The walk back to White Tiger territory was quiet. Almost unnaturally so.
Normally, the jungle echoed with monkeys and buzzing insects. But today, the air felt heavy, still, and oppressively hot.
Kael hadn't spoken since they left the market. He moved quickly through the undergrowth in his human form, carrying Ren, her clay pot, and the salt with ease. His jaw was clenched so tightly that a vein throbbed in his temple.
Ren picked up on his mood and poked his chest.
"You're sulking," she noted.
"I am not," Kael grunted, stepping over a fallen log without breaking stride.
"You are. You're vibrating. It's like riding a grumpy washing machine." Ren adjusted her grip on the clay pot. "Look, Kael. The Snake King is creepy. He has cold hands and stares at me like a biology experiment. I'm not running off to his palace."
Kael stopped and looked down at her, his golden eyes showing both anger and uncertainty.
"He has heated floors," Kael muttered darkly. "And salt mountains. And soft robes."
He glanced around at the damp, tangled jungle.
"I have a cave," he admitted, his voice rough. "It is cold. It has bugs. And I only have one loincloth."
Ren blinked. 'Was the big, tough Alpha actually insecure?'
"Kael," Ren sighed, softening her tone. "I don't care about the floors. I'm a chef. I care about the kitchen. Syris might have salt, but I bet he doesn't know how to make a proper bacon-grease fry."
Kael's ears perked up when she mentioned fries.
"And," Ren added, poking his nose. "He's a snake. Have you seen how he eats? He unhinges his jaw. It's gross. You chew. I appreciate that."
Kael's chest rumbled as a small, reluctant purr started. "I do chew very well."
"Exactly. Now let's get home before—"
BOOM.
The sky didn't just thunder. It split open.
One moment, it was humid. The next, it felt like an underwater disaster. Rain in the Beast World wasn't like Earth's—it poured down as if from a high-pressure hose.
"Gah!" Ren shrieked as instantly soaked hair plastered to her face. "The salt! My salt!"
She immediately curled into a ball, shielding the precious salt crystal with her body. "Kael! Protect the goods!"
"Forget the rocks!" Kael roared over the sound of the deluge. "The river will flood! We need high ground!"
He shifted his grip, clutching Ren tight against his chest to shield her from the worst of the downpour. He broke into a run.
The jungle turned into a mudslide, and they could barely see anything.
"There!" Kael shouted.
He spotted a huge, hollow tree trunk. It was an old ironwood that had fallen years ago and now formed a natural tunnel.
He dove inside, sliding into the dry darkness just as a flash of lightning turned the world white.
They tumbled onto the dry wood dust inside the hollow tree. Kael landed on his back, breathing hard, with Ren sprawled on top of him. Outside, the storm raged.
Ren pushed her wet hair out of her eyes. She checked the salt first. It was dry.
"Thank god," she breathed. Then she looked at Kael.
If there's one thing cats can't stand, it's water.
Kael was drenched. His white hair was plastered to his skull, water dripping from his nose. His skin was slick with rain. And he looked miserable.
He shook his head hard, sending water flying everywhere like a wet dog.
"I hate water," he hissed, his ears flattened completely against his head. "It is cold. It is heavy. It washes away my scent."
He looked at Ren. His eyes widened.
"It washed you," he accused, sounding heartbroken. "You don't smell like me anymore. You smell like rain."
"I'm sure the tiger smell is still underneath," Ren said soothingly, wringing out her shirt. "It's just a shower, Kael."
"No." Kael sat up, shivering a little. The storm had made it much colder. "I need to fix it. And I'm cold."
He looked at her with dilated pupils.
[System Notification: Target 'Kael' is cold and insecure. Recommended Action: Body Heat Transfer. Warning: This usually leads to R-rated activities.]
"Come here," Kael commanded, his voice shaking.
He didn't wait for her answer. He grabbed her waist and pulled her close, wrapping his big arms around her and pressing his cold face into the warm spot between her neck and shoulder.
"Warm me," he demanded, rubbing his nose against her skin.
"Kael, you're soaking wet! You're making me cold!"
"Hush." He tightened his grip. "My fire is out. You are the fire."
Ren sighed, knowing there was no point in fighting a 300-pound, shivering tiger. She put her arms around his broad, wet shoulders.
He was freezing. His skin felt like ice.
'Poor guy,' Ren thought. 'He tries to act tough, but he's really just a big cat caught in the rain.'
She began to rub his back, generating friction. "Better?"
"Mmm," Kael hummed, the vibration buzzing against her chest. "Lower."
Ren moved her hands lower, rubbing his lower back.
"Lower."
Ren froze. Her hands were dangerously close to the waistband of his wet leather loincloth.
"Kael, if I go any lower, I'm going to be arresting myself."
Kael pulled back a little to look at her. His wet eyelashes stuck together in little spikes. He looked both handsome and vulnerable.
"Ren," he whispered. "Why did you choose the pot?"
"What?"
"At the market. The Boar wanted you. The Snake wanted you. You could have chosen a strong mate. But you chose... a mud bowl."
Ren stared at him. "Are you jealous of a cooking pot?"
"It gets to touch your fire," Kael said with zero irony. "I want to be the fire."
Ren felt her heart skip a beat. 'Damn it, he could be charming when he was being pathetic.'
She reached up, cupping his wet face.
"Kael," she said firmly. "The pot cooks the food. The food feeds you. Therefore, the pot is for you."
Kael processed this logic. His ears perked up slightly.
"So... the pot serves me?"
"Yes."
"And you serve the pot?"
"Technically, I master the pot, but yes."
"Then you serve me." Kael nodded, satisfied with this mental gymnastics. "Good."
He leaned in, his lips brushing hers. It was a faint kiss, cold and wet, tasting of rain.
"I will build you a floor," he whispered against her mouth. "A warm one. I will heat the stones with my own body if I have to. Do not go to the Snake."
Ren felt her breath hitch. "I'm not going anywhere, Kael. It's raining."
"Good."
Kael closed his eyes, finally relaxing. He rested his forehead against hers.
"Then we'll stay here until the sky stops crying."
They stayed there for hours, huddled in the hollow tree as the storm raged outside. Ren eventually fell asleep against his chest, comforted by his heartbeat.
She didn't notice how Kael stayed awake, watching the entrance with his claws out, ready to protect his little chef if anything came near.
And she definitely didn't see the System screen glowing softly in the dark.
[System Notification: Hidden Quest Complete – 'The Rainy Day Bond'.][Reward: Architecture Blueprint – 'Log Cabin'.][Reward: 1x Bag of Portland Cement.]