The snow leopard tribesmen immediately scrambled to fulfill their Alpha’s orders, practically tripping over themselves to make the grand guest hut presentable.

Females hurried into the structure with piles of thick, plush white furs, while several hunters rushed to the central fire pit to roast the freshest cuts of mountain deer.

The heavy, savory scent of cooking meat soon began to drift through the crisp air, mingling with the scent of pine and burning wood.

​Ren personally led the way, his tail swaying behind him like a proud banner. The guest hut was the largest in the village, built from sturdy timber logs and reinforced with thick mud brick to seal out the freezing mountain air.

Inside, a clean stone fireplace crackled with a freshly lit fire, instantly bathing the spacious room in a warm, amber glow.

​"Everything is ready," Ren said, turning back at the entrance with an eager, hopeful expression. He looked at Hana, then warily glanced at the three massive figures flanking her. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I’ll go watch the food and bring it over once it’s ready."

​"Leave us," Hana said flatly.

​Ren blinked, his ears twitching in slight surprise at her abruptness, but he quickly nodded. "Right. Rest well."

He took a slow step backward, lingering for just a second to cast one last admiring glance at Hana before pulling the heavy leather curtain shut, leaving the group in total privacy.

​The moment the curtain settled, the atmosphere inside the hut shifted from cozy to completely suffocating.

​Caspian stepped deeper into the room, his massive, dark-plated frame nearly blocking out the light from the hearth.

A low, dangerous rumble vibrated in his chest, making the loose gravel on the floor hum. He crossed his thick arms, his golden eyes burning like molten gold in the dim light.

​"Alright, Hana," Caspian growled, his voice thick with a heavy, draconic possessiveness. "The cat is gone. Now tell us what is going on. The way that stray was looking at you... the way he was throwing his scent around... it’s making my blood boil. If I have to breathe in his presence for one more hour, I’m going to turn his entire place into ash."

​"He’s not just looking, Caspian," Raiden added, stepping forward as his nine pink tails flared out in a sharp, defensive fan.

His usual playful smirk was entirely missing, replaced by a tense, icy glare. "He’s practically drooling. I can smell how deeply he’s already fallen for her. Hana, you told him to be prepared for a discussion. What exactly do you want with that over-rowdy ball of fur? You want to tell him off, right? Right?"

​Kulu didn’t say a word, but the silent menace radiating from him was louder than any roar.

He stood by the far wall, his crimson wings slightly unfolded as his steeled feathers scraped against each other with a sharp, metallic ring. His amber eyes were fixed entirely on Hana, waiting for her explanation.

​Hana let out a slow, measured breath, walking over to the largest pile of white furs.

She sat down carefully, leaning back to ease the constant, dull ache in her lower back, and rested her hand gently over her round belly. She looked up at her three mates, her expression completely unreadable and deadpan as she prepared to deliver the hard math of the situation.

​"Sit down," Hana commanded, her voice dropping into a flat whisper. "We need to go over the household structure, because by tomorrow morning, our numbers are expanding."

​Raiden froze, his tails instantly stiffening like spears. "What?"

"I’m going to add another mark on me, and I’m going to make it the snow leopard’s."

​The words had barely left Hana’s mouth before a violent, deafening explosion of physical force shattered the quiet inside the log cabin.

Caspian’s massive tail swung like a heavy iron club, cracking the frozen earth floor beneath them and throwing up a spray of dirt.

In the exact same second, Kulu’s crimson wings erupted outward with a terrifying roar of motion; his steeled feathers spiked into lethal needles, stabbing deeply into the wooden timber edges of the walls.

​The two apex warriors reacted with an unhinged, primal rage that completely shifted the air pressure in the room.

Even Raiden was visibly surprised, his nine pink tails stiffening in shock as he looked between the dragon and the bird, though he too felt a heavy, bitter disgust twisting his stomach at the mention of the snow leopard.

​"What is the meaning of that?" Hana asked, her brows furrowing into a hard, deep scowl as she stared at the mess they had just made. "Did you think the fact that I decided to have this conversation with you before I went ahead with my actions means that you have a say in this?"

​Neither of them answered, their chests heaving as the thick smell of scorched air and metallic friction filled the cabin.

​"As my mates, I wanted to let you know of my decision because you have the right to know," Hana said, her voice dropping into a razor-thin, freezing register that cut right through their anger. "Not because I wanted to know your feelings about it. And the way you acted just now..." She locked her dark eyes onto the bird beastman, her gaze unblinking. "Even you, Kulu. The way you two reacted is insulting."

​Kulu’s amber eyes widened slightly, his steeled feathers giving a faint, erratic tremor against the wooden logs.

​"If you want to roar about it, go ahead," Hana hissed, stepping off the pile of white furs, her hand resting firmly over the lower curve of her belly. "If you want to kill someone because of it, feel free. But do not touch Ren, because he will be my fourth mate."

​She turned on her heel and stormed toward the exit.

​"Hana, wait," Raiden tried, his hand quickly reaching out to catch her shoulder before she could pull the curtain but ​Hana swatted his hand away with a vicious, stinging slap, glaring back at him with a look of pure, unadulterated disdain.

She swept that same venomous gaze over Caspian and Kulu, her expression harder than the ancient alloy of the bunkers.

​"Don’t touch me," Hana hissed, her voice dripping with a sharp, mocking chill that made the air in the room drop by ten degrees. "And don’t follow me. Being around you right now makes me ache all over."

​With that final strike, she swept the heavy leather curtain aside and walked out into the cold mountain air.