The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 259: We made it

Then, aside from the wooden pillar, there was a ball of light that caught my attention.

It was fire.

’Ah, fire. There’s a fire... Warmth.’

My bones were shaking and I hadn’t realized it until now. A little more and my teeth began to clatter.

I was cold. So cold.

But I wished my cubs were okay. I didn’t want them to suffer.

Fenric moved again, reaching the plateau and slowing to a heavy, panting trot. He didn’t stop until we were under the stone archway of the tower’s base. The transition from the screaming wind to the sudden, hollow silence of the stone interior made my ears pop. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

I felt the vine being sliced—Damar must have shifted back the moment we stopped. I felt his cool, steady hands catching me as I slid off Fenric’s back, my legs buckling instantly.

"I have you, Ari," Damar whispered, his voice raspy from the cold.

I was shivering uncontrollably now, the exhaustion finally winning. Noah and Fenric were already shimmering back into their human forms, their skin steaming in the cool air of the tower.

They were naked, covered in mud and bits of forest debris, but they looked victorious.

They took their clothes from me and in that moment, a voice boomed from the top of the tower.

"Who goes there?!"

Noah stood tall, despite the mud and his clothes in his hand. He didn’t even flinch. He cleared his throat, his voice returning to that resonant, commanding tone that reminded me he wasn’t just my husband—he was indeed a King.

"Noah of West Way," he announced, the authority in his voice echoing up the stairwell.

"Did he just say Noah of the west Way?"

"The King?"

I could hear their whispers even through my clattering teeth.

Then, a stunned silence fell upon them as they realized how big a situation this was.

"Tell your guard captain that I don’t like waiting." He added, a growl resonating at the end of his voice. "Open the gate."

Then the sound of several people scrambling and falling over themselves as they rushed down the stairs echoed in the noisy night.

It was still raining, but the rain had died down a little. Still, there was no telling when it would pour even more heavily again.

We had been on the road for hours, I believed, and that’s enough for me, who has no fur and just a wet coat over my head, to shake till my joints give out.

I leaned back into Damar, clutching the blanket and then the cubs. We’re they okay? I hoped they were okay.

Were they shivering?

A bit. I could feel the shiver through my skin.

They had my body warmth to protect them, but what could they do when my entire body was turning cold?

My eyes started to drift shut as I gave in to my exhaustion. I hope the boys keep the cubs safe until I wake up. I just can’t... I can’t stay awake any longer.

"We made it," I murmured, my head lolling against Damar’s chest.

"Yes, Ari, we made it," Damar replied, his arms tightening around me. "Now, let us get you to the fire."

I clutched the blanket and from there, I lost my consciousness to sleep, only to wake up to a start, worried that I couldn’t feel my cubs close to me.

"My babies," I called out, looking frantically when I saw another female sitting close to the fire that had been keeping me warm the whole time, and next to her, sleeping on her leg side by the fire were my cubs.

Relief washed over me as I saw them sleeping peacefully and in such a warm place.

But that relief disappeared as I rolled my eyes back to the female, narrowing my eyes.

Who was she?

And why were my babies sleeping so comfortably next to her?

I know I’ve never had them near strangers, except for the midwife and nurse, but they should be more alert, shouldn’t they?

I was uncomfortable with this and shifted subtly.

She looked at me and then smiled.

"You woke up already. That was fast. Your cubs just went to sleep."

She talked with a familiar tone, like we were friends but I know for sure that I have never met this female before.

"Who are you?" I asked, my grip digging into the furs under me. "Do I know you?"

She was light-skinned, almost pale, but with black hair and wolf ears above her head.

A wolf beastman, that’s for sure.

Then, she must know Noah. Did she bring her here?

Was it because I just woke up? My thoughts feel a bit funky and I can’t seem to relax.

"You don’t know me, but I definitely know you." She said, getting up, and I shifted only for her to stop right in front of me, her face only inches away, and I gulped.

What was she doing? Was she trying to attack me?

I clenched my fists, ready to throw a punch if she revealed herself as a threat.

"How do you know me?" I asked, my eyes still deadly serious on her and she laughed, suddenly patting my back.

"Relax, I’m not a troublemaker," she boldly declared but the way she smacked my back told me otherwise.

Troublemakers are always acting like goodytwoshoes, especially with strangers.

"I don’t care," I said, shifting her hand away. "I don’t know you. So how do you know me?"

She looked at me for a bit, her smile plastered still and her eyes staring with an answered curiosity.

What was she even looking at?

"He was right." She said. "I watched you while you were sleeping, and even now that you’re awake, there’s no difference. You are very beautiful, the most I’ve seen even."

That compliment took me by surprise. I don’t know if to take that as a compliment or a threat.

"You didn’t answer my question," I said. "Who are you? How do you know me and... Who is ’he’?"

"You ask quite a lot of questions," she said over a chuckle.

"Then would you like me to use my hand instead of my mouth? I’m proficient either way, but I’d rather not get handsy with someone who might be my benefactor." I said, my eyes observing the expression on her face. "So, tell me while I’m asking nicely."

"Hm," she came closer again, crawling on the furs, and then grinned. "I don’t know, I think I’d like you to get handsy with me," she whispered in my ears and I flinched. "Ah, and you know there are other things you can do with your mouth, right?" She blew on my ear and in an instant, I moved back, gluing my back to the wall.

This female... She reminded me a lot of Solin.

They had this peculiar energy and look in her face that told me it was best to stay a few steps away when talking about ’certain’ topics.