Rue took a slow, quiet step forward. The wet grass made no sound under her soft shoes.

The silhouette of the man on the fallen log did not move. He was massive. His shoulders were broader than Knox’s. He sat completely still in the dark, resting his heavy elbows on his knees. His head was bowed low, facing the damp forest floor. He wore dark, heavy clothing that blended right into the shadows of the Ironwood trees.

Rue stopped a few feet away. She tilted her head.

Why sit in the freezing dark when there is a warm fire and free food just fifty yards away? Rue thought. Her mind automatically tried to sort the problem. This is highly illogical behaviour. He is either lost, sick, or hiding. If he is lost, he needs directions. If he is sick, he needs a healer.

She did not feel scared. She just felt a clinical need to fix the out-of-place variable in the forest. She took another step, opening her mouth to ask if he needed help finding the main road.

A twig snapped loudly right behind her.

Rue stopped and turned around.

Knox stood at the edge of the tree line. The Panther King had left the bright pavilion to follow her. The silver moonlight hit his face, highlighting his sharp jaw and glowing yellow eyes. He did not look angry, but he looked very serious.

"Rue," Knox called out. His deep voice cut easily through the cold, silent air. "It is time."

Rue let out a short, quiet sigh. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Time for what? I just got out here. My headache was finally going away."

"The Panther Tribe’s ceremony is starting in the main courtyard," Knox explained. He reached out and held his hand toward her. "I need to announce our new settlement. I need you there. My Queen must be present when a tribe officially claims a new home."

Rue looked at his hand. She looked back at the dark forest. The massive man on the log had not moved. He was just a shadow.

She weighed her options. She could stay in the freezing dark and bother a stranger who clearly wanted to be left alone, or she could go back into the light and finish her political duties so she could finally go home and sleep. The math was very simple.

"Fine," Rue said flatly. She turned her back on the dark forest. She completely forgot about the man on the log.

She walked over to Knox, ignoring his outstretched hand, and walked right past him toward the bright lights of the festival. Knox offered a small, proud smile and followed her out of the woods.

Deep in the shadows, the man on the log slowly lifted his head.

Drax had heard a voice.

He turned his head so fast his neck popped. He looked through the thick trunks of the Ironwood trees.

In the distance, just before the trees gave way to the bright market, the silver moonlight broke through the branches. The pale light hit a small, moving figure. Drax saw a soft pink dress. And for one single second, he saw a flash of long, bright silver hair.

Drax stood up.

He ran for her, reaching the exact spot where she had just been standing.

He spun around in a wild circle. His green eyes scanned the empty trees.

He searched frantically. He rushed to the edge of the market light, his chest heaving up and down. He desperately inhaled the cold air, trying to catch her scent.

But the wind was blowing the wrong way. The air was entirely filled with the heavy, suffocating smell of roasted meat, burning pine wood, and thick market perfumes. He could not smell anything else.

He stood at the edge of the tree line. The market was a sea of thousands of moving people. She was gone.

Drax’s broad shoulders completely dropped.

The energy drained out of his massive body, leaving behind a cold, heavy emptiness. He looked down at his own shaking hands. He clenched his fingers into tight fists.

She is gone, Drax told himself. She died. I saw it happen. I could not save her.

He let out a ragged, completely devastated breath. He raised his hands and gripped his own hair, pulling hard. His mind was playing a highly cruel trick on him. The grief was finally making him completely crazy. He was hallucinating his dead mate in the middle of a crowded festival.

Drax turned around. He walked slowly back into the absolute darkest part of the woods. He found a massive tree and slumped down against the roots, completely shattered by a ghost.

Back in the bright light of the Convergence, Rue walked into the center of the main courtyard.

The music had stopped. The massive drums were silent. A huge crowd had gathered around the central fire pit. In the very front of the crowd stood hundreds of people wearing dark jungle leathers.

This was the Panther tribe. There were strong warriors, older beastmen with gray hair, and small children holding their mothers’ hands. They all looked incredibly tired, but their eyes were bright with hope.

Knox walked to the center of the glowing courtyard. He stood directly beside Rue.

He raised his hands. The entire courtyard went completely silent. Every tribal leader, every merchant, and every guard watched the Panther King.

"For months, my people have lived on the edge of the borders," Knox announced loudly. His voice carried across the silent crowd, proud and unbroken. He turned his head and looked down at Rue.

"But now things have become different," Knox said.

He looked back at the crowd. "We just had to talk. A wise rabbit spoke to us. We spoke to the other leaders. We realized that finding a home did not require shedding blood. It was actually very simple. Tonight, the Panther tribe can now live amongst others. Without fear of being called feral and uncontrolled!"

The crowd erupted.

The panther warriors cheered wildly. They banged their fists against their leather armor. The sound was deafening. The other tribes joined in, clapping and stomping their boots against the stone floor. It was a massive victory for peace. It proved that the new world was actually working.

Knox held up his hand again. The cheering slowly died down.

The Panther King turned his massive body completely toward Rue. He did not look at anyone else.

He stepped back. He slowly lowered himself down until his knee hit the solid stone floor.

Rue stood in her pale pink dress. She looked at Knox bowing to her.

She did not like being the center of attention. She found it very uncomfortable. She kept her face flat, but a very small, warm feeling settled in her chest.

"Stand up, Knox, seriously get up." She whispered as she gestured for him to get up.

Knox stood up. The rest of his tribe stood up with him.

The Panther King did not step back into the crowd. Instead, he took a large step forward. He closed the distance between them completely.

Before Rue could back away, Knox reached out. He placed his large, warm hands on her waist. He completely ignored the thousands of people watching them. He ignored the other Kings sitting in the VIP pavilion. He ignored Caius, who was currently watching from the tent flap with pure murder in his eyes.

Knox pulled Rue firmly into his chest. His body was hard and incredibly hot.

Rue gasped slightly, looking up into his bright golden eyes.

Knox looked down at her. His predator instincts were fully awake, but his voice was completely soft and entirely serious.

"Will you be my Queen? Rue?"

[System Alert: A royal proposal has been detected. Calculating response variables...]