Notification: Target Identified.][Name: Fenris (Silver Wolf Rogue).][Seductiveness Rating: 88/100 (High-Tier Eye Candy).][Status: Injured. Level 2 Lacerations. Potential for 'Playful' Personality Trait: 99%.]
"Oh, an 88," Mei Lin murmured, leaning to the side to peer around Kael's broad shoulder. "And he's a silver wolf? That sounds like a very expensive color palette. I approve."
"This is not a game!" Kael snapped, his ears flattened against his skull. "Rogues are dangerous. They have no tribe, no honor. They only take."
The ferns burst open.
A man tumbled out, hitting the muddy bank with a heavy thud. He didn't stay down, though. He scrambled to his feet, panting heavily. Unlike Kael's heavy, boulder-like musculature, this man was built like a sprinter—lean, wiry, and corded with long, flexible muscle. His skin was pale, almost moon-kissed, and a curtain of shaggy, brilliant silver hair fell over his eyes.
A pair of pointed silver ears twitched atop his head, and a long, bushy tail—also a striking silver—was tucked tight against his leg, matted with blood.
He was clutching his side, where deep claw marks had shredded his simple leather tunic. Blood leaked through his fingers, staining his pale skin a vibrant, tragic red.
"Help..." the newcomer gasped. He looked up, his eyes a startling, crystalline blue. They weren't the hungry eyes of a predator; they were wide, mischievous, and currently glazed with pain.
Then he saw Mei Lin.
Even in the middle of a life-threatening injury, the Wolf's ears perked up. He froze, his gaze traveling from Mei Lin's face down to her wet, clinging jumpsuit, and back up again. A weak, roguish smirk touched his blood-stained lips.
"Well, now," he wheezed, his voice a melodic, scratchy tenor. "I must have died after all. Because there is no way a female this beautiful exists in the dirt of the Broken-Horn territory."
Kael let out a roar that shook the very trees, his claws sliding out. "Silence, scavenger! You stand in the presence of the Divine Mother. State your business before I tear your throat out."
The wolf, Fenris, winced, sinking to one knee as his strength began to fail. "My business... is trying not to bleed out on your very clean toes, Alpha. Though if I have to die, being stared at by those pretty eyes wouldn't be the worst way to go." He directed the last part at Mei Lin, offering her a pathetic, charming little wink.
[Ding! Quest Triggered: The Rogue's Refuge.][Task: Treat the Silver Wolf's wounds. Do not let the 88-rated specimen expire.][Reward: 'Comfortable Bedding' Blueprint and 50 Tribe Vitality Points.]
Mei Lin stepped out from behind Kael. The Lion Alpha immediately tried to block her path again, but she placed a hand on his damp, solid hip.
"Move, Kael. The System says he stays. Besides, look at that hair. Do you know how hard it is to find a natural platinum blonde with that kind of shine? We aren't letting that go to waste."
"He is a threat!" Kael hissed, his tail lashing the air in a frenzy of jealousy. "He is looking at you with filth in his mind!"
"He's a man, Kael. They all look at me with filth in their minds," Mei Lin said dryly. She walked toward Fenris, who was now swaying dangerously. "And frankly, after seeing your huts, I'll take all the 'high-quality' help I can get."
She reached the wolf and knelt in the mud, ignoring Kael's low, continuous growl of protest. Close up, Fenris was even more striking. His features were finer than Kael's, more elegant, with a straight nose and a mouth that seemed naturally tilted into a grin.
[Ding! Summoning 'Emergency First Aid Kit'.]
Another shimmer of light, and a red box appeared. Mei Lin didn't hesitate. She popped the lid, pulling out a bottle of antiseptic and a roll of clean white gauze.
"This is going to sting, Silver," she warned.
Fenris hissed as she pulled his hand away from his wound. "My name is Fenris, sweetness. And I've survived worse than a little sting."
"I'm sure you have," Mei Lin muttered. She soaked a cloth in the antiseptic and pressed it to the gashes on his ribs.
Fenris let out a sharp, choked-off cry, his body jerking. His hand instinctively shot out, grabbing Mei Lin's thigh to steady himself. His fingers were long and slender, but his grip was surprisingly strong.
Immediately, a massive, furred hand clamped onto Fenris's wrist. Kael was looming over them, his face a mask of pure, murderous rage.
"Remove your hand," Kael rumbled, the sound vibrating through the ground. "Or I will remove the arm."
Fenris looked up at the Lion, his crystalline blue eyes sparking with a sudden, playful defiance. Instead of pulling away, he let his fingers linger for a second longer, feeling the soft warmth of Mei Lin's skin through her damp clothes, before slowly, mockingly letting go.
"Easy, big cat," Fenris smirked, even as he panted through the pain. "I'm just a poor, wounded traveler. I need something to hold onto so I don't swoon."
"Hold onto the dirt," Kael growled.
Mei Lin ignored the testosterone-fueled posturing and focused on wrapping the bandage around Fenris's torso. To do so, she had to lean in close, her arms reaching around his lean waist. Fenris took a deep breath, his nose brushing against her hair.
"You smell like roses and... something sharp," he whispered, his voice dropping into a seductive purr that was entirely different from Kael's. It was lighter, more agile. "I think I'm feeling better already."
Mei Lin tightened the bandage a bit harder than necessary, making him gasp. "Save the charm for someone who isn't currently holding your guts in, Fenris. You're coming back to the tribe. You're going to work, and you're going to help me rebuild."
"Anything for you, Goddess," Fenris murmured, his head lolloping onto her shoulder for a brief, daring second. "As long as I get to stay close to the source of the roses."
Kael looked like he was about to explode. He reached down, grabbed Fenris by the back of his neck like a disobedient pup, and hoisted him to his feet.
"You will stay in the pit," Kael declared. "And if you even breathe in her direction, I will feed you to the hyenas."
Mei Lin stood up, wiping her hands on a cloth. She looked at her two "leads"—the massive, brooding Black Lion and the lean, cheeky Silver Wolf. The contrast was delicious. One was a storm, the other was a breeze. One wanted to protect her from the world, and the other wanted to explore every inch of her.
[Ding! Mission Accomplished! Reward: 'Comfortable Bedding' Blueprint unlocked. Would Host like to install the 'Divine Nest' in the Alpha's Hut?]
Mei Lin glanced at Kael, who was still glaring at Fenris. Then she looked at Fenris, who was watching her with a hungry, playful curiosity.
"System," Mei Lin whispered, a wicked smile playing on her lips. "Make that bedding extra large. I have a feeling the 'Divine Mother' is going to be very busy tonight... and for a long, long time to come."
[System Note: Interest Level - Kael: 65%. Interest Level - Fenris: 70%. Tension Level: Critical.]
As they began the trek back to the village—Kael dragging a limping, smirking Fenris—Mei Lin realized that while she was allergic to ugly, she was apparently very, very attracted to trouble.