Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Now that my female has finished speaking, I can deal with you
Selka stared at him.
Her face changed for half a heartbeat.
Then she covered it with a wounded look.
"I am defending you."
"No," Nerin whispered.
The word was quiet.
It still reached everyone.
Selka slowly turned.
Nerin’s face went pale, but he did not take it back.
"You are defending yourself."
Brea’s eyes widened.
Selka’s russet tail bristled.
"You ungrateful little..."
Swanly stepped between them.
"Oh, you still want to talk?"
Selka’s lips parted.
Swanly looked at Soren.
"I am done."
The white snake’s eyes lifted.
"I do not care what you do with them. Accept them. Reject them. Send them back into the forest. I do not want to hear another word from any of them."
Soren held her gaze.
Then his tail lowered.
The three cubs touched the ground gently.
For one second, they remained sitting inside the loosened white coil.
Then all three scrambled out and ran toward Swanly.
Soren’s tail disappeared behind them.
Selka did not see it coming.
The thick white tail struck the ground beside her, curled around her waist and shot upward.
Selka screamed.
Her feet flew off the ground.
Everyone stumbled backward.
Soren lifted her until her face was level with his.
His tail tightened around her ribs.
Selka clawed at the scales.
"Put me down!"
Soren looked at her without a flicker of emotion.
"Now that my female has finished speaking, I can deal with you."
Swanly’s head whipped toward him.
"I am not your female."
He ignored her.
"Soren."
His tail tightened.
Selka’s scream became a broken gasp.
Swanly pointed at him.
"Do not pretend you cannot hear me."
Soren continued staring at Selka.
"You raised your hand against her."
"She insulted me!"
"You wished her cubs dead."
"I was angry."
"You touched her."
"She belongs to Sunmane!"
The clearing went still.
Soren’s silver eyes became colder.
"No."
Selka’s breath shook.
Soren pulled her closer.
"She does not belong to your fallen tribe. She does not belong to your prince. She does not belong to you."
Crack.
Selka’s eyes bulged.
A terrible sound came from inside her ribs.
Her arrogance vanished.
"Stop!"
Another pair of red fox beastpeople pushed through the crowd.
The older female had Selka’s narrow face and the same rust-red hair, though silver now streaked her temples.
Her name was Vessa, Selka’s mother.
The male beside her was Darek, Selka’s father, a lean red fox beastman with one torn ear.
Both dropped to their knees.
"Please!" Vessa cried. "She did not mean it."
Swanly’s eyes widened.
Did not mean it?
Selka had slapped her with an open hand in front of everyone.
Was her palm possessed?
Darek bent until both hands pressed into the dirt.
"Lord Soren, spare our daughter. She is a young female. She speaks when she is frightened."
Raku looked at Selka’s furious face.
"Very frightened."
Thalara nodded.
"She has been frightened for a long time. Her mouth has survived poorly."
Raku’s lips twitched.
Maela rushed forward next.
"Release her!"
Soren’s tail squeezed.
Selka choked.
Maela dropped to her knees so fast that dust rose around her.
"Please."
Garran stared at his kneeling mate.
His face turned dark with humiliation.
Then another crack came from Selka’s body.
The former chief lowered himself.
Arion followed.
The prince of Sunmane knelt in the dirt with Swanly’s handprint still burning across his cheek.
"Do not kill her," he said.
Swanly looked at him.
He had not knelt when the original Swanly had been threatened with execution.
Now he knelt for Selka.
Interesting.
Nerin did not kneel.
He stood behind them with both hands closed at his sides.
Brea had already dropped low enough to hide behind Vessa.
Selka’s eyes filled with tears.
"Swanly."
Swanly’s face went blank.
Selka struggled inside the crushing tail.
"Tell him to stop."
A wet cough left her mouth.
"I am sorry."
Swanly blinked.
Selka cried harder.
"I did not know he would attack me. I only wanted you to remember your place."
There it was.
The apology had lived for less than one breath before its rotten little tail crawled out.
Swanly folded her arms.
"My place?"
"You were nothing when you lived with us," Selka sobbed. "We fed you. We protected you. I only slapped you because you humiliated me in front of my tribe."
"Former tribe," Soren corrected.
Selka’s face twisted.
Soren tightened his tail again.
She screamed.
Vessa crawled forward.
"We will do anything. Please spare her."
Darek bowed beside her.
"Anything."
Arion’s claws dug into the soil.
"Release her and I will owe Riverbone a life debt."
Garran snapped his head toward his son.
"Arion."
"I said I will owe it."
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
Swanly heard another faint crack.
Selka’s face had begun turning gray.
Soren truly intended to crush her.
Swanly sighed.
"Fine. Let her go."
Soren looked at her.
His tail did not move.
"Soren."
"You told me to do what I wanted."
"And now I am telling you to let her go."
He considered Selka.
Selka sagged with hope.
Soren nodded.
"Fine."
His tail loosened.
Vessa sobbed with relief.
Then Soren swung.
Selka’s eyes widened.
"No, wait..."
His tail snapped through the air.
BAM!!!
Selka flew over the kneeling survivors.
Her red hair and russet tail streamed behind her as her body disappeared into the trees.
For one long second, no one heard anything.
Then a distant crash shook several branches.
Birds exploded from the canopy.
Selka screamed.
A harsh cough followed.
Something wet struck the ground.
Probably blood.
Every survivor stared into the forest.
Vessa’s mouth hung open.
Darek slowly raised his head.
"You said you would release her."
Soren’s face remained calm.
"I did."
Raku turned away and pressed one fist against his mouth.
Thalara peered toward the trees.
"She traveled far."
"Yes," Raku muttered.
"Was that another inside-throat laugh?"
"No."
Soren’s tail returned.
It swept around Swanly’s waist before she could move.
Her feet slid across the ground.
"What are you doing?"
The tail pulled her against his side.
Kael’s growl burst out.
Swanly shoved at the coil.
"Let me go."
...
Hi!! Don’t worry today i won’t ask for golden tickets🤭
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