The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 268: I am not Arinya

"I can’t picture it," Noah said. "I can’t picture getting mad at you, not to mention hating you. So, I definitely can’t see you any other way."

I heard them. Heard their words and their reassurance and so it was time to speak the truth.

It was time to tell them who I truly was.

My heart was still drumming but I took in a deep breath and confessed.

"The truth is I... I am not Arinya."

I confessed and squinted my eyes shut, not wanting to look at the expression on their faces when they finally heard the truth but no one said anything.

I opened my eyes, only to find their expressions as I left them. It was as if they were still waiting for the truth I was about to speak.

"Is that it?" Noah asked and I blinked, confused.

"Um, yes. I’m not Arinya." I repeated, just in case they didn’t hear me clearly at first but still, nothing changed.

"So, if you’re not Arinya," Fenric asked, "Who are you? Are you different from the female we’ve marked and loved this entire time?"

I stood there, a bit speechless and confused.

"Well, no," I said and Fenric sat down on the grass.

"Then what’s the problem?"

My heart, which had been hammering uncontrollably, began to settle gradually.

"Okay, time out," Noah said. "Let’s all sit down and talk this out."

And so, we sat down in a circle format, the basket set in front of Damar.

I watched the cubs playing because there was no other place I could look without feeling guilty.

"So," Noah spoke up, acting as the chairman of the meeting. "You say you’re not Arinya. Is it that you’re not Arinya and you have another name, or that you’re currently living as Arinya even though you’re not Arinya?"

Wait, doesn’t that mean the same thing?

I took one more deep breath and said,

"I am not Arinya and this body doesn’t belong to me. My real name is Stephanie and I..." I bit my lip for half a second and continued. "Come from another world."

"Another world? That’s interesting." Naoh said rubbing his chin.

"What’s that?" Fenric asked. "Does it mean you come from another tribe and not the Stormhole tribe?"

They... They weren’t taking me seriously, were they?

"No, it means she comes from a world that isn’t ours," Noah said. "She’s basically an outsider."

How does he even know that?

"But I still don’t see what the problem is." He said and turned to me. "Did you think we would hate you just because you said you were an outsider?"

"Well, yes."

"Why?" Fenric asked.

"Because... I tricked you into thinking I belonged here and was of this world," the last part came out as a whisper.

"I still don’t see the issue," Noah added and I furrowed my brows.

Really? Was there no issue with me being an outsider? Being someone completely different from all of them?

I felt my eyes well up again. It was my biggest secret and one I wished to take to my grave, but they just took it like it was nothing.

Was this what it means to love someone unconditionally?

"I do have one question," Damar finally spoke up after staying quiet this whole time.

He looked at mez his eyes firm and not soft. I thought he would still look at me warmly after I confessed but that didn’t seem to be the case.

"What... What is it Damar?"

"You said you possessed this body and that you’re someone else. I want to know... When did this possession happen?" He asked. "Was it before we met or after?" His eyes glinted sharply and then I understood why the warmth had disappeared.

Damar wanted to know if I had really deceived them and taken over the body of their mate.

I chuckled and then laughed out loud.

"Come on, Damar, don’t you trust your own senses? Do you think I would’ve been able to deceive you if I possessed this body after you fell in love with Arinya?"

He did not answer but something in his eyes changed. He trusted his own judgement but still wanted to hear it from my mouth.

"The day I possessed this body was the day we met, Damar," I said. "I woke up in a yellow meadow, and realized I had possessed Arinya after she breathed her last due to a broken heart," I said solemnly. "And then the first beast I met after waking up here was you. So, I’d like to let you know that the female you met, the female who was so audacious as to pee on your beautiful scale," Noah and Fenric flinched. They hadn’t heard that tale before. "And the female you marked was all me. I’m sitting right here."

"That’s all I wanted to know." He said and pressed his head against mine. "Of course I’d know if you weren’t my mate."

"Hm, so all your knowledge came from the other world?" Noah asked and I clicked my tongue.

"Is that really what you’re thinking of right now?" I asked and he shrugged his shoulders. "Everyone has their curiosity."

I laughed. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my chest. Like I had let go of a heavy burden.

I didn’t think I’d get to tell anyone my secret, and if I was, I thought I’d be with a knife to my throat or hanging on a stake but look at me now.

I told them who I was and they didn’t change how they looked at me at all.

"Hm, so do we call you Stephanie from now on?" Fenric asked, stroking his clean chin.

I wondered.

It would be great if they did but... To commemorate the owner of this body, I’d like to at least leave her name here and there.

"No, it’s fine," I said. "You can keep calling me Arinya. After all, I am Arinya."

"Then, it’s settled," Noah said and stood up. "If there are no more secrets, let’s get going now." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

I smiled and stood to my feet, feeling lighter than ever. I think this is the second-best thing that has ever happened to me.

Telling the truth.