The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 195: That bruise wasn’t there before I left

I woke up, my body feeling refreshed and my entire being light. I stretched my arms, grunting at the satisfying nap I just woke up from.

’Gosh, I had the weirdest dream.’ I thought, and then opened my eyes to find the very face I had seen in my dream. ’I... Was held by another man in my dream...’ I thought but then blinked. ’Wait, am I still dreaming?’

The face in front of me was very similar. Tanned skin, great body build, thick muscles, that long hair and... Those fierce black stripes on his right arm that looks so much like a cool tattoo... He grinned and I gulped.

This, what’s going on?

"The little tiger is awake." He said, his voice sounding as smug as it did in my dream, and I immediately sat up, though unintended, my forehead bumped into his chin, and I hissed.

"Sorry," I said, touching my forehead as I squinted in, not pain, but confusion.

And then, I saw my wrist.

The black wolf head that looked like it was howling at the moon was sitting there like a pretty tattoo on my wrist.

"You seem so fiery when you’re sane," Noah said, rubbing his chin. Even after I had just butted his chin with my strong head, he didn’t flinch. "You, I like you."

My face steamed and my mind was immediately shrouded. Not knowing what to do or make of this situation, I did the only thing I could think of at the moment and screamed,

"Fenric!"

As soon as he heard his name, Fenric bolted from wherever he was and rushed to my side, pushing Noah’s face aside.

"Arinya, you’re awake." He said, his face beaming with excitement. "How do you feel? Are you hurt? Are you hungry? Does your belly burn?"

He kept asking with his tail wagging behind him and I shook my head, hiding my face in my palms.

"Did that new guy do something to you while we weren’t looking?"

Once again, I shook my head.

"Then?" He was confused, and so was I.

Damar glided forward, dragging a deer by its neck.

He saw them gathered around me and asked. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"What’s going on?"

"Arinya just woke up and screamed for help," Fenric said and I flushed even more.

Did it sound like a yell for help? I just can’t understand this situation.

Damar’s eyes immediately fell on Noah, who was casually sitting on the floor and picking his ear.

"Don’t look at me like that. Unless I can harm her by just looking at her then I have nothing to do with it." He smirked. Because the expression on his face and his words contrasted, they didn’t know what to think.

Damar dropped the deer and came forward. He leaned towards me and then noticed my forehead was a bit bruised. He frowned.

"That bruise wasn’t there before I left. What did you do?" He asked as they both shot a murderous gaze towards Noah.

Noah could only sweat, darting his eyes away as he knew reason could not work on these two.

"Damar," I placed my hand on his arm and they both turned back to me. "I was just surprised to see a stranger, so I sat up and bumped my head into his chin. It’s nothing at all."

"In that case, he should be blamed for being in the way when you sat up," Damar said, hissing with hostility and I sighed. Yeah, I guess they’ll definitely look for a reason to blame him, no matter what I say, so let’s leave it.

"But Arinya, you said a stranger..." Fenric said, picking out that little detail. "Do you regard him as a stranger even now? Even after you two...?" He paused his lips, unable to utter more words than he already had.

I tilted my head.

Yes, I did see this man in my dream but there was no way... Right?

I looked at both of them, their concerned gaze, and then back at Noah, who waved to make sure I knew he was still there, in case I had forgotten.

Wait, don’t tell me...

"Did you think it was ’all’ a dream?" Noah asked from the back. "Does seeing my mark on your wrist not convince you at all?"

I gulped. Yes, the mark was clear evidence but for some reason, I wanted to deny it. The actions I took in my dream, how I clung to his feet, asking him to help me calm my heat how I moaned underneath him... All of it... I wanted to bury them underground and pretend it never happened.

"Ari," Damar called, the concern on his face deepening as he felt my grip on his arm tighten and my teeth clench harder.

Yes, I did want more mates, but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I’d approach one so casually while my mind was being eroded by a heat from, not my Estrus, but a struggle for genes in my womb.

"Ugh, I think I need to lie down again," I said and lay flat, my eyes fixed on the blue sky and how I could see my own breath.

Damn... Was winter here already?

My hand touched my belly, sliding gently over what used to be an extremely flat and slightly rough surface. But now, though the roughness was still there, I could feel a lump growing. My hand no longer slid down my lower abdomen as it used to, without going up and down.

’There really is something there.’ I thought, my face suddenly softening at the thought. ’How many and... When will they be ready to come out?’

These thoughts that had never crossed my mind before now seemed to hover over me like fairytale lights, making me feel a warmth that spread from my heart to my stomach and then the veins on my toes.

It was amazing.

I opened my eyes and found them watching me quietly. I looked at Noah. I guess there’s no use denying what has already happened.

I sat up, folded my legs, and decided to finally address the situation.

"You... Who did you say you were?"