The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 54: Let’s all be one big happy family

"I knew it was you," Damar mumbled into my ear. "I could smell you from afar."

Oh really now? 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

I don’t know what this scent is but it’s gotta be very powerful if he can smell it even when he’s underwater.

He sniffed me, dabbing me with his wet body and wet hair, which was refreshing by the way, and then his eyes caught the mark on my neck. The very one I had intentionally covered with my hair.

He saw it covered but didn’t say a thing. He must know the situation as much as I do, so he can’t be petty and complain about me covering his mark.

The important thing was that the mark was there, so there was no denying it.

"I’m so happy Ari came to see me this early." He said, and I could see his tail wiggling in the water.

"Well, I missed you, Damar," I said and his eyes lit up.

Just knowing his female missed him made him even more excited and he pressed his body even deeper.

At this point, I felt like my waist was going to snap but Fenric came to the rescue.

"That’s enough. Don’t you think? You’re going to make Arinya uncomfortable." He said and Damar shot the interruptor a sharp glare. "What? It’s the truth."

Fenric stood his ground, and then Damar closed his eyes, lifting his body gracefully, as if it were the simplest thing to do, and then turned his back.

It looked like he was going back to the water.

At this point, I have every reason to suspect him of being a secret merman, haha.

"Wait," I called, grabbing his arm and he looked back at me.

"What is it, Ari?" He asked.

"Are you just going to leave?" I came all this way to invite him but after seeing me, he was going to go back?

Did he think I didn’t come here for him?

"You just want to spend some time with that unsightly cub, so I won’t take your time, Ari." He said and I pursed my lips. "Or was there another reason you came here?"

"Well," my fingers fidgeted a bit.

He doesn’t need to say it so coldly. I get he’s doing this to hide the fact that he’s jealous but it’s a bit cold. No, too cold.

Why can’t they just see eye to eye?

Then a thought crossed Damar’s mind.

"Ah, I completely forgot. I have to catch meat for my wife." He said, turning completely to me. "I’m not like an incompetent cub, Ari. I will get you the biggest animal in the Forest."

Hearing that, and seeing the innocent expression on his face even as he dissed Fenric, I couldn’t help but laugh.

He was close to the reason why we were here, so I’ll just help him out.

"Damar," I held his hand, clasping it in between mine, and stared for a few seconds before looking up at his face. "Don’t think I don’t care about you," I said and his eyes widened, like he just heard the unexpected. "I didn’t come here to show off with Fenric."

"That..." He was short of words.

He didn’t know what to say to support his earlier speculation and his attitude.

"I don’t like it when you two act like enemies," I said. "You’re both my husbands. If you keep fighting, I... I’m going to be really sad."

Especially when knowing I’ll have more husbands in the future. How are you all going to cope if two is already the limit?

It can’t go on like this.

Let’s all be one big happy family.

"Ari, I... I just don’t like him." Damar said, not even trying to deny it. "He’s a dirty cub who is stealing most of your attention. When I think about it," his eyes narrowed as he glared at an unbothered Fenric, folding his arms on the side. "I just want to bite him."

I froze.

Hm, the relationship is colder than I thought. Or should I say hotter?

"But Damar, don’t you feel like biting me too?" I asked and he turned to me, his gaze softening.

"That’s different." He said. "The way I want to bite you is different from how I want to bite that dirty cub."

"Hm, how so?" I asked. "What’s different?"

"I want to lick you, bite you so I can leave marks while you make all sorts of lewd noises," he said, while blushing but then his eyes flashed as he turned to Fenric, looking all cold and murderous. "As for that dirty cub, I want to bite him until I rip his head out of his b–mph!" I quickly covered his mouth, knowing the exact words that would come next.

The enmity is far stronger than I imagined.

How do I fix this?

"But Damar," I spoke up, my hands still pressed on his mouth. "Don’t you think you’re being a little too harsh?"

He licked my palms, sending a shivering sensation down my spine, and I quickly took my hands back.

Does he have to do that all the time?

"As I was saying," I dropped my hands on my waist. "Fenric protects me when you’re not there. Aren’t you relieved that you have someone to protect me when you’re not around?" I asked and watched him slitter his tongue out and in under 0.5 seconds.

I could barely see it.

"You do have a point," he said, dropping his hand on his head, and then he shoved his fingers through his hair.

Why was he suddenly posing?

I gulped, looking at the droplets that hung on his body.

My eyes stuck to the lines of that sexy visage for a little while, observing, and eating up that pale goodness he was showing off.

This is why I can’t get over handsome men with hot bodies.

"Yes, he is capable but..." I quickly snapped my eyes away from his body and to his face. Did he notice I was staring? And what if he did? It’s my right, haha.

But I don’t think he did because his expression stayed still as he continued speaking,

"...I don’t know how capable he is. I can’t take his words for it, Ari. And that is why I don’t feel anything for him."

Ah, is that so?

Then, I guess it’s time to bring up the squirrel hunt. If he can ascertain Fenric’s capabilities, will that make him like him even just a little bit? Even if it’s a one percent chance, I’ll take it.

"Then, why don’t you hunt with Fenric?" I suggested. "We’re out for squirrels, and nothing else. If Fenric can catch more squirrels than you. Or a number close to yours, you have to admit he’s capable of protecting me in your absence. What do you think?"