The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe

Chapter 430: I’ll rest here for a moment



Chapter 430: I’ll rest here for a moment

The Sovereign Wing was usually the model of regal order, but as the first rays of the late autumn sun crept through the high windows, it looked more like a battlefield where love had won a very messy victory.

I woke up slowly, my mind foggy and my skin feeling like it was humming with a lingering electricity.

I tried to stretch, but my limbs felt like lead—heavy, satisfied lead. Every inch of me, from the sensitive curve of my neck down to my ankles, was a canvas of purple and red.

There were teeth marks on my shoulders, soft bruises on my hips, and a symphony of drying kisses that told the story of nights where the kings finally lost their composure. And all of this added to the four mating marks I already had. Ah, five marks if we’re adding the anchor on my wrist.

There was even a bite mark on my ankle. Jeez, I wonder who did that. It was so freaking obvious.

​I shifted slightly, wincing as my muscles protested. To my left, Noah was sprawled out on his stomach, his dark hair a wild mess against the pillows. He looked younger when he slept—less like a wolf king and more like a man who had finally found peace after a long famine.

To my right, Damar was a cool contrast, his pale arm draped possessively over my waist even in sleep. He looked smug, even while unconscious.

​The room was silent, save for their synchronized breathing. The heavy, floral scent of my heat had finally settled into a mellow, musky sweetness.

​"I am never going to hear the end of this," I whispered to the ceiling, a tired but triumphant smirk tugging at my lips.

​I managed to sit up, wrapping a fresh fur throw around my shoulders. The silence in the room was a luxury, but it also made me realize two people were missing.

​I stood on shaky legs and made my way toward the Nursery Wing, my feet padding softly on the heated stone. I pushed the door open just a crack and had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

​The sight was pure gold.

​Fenric was sitting on the floor with Lyra perched on his head, her little tail flicking against his neck. He was currently ’guarding’ a sleeping Kaito in his arms while simultaneously trying to prevent Raiden from eating a decorative tassel.

He looked exhausted, his ruby eyes blinking slowly, but he didn’t move an inch for fear of waking the baby.

​Across the room, Thalor was in the nursery pool, the water glowing a soft bioluminescent blue. He had Marina tucked into the crook of one arm while Phina sat on the edge of the pool, splashing her feet and giggling.

Thalor was humming a low, melodic sea-hymn, his violet eyes soft with a paternal devotion that made my heart melt.

I didn’t notice it much, but I did feel some hands missing a few times. I didn’t need to think much to know they went to take care of the babies.

My body was thoroughly battered in the best way possible, but my heart had never felt this full. Seven straight days of absolute feral madness, and yet my kingdom hadn’t fallen apart, my toddlers hadn’t burned the palace down, and my newborns were perfectly fed and content.

​Say what you want about Beastworld logistics, but a four-husband rotation system is unmatched. While two were busy making me forget my own name, the other two were playing full-time nanny and chef. True partnership right there, haha.

It looked like they hadn’t slept since they left my room, given how exhausted they looked.

​Fenric looked up and saw me, a weary but proud smile breaking across his face.

​"The Queen awakes," he mouthed silently.

​"This Queen feels like a walking bruise, Fenric," I mouthed back, leaning against the doorframe.

​I looked at my chaotic, beautiful family and shut my eyes for a second. It was incredible. This feeling...

​I walked over and sat next to Fenric, leaning my head on his shoulder. He shifted Kaito so I could see his sleeping face, those golden tiger-eyes hidden behind tiny, pale eyelids.

​"I’ll rest here for a moment," I whispered, closing my eyes. "Let me heal here."

"It’s fine," Fenric whispered back. "Try to get some sleep."

"Mm,"

​I didn’t need a happily-ever-after montage. I had the chaos, the children, the husbands, the teeth marks, the warm stone floors and solid roof, and the life I had wished to claim.

​And the feeling of... I just wanted to be at home.

When I opened my eyes again, the sun was much higher in the sky, casting bright, warm blocks of light across the nursery floor.

​My head was no longer resting on Fenric’s shoulder. At some point, he had shifted me, so I was leaning back comfortably against a mountain of plush sheep-fur cushions.

Kaito was still asleep, tucked safely into a small bassinet right beside me, but the rest of the room had changed.

​Noah had arrived.

​He was sitting cross-legged near the edge of the nursery pool, his dark hair damp and his posture completely relaxed. He was currently holding Marina, patiently letting the little silver-scaled terror pull on his ears while he whispered something that made her emit a tiny, melodic chirp... as if she understood.

It’s the fact that he’s actually whispering to her that gets her blood pumping in excitement.

​Thalor was leaning against the stone lip of the pool, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched them. He still looked entirely drained, the purple under his violet eyes proving he’d pulled the ultimate night shift, but there was a quiet, satisfied curve to his lips.

​"You slept for three hours," Noah murmured, his dark eyes lifting to meet mine.

The fiery, desperate predator from these last few days was gone, replaced by the steady, grounded King I relied on. But the way his gaze slowly swept over the visible marks on my collarbone told me he hadn’t forgotten a single second. Or rather, he was just being a pervert again.

"How does your body feel?" He asked.

​"Like it was trampled by a herd of giant boars," I groaned, my voice a dry rasp. "But the heat is completely gone. I think I’m finally back to normal now."

No more desperately craving my mate’s sperm, I suppose.

​"Good," Damar’s smooth voice drifted from the doorway.

He walked in carrying a massive wooden tray loaded with steaming bowls of seasoned broth, roasted roots, and fresh fruit.

He looked entirely too put-together for a snake who had been wrapping himself around me for a week straight. "Because the chefs in the kitchen were starting to look at me like I was torturing you. You need to eat, Ari."

Well, that’s one way to explain the marks on my body. Sweet, delicious torture.


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