Hana woke to the sound of crackling wood and the sharp, constant snarling like two animals were having a face-off.

Her body felt heavy, her muscles humming with a lingering heat that made her want to sink back into the dirt.

But she sat up, regardless. Her hair was a tangled mess of brown strands. And as she lifted her body, the cool air hit her bare skin like a reminder. She immediately felt the weight of her chest and looked down to find her breasts unsupported and exposed.

Ah... of course. He had ripped her top.

She looked down at the dark obsidian wings on her shoulder blades and felt the faint pink swirl of nine tails on her back.

This sensation was a bit uncomfortable.

"Awake, Great Female?" Raiden’s voice was like honey as he noticed her lift her body.

He was sitting by a small fire, having put together a rough wrap of broad leaves and vine to cover his waist since someone had literally ripped his clothes to shreds.

His ninth tail was flicking rhythmically, looking plush and perfectly healed, just like the rest of his tails.

Nearby, Caspian stood like a silent, brooding statue, his arms folded over his massive chest. He had been the one snarling and growling, as if he was going to kill someone in seconds.

But she didn’t care if they were at each other’s throats.

She was more concerned about the food she had asked them to find before she passed out.

It was already late, but she was still very much hungry. And in front of her lay the ’feast’ they had prepared.

On a flat stone, Raiden had placed a small, limp mountain rabbit. It was skinned, but the meat was pale, raw, and still leaking blood. Opposite him, Caspian had dragged over a massive, half-charred wild boar. It smelled of burnt hair and iron; the outside was blackened to a crisp while the inside was clearly still bleeding.

The poor thing had been incinerated by Caspian’s flames.

But that wasn’t the issue here.

Hana stared at the two piles of flesh and then asked, "Is this... food?"

"The best and freshest you’ll find in the forest," Caspian rumbled, nodding toward the boar with some sort of pride. "I hunted it myself. It is strong meat for the heir."

"I don’t believe you need to eat something so ’strong’," Raiden said, his eyes darting towards Caspian with a clear challenge. "So, I brought this for your delicate palate," he added, nudging the whole and intact rabbit forward with a slender finger. "Sweet, tender, and easy to swallow."

Hana looked at them, her expression flat and nearly disgusted. "You eat it like this?"

They both nodded in perfect, confusing synchronicity.

Not even in the apocalypse, where food and resources were rare, did they eat raw animals. At least roast the meat. Eating it raw could likely give you the zombie infection.

"It’s useless," Hana muttered, rubbing her temples. "I’m traveling with two literal animals."

She stood up, ignoring the way Caspian’s pupils dilated into thin, hungry slits the moment she moved. Without her top, every movement made her breasts sway—a fact she found purely burdensome, though the two men clearly disagreed as they watched each movement carefully like their eyes depended on it.

She dropped a hand on her waist, ran her other hand through her hair, and tilted her head to get the knots out, her back arching unconsciously.

Caspian let out a sharp, audible intake of air, watching her body sway in an enticing way. A string of saliva actually escaped the corner of his mouth before he caught himself.

This... his mate was so beautiful. He was just realizing it now.

"Hides," he croaked, his voice cracking. "When we reach my den... I have the finest furs. White wolf, golden tiger... I will cover you in the best."

Hana caught his starving gaze and scowled. "Look away before you make promises, Lizard. Your eyes are practically burning holes in me."

Caspian snapped his head to the side as if he’d been slapped, his face flushing a dark, embarrassed red. He was the King of the Peaks, yet one look from this human had him acting like a scolded pup.

Hana confirmed one thing. He was a pervert.

"And you," Hana turned her cold eyes toward Raiden, who was watching her with a look of ’obedient’ fascination. "Stop acting like a pet. You’re our scout from now on. And your first mission is to look for spices."

She closed her eyes, activating her medical sight. The forest shifted into shades of grey, highlighting specific plants in vibrant pulses of color.

> [SEARCHING: Culinaries & Spices]

> [DETECTED: Peppercorn Vine (30m), Wild Garlic Root (50m), Salt-Leaf Bush (100m)]

Good! At least there were seasoning plants she could use.

"I’m not eating raw, unseasoned meat like a scavenger," Hana said, grabbing her flint knife. "Raiden, go west. Find the vine with the black berries. Caspian, stay here and don’t let that fire go out. I’m going out for a moment."

But Hana didn’t even get five steps toward the treeline before a heavy, scorching wall of muscle blocked her path.

Caspian stood there, his obsidian scales shimmering with a restless, possessive heat. His arms were folded, but his tail was lashing behind him like a whip, snapping the tall grass into pulp.

"You are not going anywhere like that," he rumbled, his golden eyes burning as they swept over her exposed chest and the fresh, intricate marks on her back. "The forest is full of eyes. I will not have every low-blood scavenger and stray wolf feasting on the sight of my mate’s skin."

Hana stopped, her hand tightening around the hilt of her flint knife. She looked up at him, her expression shifting from exhaustion to a sharp, dangerous irritation.

"And whose fault is that, Lizard?"