Chapter 38: Chapter 38: If Riverbone will fall without this seed, then I will leave with my female and my cubs before it falls

Swanly had barely stepped back into the cave when Soren spoke.

"You will help me get the Cleanbirth Seed."

Swanly stopped with one foot still near the entrance.

Kael stopped behind her, and the cubs bumped into his legs one after another.

She slowly turned her head and looked at Soren.

"I am not helping you get anything."

Soren stood in the center of the cave with his white hair loose over one shoulder. His silver eyes were calm, his face was cold, and he looked like he had not just thrown a strange order into her life without permission.

"Riverbone will fall without it."

Swanly stared at him.

Then she gave him a smile that had no warmth in it.

"Then Riverbone should learn to stand without dragging me into whatever death hole that seed is hiding inside."

Kael’s eyes sharpened.

He did not know what the Cleanbirth Seed was. He did not know where it was, how dangerous it was, or why Soren wanted Swanly for it. But his body knew danger before his mind had words for it.

If Swanly refused, then that was enough.

Kael stepped closer to her side, one hand settling possessively on the small of Swanly’s back, claws lightly pricking through her hide top. His body heat pressed against her like a wall.

"My female said no," he said, voice low and rough with warning.

Soren’s gaze dropped to Kael’s hand on her, then slowly rose to her face. His silver eyes darkened with something cold and possessive.

The temperature inside the cave seemed to drop.

Kael did not move back.

"If Riverbone will fall without this seed," Kael said, his voice low, "then I will leave with my female and my cubs before it falls.

Swanly’s heart jumped.

Her head snapped toward him.

Kael did not look at her. His eyes stayed on Soren, his jaw tight and his body ready to move despite the pain still hiding under his skin.

Soren’s pupils thinned.

"Hsss" The hiss that left him was soft, but every cub froze.

Soren’s pupils thinned to slits. "You will leave with what is under my scale?"

Swanly’s anger flared so fast her ears stood straight.

"I am not under your scale like a piece of meat."

Soren did not look at her.

That made it worse.

His tail moved first.

White coils snapped toward Kael.

Kael jumped back with a snarl, fast enough that the first strike hit stone instead of flesh. The stone cracked under the force, and the cubs squeaked in fright.

Swanly’s stomach dropped.

"Soren, stop!"

Kael turned to lunge again.

He was not fast enough the second time.

Soren’s tail whipped around his waist and chest, squeezing with crushing force.

Kael snarled, claws raking across the white scales and drawing thin lines of blood. The pressure ground against his still-healing ribs, forcing a wet, pained grunt from his throat as fresh blood trickled from his mouth.

The cubs screamed.

Swanly rushed forward before she even thought.

"Stop that, stop that, stop that!"

She grabbed Soren’s arm, fingers digging into his cool skin. His muscles were hard beneath her touch. For a second she was close enough to smell his cold river scent, close enough to feel the power coiled in his body.

Soren finally looked down at her hand on him.

Her warmth burned against his scales.

Hatred and fury blazed in her eyes. No fear, just raw disgust that twisted something ugly in his chest.

He wanted her looking at him with heat instead.

With need.

Not this.

His tail tightened one more time, deliberately.

Kael choked out another rough sound. His golden eyes burned with pure murderous hate even as pain wracked his body.

Kael’s claws scraped across the stone floor. His eyes burned gold, and his teeth were bared, but his ribs were still healing from the last time Soren had crushed him.

Swanly grabbed Soren’s arm.

"Let him go."

Soren looked down at her hand on his skin.

Her fingers were warm.

Her eyes were furious.

He could feel her hatred climbing higher with every breath, and something in his chest twisted because it was not fear in her eyes. It was disgust.

He hated that.

He still did not let go.

Behind Swanly, the cubs gathered together.

It became a secret meeting at once.

The eldest leaned close to the second cub, his tiny face very serious.

"Snake bad."

The second nodded hard. "Snake bully Papa."

The smallest’s eyes were wet, but his tiny mouth pushed forward with great baby anger.

"Bite snake?"

The eldest glanced at Soren’s huge tail, then at his own tiny paws.

"Bite when sleep."

The second whispered, "Put dirt in tail."

The smallest gasped like that was a brilliant war plan.

"Also lick bad thing."

The eldest nodded. "Make snake sad."

The second added, "No Mama for snake."

The three cubs looked at one another with the fierce unity of tiny criminals who had no weapons, no height, and no understanding of consequences.

Then the eldest turned toward Soren and tried to growl.

It came out as a small, squeaky sound.

Swanly heard it even through her panic.

Her heart nearly broke.

"Soren, let him go now."

Soren looked at her.

The cave was silent except for Kael’s harsh breathing and the cubs’ tiny angry noises.

Swanly’s voice dropped.

"If you crush him again, I will never help you. I do not care what falls."

Soren’s eyes narrowed.

For a long moment, nobody moved.

Then his tail loosened, he flung Kael to the other side of the cave causing him to spit out blood.

Kael dropped to one knee and caught himself with one hand.

Swanly glared at Soren and ran to Kael at once.

"Kael."

"I am fine."

"You are not fine."

Swanly dropped beside him, hands shaking as she touched his ribs carefully, then his shoulders, then cupped his face. Her fingers trembled with fury and fear, because this time no bones seemed broken, but that did not make her feel better.

"You absolute idiot. Stop trying to fight him while you’re broken."

Kael leaned into her touch despite the pain. His big hand covered hers on his cheek, and his golden eyes locked on hers with raw intensity.

"You are mine. I will not let him take you."

The cubs rushed to Kael too.

The smallest climbed onto his lap and pressed his little head against Kael’s chest.

The second rubbed against Kael’s arm.

The eldest stood in front of them all and faced Soren.

He tried to growl again.

It was still too cute to be called a growl, but he put his whole little soul into it.

Swanly wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

Kael looked down at his sons, and something painful softened in his eyes.

Then his gaze lifted back to Soren.

The hate in it was clean and deep.

Behind them, Soren watched the intimate moment with a face like stone.

He saw Swanly’s hands on Kael.

He saw the way she checked him before she checked anything else. He saw the cubs crowd around him, saw the little family close in like Soren was the monster outside their den.

Kael first.

Always the panther first.

Soren’s tail lashed hard against the floor.

He could still feel the ghost of her warm fingers on his arm.

His jaw tightened until it ached.

This little family unit had closed ranks against him, and it only made him want to tear it apart and insert himself into the center of it.

Anyways this was not funny to him.

He needed the Cleanbirth Seed.

He needed it more than any of them understood.

"The Cleanbirth Seed can protect Riverbone from infected beasts," Soren said.

Swanly did not answer.

"It can slow early infection," he continued. "It can cleanse some before the rot reaches the core."

That made Swanly’s hands pause on Kael’s arm.

She hated that he had said something useful.

Soren noticed.

"It can save this tribe."

Swanly looked at him with cold eyes.

"You are suddenly explaining because hurting my mate did not work?"

Soren’s expression remained icy, but his gaze lingered on the way she was still touching Kael, the protective circle of cubs around them. Something dark and possessive coiled in his chest.

"I am explaining because you are wasting time."

She almost laughed from anger.

Soren’s silver eyes shifted back to her.

"It can do more," he said, voice soft and dangerous. "It can strengthen a bond. It can make a female... more receptive to new bloodlines. It can heal what is broken inside."

His gaze flicked meaningfully to Swanly’s stomach, then to Kael.

The implication was clear.

Kael growled low.

Even wounded, he pulled Swanly tighter against his side. His tail wrapped around her waist in a blatant claim.

"She is not yours to heal or breed."

Swanly’s face burned.

She squeezed Kael’s thigh in warning, hard enough to make his eyes cut down to her.

"Do not start," she whispered.

Kael’s jaw flexed, but his growl did not stop.

Soren’s lips curved in a thin, cold smile that did not reach his eyes.

"We will see."

Kael’s claws scraped against the stone.

The cubs stiffened at once, their little bodies pressing closer to Swanly and Kael.

Swanly’s heart jumped. No. Absolutely not. If these two started fighting again, Kael would tear open his wounds, the cubs would panic, and she might actually lose her mind before the sun even moved.

She tightened her grip on Kael’s thigh and turned back to Soren.

"Is there anything else important it can do?"

Soren looked at her for a long moment, as if he knew exactly why she had changed the subject.