The Beast Tamer's Awakening: Amaya and the White Tiger King-Chapter 11: THE HUNT FOR THE HEIR

Leo carried Amaya through the forest with silent, predatory grace, but every muscle in his body was coiled tight. His golden–silver eyes scanned the shadows with lethal precision. His tail brushed lightly against her legs in a protective way.

Even half-conscious, she felt it—the tension in him. The fear he wouldn’t voice.

The fear of losing her again.

"leo..." she mumbled, her voice slurred with exhaustion.

"Rest," he repeated, softer this time. "You burned too much energy. Your core is adjusting."

She blinked slowly, struggling to focus on the glow of twilight weaving through the treetops. "My head feels... heavy."

"That is normal. Your senses are widening faster than your body is prepared for." His grip on her tightened. "You should not have pushed your power."

"But you would’ve died."

A low rumble vibrated through his chest—something between a growl and a shudder.

"I will not fall so easily," he murmured. "But... thank you."

She smiled weakly. "Still stubborn."

"And still alive," he answered.

Her eyes drifted shut again.

But the forest would not allow peace for long.

---

Whispers of the Forest

A cold wind swept through the trees, carrying with it the faint scent of metal—sharp, unnatural. Leo’s body tensed immediately.

He stopped walking.

Amaya stirred faintly. "leo?"

His voice was low, deadly. "Do not move."

Something shifted to their right.

Then their left.

Amaya’s eyes shot open.

Leo lowered her to her feet gently, placing her behind him. "Stay close."

"I can fight," she whispered.

"No," he snapped. Then, softer, "Not like this. You’re drained. You will collapse before your power gathers again."

Her protest stuck in her throat.

Because she heard it now too.

Footsteps.

Multiple.

Soft, synchronized, almost soundless.

Leo bared his fangs. "Hunters."

The word alone chilled Amaya to the bone.

Hunters—humans trained to track, bind, sell, or kill spirit beasts. But some specialized in something far worse.

Tracking awakened bloodlines.

Leo’s claws emerged with a metallic shing as he positioned himself between Amaya and the approaching threat.

Amaya whispered, "How many?"

Leo’s ears twitched. "Seven. Maybe eight."

Seven against one Beastlord.

Normally, that would be a slaughter—leo’s slaughter.

But with Amaya weakened? With her awakening pulsing like a beacon?

They held the advantage.

The rustling stopped.

Silence fell.

A voice called out, smooth and mocking.

"Well, well. The rumors were true."

A figure stepped from the shadows—tall, draped in dark leathers, a silver mask covering the lower half of his face. His eyes gleamed with cruel amusement.

"You found the heir first, White Tiger."

Amaya’s breath caught.

Heir.

They somehow knew.

Leo’s snarl ripped through the clearing. "Come any closer and I will tear you limb from limb."

The hunter only smiled.

"We’re not here for you. Beastlords have their price, but an awakened Tamer Heir?" He spread his arms. "She’s worth kingdoms."

Amaya stepped forward despite leo’s glare, her voice shaking. "I’m not going anywhere with you."

"Oh, we weren’t asking."

Four more hunters emerged from the trees, their movements eerie and precise. Each carried a metallic chain pulsing faintly with runes.

Amaya’s heart plummeted.

"Binding chains," she whispered. "Those can restrain awakened beasts."

"And awakened tamers," leo added, voice sharp with fury. "Stay behind me."

One hunter tilted his head. "You look tired, girl. Your power flaring like that... must’ve been exhausting."

Leo roared, the sound shaking leaves from branches.

"She is under my protection," he growled, stepping forward.

The masked man laughed softly. "Exactly why we brought insurance."

He snapped his fingers.

And something massive dropped from the treetops.

A beast.

But not wild.

A spirit tiger—white, but its eyes were hollow and dim, controlled by a collar glowing with dark runes.

A corrupted beast.

Amaya’s stomach twisted. "leo—"

"I see it."

The enslaved tiger snarled, drool dripping from its jaws. Its movements were stiff, unnatural, pained.

Leo trembled—not with fear, but with incandescent rage.

"You have shackled one of my kind," he hissed. "You dare—"

"Yes," the hunter said simply. "Because it kills Beastlords."

The controlled tiger lunged.

Leo met it head-on.

---

King Against Corruption

The two tigers clashed with explosive force, shaking the ground beneath them. Leo’s claws slashed sparks from the corrupted beast’s hide, but the thing didn’t react to pain. It fought like a puppet—mindless, unyielding.

Amaya watched in horror as leo dodged a swipe that would’ve taken his head clean off.

"leo!" she cried.

He didn’t look back.

His focus was razor-sharp, all instinct and ferocity.

The corrupted tiger roared, slamming leo into a tree. The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing.

"NO!" Amaya moved forward—

A chain wrapped around her wrist, yanking her back.

"Agh—!"

The hunters closed in, forming a circle. The leader smirked. "Your Beastlord is busy. You belong to us now."

Amaya struggled, pulling against the chain. Pain shot through her arm as the rune bit into her skin.

Her power surged in response.

But it flickered.

Unstable.

Unfocused.

The leader tsked. "Awakening still fresh? That’s unfortunate."

Leo slammed the corrupted tiger into the ground, snarling. But the other beast rose again instantly, eyes blank.

Amaya felt helplessness choke her.

She needed to help him.

She had to. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

But the chain’s runes dug deeper, suppressing her energy.

No.

Not again.

She clenched her jaw hard enough to ache. "Let me go."

"Or what?" the hunter mocked. "Scream for your pet?"

A cold calm settled over Amaya.

"If you touch me," she whispered, "leo will tear the world apart to get me back."

One hunter yanked the chain harder, grinning. "He’s too busy dying."

That did it.

Something inside her snapped.

Her markings flared—violent, unrestrained light tearing across her skin. The chain burned to ash.

The hunters staggered back.

"What—?!"

Amaya straightened, her vision sharp, her pulse steady, her voice low and dangerous.

"You shouldn’t have touched me."

---

The Heir’s Wrath

The ground trembled under her feet.

Her hair lifted in the rising current of her power.

The hunters stared, wide-eyed, as runes spiraled across her arms and up her neck, glowing with starlit white-gold fire.

"Stop her!" the leader barked.

Three chains flew toward her—

She raised her hand.

The chains froze midair.

Then shattered into shimmering dust.

The hunters recoiled.

"Impossible—she’s barely awakened—!"

Amaya’s power surged louder, stronger, steadier. She could feel the beasts in the forest—feel the pulse of the corrupted tiger’s suffering, feel leo’s struggling heartbeat, feel the world bending toward her presence.

She turned to the controlled beast.

Its pain screamed through her senses.

"Release him," she demanded.

The hunters fumbled to regroup. "Don’t let her—bind her—!"

One lunged at her with another chain.

Amaya didn’t even look.

A wave of energy blasted outward, sending the hunter flying into a tree.

Leo finally tore free from the corrupted tiger long enough to look at her.

He froze.

"Amaya," he breathed, voice strangled. "Your eyes—"

"What about my eyes?"

"They’re not brown anymore." His voice trembled. "They’re glowing."

She didn’t have time to process that.

The corrupted tiger roared and leapt at leo again—

Amaya snapped.

"STOP!"

The command boomed like a divine order.

Everything froze.

Leo.

The hunters.

The corrupted beast—mid-air, inches from leo’s face.

The runes on its collar flickered as Amaya extended her arm, fingers glowing with solid light.

"Submit."

The collar cracked.

Light flared—

—and the beast fell to the ground, the corruption burning away in smoke. It lay there, panting, dazed but alive, freed from the control.

Leo staggered, staring at her in stunned silence.

The leader of the hunters panicked. "RETREAT! RETREAT NOW!"

Amaya’s head snapped toward him.

"No."

Power crackled beneath her feet.

"You don’t get to harm my beasts... and walk away."

She raised her hand.

Starlight spiraled from her palm, wrapping around the fleeing hunters like chains forged of pure light. They collapsed, unable to move.

Leo blinked, disbelief written across his features. "Amaya... you’re channeling Lytharia."

Her breath hitched—but she did not stop.

Because she could still hear the leader.

Whimpering.

Begging.

"You don’t understand—if we fail, she will kill us!"

"She?" leo growled.

"She who?" Amaya demanded.

The hunter trembled, eyes wild with terror behind his mask. "The Shadow Priestess—she ordered us to capture the heir—alive."

Amaya’s blood ran cold.

Leo stepped closer, aura flaring with rage. "The Shadow Priestess has been dead for centuries."

"No," the hunter whispered. "She returned."

Leo’s claws sank into the soil.

Amaya’s heart pounded violently.

The hunter leaned forward, breath shaky. "And she said... if the heir awakens... the Sovereign’s seal will break."

Amaya felt the world tilt.

"She wants the throne."

"She wants you," the hunter breathed. "Your power. Your blood."

Leo moved so fast the air cracked—one claw pointed at the hunter’s throat.

"You will never touch her."

The hunter whimpered. "We don’t need to. The Priestess is already coming."

---

The Cost of Power

Amaya’s vision dimmed suddenly.

Her power flickered.

Then collapsed inward.

"Amaya?" leo caught her as her knees buckled. "Amaya!"

The markings on her skin faded.

Her breathing quickened in panic. "leo—I can’t—control—"

"I have you," he whispered fiercely. "Stay with me."

The hunters struggled weakly against the starlight chains, but leo ignored them entirely. His whole world had narrowed to the trembling girl in his arms.

Her fingers clawed at his shoulder, desperate.

"I didn’t mean to use that much power..."

"I know. Breathe."

"It feels—like my bones are burning—"

"That is backlash," leo said, voice tight. "Your core is overloading—your body cannot contain that level of channeling yet."

Her vision blurred.

"I’m—I’m sorry—"

Leo shook his head violently. "Do not apologize for surviving."

He lifted her again, cradling her against his chest, and turned away from the defeated hunters.

"Where are we going?" she whispered.

"To safety." His tail wrapped around her waist protectively. "I’m taking you to the Lunar Sanctuary. You cannot stay in the open. Not with the Priestess hunting you."

Amaya’s voice trembled. "leo... what if... what if I become something I can’t control?"

Leo stopped walking.

Slowly, he leaned his forehead against hers again, just like before.

"You will not lose yourself," he whispered. "Not while I am with you."

Her breath shook.

"Promise?"

His voice, when it came, was raw and trembling—

"With everything I am."

Amaya closed her eyes.

And for the first time since her awakening, she let herself believe him.

---

But far behind them... in the depths of shadow

A figure cloaked in living darkness watched the retreating pair.

Her voice was a whisper of silk and venom.

"So... the heir has awakened."

Her smile was a slow, poisonous curve.

"And the White Tiger King guards her like a mate."

Her shadowy fingers curled.

"No matter. The Beast Sovereign’s heir belongs to me."

The trees around her died silently.

"The hunt has only begun."

---

To be continued...

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