The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe

Chapter 342: Thalor makes the three promises

Thalor didn’t flinch at the threat of death. He didn’t even look at Fenric’s flexed muscles or the way Noah’s shadow loomed large over the dry earth.

Instead, he kept his gaze locked on mine, searching for the unspoken question in my eyes. He saw the flicker of uncertainty there, the ghost of my past where trust was a currency I could never afford.

Slowly, with a grace that felt like a sinking ship finding the sandy floor, he lowered himself to his knees.

The movement was deliberate. He didn’t just kneel; he surrendered. He reached out and took my right foot—the one carrying the fresh, pulsing mark of the indigo tail—and cradled it in his palms. The contrast was stark: my dusty foot against his shimmering, pearl-slick skin.

"I told him to stop doing that," I whispered, my voice barely audible. But I didn’t pull away. This wasn’t the ’icky’ tradition from the ridge; this was a foundation being poured in blood and soul.

Thalor leaned down, pressing his cool lips firmly to the arch of my foot.

"I promise," he murmured, the vibration of his voice traveling up my leg and settling deep in my marrow. "By the tides that move the world and the salt in my veins, I put Arinya first. Before the Deep, before my crown, and before the breath in my lungs. She is my only command."

He shifted his grip slightly, his thumbs tracing the line of my ankle before he pressed a second, more fervent kiss to the indigo mark.

"I promise," he continued, his violet eyes lifting to meet mine, swirling with a devotion that was almost frightening. "I will believe her words when the world calls her a liar. I will stand by her side when the mountains crumble. If her path leads to fire, I will be the water that shields her. I will never lift a hand to hurt the anchor that holds me."

Finally, he pressed a third kiss—long and lingering—to the tips of my toes, his forehead resting against the soil at my feet.

"And I promise," he whispered, his breath hot against my skin. "There is no other. Not in the coral halls of my father, nor in the vast reaches of the land. My heart has no room for another song. My body is a temple for her alone. I swear this by my soul and the sea."

Ah, he was such a poet.

The air around us seemed to hum, a heavy, sacred silence falling over the gate. The blue crest on my wrist flared with a sudden, blinding brilliance, a physical manifestation of the vow being locked into the fabric of the world.

Fenric let out a long, slow exhale, the tension in his shoulders finally snapping. He didn’t kill him. Instead, he reached down and gripped Thalor’s shoulder, hauling the merman back to his feet with a rough, begrudging respect.

"See that you keep them, Fish," Fenric grunted, though his red eyes softened just a fraction as he looked at me. "Because if you don’t, I won’t just kill you. I’ll make sure the sea forgets you ever existed."

I let out a shaky breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

The four of us stood there in the growing light—the wolf king, the snow tiger beast warrior, the merman prince, and me. The pack was growing, the walls were rising, and for the first time in a month, the weight on my shoulders felt a little lighter.

"Good," I said, my voice finally finding its strength. I looked at the three of them—my husbands, my mates, my builders. "Now that the drama is out of the way... who’s hungry? I know it’s late, but..." My stomach did an embarrassing growl, and I smiled awkwardly. "I haven’t had anything to eat yet."

"I’ll go catch something for you right away," Fenric said, and I smiled.

"Thank you, Fenric. I truly appreciate it."

Fenric’s chest puffed out on seeing my smile, his previous hostility toward Thalor melting into his usual protective focus.

"Wait here," he grunted, giving my shoulder a firm, lingering squeeze before he left.

Noah watched him go, then immediately closed the distance between us.

He didn’t wait for permission, sliding an arm around my waist and pulling me flush against his side.

"You look like you’ve been through a literal storm, little tiger," he purred, his voice dropping into that familiar, low vibration that always meant trouble. He reached up, his fingers tracing the curve of my ear before dipping down to the nape of my neck, his thumb tracing the edge of Damar’s mark. "A long night in the water isn’t exactly the kind of ’rest’ I had in mind for you. I could think of a few ways to warm you up that don’t involve a lake."

I rolled my eyes, leaning my head against his shoulder even as I pushed at his chest.

Ah, it’s been a while since he acted this way. He seems to be flipping switches like a control panel. One moment, he’s a responsible king, and the next, he’s a philanderer. That’s Noah for you.

"Hands, Noah. I’m actually starving, you know."

"Are you starving for me? I’m touched," he grinned, pressing a quick kiss to my temple.

He spared a sideways glance at Thalor, who was standing a few paces back, watching us with a mix of fascination and caution.

Thalor cleared his throat, his voice carrying that melodic, underwater hum.

"I can assist with the preparation of the meal."

Noah snorted, his grip on my waist tightening as he pulled me a little closer. He’d been a ’little’ nice toward Thalor this whole time, probably on diplomatic levels, but since he had officially become a part of our family, he felt no need to hold back his true feelings and started acting out on his jealousy.

"We usually prefer our meat seared by fire, Fish. But if you want to play chef while the real men hunt, be my guest."

"Noah, be nice," I nudged him with my elbow, though it was like poking a wall of solid muscle. "He’s been helping with the camp meals for a month; he knows how we like it."

"Ah, if you say so," Noah rolled his eyes the other way.

He was sulking, I could see it, but he’ll probably get over it soon. He just needs a moment to get used to it.

"So," Noah whispered, leaning down so his breath tickled my ear. "Since the ’Fish’ is officially in the collection... How are we supposed to navigate the tent tonight? It’s going to be a bit... cozy, don’t you think?"

I let out a long sigh, my mind immediately jumping to the logistics. Yes, cozy indeed.

It wasn’t that we couldn’t fit; Damar, Noah, Fenric, the cubs, and I had all shared the hut before without much trouble. But this was different. Thalor was new to the dynamic, and while my husbands weren’t exactly ill-mannered, I couldn’t help but worry about the ’accidental’ kicks or elbows that might fly in the dark while everyone was adjusting to a new body lying next to them.

It was going to be incredibly awkward, to say the least.

"We’ll figure it out," I muttered, though my fingers found the hem of his shirt, twisting the fabric. "It’ll work out somehow."

"I’m sure it will," he grinned. "You should get some rest. You’ve been working hard, Queen."

Don’t even get me started. I’m beginning to wonder how I’ll wake up tomorrow to oversee the construction. I think I’m doing too much as queen, honestly. I should sit back and relax once in a while. And I think tomorrow’s going to be that once in a while.

"I think I’ll take a break tomorrow to rest," I said, and Noah nodded.

"Good idea. You’ve been overdoing it, honestly."

Even Thalor nodded in agreement from the side, and I sighed. There must be a lot of folks worrying that their queen was overdoing it, too. I’ll definitely rest.

"Sit, for now," Noah said, but I couldn’t help but notice his eyes dancing with that familiar, perverted glint.

Just what was he plotting?

I sat on a smooth log, as my legs finally started to feel the weight of the night’s ’activities.’

"Your legs feeling sore?" he asked, noticing right away, and I nodded with a light flush on my cheeks. "Ah, he must’ve pushed you quite a lot," He said, glancing at Thalor, who threw his gaze away for a second, embarrassed.

It was more like me overdoing it with that riding. It felt too good the moment I didn’t even try to think of the consequences.

Noah sat in front of me, his hands going straight for my right ankle. He whistled low through his teeth as he saw the purple fish tail etched into my skin.

"He certainly didn’t miss his mark, did he? It’s pulsing, little tiger."

"Well, it’s still new."