By the time warmth fully returned to Nia’s hands, the steady drizzle outside had softened enough that voices from the settlement drifted clearly through the communal shelter again.
The tribe had gradually resumed its normal rhythm around them, though she still caught people glancing in her direction whenever they thought she was not paying attention. Some looked openly curious while others seemed more unsettled by Kael’s behavior than by her presence itself.
Now that she knew he was the chief, the reactions surrounding him made far more sense.
People moved instinctively when he approached. Conversations lowered naturally without anyone needing to demand silence. Even the older antlered council member carried himself with the ease of someone long accustomed to Kael’s authority rather than intimidated by it.
Kael rose smoothly from his crouch beside her near the fire.
“You need rest.”
Nia adjusted the warm bowl between her hands. “I’m resting now.”
“You need an actual bed.”
The correction came so calmly that arguing with him immediately felt slightly ridiculous, though Nia was not prepared to concede defeat that quickly.
Nia glanced toward the rain beyond the shelter before looking back at him. “And where exactly were you planning for me to sleep?”
Several nearby conversations quieted almost instantly.
Kael did not appear remotely bothered by the attention.
“With me.”
The answer came with such natural certainty that Nia stared at him for several long seconds before she fully processed the words.
Around them, several beastmen suddenly became deeply invested in their own food.
The older council member looked suspiciously entertained.
Nia lowered her voice. “You cannot casually say things like that.”
Kael’s brows lowered slightly. “Why not?”
Because I met you today.
Because everyone here is listening.
Because you say alarming things like they are perfectly reasonable.
Nia swallowed all three responses before any escaped.
Instead she asked carefully, “Wouldn’t people find it strange?”
“Probably,” the older council member answered before Kael could. “Most expected Kael to return from patrol alone, not with a beautiful woman walking beside him.”
Nia nearly choked on the last sip of broth.
Kael, meanwhile, looked entirely unsurprised by the comment.
“She was injured,” he said.
The older man’s mouth twitched. “That is not the part everyone is discussing.”
Warmth crept steadily into Nia’s face while she lowered the bowl carefully beside her before she embarrassed herself further.
Kael studied her expression. “You’re getting too warm again.”
The fact that he sounded genuinely concerned somehow made the situation worse.
“I’m fine.”
The older council member laughed quietly beneath his breath while Kael continued studying her face like her rising temperature represented a serious medical concern.
Then Kael held one hand toward her.
“Come.”
Nia looked at the large hand he offered her, noticing again how warm and steady he always felt before finally placing her own hand into it.
Kael pulled her smoothly to her feet with careful control, though the moment her injured ankle bent wrong beneath her weight, pain flared sharply through her leg hard enough that her balance faltered.
Kael caught her before she fully stumbled.
One arm wrapped securely around her waist while his other hand steadied her shoulder, keeping her upright with effortless strength. His expression hardened the instant his gaze dropped toward her ankle.
“You should not have continued walking on this.”
Nia exhaled slowly through her nose. “I did not have many alternatives available earlier.”
“You had me.”
The answer came so simply that she blinked.
Kael sounded genuinely confused why she kept resisting the idea that he would help her.
Several nearby beastmen had gone suspiciously quiet again while pretending not to stare openly.
Nia became painfully aware of how close she stood to him. Heat from his body surrounded her completely at this distance, and the hand resting against her waist felt impossibly steady beneath the damp fabric of her clothes.
“I can still walk,” she said carefully.
“You can limp.”
“That is technically still walking.”
Kael’s gaze remained fixed on her face for several moments before he shifted slightly.
Then suddenly the ground disappeared beneath her feet.
Nia grabbed his shoulders automatically as he lifted her into his arms with such smooth confidence that surprise reached her a full second later.
“Kael.”
“You’re injured.”
“That does not mean you can pick me up whenever you decide.”
His eyes lowered toward her while he adjusted his hold beneath her knees. “You nearly fell.”
“That is still not permission.”
A quiet rumble spread through his chest while he started toward the shelter entrance.
Nia immediately became aware of every person watching them.
Nia resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands.
The older council member looked openly amused now while several younger beastmen stared at Kael like they had just witnessed something deeply shocking.
Nia lowered her voice. “People are staring.”
Kael stepped out into the cool drizzle without slowing. “Let them.”
“That response explains absolutely nothing.”
“It explains enough.”
Unfortunately, he sounded completely sincere.
Kael carried her through the settlement with calm certainty while rain misted lightly around them. Beastmen moved aside long before he reached them, though the attention following them now felt even more obvious than before.
Nia tried very hard not to think too much about the position itself.
One of Kael’s arms supported her beneath the knees while the other remained steady against her back, holding her securely enough that she barely shifted even while he climbed the uneven mountain paths leading higher above the settlement. Heat from his body soaked through her damp clothes while the steady rise of his breathing and the occasional rumble in his chest vibrated faintly against her side.
He was dangerously comfortable to be carried by.
Nia shifted slightly in his arms.
Kael looked down at her. “Pain?”
“No.”
“Cold?”
“No.”
His gaze lingered briefly on her face before returning to the path ahead. “Then stop looking uncomfortable.”
“I am attempting to preserve my dignity.”
Kael’s mouth shifted faintly near the corner. “You lost that fight the moment you threatened the forest with a branch.”
Nia stared at him. “I survived with that branch.”
“You survived because I found you.”
“That sounds arrogant.”
“It sounds accurate.”
Another quiet rumble followed the words.
Nia was becoming far too familiar with the sound of his amusement.
The settlement gradually thinned the farther upward they climbed. Smaller homes built across the flatter land below gave way to larger cave dwellings carved directly into the mountain itself. Some entrances had been reinforced with heavy timber frames and layered hides to block cold winds, while woven lanterns glowed warmly near openings farther along the cliffs.
The largest cave sat near the highest point overlooking the entire settlement below.
Warm amber light spilled from the entrance while carved support beams reinforced the structure against the mountainside. Thick fur coverings hung near the opening to keep warmth from escaping too quickly into the cold night air.
The structure looked far less primitive than Nia expected. The cave itself had clearly been shaped and reinforced intentionally, turning the mountain space into something that felt more like a carefully built home than a natural cavern.
Two tiger beastmen standing near the entrance straightened immediately when they noticed Kael approaching. Both carried the same striking golden eyes as Kael, though age softened their features slightly.
The older woman stepped forward first.
Silver threaded through her dark hair near the temples while visible surprise crossed her face the moment she looked at Nia in Kael’s arms.
Then her entire expression softened warmly.
“My son,” she said slowly, “would you like to explain why you brought home a drenched little beauty from the storm?”
Kael answered without hesitation.
“She injured her ankle.”
The older man beside her snorted quietly. “That explains why you’re carrying her. It does not explain the look on your face.”
Nia immediately became aware that Kael had not stopped staring at her even once since they left the communal shelter.
Kael looked entirely unconcerned by the observation.
“She needed help.”
His mother’s eyes moved between them before settling knowingly on Nia again. Unlike the overwhelming intensity in Kael’s gaze, hers felt warm enough that some of the tension in Nia’s shoulders eased despite herself.
“You must be freezing,” the woman said. “Come inside before my son decides standing in the rain counts as proper care.”
Kael finally carried her through the entrance.
Warmth surrounded Nia.
The interior opened into a large central living space built around a broad fire pit set into the stone floor. Amber lanterns cast warm light across polished rock walls while heavy furs covered sections of the ground near carved wooden furniture and low tables arranged around the fire.
Shelves had been carved directly into the stone walls themselves, holding folded clothing, polished tools, stacked bowls, woven baskets, and other practical items arranged with careful order rather than clutter. Several hallways and deeper openings disappeared farther into the cave beyond the main living area, suggesting additional rooms carved deeper into the mountain itself.
Nothing about the space felt crude.
The cave reflected the same qualities Kael carried himself with—strength, warmth, efficiency, and quiet control.
Nia’s attention drifted farther inward before abruptly catching on something else entirely.
A large sleeping platform sat deeper inside one of the farther chambers partially visible beyond the central room. Thick layered bedding covered the raised surface beneath woven blankets and heavy furs, while several large pillows rested near the head of the bed.
The entire thing looked dangerously comfortable.
Her attention lingered on the bed just long enough to realize Kael was carrying her directly toward it.
Nia tensed in his arms. “Kael.”
“You need to stay off your ankle.”
“That does not explain why you are carrying me toward your bed.”
“It’s the softest place for you to rest.”
The answer came with such straightforward practicality that she could not immediately tell whether he understood how that sounded at all.
Judging by the quiet amusement on both his parents’ faces, he probably did not.