For a long, tense moment, the forest remained perfectly still. The only sound was the heavy, bubbling of the fifty-gallon elk stew and the crackling of the fire.
Then, the bushes finally parted.
But it wasn't the White Tiger Clan that emerged. The rogue strays were the first to come out. They were a ragtag, mismatched group of random beastmen and females of various species who had been surviving on the harsh outskirts of the forest. They crept into the clearing with their shoulders hunched, taking slow, terrified steps.
Their eyes weren't fixed on the delicious stew, but rather, they were looking warily at the massive, towering White Tiger standing right next to the cauldron. Kael's reputation as a strong and powerful beastman preceded him, even without his title.
Ren noticed their paralyzing fear. She gently nudged Kael with her elbow.
"Hey," Ren whispered, suggesting to the giant beastman. "Maybe you need to back up a bit. You're terrifying the customers."
