The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 65: I decided to lay a trap

I’m glad Fenric had no problem staying behind. I do feel a little guilty since there were a lot of squirrels but it’s fine.

He was happy to stay behind if it meant helping. He said,

"I’ll find you as soon as I’m done."

"I think I’ll be back before you’re done, though," I said but he shook his head.

"I’m confident in my speed. So, hurry on." He said, waving me off.

"Hm, if you’re going to come to me while I’m still outside, how will you know where I am?" I asked and he smiled.

"I’ll just follow your scent."

Ah, right. My scent seems to be very potent.

We’re practically animals, so following the trail of someone’s scent isn’t so hard.

"Then, I’ll be back soon," I said and headed out to get equipment that would make our lives a lot more comfortable.

The reason I’m going through the trouble of collecting a lot of squirrel pelts, despite only needing two to three more pairs of clothes, is that I don’t just want to make clothes with them.

Things like a blanket for the winter and cold are a necessity. It’s going to take me a while to make but I won’t give up.

I’ll have to make a tent as well, so we don’t have to sleep under the stars every time once we start roaming around.

For the things I have in mind, I fear those pelts won’t even cut it.

I walked through the haze of multiple beast folks. It never gets less annoying, how they stare and whisper.

I probably gave them yet another topic to gossip about when I rode my spouse earlier.

I fiddled with my hair a little, making sure the mark on my neck was thoroughly covered as I walked.

I walked for a while, my feet beating the rough soil on the ground, but the farther I went, the more I felt like I was being followed.

Sure, I knew I was being watched in every corner by the folks but there was this particular pair of eyes that didn’t leave me.

I was very perceptive, so I can tell the difference between different gazes even if I don’t see them directly.

And unlike the other gazes that were wary of me, this one was... Curious? Something along that line.

Maybe that was why they were following me.

But who was it?

Why were they curious about me and showing no hostility?

If there was hostility, I’d just assume it was one of the females who wanted to get back at me or someone sent by Veyra to see what I was up to.

I’m sure she already heard the news about how I rode my beast husband back, like I was a queen. I am essentially a princess so it doesn’t matter.

To catch this person, I decided to lay a trap.

I went off course, not heading straight for the northern part of the tribe.

I took a turn and then walked between the trees. This was a part of the tribe I hadn’t visited. It had a lot of vegetation where small animals could hide and cohabitate so I wondered if it was a place set to rear animals for food later.

No, they’re not that smart to think of rearing livestock. As far as I know, they kill their prey on sight so this was probably just a coincidence.

The one following me got even closer, probably worried they would lose me, and that made their presents even more noticeable.

What are they trying to do?

Attack me when I have my guard down?

Not on my watch.

I took a turn in one of the trees but didn’t walk. I glued my back to the tree and hid, waiting for whoever it was to take the turn.

As soon as I sensed them getting closer, my eyes flashed with a predatory glow, and I tackled them to the ground.

"Ugh!"

We both landed on the floor with me on top, my arm pressed against their neck.

"Who...?"

I paused as soon as I saw who it was.

It wasn’t one of Veyra’s servants or the jealous females in my tribe, it was Solin, the daughter of Chief Kasa, Fenric’s sister.

"Solin?" I gasped, surprised but did not move away even when I had discovered this fact. "Why are you following me?"

She smiled, awkwardly.

She always had a stoic look on her face, like there was nothing in the tribe that interested her. There was no glow in her eyes either.

If I had to interpret it, it was as if she were calmly mad that she was brought here. Does she think she’s getting sold off or something?

I shook the thought out of my head. This wasn’t the time to be worrying about all of this.

"As I thought," Solin said, reaching her hand for my face, but I got defensive and evaded, looking at her hand to see if she had anything in it. "You’re so on guard, Arinya."

"That’s because I don’t know what you’re after," I said. "You’ve been following me since I left my cave, haven’t you? Why are you following me?"

I asked again but she didn’t answer. She just stared at me with that little smile on her lips.

A smile that brightened her demeanour altogether. She felt so different from the stoic-faced princess I saw yesterday.

"I wonder what Arinya was up to." She said. "I heard you rode my brother’s beast form. Did it not scare you?"

"What?"

"The females who run from my brother once he’s in his beast form. That’s why he hates the weak female. He said you were different, and you were indeed incredible when you used the gift yesterday to make the meat taste so much better." She said, her mouth visibly drooling in front of me. "But you’re more incredible than I thought. Did you take my brother as your spouse already? Is he the one who gave you these marks?" She brushed her hand over my shoulder and I flinched, feeling conscious because she could very much see Damar’s mark if she looked a little more closely.

I decided to act before that happened.

"It’s nothing," I said, getting up from her.

She rubbed her collarbone since I had pressed on it with my arm while on top of her.

"Fenric is my spouse and he’s marked me. So you don’t need to be curious anymore." I placed my hand on my hip, tilting my head. "Is that all you wanted to know?"