Chapter 204: 50,000 Point Group Hug

“Nooooo!!!” Ren wailed, her hand outstretched toward the empty cave entrance.

The pig was gone. Her roast. Her crackling. Her breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It had drifted away through the overgrowth like a grease-covered dream.

Ren’s lip quivered. She was genuinely about to cry. The hunger was real, and the heartbreak was raw.

Ding!

A sound of triumphant trumpets—like a choir of victorious angels—exploded in her head, drowning out her pork-grief.

[System: CONGRATULATIONS! Side Quest Complete: “The Fellowship of the Fangs”.]

[Reward: 50,000 Survival Points (XP).]

Ren’s eyes widened so much they almost popped out of her skull. The tears of sorrow instantly evaporated.

[System: The Rite of the Severed Fang has been successfully prevented.]

[Status Update: Kael has revoked the Rite. He is no longer a Beast King. Relationship Status between Kael and Syris has upgraded from “Mortal Enemies” to “Reluctant Acquaintances Who Still Hate Each Other But Won’t Kill Each Other Today”.]

Ren’s heart skipped a beat.

She tore her gaze away from the tragic exit route of the pig and looked at her two husbands.

[System: Note: Kael is willing to share you because he believes it is the Moon Goddess’s will. However, Syris is still a skeptic. He thinks the Moon Goddess is a fairy tale for gullible cubs. The lie won’t work on him, Host.]

Ren swallowed. She looked at Kael.

He had revoked the Rite. He had given up his title. He had given up his power. He had done it all just to keep the peace—just for her.

She wanted to tackle him. She wanted to hug him and kiss him and reward him for being the best, most self-sacrificial kitty in the world.

But she froze.

’Careful, Ren,’ she warned herself. ’This is a minefield. I am in a tricky situation where showing favoritism could turn World War III back on.’

She took a deep breath. She needed to be the glue.

“You two,” Ren said, her voice trembling slightly. “Come here.”

She patted the empty space on the furs directly in front of her.

Kael and Syris exchanged a glance before they both slowly crawled over. They sat in front of her like two guilty, obedient pups who had just chewed up the sofa.

“I… I will go catch the pig!” Viper suddenly announced, his voice cracking. He had no intention of staying for whatever was going to happen next. He bolted out of the cave almost as fast as the pig did.

Now, it was just the three of them.

Kael looked down at his hands, his shoulders hunched. ’Can she sense it?’ he worried. ’Can she smell the weakness on me? I am just a normal tiger now. I am not a King. She will realize I am useless.’

Syris looked at the wall, his jaw tight. ’She knows,’ he thought cynically. ’She knows I’ve lied to her. She knows I tried to kill the Tiger after promising to share her in the swamp. She is going to slap me.’

Ren raised her arms slowly.

Kael closed his eyes, bracing himself for the dismissal.

Syris turned his cheek slightly, steeling himself for the impact of her hand.

Ren smiled.

She spread her arms as wide as they could go.

“Group hug!” Ren cheered.

Syris blinked. He looked at her in confusion. She was smiling? Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were sparkling?

’She’s… not upset?’ Syris thought, bewildered. ’She doesn’t hate me?’

Kael slowly opened one golden eye. He was graced immediately with Ren’s beaming face.

’She… she still wants to touch me?’ Kael thought, hope blooming in his chest. ’Can’t she sense I’m no longer a Beast King?’

They were taking too long.

“Oh, get over here!” Ren huffed.

She lunged forward, wrapping one arm around Kael’s neck and the other around Syris’ shoulders. She pulled them both in, smashing their faces into her chest.

It was awkward. Their bodies were squished together. Syris’ nose was jammed against Kael’s shoulder. Kael’s knee was digging into Syris’ hip. It was a tangle of limbs.

But to Ren, it was perfect.

She was hugging both her husbands. At the same time.

[System: Aww. Look at you. The meat in a predator sandwich.]

Ren ignored the voice.

[System: You know, since they are both within reach… there are many things you could do with them at the same time.]

[System: Would you like to see a diagram of “The Eiffel Tower”? Or perhaps “The Spit Roast”?]

Ren’s face turned bright red.

’Mute!’ Ren screamed internally. ’Where is the mute button?! You are ruining a beautiful emotional moment with your filth!’

She squeezed her husbands tighter, refusing to let either of them pull away.

“Kael,” Ren whispered. “Thank you.”

Kael stiffened in her arms. “For what?”

“For revoking the Rite,” Ren said softly. “I know… I know what it cost you. I know you lost everything to do it.”

Kael let out a long, shaky breath, melting into the embrace. His nose brushing the leaves of her top.

“Yes,” Kael whispered. “You are all I have left, Ren. And I will not leave your side.”

Ren smiled, blinking back tears. She reached up with the hand that was wrapped around him and scratched the back of his head, right behind the ears. Kael involuntarily let out a low, vibrating purr that rumbled through the entire group hug.

Syris was silent on her other side. He felt stiff, like a statue forced into a cuddle puddle. He was trying to maintain his dignity while being squashed against a purring tiger.

Ren turned her head, resting her cheek against his cool, silky black hair.

“Syris,” she said.

He flinched slightly.

“I am sorry for lying to you,” Ren said honestly.

Syris’ amethyst eyes widened.

“I was afraid,” Ren confessed. “I was afraid you would be too angry at Vex. I was afraid you would kill him before he could cure Kael. That’s why I lied.”

’She lied because she was afraid of me,’ Syris realized, the truth settling heavy in his chest.

It wasn’t because she preferred the Tiger. It was because he had forced her to lie. He had been stubborn. He had been unreasonable. He had been a tyrant who solved every problem with killing.

’Of course she wouldn’t trust me,’ Syris thought bitterly. ’I gave her no reason to. I wanted her to love me, but I pushed her away with my behavior.’

He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch just a fraction.

Syris took a deep breath, inhaling her scent—and unfortunately, the scent of the tiger pressed against him.

“I am not going to apologize for my actions,” Syris stated flatly, his voice muffled slightly.

“But,” Syris continued, “I have made my decision.”

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