The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 316: A resolve to face the committee

The sun hadn’t even fully cleared the horizon when I dragged myself toward the tent flap, every joint in my body screaming in protest. My skin felt tender, my muscles were like overstretched rubber bands, and the faint, lingering scent of sea-ozone on my wrist was a sharp reminder of the "enchantment" that had nearly upended my life a few hours ago.

I just wanted a moment of silence. I wanted to splash some cold—preferably non-magical—water on my face and pretend the world didn’t have expectations of me.

But the world, as usual, was waiting. And wanna know who else was waiting. Talia.

Talia stood about ten feet from the tent; her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed into sharp, flinty slits. She looked like she hadn’t slept a wink, her posture stiff with a bitterness that seemed to radiate off her like heat.

I stopped, leaning heavily against the wooden support of the tent entrance. I didn’t have the energy for a verbal spar. I didn’t have the energy for her ’rightful place’ speech or the venom she usually spat my way either.

"What is it this time, Talia?" I asked, my voice sounding tired. "Look, I don’t want to have a drama first thing this morning. My head aches, my body aches, and I am roughly ten seconds away from crawling back into those furs and ignoring the entire West Way."

Talia opened her mouth, likely to deliver a stinging retort about my ’lack of decorum,’ but I held up a hand, stopping her mid-breath.

"Actually, no. I’m done with the back-and-forth," I said, straightening up with a groan. "Go call your committee of disgruntled mothers. All of them. And bring the pups. We’re having a meeting this morning."

Talia blinked, her typical mask of defiance slipping for a fraction of a second. "A... committee?" Oops, did I let it slip that I gave her squad a name?

But even as the name caught her by surprise, she immediately understood who the members of the committee were.

"Hey, tiger, do you have any idea what you’re asking? You want to gather the females Noah has—"

"I know exactly what I’m asking," I interrupted. "They all have pups by the same man. Those pups are brothers and sisters, Talia. They’re family, whether you like me or not. If you all can’t put your bitterness aside for the fact that Noah isn’t with you, then at least do it so the pups can at least know their own blood."

I watched her face carefully. For a long moment, she didn’t move. The wind ruffled the fur of her cloak, and I could see the internal war playing out behind her eyes—the pride of a rejected lover clashing with the instinct of a mother who wanted the best for her child.

If she didn’t care about her pup and only cared about her position in the tribe, then she would ignore my words and even make an issue out of it with me, but if otherwise... I smiled, seeing the new expression on her face.

"You think... they’ll listen to you?" Talia asked, her voice losing some of its sharp edge, replaced by a weary skepticism. "Some of them have been nursing their resentment for years. They see you as the one who finally locked the door they were all trying to kick down."

"Then let them come and scream at me," I shrugged. "But tell them to bring the kids. If we’re going to build a kingdom, we can’t do it while the King’s own bloodline is divided by petty jealousies. I’m the Queen, right? Then it’s time I started acting like one and brought this ’family’ together."

Talia stared at me for a long time, her gaze searching mine for a trick, a hidden agenda, or a lie. Finally, she let out a short, sharp exhale and uncrossed her arms.

"Fine," she whispered. "I’ll bring them to the gathering hall. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Some of those mothers have teeth sharper than any male wolf’s."

"I assume they do."

As she turned to walk away, I slumped back against the tent pole, closing my eyes as invisible tears rolled down. What have I just started?

I could already see the massive load of work and numerous arguments. Sigh.

As I was lamenting my own fate, I caught a glimpse of Thalor and my heart skipped a beat for some reason. I didn’t wait there and immediately hid. I didn’t want to face him yet.

But just when I thought I had skillfully hidden away behind a massive, upturned supply crate, my heart was hammering against my ribs. I had barely survived the emotional gauntlet with my husbands; I wasn’t ready to face the literal source of the storm.

I held my breath, squeezing my eyes shut, praying to whatever gods governed this land that he’d just keep walking.

But the air around the crate shifted, turning crisp and smelling of deep-sea lilies.

"Arinya?"

I flinched, my shoulders hitting the wood with a dull thud. How? I stayed pinned to the spot, trying to make myself as small as possible. Maybe if I don’t move, he’ll think it’s just a stray cat or a very large, very guilty squirrel.

But he didn’t move. I heard a soft sigh, followed by the rustle of him shifting his weight. Through a gap in the wood, I saw him bow his head, his purple wavy hair shielding his expression.

"Are you upset with me because of last night?" he asked, his voice a low, mournful chime that vibrated right through the crest on my wrist.

At this point, I knew he was certain I was here, so there was no use hiding.

And so, I stepped out from behind the crate, my face flushed and my brow furrowed.

"How did you even know I was here? Was it a lucky guess? Because I’m pretty sure you didn’t see me before I hid, and I was invisible back there."

Thalor lifted his head, those swirling violet eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made the ground feel unsteady.

"I could smell you from a mile away, Arinya," he said softly.

My breath hitched in my throat as the world seemed to tilt, and my eyes widened.

"My... my scent? You can smell it? H-How?"

"You have a very peculiar scent," he admitted, taking a half-step closer, though he stopped when he saw me tense. "It is not like the earth or the trees. And it’s not a scent that other females have either. It... it calls to me. It pulls at my core like the moon pulls the tide."

My heart did a violent thud against my ribs. My scent? He could smell it.

Just like Damar. Just like Fenric and Just like Noah.

A cold realization washed over me, sharper than the morning air. If he could smell me like that... then he was a fated mate. This wasn’t just a ’curiosity’ or a ’handsome face.’ The universe itself had laid a trap, and I had walked right into it with my eyes wide open. No wonder I had been so tempted.

"Arinya!"

The sharp call of my name broke the spell. I spun around to see Noah standing a few yards away, his arms crossed, and his golden eyes narrowed into lethal slits as he took in the sight of me standing alone with the merman. The air around him practically sizzled with a protective, jealous heat.

"Noah," I breathed, moving toward him with a speed that felt like fleeing.

Noah stepped forward, placing himself partially between Thalor and me. He didn’t growl, but the look he leveled at the Prince was enough to make the salt air turn to ice. Thalor didn’t flinch, but he did dip his head in a respectful, if slightly defiant, nod.

"I was just looking for the gathering hall," I said quickly, grabbing Noah’s arm to distract him before he decided to turn the village square into a boxing ring. "Talia said she’d meet me there. Where is it?"

Noah looked down at me, his expression softening just a fraction, though he still looked suspicious.

"You’re meeting with Talia?" he asked, looking a little confused.

"Yeah, we have a thing and a thing going on, so just tell me."

He looked at me worriedly for a second and then answered,

"It’s the large stone structure behind the elder’s hut. I’ll go with you. You shouldn’t be wandering around alone—"

"No!" I blurted out, then winced at my own volume. "I mean... no. I need to do this alone, Noah. If you show up with me, you’ll ruin everything."

If he goes with me, those mothers are just going to see the King protecting his new Queen, whom they already despise. It’ll make them hate me more. I have to face them on my own terms.

Noah hesitated, his fingers tightening on my hand. He clearly didn’t like the idea of me facing a pack of disgruntled exes without him, but he also knew I was right.

"Fine," he muttered, leaning down to press a firm, possessive kiss to my forehead—one that was clearly intended for Thalor to see. "But if I sense you’re in trouble, I’m coming to the rescue."

"I’ll be fine," I promised, already backing away. "Just take care of the cubs for me while I’m away."

I turned, giving Thalor one more fleeting glance before fleeing. As I fled, my mind began to spin in dizzying circles.

A fated mate. The thought was terrifying. I had promised my husbands a week of distance, a week of reflection... and now I knew the pull wasn’t just a magical trick. It was destiny.

How was I supposed to tell the three most jealous males in the West Way that the ’fish’ was actually meant to be a part of our lives this whole time?