Chapter 34 – Ash and Ember
(Maise's POV)
The fire burned low, embers pulsing in the dark like heartbeat light.
We'd buried the ferals where they fell, a gesture of respect even beasts gave to their dead. Now the forest was quiet again — too quiet. Only the crackle of flame and the slow rhythm of breath surrounded us.
Luka was cleaning his blade; Nox sat across from me, his wounded arm wrapped tight, the golden mark at his throat glowing faintly in the firelight. Chyron lounged near the edge of the camp, his tail flicking lazily through the dust.
He hadn't joined us fully, not yet — still circling, still testing where he fit. But every time I glanced toward him, his gaze was already waiting for mine.
It wasn't hostility. It wasn't even defiance.
It was recognition.
When the others finally drifted toward sleep, I stayed awake, watching the coals fade.
"You should rest," Chyron said quietly from the shadows.
I turned toward him. "You don't sleep either?"
He smirked faintly, rising with a fluid grace that only foxes possessed. "Not when the night smells like change."
He came closer, stopping just at the edge of the firelight. His eyes caught the glow — golden, unreadable. "You lead with instinct, Maise. That's rare."
"Instinct's kept me alive."
"And drawn you into danger."
I smiled. "Isn't that the same thing sometimes?"
He tilted his head, studying me for a long moment before speaking again. "You let me in today. You didn't have to."
"You earned it."
He laughed softly — a low, dangerous sound. "Be careful what debts you name, lioness. I might start thinking you care."
I didn't flinch from the teasing edge in his voice. "And if I do?"
For the first time, the grin faded, replaced by something quieter. "Then I'll stop pretending I don't."
The words lingered between us, heavy and electric. Neither of us moved closer, but the distance felt thinner than it should have.
When I finally turned away, his voice followed softly:
"Goodnight, Maise."
The sound of my name in his mouth lingered long after the fire died.
Morning
(Nox's POV)
The sun bled through the treetops when I found Luka already awake, crouched near the stream.
He didn't look up when I approached. "He's not leaving, is he?"
"No."
Luka's jaw tightened. "Didn't think so."
I crouched beside him, watching the reflection of the camp shimmer in the water. Maise was there, moving with quiet purpose — untamed, alive. And beside her, the fox.
"She trusts him," I said.
"She trusts too easily."
"Maybe. Or maybe she sees something we don't."
He shot me a sharp look. "You mean she sees another male to bring into the fold."
I met his stare, calm and steady. "And if she does? You knew what it meant when we chose her."
Luka's hands clenched, then relaxed. "I did. Doesn't mean it's easy watching it happen."
"It's not supposed to be."
Silence stretched between us, broken only by birdsong.
Finally, Luka sighed. "He saved her yesterday."
"I saw."
"Still doesn't mean I have to like him."
"No," I said, standing slowly, watching Maise turn and laugh at something the fox said. "But you'll have to live with him. Because whether we like it or not, he's part of this now."
The words were simple, but the truth in them hit like a strike to the chest.
For better or worse, the fox had stepped into their fire.
And none of us would come out the same.