The Stormclaw Den still echoed with the weight of Liam's claim.
Night had fallen over Zone 14, but within the den, the firelight burned low and steady, casting flickering shadows across the bone-lined walls. Beastkin hunters moved with silent reverence through the outer tunnels, their heads bowed, their eyes no longer filled with suspicion... but respect. Submission.
He'd earned it.
Nysera stood beside him, her silver eyes reflecting the glow of the central fire. She hadn't spoken much since the clan knelt. Her presence, however, had shifted entirely... no longer just a challenger, but a queen among her own, standing just behind and to Liam's right. Where she belonged.
And the system had acknowledged it.
---
> [System Update] Stormclaw Pact Sealed – Clan Loyalty Secured Beastkin Patrol Active – Zone 14 Defense +20% Bond Sync: 91% (Nysera – Stable)
Summon Override – 48 Hours Remaining Harem Recall Active: Full Roster Present Mall Fortress – Status: Fortified / Under Threat
Raid Timer: 9 Hours – Major Horde Convergence
Directive: Prepare Defense Council – Mandatory Attendance Reward: Territory Advance + Alliance Buff
Liam stood near the fire pit in the den's central chamber, fingers tracing the worn hilt of his sword. His wives surrounded him now, returned through the override... watching, waiting.
Rena leaned against a carved pillar, arms crossed, eyes sharp. "So we're defending the fortress... with them?"
She nodded once toward the beastkin sentinels pacing the shadows.
Nysera's voice was cool. "They follow him now. That's all that matters."
Kaelithra twirled a blade idly, lounging atop a stone bench. "Good. Because we'll need them. The last horde nearly cracked the gate."
Elyra stepped closer to Liam, her hand brushing his shoulder. "We're overdue for strategy... and sleep. Preferably both."
Liam's gaze swept the chamber. He didn't need to say much. They all felt it... the storm building beyond the Wilds, the pulse of power demanding a response.
He nodded. "We head to the fortress now. We hold council. Then we hold the walls."
Sarya cocked her crossbow, already moving. "About time."
Ice Queen's voice was soft but cold. "I've prepared the Frostline. Let them come."
---
They departed under a blood-red moon.
The journey back to Mall Fortress was swift, the beastkin clan moving with eerie grace along the cliffs and through the underbrush. Nysera led them at Liam's side, her cloak billowing in the wind, her clan fanning out to guard their flanks.
By dawn, they reached the fortress gates.
Mall Fortress had changed.
Repaired walls gleamed with new reinforcements. System turrets flickered to life along the ridges, and the summoning chamber pulsed steadily from the central tower. His wives fanned out across the grounds, reclaiming their posts, issuing orders to the arriving beastkin.
Liam ascended the steps to the war room, Nysera at his side.
Inside, the council began.
Rena pointed at the map. "Three horde clusters moving from the east. Largest we've seen."
Kaelithra traced the likely breach points. "We hold them here and here. The den's forces fill the gaps."
Naia, leaning against the wall, smirked. "I'll keep them breathing. Try not to fall."
Vexa cracked her knuckles. "They won't get close."
Nysera placed a clawed hand on Liam's shoulder. "Let us fight for you. For what we've built."
Liam looked at them all... his harem, his clan, his kingdom.
He nodded once.
"Then we fight. Together."
> [System Alert] Final Raid Phase: Initiated
The air inside Mall Fortress crackled with tension.
Liam stood at the head of the war table, the runes etched into the stone flickering with system light. Around him, his wives... no, his war council... stood in silence, each one watching, waiting. The system's override had summoned them all, and now they stood shoulder to shoulder, power pooled in one place for the first time since the harem had scattered.
Eleven bonds.
Eleven queens.
And for the first time, they were united.
Rena leaned forward, hands braced against the table. Her armor was still scuffed from recent patrols, and her eyes burned with focus. "The Horde's numbers are growing. Drone clusters spotted in the eastern ruin fields. If they converge before we reinforce, the outer walls won't hold."
"Then we don't wait," Vexa growled, arms crossed, muscles taut. "We hit them now."
Kaelith spun a dagger lazily in her fingers. "A frontal assault would leave the Sky Fortress open. We can't risk splitting too thin."
Elyra's silver eyes gleamed. "We don't need brute force. We need control. Territory. Resources. If we don't secure Stormclaw's alliance, this is temporary at best."
Nysera stood at Liam's side, silent until now. Her silver gaze swept over the group, her posture relaxed but alert.
"The den is loyal... for now. They'll patrol the Wilds, defend the cliffs. But they're watching. If we falter, they'll break away."
Liam absorbed every word.
The system pulsed in his mind.
> [System Directive] Clan Alliance: Stabilized Beastkin Patrol Routes Established – Stormclaw Wilds Secured Zone Expansion: Active Mall Fortress Perimeter Strength: 64% – Reinforcements Needed Time to Horde Convergence: 62 Hours
Liam exhaled. "We don't just hold the line. We grow. Expand. This kingdom can't survive if we're always reacting. We need to strike first."
Sarya raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"
Liam's gaze locked on the zone map. "Zone Fifteen. We move at dawn."
The room fell quiet.
Kaelyn stepped forward, her voice low. "Another bond?"
Liam nodded. "It's the only way to stay ahead. New zone, new resources. And another queen to secure it."
Naia, seated on the edge of the table, smirked. "I hope she bites. I like them wild."
Nysera's eyes narrowed, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Careful. Not all of us break easily."
Liam's hand pressed against the table, his voice cutting through the rising tension. "This harem was never about numbers. It's about unity. Power. You want to survive? Then fight with me... not against each other."
The system pulsed again.
> [System Update] Bond Loyalty: 89% – Stable Command Status: Active Next Bond Opportunity: Zone Fifteen – Desert Spire Detected Target Class: Warlord / Tamer Hybrid
Rena nodded slowly. "Then let's prepare. The Horde isn't waiting."
Liam met each of their eyes in turn.
"Neither are we."
They scattered... Vexa to the gates, Ice Queen to reinforce the spire, Sarya and Kaelyn vanishing into the corridors with quiet purpose. Nysera lingered, watching him.
"Stormclaw will follow... for now. But you'll need more than strength to hold them."
Liam stepped closer. "Then I'll show them why I lead."
Nysera smiled faintly, stepping back into the shadows. "Do that. Or lose everything."
Liam watched her go, the weight of command pressing heavier than ever. Tomorrow, another bond. Another queen. Another war.
But tonight, Mall Fortress stood united.
And Liam Voss? He wasn't just surviving.
He was building an empire.