"Hey, I was thinking I want to decorate my hut a bit." Rayna said to Soren.
"And why exactly do you need to stay in your hut? We're mates and mates live together. In a single hut. In a single room. In a single bed."
Rayna smiled. "I know but still I created my kitchen with so much effort. And it's a pretty good hut, I don't want to abandon it."
Soren muttered, "Fine."
"But you'll stay with me in this hut too. At night we'll sleep together whether its my treehut or your hut. Okay? And I'll help you in decorating your hut." He wrapped his arms around her.
Rayna chuckled, nudging him lightly. "Alright, you're too clingy, Soren."
Soren raised a brow, pulling her closer with a smirk. "Then get used to it, mate. You're stuck with me now."
Rayna rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face only grew wider.
Rayna chuckled as Soren scooped her up in a princess carry and flew them down to the ground.
As her feet touched the earth, she pointed up at the treehouse. "By the way, install a ladder to this place."
Soren raised a brow. "Ladder?"
"Yes, a ladder. I know I have wings, but I'm keeping that part a secret for now—like you said earlier, to avoid attention. So without you, I can't climb up or down."
Soren frowned, genuinely confused. "But... I can fly up and down a hundred times a day for you. You don't like being in my arms?"
Rayna sighed playfully. "I do. But what if you're out hunting or gone somewhere and I need to get up or down on my own? A ladder would help."
Soren tilted his head. "Okay... so what's a ladder?"
Rayna smiled and patiently explained, sketching out the idea with sticks and gestures. Soren listened intently, then nodded, still slightly grumbling. "Wait here."
He disappeared into the forest. Rayna sat on a flat rock, humming softly and basking in the sun. After some time—longer than she expected—Soren returned with several long ropes, smooth branches, and sturdy wood. He climbed up, tied it with surprising precision, and after a bit of grumbling and adjusting, the ladder hung down from the treehouse, swaying gently.
Rayna tested it, climbing up carefully. "Wow... this is great!" she called down, genuinely impressed.
Soren, flied up and landed next to her, crossing his arms and smirked. "Told you I could do anything for you."
As they stood admiring the newly made ladder, a voice echoed from below the trees.
"Soren! Are you coming for the hunt or not?"
Soren sighed and looked up at Rayna. "They need me to join today's hunt. But..." he stepped closer, "only if you say it's okay."
Rayna smiled slightly, but then—suddenly—her smile faded.
A sharp heat bloomed across her skin. Her mark. It burned, just like the day she first arrived. Her hand flew to the spot instinctively.
Soren's eyes widened. "Rayna?" He reached for her, worry flashing through him. "It's burning again?"
Rayna gritted her teeth, trying to steady her breath. "Yeah... just like before. But it's okay. I'm fine."
"You're not fine," Soren said, voice low and tense. "This mark... I don't understand it. We need to know what it means. The village chief might know something. She's wise—but if I go to her, we risk drawing too much attention."
Rayna nodded, trying to catch her breath as the heat slowly began to fade. "We'll ask her. Just... not now. I'll be okay."
Soren still looked uncertain, his wings twitching slightly with restraint.
Again, the call came—louder this time. "Soren! Stop cuddling your mate and get over here!"
Soren's jaw tightened. He looked back at Rayna.
"I'm fine," she said firmly, nodding. "Go."
He hesitated a beat longer... then gently touched her cheek. "I'll be quick. Stay in the hut, and call me if anything happens."
With that, he launched into the sky, disappearing into the forest canopy. Rayna stared after him, her fingers brushing over the still-warm mark on her back.
What are you trying to tell me? she wondered.
Rayna decided to distract herself while Soren was away. She decided to take a walk in the village. When she reached there she felt the stillness in the village was a stark contrast to the energy of the Nomei festival, but it wasn't unpleasant. Cubs were running about, squealing with laughter, while males carried branches or meat, or repaired thatched rooftops. It was peaceful in its own way.
As Rayna walked past a small cluster of huts, something soft crashed into her leg.
"Oof—!"
She looked down to see a small fox cub blinking up at her, about to cry. And within seconds, he did.
"Oh no, hey—shh, it's okay," Rayna said gently, crouching down and picking him up. She gently patted his back, bouncing him a little like she'd seen people do with human babies. "You just bumped into me, didn't you? You're okay?"
The cub sniffled and slowly calmed, clutching onto her top.
Just then, a sharp voice interrupted.
"That's my cub. Put him down," a female with fox ears and a sleek orange tail demanded, stepping forward.
Rayna frowned at the tone but stayed calm. She crouched slightly, turning to the cub in her arms. "Is she your mother, little one?"
The cub peeked at the female and nodded just a little, wiping his nose.
Rayna sighed and gently lowered him to the ground.
"There," she said softly. "Be careful next time, okay?"
But the female immediately scolded him. "Always making trouble. Your fathers are searching for you everywhere—let's go already!"
Rayna couldn't help but speak up. "Hey, could you be a little gentler with him? He's just a kid, he was scared."
The female turned her sharp gaze on Rayna. "And I'm completely okay with how I raise him. He's male. If I go soft on him now, he'll grow up weak. You'll not understand."
Rayna crossed her arms. "Nurturing doesn't make someone weak—it helps them grow strong in heart and mind."
Their voices were starting to rise when heavy footsteps approached.
"Is there a problem here?" a deep voice asked.
Rayna turned to see not one, but five males approaching. Three fox beastmen, one tall wolf, and—Rayna blinked—one of the bear beastmen she recognized from the Nomei duels. A semi-finalist, if she remembered right.
Ah. These must be the cub's fathers.
Rayna straightened as all five came to stand beside the female.
The bear beastman's eyes flickered with something unreadable when they landed on Rayna. Recognition? Curiosity? He didn't say anything, just walked ahead and gently picked up the cub from the ground.
"There you are," he said in a low, calm voice, cradling the little one in his broad arms.
One of the fox beastmen stepped forward, his sleek fur catching the light. He placed a hand on the female's shoulder and asked, "Anything wrong, honey?"
The female crossed her arms with a dramatic sigh. "That outsider was lecturing me on how to raise my cub. Just because she held him for two seconds."
The fox beastman looked at Rayna and, to her surprise, gave her a polite nod. "I hope there wasn't any misunderstanding. You alright?"
Rayna nodded, keeping her voice calm. "Yes. Your cub just bumped into me and started crying. I comforted him until she came. That's all. I just asked her to be a little gentle, that's it."
Before the tension could rise again, the bear beastman took a step forward, still holding the cub. "Alright," he said firmly, but without hostility. "No need to argue. The cub's safe now. Let's go."
The female clicked her tongue but didn't argue further.
The group slowly moved on, the fox beastmen flanking the female, the bear walking a little behind them with the now dozing cub still in his arms.
Rayna let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"Wow. Okay," she muttered to herself. "So that's how beastmen families work... intense."
As Rayna continued walking, her feet eventually brought her near the village chief's hut. She paused, glancing at the wide entrance. A part of her wanted to go in, to ask about the mark that had burned so suddenly again—but she hesitated. She wanted to do that with Soren, not alone.
Just as she turned to leave, a familiar voice called out, "Rayna!"
She looked up to see Ezra approaching, relaxed as always.
"What were you doing?" she asked.
"Just some basic patrol," Ezra replied with a casual shrug. "You?"
"Getting some fresh air. Needed to clear my head."
Ezra nodded thoughtfully. Then his face brightened. "Come on, I found something. Let me show you."
Rayna raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"You'll see," he said, motioning for her to follow.
Curious, Rayna walked beside him as they slipped into the forest path. After a short walk, Ezra bent down near a tree and pulled back a clump of moss.
"See these?" he said, pointing. "I think they're edible. They're tasty too. I tried a few yesterday."
Rayna's eyes lit up. "Mushrooms?" she said, crouching beside him. "Oh wow... these look like the wild kind."
Ezra blinked. "That's what they're called? Mushrooms? Huh."
Rayna frowned slightly. "Some wild mushrooms can be poisonous though. Are you sure you didn't get sick?"
Ezra smirked. "Ate a whole bowl last night. I'm still standing."
She laughed. "Alright then. Let's pick them. I'll cook something with these."
They gathered a bunch carefully, placing them in a woven basket. Soon, they returned to Rayna's hut. She moved toward the little corner she called her kitchen and handed Ezra an empty container.
"Could you get some fresh river water?"
"On it," Ezra replied, jogging off.
When he returned, Rayna used the water to rinse the mushrooms thoroughly, removing dirt and grit. Then she poured the rest into a pot and set it over the flame to boil.
She glanced over at the small pouch of herbs kept nearby, she had collected days ago—thankfully still fresh and fragrant.
She took a few sprigs of wild thyme for its warm, earthy scent, a handful of wood sorrel for a hint of lemony flavor, and crushed a bit of wild garlic, its sharp, familiar aroma already making her mouth water. For a deeper flavor, she added some dried sage leaves, letting them crumble into the bubbling water.
Ezra hovered near the pot, nose twitching. "That smells... really good."
Rayna stirred the pot slowly, smiling. "It's going to taste even better. You'll see."
Steam rose gently, curling through the air, filling the hut with the soothing aroma of herbs and forest earth.
For a moment, it felt just like home.
Warm. Simple. And peaceful.
Once the soup was done, Rayna served it in two wooden bowls. The rich aroma filled the space, and both of them sat cross-legged on the mat just outside her hut, enjoying the calm breeze.
Ezra took another spoonful of the mushroom soup, let out a satisfied sigh, and leaned back slightly, eyeing Rayna with a playful smile.
"If you keep cooking like this, I might just start showing up at your hut every day," he teased. "Seriously, I didn't know this could taste so well. I might be falling in love—with the soup. Or..." He let the sentence hang in the air, eyes twinkling.
Rayna rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile. "Is that your way of asking for a second bowl?"
Ezra chuckled. "Maybe. Or maybe it's just my way of buying time, because there's something I've been meaning to say."
Rayna raised an eyebrow, curious now.
Ezra continued, more quietly now, "I wanted to say this back at the festival... but that bird beat me to it."
He paused for just a second, then added smoothly, "Rayna, I like you. Not just because you're pretty—though let's be honest, that helps—but because you're fun to talk to, intelligent, and you make this place way more interesting. I want to be your mate."
Rayna opened her mouth but found no words at first.
Ezra looked at Rayna for a moment, his gaze softer now, the usual mischief in his eyes dimmed just a little.
"Its alright...you don't have to say anything. I just... needed you to know." Ezra added quietly.
Ezra smiled, catching her hesitation. "It's okay. You don't need to answer now."
Then he let out a light laugh, scratching the back of his neck, trying to keep the air easy between them.
"Just... don't make me wait too long, alright? I might survive a lot of things, but a completely shattered heart? That might be pushing it."
He grinned, playful again, but there was a truth in his voice Rayna couldn't ignore.
He looked at her one last time, then smiled and glanced away, giving her the space to process. "Anyway... soup's amazing. And you're amazing too. That's all. I'll get going then Rayna."
With that he left.
That night, Soren returned. Rayna was in the treehouse, leaning on the windowsill, watching the moonlight dance over the river.
She felt arms wrap around her waist, warm and familiar.
"Hey," Soren murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Rayna smiled, relaxing into him.
But then, Soren paused. He nuzzled her hair, brow furrowing. "I smell that fox," he muttered. "Did something happen? Did you two meet?"
Rayna nodded gently. "Yeah. He confessed to me," she admitted. "He said he meant to during the festival, but you kind of beat him to it."
Soren went quiet for a moment.
Then his voice came, low but even. "So... what's your answer, Rayna?"
Rayna turned to face him, her expression soft. "Honestly, I always liked him since we met. He was kind and warm in his own way. But... are you against it, Soren?"
He looked at her, then exhaled.
"No. I'm not," he said. "I knew... I kind of knew you were going to choose Ezra too. And even so, I'm glad I could be your first."
He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Whatever you feel, I won't stop you. You're smart, strong, beautiful—it's natural that you'd have more than one mate. But the fact that you're talking to me about this... it shows how sincere you are and how deeply you care about me. And I respect that."
Then he added, in a more familiar grumble, "But if that fox ever does anything reckless or pisses you off, I'll throw him in the river and cut off his fluffy tail."
Rayna burst out laughing. "Okay, noted. I'll tell him my answer tomorrow."
Soren kissed her temple again, holding her close. "I'll be here. No matter what."