Caius pounded his fist against his chest. He coughed violently, water spilling down his dark shirt. He glared at the red-haired fox with pure, absolute murder burning in his eyes.

Knox stepped up beside the snake. The Panther King slapped Caius on the back, hitting him entirely too hard. It looked like he was trying to help him stop choking, but it also looked like he was trying to break his spine.

Fedor completely ignored them both.

The Kitsune heir walked forward. His nine thick, red tails swayed behind him in a slow, synchronised rhythm. He stopped exactly three feet away from the cushion where Rue was sitting. He did not step any closer. He did not invade her personal space.

He placed his right hand flat against his chest and bowed. It was a deep, formal, and incredibly respectful bow.

"Rue of the Rabbit Tribe," Fedor said. His voice was smooth, but it was not flirtatious. It was highly professional. "I am Fedor, the King of the Kitsune Tribe. It is a profound honour to meet you in person, finally. We have heard many things about your wisdom."

Rue blinked. She lowered her half-eaten apple slice.

She looked at him. He did not wink. He did not offer a sleazy compliment about her appearance. He stood there, waiting for her to acknowledge him, maintaining a perfectly polite distance.

I miscalculated, Rue thought, adjusting her internal data. He is not a womaniser. He is a politician. He just uses his face as a tactical advantage.

"It is nice to meet you, King Fedor," Rue replied calmly. "Your tails are very clean."

Fedor stood up straight. A genuine, bright smile crossed his face. He seemed pleased that she noticed his grooming instead of acting intimidated by his presence. "Thank you. It takes three hours to brush them. It is a terrible chore, but necessary."

Before Fedor could say anything else, the heavy pavilion curtains parted again. Queen Tanith walked inside. The Basilisk Queen moved with her usual cold grace, her dark dress brushing silently against the floorboards.

Fedor turned his attention to the Queen. He snapped his fingers.

Two large guards walked into the pavilion. They carried a massive, heavy ironwood chest between them. They set it down gently on the thick rugs directly in front of Tanith and stepped back.

Fedor reached down and flipped the heavy brass latch. He threw the lid open.

The inside of the chest glowed. It was packed to the absolute brim with incredibly rare, deep-sea treasures. There were massive black pearls the size of plums. There were chunks of glowing blue coral. There were strings of shimmering, polished shells that caught the lantern light and reflected it against the walls of the tent.

Tanith looked down at the treasure. Her icy features softened just a fraction.

"Zale sends his absolute devotion," Fedor announced, speaking for the Merman King. He apologises deeply that he cannot attend a land-based festival. The rivers do not reach this far into the Convergence valley. He asked me to deliver this tribute on his behalf to honour the Full Moon."

Tanith picked up a large black pearl. She rolled it between her pale fingers, inspecting the flawless surface.

"Zale is too strict with himself," Tanith said dryly. "He follows the ancient rules perfectly. Sometimes, he should really break those rules and come up here to have fun. He spends too much time sitting in the dark water."

Fedor simply shrugged. His red tails swished behind him. "I told him the same thing, My Queen. But you know the fish. He is stubborn. He prefers his silence."

Tanith placed the pearl back into the chest. She signalled her own guards to take the treasure away to the royal vaults.

The pavilion began to fill up. More tribal leaders arrived. Servants carried in massive trays of roasted meat, fresh bread, and sweet wine. The quiet, peaceful atmosphere of the tent was quickly replaced by loud talking and heavy laughter.

Iris slid across the floor cushions. The Wolf Princess bumped her shoulder against Rue’s arm. Iris grabbed a piece of flatbread from the table and took a massive bite.

"It is getting crowded," Iris mumbled with her mouth full. She swallowed heavily. "But this is the best part. Everyone comes together."

Rue looked out at the massive festival through the gap in the pavilion curtains. The thousands of glowing lanterns lit up the night sky. The drums were beating in a fast, wild rhythm.

"Why does everyone celebrate this specific moon?" Rue asked. She was curious. "There are full moons every month. Why is this one so special?"

Iris wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her bright eyes turned serious for a moment.

"This is the Wolf Moon," Iris explained, clearing her throat. She pointed to the massive silver moon hanging in the dark sky above the valley. "Long ago, the beastworld was just like a dying ember. The males couldn’t breed, and the females were too sick to even move properly. At that point, it was just waiting for death"

Rue nodded. Because she knew this was where it was starting to get interesting.

Iris smiled proudly. "Then mother came, and things started to change. She taught the wolf tribe how to farm, how to build, and how to trade. But of course, this was after the first son was born, which is the King of the Dragon clan, and my big brother, King Drax."

"And then, on a perfect moon, was the moment the wolf Tribe and the Dragon Clans united."

Wow... It’s no wonder Tanith looked at me that way.

Do I know this Matriach Roxy?

"That is a very logical reason for a party," Rue said. "Thank you for explaining it, Iris."

"You are welcome!" Iris beamed, her chaotic energy returning instantly. She jumped up from the cushion. "I am going to find Gianna. We need to go steal some of the honey cakes before the bear tribe eats them all!"

Iris dashed away, vanishing into the growing crowd outside the pavilion.

Outside, the Beastworld was in full swing. The music grew louder. The heavy thumping of the drums seemed to shake the wooden floorboards under Rue’s feet. People were shouting, cheering, and laughing. The smell of roasted meat, strong wine, and heavy perfumes filled the enclosed tent.

Rue sat on her cushion. She felt a sharp, heavy throb behind her left eye.

She closed her eyes for a second. The noise was too much. The heat from the bodies in the pavilion was making the air feel thick and completely unbreathable. Her social battery, which was already very small, was completely drained. She needed quiet. She needed cold air. She needed to not be looked at by fifty different tribal leaders trying to figure out if she was a threat.

She opened her eyes and looked around.

Knox was standing near the fruit table, arguing with a bear-shifter about a border dispute.

Caius was standing near the back of the tent. He was holding Theron. He looked incredibly stiff, glaring at anyone who walked too close to his son. Theron was happily chewing on his own fist, completely ignoring his father’s terrifying aura.

Rue stood up. She smoothed the front of her pale pink dress. She walked over to Caius.

"My head hurts," Rue said flatly.

Caius instantly stopped glaring at the crowd. He looked down at her, his golden eyes filled with immediate concern. "Are you sick? Is it the heat? I will clear the tent."

He actually looked like he was about to start throwing Kings out into the dirt.

"No," Rue stopped him, putting a hand on his arm. "Do not make this an issue out of nothing. It is just too loud. I am going to step outside and get some fresh air. Watch the baby."

"I will come with you," Caius insisted.

"If you come with me, you will bring the baby. The baby will make noise. I need zero noise," Rue explained logically. "Just stay here. I will be right outside the back flap. I am not going far."

Caius frowned, but he nodded slowly. He adjusted his hold on Theron. "Do not leave the perimeter of the pavilion."

Rue turned and walked toward the back of the massive tent. The heavy white silk blocked the view of the forest behind them. She found the seam in the fabric, pulled it back, and slipped outside.

The contrast was immediate.

The front of the pavilion faced the loud, glowing market. The back of the pavilion faced the deep, silent edge of the Ironwood forest.

The air here was freezing cold and completely clean. It smelled like pine needles and damp earth. The shadows were thick, hiding the massive trunks of the ancient trees. The noise of the drums was muffled by the heavy silk walls of the tent behind her.

Rue let out a long, slow breath. The sharp throbbing behind her eye began to fade.

This was much better.

She walked a few steps away from the tent, letting the cool wind hit her face. She wrapped her arms around herself, enjoying the absolute stillness of the woods. She looked up at the silver moon filtering through the high branches.

She took another step into the shadows.

Then, she stopped completely.

About fifty yards away, deep in the gloom of the trees, there was a massive fallen log. Sitting on that log was a figure.

It was a man. He was huge. His shoulders were incredibly broad, and he sat with his elbows resting on his knees. His head was bowed, hidden in the dark. He looked completely alone, separated from the bright, loud joy of the festival happening just a few hundred feet away.

Rue tilted her head. She did not feel fear. She just felt curiosity. It was very strange for someone to come to a festival just to sit alone in the freezing dark.

She took a small step forward, her soft shoes making no sound on the damp grass. She squinted her pink eyes, trying to get a better look at his face.

Something about his back seemed familiar.

Who could it be?