The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 250: I should’ve been gentle, I thought

The squirrel beastman simply nodded, her ears twitching as she pointed a delicate finger toward a cluster of moss-covered oaks.

"That way," she whispered. "I think it’s hard to miss a predator like that walking around."

Yeah, he was definitely hard to miss, since he was practically glowing.

"Thank you," I stood tall to my feet and looked in the direction she pointed at. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

I gave a quick wave and headed in that direction.

The forest was alive, and I just got to realize it after calming down from the frantic search.

I threaded lightly and listened to my surroundings.

The birds were chirping with such frantic energy that it almost felt like they were shouting directions, leading me deeper into the green.

’To the left, Tiger! No, over the brook!’ I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips.

My imagination was clearly running wild, fueled by the fresh spring air and the lingering lack of sleep.

I pushed through a dense wall of flowering shrubs, the petals dusting my coat like fragrant snow, and then I saw it.

A hidden clearing, tucked away like a secret hideout with a small, crystal-clear lake reflecting the bright blue of the sky. In the center of the clearing, sprawled across a flat, sun-warmed rock, was Damar.

He was fast asleep. The sunlight cascaded over his pale, shimmering skin, making him glow against the dark moss. He looked so peaceful, so ethereal, that the local butterflies had apparently decided he was a new species of flower.

They fluttered around him in a swirling halo of color, landing on his silver hair and the tips of his fingers, completely oblivious to the fact that they were dancing on a predator.

’Snow White,’ I thought randomly, and a giggle bubbled up in my throat. He really was a fairytale prince, minus the seven dwarves and plus a few extra... assets. Ahem.

I walked toward him quietly, my boots treading softly on the new budding grass. I stopped at the edge of the rock and just looked at him.

The tension from our argument seemed to have drained out of him in his sleep, leaving him looking younger, gentler, and leaving my heart racing with warmth.

The infesting bite mark on his shoulder was still there, threatening to scar him for life and I bit my lip. I should’ve been gentle, I thought.

I lowered myself onto the rock, the stone radiating a gentle warmth. I leaned over him, my hair brushing against his chest, and watched his long, silver lashes flicker.

I pressed my lips to his, soft and lingering.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," I murmured against his mouth. "The forest is awake, and your wife is sorry."

Damar’s breath hitched softly. His eyes didn’t snap open; instead, they opened slowly, the emerald green soft and misty as he focused on my face.

Damar’s eyes stayed on mine for a heartbeat longer than usual, but as the fog of sleep cleared, the softness in his gaze curdled into something heavy. His brow furrowed, a shadow passing over his face as he remembered the coldness in my voice back in the cave.

"Ari..." he whispered, but the name didn’t sound like a greeting. It sounded like an apology for existing.

He sat up slowly, the butterflies scattering into the air like shards of broken glass. He didn’t try to pull me closer this time; instead, he looked down at his hands, his thumbs tracing the edges of his palms.

The silence between us was no longer the peaceful quiet of the forest—it was the awkward, stinging silence of a wound that hadn’t quite closed.

I felt it too. That sharp, twisting pang in my gut told me I had poked at his deepest insecurity. He had spent months in a frozen void, clinging to the memory of my scent to stay alive, only to wake up and be told his way of loving me—even the messy, primal parts—was wrong or dangerous.

"You followed me," he said, his voice flat, devoid of its usual melodic lilt. He still wouldn’t look up at me. "I thought you were... disgusted."

"Damar, look at me," I said, my heart sinking. I reached out and took his chin, forcing him to meet my eyes. "I wasn’t disgusted, it was far from it. I was terrified. There’s a difference."

He let out a dry, hollow laugh. "To a beast, they feel the same. Fear leads to distance."

"But I wasn’t scared of you. What I was terrified of was you falling sick and I wouldn’t know how to help you. I was scared of my own incompetence." I confessed. "I scolded you because I can’t lose you again. Not to a fever, not to an infection, not to anything. If you want to be marked, then let me do it when we find a way, not through an infected wound. Please."

I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against his. I could feel the coolness of his skin, the heat of the rut finally fully extinguished.

"I love you, you stubborn snake." I finally said it. I used the L word I refrained from using on either of them this whole time, but it’s not like I didn’t feel it for them. I just felt... I don’t know what I felt but it was too soon, I thought.

Now that I said it, it felt like my heart had become lighter.

"I love you, Damar, and I need my husband healthy in order to be happy."

Damar closed his eyes, a single, shaky breath escaping him. His shoulders finally dropped, the tension bleeding out of him. He leaned into me, his forehead heavy against mine, and for a moment, we just breathed in the scent of each other.

"I am... difficult," he admitted softly.

"We’re all difficult," I countered, sliding my arms around his neck. "Noah is a prideful king, Fenric is a stubborn warrior, and I’m a depressed tiger who lashes out when she’s stressed. We’re a mess, Damar. But we’re our mess."

He finally looked at me, a small, tentative glimmer returning to his emerald eyes.

"Will you... Help me with the herbs? I do not want you to be angry when we start our journey." He asked, and I swear I saw him blush.

I laughed softly.

"I’m not angry anymore," I promised, pulling back to give him a real, warm smile. "But I am going to be very annoyed if we don’t get back soon. I left without putting anyone in charge of the cubs. It’s probably going to be a mess when we get back, haha. God knows what’s been broken by now."

Damar laughed and then held my waist, the sensation of him gripping hard the previous night returning to me.

"Can we... Stay like this for a moment longer? I want to spend some time with Ari... Just the two of us."

I looked into his expectant and soft gaze.

I rolled my eyes to the side for a second, thinking.

Well, it wouldn’t be bad to let the ’dads’ take care of the cubs for a moment longer. They have big chests, so they can calm the cubs with their tits, haha.

"Fine," I said, smiling at his face. "Let’s spend some time together... Just us."