Three days after refusing Alpha Riven's offer of "Mate Hunt", Michelle was finally walking without limping.
She tested her weight on the healed knee, bending the broken ribs while also bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. Mira's herbs had worked miracles the swelling had gone down completely, the angry purple bruising faded to yellow-green. Her ribs still twinged with deep breaths, but she could move, could function, could think beyond the constant fog of pain.
Michelle was pacing near the window when she spotted Beta Rome crossing the settlement square, his steps set in that particular way that meant he was heading toward Mira's dwelling. Again. This would be the third time this week he'd "checked on her recovery" with barely concealed hope that she'd changed her mind about the Mate Hunt.
So persistent.
Michelle moved away from the window before he could spot her watching.
"Alpha Riven seems quite persistent," she mumbled.
Mira looked up from her rocking chair, hands busy with some kind of stitching work. "He's our leader and truly believes the Huntress path is your best option."
"I don't agree," Michelle said, settling onto the edge of her bed. Her bed—she'd not been here long enough that she'd started thinking of it as hers, which was both comforting and deeply unsettling. "Does he know I'm planning to refuse? Officially, I mean. At the end of the week."
Mira's needles clicked steadily. "The whole settlement has been speculating. Some think you're brave. Others think you're suicidal. A few think you're just too ignorant to understand what you're risking."
"What do you think?"
Mira's hands stilled. She looked up, her dark eyes steady and unreadable. "I think you're planning something you haven't told me about."
Michelle's stomach clenched, but she kept her expression neutral. "I'm planning to recover fully and then figure out how to survive here without becoming someone's property. That's not exactly a secret plan."
"No," Mira agreed softly. "But it's not the whole truth either."
Before Michelle could respond, Rome knocked at the door his usual three sharp raps that somehow managed to sound both respectful and insistent.
"Enter," Mira called.
Rome stepped inside, and Michelle noticed immediately that his usual nervous energy had been replaced by a more formal posture, tense shoulders. He carried a scroll sealed with red wax.
"Elder Mira. Lady Michelle." He bowed. "I bring a message from Alpha Riven."
"Tell me that thing in your hand is not my arrest warrant or some kind of summoning," Michelle inquired dreadfully.
"Actually... it is!" Rome looked uncomfortable. "Alpha Riven is summoning you to the main hall. There are... visitors. From other territories. They've heard about the human who survived Drakemoor, and they want to meet you."
Michelle's blood ran cold. "What kind of visitors?" And why the heck is this Drakemoor so haunting for everybody? It seems like every other territory in Feral Lands except for haunting beauty of forest.
"Emissaries. Scout parties. A few minor Lords." Rome's expression was grim. "Word spread faster than we anticipated. Alpha Riven has been turning most of them away, citing settlement law and your need to heal. But these latest arrivals... they can't be dismissed easily."
"May I know who are they?" Mira asked as she stood up and went check on her look.
"Lord Venom's envoy arrived this morning. And there are dragons circling the outer territories they're from the Emerald Forest." Rome met Michelle's eyes. "Alpha Riven can hold them off for now, but once your recovery week ends, you'll need to make a formal declaration. The pressure is building."
Michelle nodded. "I will. When does he want to see me?"
"Now, if you're able. The envoys are... insistent."
She gave a double nod, then looked down at her borrowed clothes—Runa's tunic and pants, well-made but simple. "Is this good enough for Lords, or do I need to change into something more formal?"
"You should look like yourself," Mira said firmly, setting aside her stitching. "Alpha would prefer you not try to impress predators." She stood and walked to a cupboard, retrieving a leather vest from a chest and tossing it to Michelle. "Wear this over the tunic. It'll give you a huntress vibe and make you look less vulnerable."
The vest was reinforced with something not quite armour, but sturdier than simple leather. Michelle didn't argue and shrugged it on, feeling the weight settle across her shoulders like borrowed confidence.
"After you," Rome said as he pulled the door open for her and Michelle walked ahead.
The main hall was built into the largest and widest tree in Silverwood, its interior carved from living wood that still pulsed faintly with life. Michelle had glimpsed it from a distance during her walk through the settlement but hadn't been inside. Now, entering through the massive doors, she understood why it was called a Rowdy-Woody hall the space was enormous, easily the size of a cathedral, with a vaulted ceiling that disappeared into shadows of tree leaves far above.
Alpha Riven sat in a carved throne at the altar- on a true king's seat. Rome went and took his Beta position behind him, two steps down, along with several other wolf-kin Michelle didn't recognise. When she looked around she saw gathered in the center of the hall were the visitors.
Three guest thrones on the same level as Alpha Riven were occupied. One on right hand side was dainty but handsome man with emerald-green scales coiled around his neck and arms like living jewelry, a weapon sword resting by his side. His yellow eyes tracked Michelle's entrance with the cold calculation of a predator sizing up prey.
Two dragon-kin in half-transformed human form flanked the opposite side, their scales visible on their arms and necks, their eyes reflecting firelight in shades of gold and amber.
And closest to Alpha Riven's left side sat a fox-kin—black fur with silver streaks and too many tails—watching everything with a smile that promised trouble. Beside his throne sat a massive female, Michelle was sure if she stood up she will clearly be towering over all the males in the hallroom. She was huge but strikingly beautiful as well in her dark complexion with diamond jewels, and her curved tusks adorned with gold rings and eyes like polished obsidian. Michelle couldn't take her eyes off her.
The conversations died the moment Michelle entered.
"Ah," the multiple tails man said, his voice smooth as honey and twice as dangerous. "The infamous human. Finally, we meet."
Michelle felt every eye in the room lock onto her. She forced herself to walk forward steadily, refusing to show the fear singing through her nerves. It was Alpha Riven who smiled at her and kept his eyes gentle on her—like a silent support that she was grateful for.
"Lady Michelle," Riven said formally, "allow me to introduce our guests. This is Lord Venom's envoy, Ambassador Scales." The serpent-kin inclined his head, somehow making the gesture look both respectful and mocking.
"The other-kin are representatives from the Fox Tribe and Boar Clan—Lord Asher Maverick and Lady Mora Ember." The two nobles nodded. Lady Mora Ember's expression was curious but hostile, her massive frame radiating contained violence. Lord Asher Maverick looked like he was evaluating Michelle for potential weaknesses, his silver-streaked tails swishing lazily.
The fox-kin's smile widened as he took in her vest and uninjured posture. "We've heard such interesting things about you, human. Survived Drakemoor, refused a Mate Hunt—which some consider an insult to our beast traditions. Are you trying to be quite the sensation?"
"My Lord, I never had to try," Michelle answered, keeping her voice level and tone sweet. "I already am... since I have all your attention."
Ambassador Scales laughed—a hissing, unsettling sound. "She has spirit. I like that. Spirit breaks so beautifully."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"Careful, Ambassador Scales, your words are instigating danger to my guest." Alpha Riven growled quietly, his Alpha authority bleeding into his voice. " Never forget the Lady is under law protection."
"Protection," Scales repeated, tasting the word. "Yes, we've heard about that. Settlement law. Very... civilised of you, Alpha Riven. Though I wonder—how long can such protection last? A week? A month? Eventually, she'll need to leave Silverwood. Travel. Exist beyond your borders. And then..."
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to when Michelle interrupted.
"And then what?" Michelle asked, forcing steel into her voice despite her racing heart. "You'll try to take me? Is that what you're suggesting?"
"Take?" Scales' smile showed too many teeth. "Such crude language. I prefer 'acquire', 'rightfully claimed' After all, a human who survived Drakemoor must have... unique properties. Properties my Lord Venom would pay handsomely to study."
"Not everything could be a research subject," Michelle said flatly.
"Should I show how its done..." Hissed Scales, ready to get up from seat and put a claim.
"Enough, Sacles" Lady Mora Ember's voice was surprisingly deep, resonating through the hall like thunder. "We didn't come here to threaten the human. We came to observe. To understand what makes her valuable enough to cause this... disruption."
She stood, and Michelle had to crane her neck back to maintain eye contact. Lady Mora was easily seven feet tall, her massive frame packed with muscle that suggested she could snap Michelle in half without effort.
"Tell me, human," Lady Mora said, taking a step closer. "Do you understand what you've done? By refusing the traditional paths, you've created uncertainty. And uncertainty in the Feral Lands is blood in the water. Every predator can smell it."
Michelle stood her ground, though her instincts screamed at her to run. "I understand that traditions built on violence and ownership aren't traditions I'm willing to participate in."
"Noble," Lady Mora said, her tone making it sound like an insult. "But nobility doesn't keep you alive. Let me tell you a story, human. A cautionary tale."
She circled Michelle slowly, her footsteps heavy enough to rattle the wooden floor.
"Just year ago, there was a female wolf-kin standing at your spot. Beautiful. Strong. Intelligent. And from Alpha Riven's pack, in fact she was his rightful Beta female. Runa was her name."
Michelle's eyes snapped to Alpha Riven and then to Beta Rome, who couldn't look straight. His expression had gone carefully blank, but she could see the tension in his jaw, the tightness around his eyes like he was on the verge of breakdown.
"Beta Runa also wanted what you want," Lady Mora continued. "Independence. Autonomy. She refused every Mate Hunt, rejected every suitor, and declared herself a lone wolf. And for a time, it worked. She was a brilliant strategist, a fierce warrior. She thought she could survive alone."
The boar-kin stopped directly in front of Michelle, close enough that Michelle could see the gold flecks in her obsidian eyes.
"She lasted five days." The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
"Five days of constant challenges," Lady Mora said showing her five fingers. " She fought them all as once you decalre yourself as unclaimed, no pack comes to help by law. Though she won most of the time. But you can't win every fight, human. Eventually, you make a mistake. Get tired. Let your guard down for one moment."
Michelle's throat was dry. "What happened to her?" She turned to Alpha and asked again, "May I know?" her finger gripped the fabric she wore now.
"She was traveling between territories," Riven said, his voice carefully controlled. "There was a pack of rogue males—outcasts from three different clans. They ambushed her. Five against one." Riven had to paused and look at Rome as he didn't dare recall the event.
"She killed three of them before they brought her down," Lady Mora said, something like respect in her voice. "But the other two... they claimed her. Forcibly. Repeatedly. For weeks, they kept her chained in a cave, passing her between them until she was more broken thing than person."
Oh, my God!! this is brutal. Michelle felt sick.
"We found her eventually, once Rome informed that she had stopped writing letter to him,"Alpha Riven continued, his hands clenched into fists. "Tracked the rogues down, killed them slowly. But Runa..." He swallowed hard. "She was never the same. The light in her eyes was gone. She refused to speak, to eat. Three months after we rescued her, she walked into the corrupted lands alone. We never found her body."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
"That," Lady Mora said, "is what happens to lone females in the Feral Lands. No matter how strong, how smart, how determined, well connected—eventually, you're a prey among plenty of beasts. And there are always more beasts than you can fight."
Michelle wanted to argue, to insist that she'd find a way as she had intend to return home and not survive the feral lands and its beast. But the words stuck in her throat, because what could she say? That she had some kind of plan? That she was smarter and stronger than Runa had been?
She'd survived Drakemoor through luck and Kael's protection. She had no skills, no training, no way to defend herself against determined attackers.
"Why are you telling me this?" Michelle asked quietly.
"Because I liked Runa, she was my student once..." Lady Mora said simply. "And I can smell her on you. With the same fire in your eyes. The same stubborn refusal to bend. It got her killed, human. Don't let it kill you too. Be wise!"
"How touching, Lady Mora I didn't know you still remember the her. Are you sure you taught all you tricks to her, well nobody could doubt, " Lord Asher Maverick said, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "Lady Mora shows her soft side. But let's not pretend this is purely about concern for the human's wellbeing."
He stood, his multiple tails swishing in a hypnotic pattern.
"The real question," Lord Asher continued, "is Alpha Riven failed in protecting her. Runa was his fated Beta and pack member even he couldn't keep her safe. What makes him think he can protect a fragile human?"
"I don't need to explain my decisions to you, Lord Maverick," Riven said coldly.
"Don't you?" Lord Asher's smile was sharp. " You've always allowed females to refuse traditions without consequence. Your Beta, after that Elder Sister and now a human... Some might wonder... what are you getting in return?" The implication was clear and disgusting.
Alpha Riven's growl rumbled through the hall, his eyes flashing with barely contained violence. "Hold you tongue, fox. You're a guest in my territory. And my sister is mated now, so don't you dare speak ill of her."
"Peace, peace," Ambassador Scales interjected smoothly. "No one is accusing Alpha Riven of impropriety. We're simply... curious about the nature of this arrangement. After all, the human has been living under your roof for days now. It would be natural to wonder if a claim has already been made privately."
"No claim has been made," Michelle said sharply, her voice cutting through the tension. "And if one is made, it won't be private or subtle. I'm not some backroom political deal."
"Then what are you?" Ambassador Scales asked, his yellow eyes gleaming. "Because right now, you're a mystery. A human who survived the impossible, who rejects our customs, who somehow convinced an Alpha to extend unprecedented protection. That makes you either incredibly valuable or incredibly dangerous. Possibly both."
He leaned forward, his serpentine grace making the movement seem predatory.
"So let me make this simple, human. My Lord has resources. Power. Protection far beyond what a single settlement can offer. Accept his patronage—purely professional, of course—and you'll want for nothing. Refuse, and..." He spread his hands. "Well. The Feral Lands are full of dangers. Accidents happen. Even to those under Alpha protection."
The threat wasn't even veiled.
Michelle's mind raced. She was watching a multilayered power play unfold—each visitor representing different interests, all circling her like sharks around blood in the water. Lady Mora's story about Runa wasn't just a warning; it was a demonstration. See what happens to females who resist? See what we can do?
But there was something else here. Something in the way Lord Asher kept watching Riven, the way Ambassador Scales' threats were carefully phrased to avoid direct confrontation. They were testing boundaries, seeing how far they could push before Alpha Riven pushed back.
Do they wanted to know how much Alpha Riven actually valued her protection?
"I appreciate every Lord and Lady's not so generous offer and warning," Michelle said carefully, "but I'm not interested in patronage. From anyone."
"Not even from the dragon clans?" Suddenly a huge dragon entered wrapping it wings and spoke, his voice carrying the weight of ancient fire. " You're the human who can ride dragon-fire. Who touched corrupted ichor without damage. These are not normal power traits."
He stood, on other side and stared at Lady Mora for a few moments before his gaze returned and Michelle realised with a jolt that she recognised him from somewhere—or rather, recognised the way he resembled the person she first meet here.
"I am Lord Cinder, Second Flame of the Crimson Sky. My clan has a simple question: are you bonded to Lord Kael?"