Wang’s pace was relentless, his muscles bunching and releasing with a power that felt like a controlled earthquake. Lin Wan clutched his shoulder, her mind reeling from Weiwei’s departure and the daunting task of earning "Three Wishes" from the Beast Gods. But as the familiar scent of the Leopard Tribe’s valley grew stronger, she realized she hadn’t yet asked the most important question.

"Wang," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind. "How did you know to look for Mei Xiu? Kael was knocked out from behind. He didn’t see who took me, and the rogues were everywhere."

Wang didn’t slow down, but his jaw tightened. "Kael is a warrior. Even when his head was ringing from the blow, his nose did not fail him. When I found him, he told me that in the second before he lost consciousness, he didn’t just smell the rot of a Scorpion rogue. He smelled the Bitter-root petal."

Lin Wan’s eyes widened. She remembered Wang mentioning that Mei Xiu was the only one who used certain scents.

"Mei Xiu washes her furs in the juice of those petals to keep them bright," Wang growled, his voice a low vibration in his chest. "No other female in this tribe uses them because they are difficult to harvest. Kael caught a whiff of it right as the Scorpion struck. It meant she was standing close. Too close to be a coincidence."

"So she was guiding them," Lin Wan mused, her heart turning to ice.

"I went to the crevice where you disappeared," Wang continued. "The Scorpions are clumsy; they leave heavy tracks. But near the stone where Kael’s blood was spilled, I found a single footprint. It was light, pressed into the soft earth where the moss grows. It wasn’t the claw of a rogue. It was the sole of a Leopard foot. And a faint scent of Bitter-root was mixed into the dirt."

Wang’s eyes flashed with a lethal, golden light. "She thought the chaos of the raid would mask her scent. She thought the smell of blood and smoke would hide her involvement. But she forgot that once I marked you, Wan’er, my senses became a needle pointing only to you. Anything that interfered with your safety became a stench I could never ignore." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Lin Wan shivered, realizing that Wang’s "Cold CEO" persona wasn’t just about stoicism—it was about a terrifying level of observation. He wasn’t just a fighter; he was a hunter who noticed every broken twig and misplaced petal.

"When I found the scent of the sky, the eagle, trailing away from that ravine, I knew she had dumped you there," Wang’s grip on her tightened until it was almost painful. "She didn’t just want you gone. She wanted you torn apart by the ferals so there would be no evidence left."

Lin Wan looked ahead. The fires of the settlement were visible now, flickering like angry orange eyes in the valley. The "Newcomer Protection" from Weiwei was gone. She had no more maps, no more easy notifications. Just her bag, her husband, and her own wits.

"Wang," Lin Wan said, her voice turning sharp and cold. "If we just walk in and you kill her, the tribe might turn on you. She has standing. She has males, who wish to bond with her, and will do anything for her."

"I do not care about that," Wang grunted.

"I do," Lin Wan countered. "I want her exposed. I can’t let a traitor play the victim. When we get to the center, I need you to challenge her publicly. Give me a chance to show them the proof."

Wang slowed his pace as they reached the perimeter guards. The leopard sentries stood up, their eyes widening in shock as they saw the "missing" female returning in the arms of the tribe’s second-strongest warrior.

"Kael!" Wang roared, his voice booming through the village. "Call the Chief! Bring the females to the High Stone!"

The village erupted. Torches were lit, and beastmen began to gather in the central square. Lin Wan saw Liya and Susu standing near the back, their faces filled with a mixture of terror and hope.

And then, she saw Mei Xiu.

The so-called orange-ranked female was standing by the central fire, her face a mask of perfect, rehearsed grief. She had been telling the others how "tragic" it was that the new female had been lost so soon. But as her eyes met Lin Wan’s, very much alive, wrapped in Wang’s silver skin, and wearing a look of absolute coldness, the cup of wine in Mei Xiu’s hand hit the ground and shattered.

. . .

The High Stone was the heart of the Leopard Tribe, a flat outcropping of granite where the Chief gave orders and disputes were settled. Tonight, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of woodsmoke and the copper tang of post-battle adrenaline.

Chief Garon, a massive, four-striped beastman with fur as dark as midnight and eyes like cold emeralds, sat upon the stone. He looked at Wang, then at the human female in his arms.

"Wang," the Chief’s voice was like rolling thunder. "You have returned. And it seems the flying beastman did not keep what it stole."

Wang set Lin Wan down on her feet, but he stayed close, his hand resting on the hilt of the bone-knife at his belt. "The flying beastman saved what the Earth tried to bury, Chief Garon," Wang said, his voice echoing so every beastman could hear. "I am here to claim a blood-debt. Not from a Scorpion rogue... but from one of our own."

A gasp rippled through the crowd. The females huddled together, whispering. Mei Xiu stepped forward, her eyes brimming with fake tears.

"Wang! You’re back!" she cried, her voice trembling beautifully. "We were all so worried! When Kael told us the scorpions took her, I prayed to the Beast God for her safety. To see her alive is a miracle!"

Lin Wan stepped forward, stepping out from behind Wang’s protective shadow. She looked at Mei Xiu, then at the Chief. "A miracle, Mei Xiu? Or a mistake in your calculations?"

Mei Xiu blinked, her expression one of wounded innocence. "I... I don’t understand, female Lin. You must be confused from the trauma. The Scorpion rogues are known for their ruthlessn. . ."

"The Scorpions didn’t know the secret path behind the dwellings, Mei Xiu," Lin Wan interrupted, her voice steady and clear. "Only a Leopard knows that path. And only a Leopard could have stood behind Kael without him sensing the threat until it was too late."

Lin Wan reached into her tote bag, which had survived the ravine. She pulled out a small, crumpled piece of blue fabric,

, a scrap from her modern clothing that had been caught in the rogue’s claws.

"Chief Garon," Lin Wan said, holding the scrap up. "When the rogue grabbed me, I fought. I scratched him. And in the struggle, his claws caught on something else.

Something he was carrying from the female who met him in the woods to hand me over."

Lin Wan walked toward the Chief, her heart pounding. She had no "system" to help her now, just a bluff and a keen eye. "The scorpion smelled of rotten flesh, but he also smelled of Bitter-root. Not the fresh flower... but the concentrated juice used for washing furs. He had it on his hands, which I assume is from where he shook hands to seal the deal."

Lin Wan turned to Mei Xiu, her gaze piercing. "The rogue is dead, but the scent remains on the path. And it remains on you. Chief, smell her hands. If she spent the morning ’praying’ as she says, why does she smell like the meeting point in the Black Thistle woods?"

The crowd went silent. Chief Garon leaned forward, his nostrils flaring as he caught the heavy scent of Bitter-root wafting from Mei Xiu.

Mei Xiu’s face twisted. The mask of a fragile beauty began to crack, revealing the predator underneath.

"You hairless brat!" Mei Xiu hissed, her voice losing its sweetness. "You think the tribe will believe a stranger over me? I have given this tribe everything! You have given it nothing but fire and trouble!"

"I gave them a future," Lin Wan said, looking at Liya and Susu in the crowd. "You only gave them fear."