The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe

Chapter 344: Noah, your ’limits’ are legendary for being nonexistent

"What do you mean, I can handle it?"

Noah didn’t even flinch at my death stare. Instead, he leaned back on his elbows, his dark eyes shimmering with a mixture of mischief and that raw, primal confidence that made him such a headache at times like this.

"Think about it, little tiger," he said, his voice dropping into a smooth, persuasive purr. "You aren’t just any female. You’ve been reinforced by the marks of a serpent, a Beast warrior, a king, and now a merman Prince. Your body is stronger than it was a month ago. Plus..." He paused, his gaze raking over me with shameless appreciation. "You’ve always had more stamina than all of us combined when you’re focused on a ’project.’ Why should this be any different?"

"Because this ’project’ involves three apex predators losing their collective minds!" I snapped, though my heart gave a traitorous little skip. "A rut isn’t a game, Noah. If all three of you go under at once, I’ll be lucky if the tent is still standing, let alone my spine."

Fenric grunted in agreement, his red eyes sharp as he looked at Noah.

"He’s right about one thing—it would be a disaster. A rut would make us territorial. If we’re all out of our heads at the same time, we won’t just be focused on Arinya; we’ll be focused on tearing each other’s throats out to get to her first. And then, who would take care of the cubs at that time?"

I nodded, taking his side.

That’s right. That’s right. We can’t all go under and leave my babies unattended.

Thalor nodded solemnly, but his expression was a little pained.

"In the sea, a marked male is... intense. If three of us are triggered simultaneously in such a small space, the friction alone could be dangerous. The pearl marking is a deep soul-bond. It pulls the blood to the surface. It demands... completion."

Noah waved a dismissive hand, though I noticed he moved his leg just a bit closer to mine.

"So we don’t do it in the tent. We have the whole valley. And as for the fighting... well, we’ve shared her before, haven’t we? We just need a system."

"A system?" I sputtered, rubbing my temples. "You want to create a rotation schedule for a triple rut? You really are a pervert."

"I’m a pragmatist," Noah countered with a wink.

What does that even mean?

"But fine. If you’re worried about the situation, we can stagger it. One tomorrow, one the next day..."

Why is he so zealous about this? It looks like the most fun he’s had in weeks.

I looked at Thalor, who was still looking a bit flushed.

"How long does the effect last once the pearl is set?"

"Usually three days of... heightened state," Thalor admitted, his voice dropping to a whisper. "But the first night is the most volatile."

I groaned, leaning my head into my hands. The thought of marking them made my skin hum with a strange, possessive anticipation, but the logistics were a nightmare.

"Okay, new plan. We are not doing all three at once. I need to be able to have time to take care of my babies, and actually walk to the construction site, not be carried there like a decorative rug."

Fenric reached out, his hand catching mine and giving it a supportive squeeze.

"Wise choice, Arinya. Who do you want to start with? Since the Fish brought the method, perhaps he should be the test subject?"

It didn’t look like he said that because he wanted to, but he had a sense of decency to give the first to the person who brought the method.

Thalor flinched, his violet eyes wide, but Noah let out a loud, jealous protest.

"Absolutely not! First-come, first-served, right? Fenric was here right after Damar, so if we’re going by seniority. The fish can’t have the first marking!"

He turned his eyes to Thalor, narrowing them into a playful but sharp glare.

"Besides, he just spent the night at a fancy, hidden lake with my little tiger, marking her up and getting her all to himself. And now you want him to have the next three nights in a marking rut too? I don’t even get that greedy. There’s a limit to my patience!"

I couldn’t help it; I let out a sharp bark of laughter, the sound echoing through the quiet midnight air.

"Noah, your ’limits’ are legendary for being nonexistent."

Thalor looked between the two land-dwellers, his expression shifting from shock to a sheepish sort of pride.

He didn’t apologize for the lake—the way he squared his shoulders told me he wouldn’t trade that night for all the pearls in the ocean—but he did dip his head respectfully toward Fenric.

"The order is for Arinya to decide," Thalor murmured, though he didn’t look exactly thrilled at the idea of waiting. "The pearl is a heavy gift. It requires a specific state of... readiness."

Fenric leaned back, his red eyes tracking the way the firelight played over the indigo mark on my ankle. The tiger in him wanted that mark before anyone else. He wanted the world to see that he wasn’t just a guardian, but a permanent fixture in my soul.

And so he decided to go with Noah’s logic.

"If the Fish is the one providing the method, it makes sense for him to wait," Fenric stated, his voice low, as if he was not confident in his own words. "He’s already had his ’prize’ for the night anyway."

Noah smirked, nudging Fenric with a shoulder.

"See? Even Fenric is getting greedy. I like it."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the weight of their combined stares. The thought of the ’triple rut’ Noah had suggested was still making my head spin, but the reality of staggering it wasn’t much easier. Three days for each? That was over a week of pure chaos.

"We aren’t deciding this while I’m half-asleep and smelling like deer meat," I said, standing up and dusting off my skirt. "The fire is dying, so let’s head inside. We can discuss this in the morning."

Noah and Fenric exchanged looks before nodding, then they got up.