The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 256: A bear attack

The warmth in the tent vanished as if someone had snuffed out a candle. My heart, which had been hammering with affection just a moment ago, now thudded with anxiety.

The heavy, rhythmic squelch of mud outside was unmistakable. Whatever was out there was massive, and the low, wet huff of air following each step sent a shiver straight down my spine that had nothing to do with the temperature.

Raiden, sensing the shift in the air, let out a tiny, sharp growl from deep within my coat. I immediately pressed my palm over the fabric, muffling him. ’Not now, little thunder. Not now.’

Just as the outside became still, as if whatever was threatening us from outside had disappeared, the tent fabric suddenly rippled as a massive shadow blotted out the dim light filtering through the leather.

I had to cover my mouth so as not to make a sound. It startled me. That huge figure outside definitely wasn’t here with a fruit basket to welcome the new neighbors.

Then came the smell: wet fur, rotting pine, and the heavy, musky scent of an apex predator.

A low, vibrating rumble started outside—not thunder this time, but a territorial warning that made the very ground beneath my sit-bones tremble.

"Bear," Fenric mouthed, his eyes flashing a dangerous ruby. His claws had already slid out, his stance changed and so were the rest.

They were all at alert, waiting... Their predatory instincts, coupled with their duty as fathers and husbands, put their senses on high alert when faced with such a threat.

It was raining cats and dogs outside. Not the best time for a fight but we had no choice.

Suddenly, a massive, clawed paw slammed against the troller we’d used as a windbreak. The wood groaned under the pressure.

With a roar that drowned out the storm, the bear lunged. The leather of the tent was torn to shreds as a set of claws ripped through the top layer.

"Arinya, get back!" Noah barked.

The time he calls my name is when he feels I’m in danger, huh?

Nice call. I didn’t wait to be told twice and shifted to the extreme end, not like there was that much space to begin with, clutching my cubs with the instincts to protect.

He and Fenric didn’t hesitate. They burst through the tent flap into the lashing rain, meeting the beast head-on before it could collapse the shelter onto the cubs and me.

Damar stayed behind, by my side. His silver hair was plastered to his face, his emerald eyes darting as he listened to the wet, guttural snarls and the sound of flesh hitting fur outside.

They were engaged in such a heated fight that I saw flashes through the ripped tent fabric.

Lightning struck, illuminating their features, sparking on their fangs and claws, and once again reminding me how dangerous the wild of this beastworld was.

Noah and Fenric were holding it off. I could hear Fenric’s roar of defiance and the heavy crack of Noah’s strikes. They definitely had the upper hand.

The bear was huge, but it was one against two elite warriors. I mean, they’ve caught bears before too... It’s just that this bear seemed a bit bigger and more experienced than the ones they caught before, making this situation a lot more dangerous.

But despite its experience and size, it still was no match for them.

"They’re pushing it back," I whispered, my breath hitching as I felt the cubs trembling against my ribs. "Damar, they’re winning."

Damar didn’t relax. His tongue flicked out and in. His head tilted slowly to the left, away from the main fight. He seemed to have caught something else.

In the chaos of this fight, my own senses seemed to have dulled, focusing on just what was in front of me.

"Ari," he whispered, his voice deathly cold. "There is another scent."

My blood turned cold. Before I could even gasp, the rock wall to our left—where a small, secondary crack in the rock sat—exploded with a shower of gravel.

A second bear, slightly smaller but twice as angry, shoved its snout through the gap. This one was a female. It had circled around the back of the rock shelter while its mate kept the men busy.

It let out a spray of hot, foul-smelling breath, its eyes fixed directly on the cubs hiding in my coat.

I noticed it right away and felt a chill run down my spine. It was after my cubs.

"Damar!" I screamed.

The second bear lunged, its massive weight shattering the walls and we ended up trapped in a space no bigger than a closet. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

I coughed, my hands over my chest to protect my cubs from the debris.

This incident caught the attention of the two in front and they got distracted, thinking about the danger we were in, but they did not leave that bear alone.

"It’s fine," Noah said, though his dark eyes vibrated with murder. "The snake’s still there. He’d rather be dead than have anything happen to them."

"That’s right," Fenric said, but his heart wouldn’t stop pounding in anxiety. He knew he could trust Damar but he just couldn’t stop worrying.

The cubs and I were there, and if something happened to Damar, the bear would get to us.

And then, thinking about it, they wondered... What if there were other bears?

This thought made their blood boil even more.

The only way to divert any ’accidents’ from happening would be to take care of the bear in front of them and come to my side right away.

"Alright, no more games." Fenric huffed.

"It’s time to finish this," Noah added, and they lunged at the bear more seriously this time, not just with the intent to kill, but with revenge.

How dare they try to ambush us?

Meanwhile, in the closeted space, the only thing between that vengeful female bear and me was Damar, his emerald eyes spelling death as it gazed murderously at the bear.

"Ari," he called, his voice soft—a sharp contrast to the expression on his face. "Please close your eyes."

It was not a command, but I immediately shut my eyes, huddling even closer to my cubs.

I trusted Damar, and I knew he would keep me safe no matter what.