Nobody moved.
The fire popped. Somewhere at the back of the crowd, a cub started to whimper and was hushed.
Oreo finished hissing and settled back into the crook of Kael's arm, satisfied that he had made his point.
Then a white tiger female near the front said what everyone could see.
"His eye is red."
It was. In the firelight, it was impossible to miss.
The muttering started low and spread fast. Ren watched a wolf female step back from the fire. Two hunters glanced at their spears.
Ren stepped up beside Kael. "It's been red since the day he was born. He's never bitten anyone."
The baby lunged for Kael's thumb and started gnawing on it.
"He doesn't even have teeth," Ren added.
Nobody laughed.
A big white tiger warrior pushed his way to the front.
"Kaelen was the first to leave the old clan," the warrior said. "We followed him here. And now he cannot come in?"
"He will not come in," Kael said. "He knows what you would think."
"What would we think?"
Kael didn't answer.
