A/N: Within the span of a week, I had three near-death experiences some time ago and was out of action for a while. I'm now on long-term sick leave, but I'm slowly trying to continue developing this story despite feeling exhausted.
The upcoming chapters would likely be a bit shorter, but I would be able to post more regularly. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.♡
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Irritation stirred within Mirabelle.
Were the rulers truly in such a hurry that they practically forced these men upon her?
Memories rose within her. It was an unpleasant sensation, as if a damp, sticky mass flowed through her mind.
From the events she saw, they had indeed been in a hurry.
Disgust flashed briefly across the lynx woman's face. Then an icy mask settled over her features. She was good at maintaining a resting bitch face, and with this body, it appeared even more distant.
But Silas's sharp eyes caught that fleeting look of disdain. He clenched his teeth. For days, they had waited for this female.
After the countless battles he led to victory, and given his high status, it was clear that as an unmated beast, he would choose a Berghain female.
He never cared much for mating. Still, he expected that any female would be proud to be chosen by him.
He was not used to being dismissed — and certainly not by someone who should have needed him.
Given his strength and rank, it quickly became clear that he would claim Luchsenstein as the most important territory after the capital. But upon arriving, he was met with indifference. The female who was meant to become the next matriarch not only refused to see them, but even went on a hunger strike.
Even if it seemed like a small matter, it carried major political consequences. Females were rare and had to be protected at all costs. And this one was an heir. Her loss would have unimaginable consequences and could even endanger the peace treaty.
It went without saying that his queen and mother was not pleased.
This female was utterly irresponsible.
He would have preferred to throw her over his knee and teach her what happened to disobedient pups.
And now she stood before them, looking at him as if he were the problem.
His black ears twitched. Otherwise, nothing in his stoic face revealed his thoughts.
Mirabelle paused for only a second before she continued walking. Owen hurried past her to pull out her chair, and with a small, grateful smile toward him, she sat down.
Her robe billowed slightly, swirling elegantly around her legs.
Then she crossed them... almost completely exposing them.
Owen swallowed and watched the three beastmen at the far end of the room. He would have preferred to cover his young lady, but he did not want to embarrass her. So all he could do was cast a sharp look at the hyena noble, who did not take his eyes off her legs.
Kaelith felt a hunger rise within him, sending adrenaline through his veins. To him, all of this was a great amusement. It had been a long time since he had been in such a good mood. The reactions of the two beastmen beside him to the events of the past few days entertained him greatly.
He had no interest in choosing a female from Berghain and had only come because his brothers already had mates and his mother was glad to be rid of him. Even for a short time.
But now, as he saw the lynx female before him for the first time, a spark of interest appeared in his eyes.
Even though she was visibly undernourished, it was unmistakable that she was a female of above-average beauty.
She could rival even high-ranking matriarchs. At the same time, she embodied an untamed wildness that promised excitement.
Perhaps he would make an effort after all. Few females could resist his charm.
Mirabelle reached out without hesitation. She knew that at formal occasions among the beast nobility, etiquette was expected, but here she used her hands to tear apart a golden-brown roasted drumstick.
She chose not to care, not now. Survival mattered more than propriety.
Garruk watched this clear provocation toward them, and his mouth tightened with barely restrained fury.
For days, he had struggled to keep his anger toward her blatantly provocative behavior under control.
It was a trait of his buffalo nature that they could be driven to a raging fury quickly.
As a noble, he spent his entire life learning to restrain that instinct. But this land — no, this female — made him forget all those years of discipline.
His control did not slip all at once.
It cracked, piece by piece, under the pressure of her defiance.
No matter how beautiful she was or how high her status.
No matter that this entire situation was unexpected. This was not how she should behave. There was nothing unusual about forming political partnerships. She should have composed herself.
But once they were mated, he would teach her.
Unlike the others, his frustration was clearly visible. His ears twitched with irritation, and his tail lashed through the air behind him.
But Mirabelle deliberately ignored them.
She learned to deal with problems in the order of urgency.
And right now, the most urgent one was her hunger.
She bit into the drumstick with determination, juice running down her fingers. It cracked. A rich, savory sweetness flooded her senses, and it became instantly clear that not only her sight and hearing had sharpened.
A soft sound escaped her lips.
How could a simple piece of poultry taste this good?
The sound, almost like a low, feline murmur — and far too sensual to belong in a dining hall — caught the three beast nobles off guard.
At the same moment, they went still. Their pupils narrowed, and a sudden surge of hunger rose within them.
They wanted, at any cost, to hear that sound again.
It wrapped around their senses like honey, dulling every rational thought.