Maya traced the smooth surface with her finger.
Disappointment flickered through her mind.
If only it was a clear core.
Those boosted strength directly.
Her weak body couldn’t survive another fight like today.
Still, C rank cores were rare.
Getting one from that anaconda was pure luck.
She gripped it tighter and looked up.
“Come here. We need to talk.”
The guys exchanged looks but gathered around her.
Having five tall, built males crowding her space felt intimidating.
She steadied herself and scanned their faces.
Each rank had three levels.
C rank went from C- to C to C+.
Finn was solid C rank.
Caleb was stuck at C-rank.
Sage barely hit D- rank.
Jasper and Hunter were D rank.
Both Caleb and Sage had unstable power levels.
They could easily drop a rank without proper reinforcement.
But Caleb was already higher up the food chain.
Boosting him would give their team the biggest tactical advantage.
Maya held out the core to Caleb.
“Take it.”
Caleb’s eyes went wide.
He grabbed it instinctively, staring at her in shock.
“You’re seriously giving this to me?”
This was a precious C rank core.
Worth serious trade value.
But she was handing it over instead of cashing in?
Maya nodded.
“Look, we barely survived one C rank beast today. Both you and Sage are teetering on the edge of dropping ranks. But you’re closer to breaking through to solid C rank.” She gestured at the group.
“Something stronger shows up, we need our best shot at survival. You stabilizing at C rank means better protection for everyone.”
Caleb’s grip tightened.
Conflicted emotions flashed in his dark eyes.
So she thought they were too weak to protect her?
Whether she cared about finding her father or actually cared about them, this core was exactly what he needed to stop his power from slipping backward.
He’d been stuck at C- forever, constantly fighting to maintain even that level.
This core could finally push him to stable C rank.
Caleb swallowed his mixed feelings and pocketed the beast core.
His voice stayed cool but carried real sincerity.
“Fine. After I hit stable C rank, I’ll protect you until we find your dad.”
Hunter got worked up watching from the sidelines.
“Hey, why does Caleb get it? I want to level up too!”
He puffed out his chest like a peacock.
“I’m faster than him! Way smoother to ride too!”
“Maya, next beast core we find, think you could hook me up?”
Maya paused.
She should explain her logic here.
“Look, Caleb’s literally one step from stable C rank. This core pushes him over the finish line. Another solid C rank guy means better protection for everyone. Next cores we find? I’ll hand them out based on who can advance fastest. Anyone got a problem with that?”
The beastmen looked like she’d just told them Santa was real.
They’d figured giving away such valuable loot was just some random impulse.
They never expected her to have a whole distribution plan mapped out.
And she hadn’t mentioned trading cores for supplies even once.
She planned to give them all away to make the group stronger.
Hunter’s mouth hung open like a fish.
Maya’s serious expression left him speechless.
Jasper’s smile disappeared.
Real shock flickered in his pale green eyes.
He’d only been fishing for compliments, not expecting Maya to actually share beast cores.
C rank cores were worth serious cash.
But she was promising future ones too?
Sage recovered first and nodded.
“That makes perfect tactical sense. Maximum combat efficiency boost.”
As their only healer, he knew exactly what another solid C rank fighter meant.
Next time they faced something like that anaconda, they wouldn’t get caught with their pants down.
Finn nodded too.
The ice in his purple eyes thawed slightly.
He was starting to think he didn’t know her at all.
She’d already planned future core distribution?
Maybe she really had changed?
Caleb gripped the core tighter.
His dark eyes showed serious internal conflict.
He still couldn’t read her angle.
But he was getting the first real benefits.
He cleared his throat.
“After I stabilize, I’ll tank the big nasties. No holding back.”
Seeing no objections, Maya knew they’d bought in.
“You’re all banged up. Can you still travel?”
Her gaze swept their wounds anxiously.
That fight had burned precious time.
If they couldn’t reach shelter before dark, they were screwed.
Hunter flexed his shoulder.
The bleeding had mostly stopped on its own.
“We’re tough enough. Carrying you’s no problem!”
Hunter wasn’t exactly thrilled about being her personal uber.
He just wanted those blood drops so he could break their bond ASAP.
The other guys nodded they were good to go.
Maya relaxed seeing their agreement.
“Then let’s move out. We need cave shelter before nightfall!”
The group started packing.
Caleb didn’t rush to leave.
Hunter shifted to his lion form.
His black mane gleamed like he’d just walked out of a shampoo commercial.
He crouched low and adjusted his spine, smoothing out any bumps to give Maya a comfortable ride.
Maya climbed on carefully and gripped his mane with both hands.
“Let’s ride.”
Hunter growled and started running.
His pace matched their morning speed, but Maya noticed way less bouncing.
She finally relaxed.
She’d been dreading another afternoon of getting sick from all the movement.
Wind rushed past her ears, carrying Maya’s scent.
Hunter’s heart suddenly beat faster.
His breathing got heavy.
Images from the riverbank flashed through his mind.
Her in the water, that dark purple hair stuck to her shoulders, and lower parts.
He shook his head hard, but his ears still turned red.
Maya didn’t notice his reaction.
She focused on their progress and checked the sky’s color.
The trip went smoother than expected.
No other beasts bothered them.
By evening, they found a dry cave deep in the forest.
The guys checked inside first.
No animals living there.
They spread out hides and built a fire.
Then they all looked at Maya with worried expressions.
Maya caught their looks.
“What now?”
“No food left,” Jasper said simply.
“We need to hunt, but it’s getting dark.”
Maya just shrugged.
“I’ve got berries. You guys do what you need to do.”
Her easy acceptance surprised them.
Sage, Jasper, and Hunter headed out to hunt.
Caleb and Finn stayed at the cave entrance to keep watch.
Maya ate one berry and felt sleepy.
She lay down on the hides and fell asleep fast.
The dying fire made soft shadows on her face.
Her long eyelashes made her look gentle and harmless.
Around midnight, a tall figure quietly entered the cave.
In the weak firelight, he stared at Maya’s sleeping face.
He walked to her side and suddenly leaned over her.
He put his hands on both sides of her body.
He bent down and pressed his lips to hers.