Kael gently rested Ren on the grass.
He reached for a large, thick leaf and gently cleaned between her thighs. She didn't stir. Her face was flushed pink, her expression peaceful, like she was dreaming of giant roasted pigs or whatever it was she mumbled about in her sleep.
Kael sat back on his heels, looking at her.
A thought crossed his mind.
'We could run,' Kael thought. 'I could pick her up right now. We could leave the Snake, leave the forest, leave the mess of the Tiger Clan. We could go to the Southern Lands. Just us.'
It was a tempting thought.
But he shook his head. That would be cowardice.
'I cannot shift,' Kael reminded himself bitterly. 'My beast is silent. My clan is in shambles. But I am still a King.'
And his mate? She was even more important. She had a divine duty passed down from the Moon Goddess herself.
'To cure the Feral Madness,' Kael recited the mission in his head. 'She needs powerful mates. She needs energy. If I take her away, I doom the world.'
