Two days has passed since Gronk left, the evening was cool and quiet and Ava was outside her home, tending to her personal bird farm when suddenly, A shadowy figure, emerged from the thick bushes, and standing before Ava was a tall, slim beast man with taut body, he had an extremely rich black hair, with black feline ears, with green eyes, the 3 bar lines on his shoulder indicated he was a level 3 Beastman, at first Ava was startled, she didn't even realise that the Beastman was there until he was already too close and immediately took few steps backwards.
The stranger, calm but urgent, warned Ava directly, "Emily's bear mate has gone to the Riverside Tribe. Her father comes for the salt mine…and for you. Prepare your defenses."
At first Ava was skeptical, wasn't he here to kidnap her? drawing on her street smarts. She demands, "Who are you? What do you want from me?"
A stranger appears before her pretending to be good, she couldn't help but be wary of this stranger. tropes like this in stories she's read, who came offering help were usually the ones who created the problem they were offering solutions to.
The stranger responded, "I want only your safety. The beasts of this world are cruel, but some debts must be repaid." Then, he vanished into the undergrowth just as George and Kael burst out, too late to catch him. Kael chased briefly but lost his trail, emphasizing this strange beastman's skill in stealth & evasion, such that it could escape from a level 4 Beastman.
immediately Ava and her mates huddle inside their dwelling. Ava relays the information she just received from the strange beastman.
George Skeptical, "Could be a trick to sow doubt. Emily's sneaky, but calling in her father? Isn't that a bit excessive, she'll be practically calling for war."
Kael was more open, "The stranger knew details only insiders would. And his scent... Feels a bit familiar, I feel like we've met before. We scout the borders of the tribes tonight."
Ava pondered and weighed the risks, "If it's true, we warn the chief. If false, we expose the possibility of a spy. Either way, we can't ignore it but first, we need to verify if truly, Emily's mate, Gronk is missing."
George veered off without hesitation, heading toward Emily's side of the clearing, while Ava turned with Kael and made their way toward Mara's treehouse. The path to Mara's treehouse wound upward through thick bushes and trunks.
Before they even reached the base, Ava slowed.
Two beastmen stood guard in front of the treehouse.
The guards of the forbidden territory.
The Two beastmen stood in front of the hanging ladder, chests puffed, tails flicking with barely contained pride. One was a broad-shouldered boar with coarse bristles and two faint bar lines across his ribs. The other was leaner, a jackal-type with sharp ears and matching two-bar markings. Both wore the Tree Tribe's guard bands on their upper arms, the same bands that identified the males assigned to patrol the forbidden forest and watch the salt territory.
Their presence alone was enough to tighten Ava's chest, but it was when her eyes flicked past them, toward Mara, that her heart truly sank.
Unmistakable beast marks bloomed below Mara's belly button and ribcage, still fresh, still glowing with the residual energy of bonding.
Ava didn't need to say a word. Kael saw it too.
Understanding settled between them like a blade sliding into its sheath.
So that was how Mara had done it.
They had used unmated males to guard the most valuable secret in the tribe. Single beastmen, hungry for a female, for a family, for anything that would raise their status. And Mara, clever, ambitious Mara had promised them exactly that.
"We should have known." Ava thought bitterly. The promise of a mate is the oldest weakness in this world.
Ava clenched her fists, frustration simmering beneath her calm expression. It was their fault. They should have anticipated this. Single beastmen were vulnerable in ways mated ones were not. The age old promise of a mate is a weakness that will always be used to exploit single beastmen.
They should have used mated beastmen to guard the salt territory.
Now it was too late.
If Mara had gone this far, then it was as certain as the blue sky overhead, that she already knew about the salt cave. And if Mara knew, then Emily knew as well.
And if Emily knew…
Ava's gaze hardened.
Even if Emily's father cared little for his daughter, greed would move him. Salt was power. With Salt, you have wealth and wealth is dominance. Armed with that knowledge, invasion would no longer be a question of if, only when.
They were pulled from their thoughts when the two guards stepped forward eagerly.
"Boss Kael! Lady!" the boar called, grinning wide enough to show yellowed tusks. "You've come at a good time!"
Kael's expression didn't change, but his scales rippled once in silent tension.
one of them said brightly, chest puffed out with pride. "We were just about to tell—"
Kael raised a hand, silencing him gently.
The beastmen beamed, completely unaware. Innocent. Clueless. So quick to inform Ava that they were now mated to Mara, as if it were a blessing worth celebrating.
They had no idea that the information they'd traded would soon drown the tribe in blood.
Kael inclined his head, his expression unreadable. "I came to congratulate you," he said evenly. "And to remind you of your duties. The Forbidden territory is not a place for negligence. Don't grow lazy indulging in your newfound mate and forget your responsibilities to the tribe."
The two beastmen looked stunned—then delighted.
"To be congratulated by the strongest male in the tribe…" one murmured, practically glowing.
They exchanged excited glances. Kael had always been distant, cold and strict. Praise from him felt like honor carved in stone.
Before Ava could turn away, Mara stepped forward.
Her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "Is that all?" she asked. "Did you truly come just to congratulate them…. or is there something else?"
Ava met her gaze calmly. "Something else?" she echoed. "Like what exactly? If we're not here to congratulate you, then what do you think we came for?"
Mara's smile sharpened. "Don't play dumb with me. I know you're angry that we took the men working under your mates for ourselves. That's why you're really here." Her eyes flicked between them. "Or could it be that you're afraid of something?"
Ava tilted her head. "We?"
Mara faltered for half a breath, as if catching herself. Then she waved a dismissive hand. "You'll find out soon enough. Now leave." She scoffed. "If you truly wanted to congratulate me, you should have brought gifts. Instead, you came with empty words. Hmph."
With that, she turned away.
The two beastmen lifted her effortlessly, carrying her up toward the treehouse, their laughter trailing behind them like an echo of doom.
Ava and Kael stood in silence until the figures disappeared into the leaves.
Then they turned and walked away.
No more doubts remained.
They left having confirmed that the secret of the salt cave was no longer a secret.
The weight of the stranger's words now sat like lead in the pits of their stomachs. As they retreated toward the village, the air felt thinner, the familiar path home suddenly alien and treacherous. Every snap of a twig sounded like the first footfall of an approaching army. They were no longer walking; they were vibrating with a frantic, desperate energy, waiting for the one thing that would shatter their world: George's confirmation.
The plan was as cold as it was necessary. If George returned with the news that Gronk was truly missing, the masquerade of peace would end. They would have to move with surgical precision. Emily and her mates, currently unsuspecting and shielded by the hospitality of the pack, would become their only currency. They would immediately be captured and held hostage. A hostage was the only shield they had left. King Darius is rumored to be a man of iron and ego, but even a tyrant might hesitate if his daughter's life hung by a fraying thread. They needed that hesitation; they needed him to look at their borders and see a cage rather than a conquest.
As they marched, the silence between them was filled with the cacophony of mental preparation. Strategies flickered through their minds like fever dreams. They calculated how they would ambush the unsuspecting Emily, and the best way to restrain Emily's mates without losing more of their own in the scuffle.
The unfairness of it all was a bitter pill. It felt like a sick joke played by the fates. It had been mere weeks since the strays attacked; a brutal, bloody affair that had stained their soil and thinned their ranks. They had barely managed to scrape together a victory, and the cost had been devastating. The wails of the widows still echoed in the night air, and the scent of freshly turned earth over new graves hadn't yet faded. They had lost too many strong males, too many seasoned protectors. Their pack was a wounded animal, still licking its gashed sides, and now a predator far more formidable than a few starving strays was looming on the horizon.
Darius wouldn't come with the chaotic desperation of strays; he would come with the cold, organized fury of a kingdom.