Free Web NovelChapter 57: Episode 057: Theron’s Rejection
The main gates of the Convergence were a massive archway of carved stone.
Torches burned brightly on either side, throwing thick, black shadows against the walls. The crowd here was loud. Thousands of beastmen pushed and shoved, trying to buy roasted meats and sweet wine from the wooden merchant stalls.
Then, the noise stopped.
It started at the front of the gates and rolled backwards like a wave of cold water. People stopped talking. Musicians stopped playing their flutes. The crowd parted, leaving a wide, empty path down the centre of the dirt road.
A heavy, incredibly powerful presence entered the festival.
Four men walked through the stone arches. They didn’t walk like normal festival guests. They walked like Kings stepping onto a battlefield.
Leading the group was Drax. The Dragon heir was massive. He had dark hair and broad shoulders that looked like they were carved from solid mountain rock. He didn’t look at the crowd. He kept his eyes locked straight ahead, his face a perfect mask of cold authority.
Behind him walked three others.
Fedor, the Kitsune heir, walked with a smooth, completely silent step. He had long, vibrant red hair that caught the light of the torches. Nine thick, fluffy red fox tails swayed behind him, moving with a lazy, hypnotic grace.
He wore a sharp, formal tunic, and he looked entirely pleased with himself.
Next to him were the Wolf Twins, Axel and Onyx. They wore dark leather. They had wild, messy hair and sharp, aggressive eyes that constantly scanned the crowd for threats. While Onyx had black hair, Axel had a mix of white and black.
The air between Fedor and Axel was incredibly tense. It was thick enough to choke on.
Axel stepped slightly to the left, purposely bumping his heavy shoulder into Fedor’s arm.
"Watch your tails, fox," Axel muttered. His voice was a low, hostile growl. "You’re taking up the whole road. Not everyone wants to choke on your fur."
Fedor didn’t even blink. He just offered a sharp, mocking smile. He casually brushed a speck of invisible dust off his sleeve.
"Watch your paws, pup," Fedor replied smoothly. "Try not to trip over your own boots. I know walking on two legs is still very new to you."
Axel’s eyes flashed a bright, dangerous yellow. His fangs extended slightly over his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to snap a vicious insult back at the fox.
He was older than this little Kit!
Drax stopped walking.
The Dragon didn’t say a single word. He just turned his head slightly and looked back over his shoulder. He gave the two of them a single, flat, terrifying stare.
Axel’s mouth snapped shut instantly. His fangs retracted. Fedor quickly dropped his mocking smile and stood up perfectly straight. They both stared at the ground. They behaved immediately.
A woman walked out of the shadows to greet them.
Queen Tanith wore a long, dark dress that trailed across the dirt. Her icy, beautiful face held a very small, amused smirk. She looked at the giant, terrifying men standing like scolded children in front of the Dragon.
"I guess the young are still mad at the old," Tanith noted dryly.
Axel crossed his arms and looked away. Fedor pretended to fix his cuffs.
Tanith turned around. "Follow me. Your royal seats are waiting."
Deep inside the festival, far away from the heavy tension of the front gates, the VIP pavilion was warm and entirely peaceful.
The pavilion was a giant, open tent made of thick white silk. It sat on a raised wooden platform. Soft pillows covered the floor. Low wooden tables held bowls of fresh fruit, roasted vegetables, and sweet water. It was closed off from the loud, sweaty crowd outside.
Rue sat on a thick, comfortable cushion. She wore her pale pink dress. She ignored the politics of the festival. She didn’t care about the Kings or the alliances. She cared about the bowl of sliced apples on the table.
They were so attractive that she licked her lips several times. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Beside her, the girls were causing a mess.
Iris, the Wolf Princess, sat cross-legged on the floor. Tyara, the Tiger Queen, sat next to her. Little Gianna sat quietly beside them, watching with wide eyes.
They were treating little Theron like a very cute, squishy potato.
Iris held the baby boy up in the air. She made a funny face. Theron squealed loudly, kicking his tiny feet. Iris laughed and handed him over to Tyara.
Tyara caught the baby carefully, bouncing him on her knee. Theron giggled so hard his face turned pink. He babbled happily, throwing his chubby hands out to grab Tyara’s dark hair.
He acted as if this soft, cushion-filled tent was exactly where he belonged. He loved the attention. He loved being tossed around by the girls.
Rue watched them. She picked up an apple slice and took a bite.
"Alright," Rue chuckled. "That’s enough. Pass him back. He needs to calm down before he gets sick."
She held her hands out.
Tyara smiled and tried to hand the baby over. Theron immediately shook his head. He let out a loud, unhappy grunt. He grabbed Tyara’s tunic with both of his tiny fists and buried his face against her shoulder. He refused to go back to his mother.
"He says no," Tyara laughed, wrapping her arms around the stubborn little boy.
Rue sighed. She dropped her hands.
My own son is rejecting me for a tiger. This must be Caius’s genes, not mine.
Caius stood near the entrance of the pavilion. He held a wooden cup of water. He frowned. How was it his fault? Feeling wronged, he walked over, his tall frame blocking the light from the lanterns.
"Give the boy to his mother," Caius ordered. His voice was deep and entirely serious. Forgetting this was Tyara and not Gianna.
Tyara didn’t take it too seriously and tried handing Theron over to him.
He reached his large hand out to grab Theron.
Theron turned his head. He looked at Caius’s large fingers coming toward him. The baby opened his mouth and clamped his tiny gums directly down on Caius’s index finger.
Caius froze. His golden eyes went completely wide. He looked down at the tiny baby attached to his hand. The baby didn’t have real teeth yet, but the bite was surprisingly strong.
"Did he just bite me?" Caius asked the room. He sounded genuinely shocked.
Knox stood by the fruit table. The Panther King let out a loud, booming laugh. He walked over, shaking his head.
"You don’t know how to handle a cub, snake," Knox boasted proudly. "You’re too stiff. You have to be gentle. Watch a real King work."
Knox pushed Caius aside. The Panther King leaned down. He smiled warmly at the baby. He held out his large, calloused hand to gently scoop Theron up.
Theron released Caius. He looked at Knox. He opened his mouth again and clamped his gums down hard on Knox’s thumb.
Knox’s confident smile instantly vanished. He let out a sharp hiss of pain and tried to pull his thumb back. Theron held on tight, glaring at the panther with bright golden eyes.
Iris completely lost it. The chaotic wolf girl fell back onto the pillows, clutching her stomach. She laughed so hard that tears rolled down her cheeks. Tyara covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with silent, uncontrollable giggles. Even little Gianna cracked a tiny smile.
"Serves you right!" Rue giggled.
Suddenly, the white silk curtains at the front of the pavilion parted.
A man stepped inside.
He was tall and wore an incredibly expensive, dark red tunic. His long, bright red hair was tied back loosely. Nine thick, fluffy red fox tails trailed behind him. He carried himself with an easy, fluid grace that demanded attention.
Tyara stopped laughing. She looked up. Her eyes lit up with pure joy.
She carefully handed Theron back to Iris and jumped up from her cushion. She ran straight toward the fox.
"Awww!" Tyara cheered loudly. "The little one finally shows up! You made it!"
Fedor stopped walking. He looked down at the Tiger Queen. His easy, confident expression instantly turned into a massive, annoyed glare. He hated being called little. He hated being treated like a pet.
"Don’t call me that, Tyara," Fedor muttered sharply. He tried to step around her.
He looked past Tyara’s shoulder and scanned the room. His eyes skipped over Knox. They skipped over Caius. They skipped over Iris.
His eyes landed directly on Rue.
Rue sat on the pillow in her pale pink dress. She had a half-eaten apple slice in her hand. She stared back at him with indifference.
Fedor stopped completely. His annoyed glare melted away in less than a second. The red fox tails behind him gave a slow, lazy swish. He tilted his head slightly. He flashed a heart-stopping, incredibly dangerous, highly charming smile directly at her.
It was the kind of smile that was meant to make women forget their own names.
Rue didn’t blush. She didn’t smile back. She just chewed her apple.
Why does he look like a womaniser? Rue thought flatly. Off to the side, Caius took a large gulp from his wooden cup.
Caius choked.
