Chapter 61: Ten Mates And A New Mission!
Cael walked up behind Neve without warning and wrapped his arms around him from behind.
Neve flinched and snapped out of his thoughts immediately. He looked over his shoulder and saw Cael’s face close to his own.
"Did you sleep well?" Neve asked, trying not to think about the annoying chiefs and their crazy decisions.
Cael nodded. He looked past Neve at Soren, who was standing nearby.
"I’ll excuse you two," Soren said, yawning like he had just remembered he needed sleep himself. "I’m going to rest now, but Cael." He waited for his brother to look at him. "Make sure to see me later."
Cael nodded and watched Soren leave before holding Neve even tighter against his chest.
"Why did you leave without waking me?" Cael said. His voice was quiet, but there was something underneath it. Something that said he had been worried. "I woke up, and you weren’t there."
Neve smiled and tapped Cael’s hand that was wrapped around his chest. "Why would you be worried? I’m not running away. I just wanted you to sleep well since you needed the rest."
"I had enough sleep," Cael said. He paused. "But I can smell another male on you."
Neve tilted his head slightly and sniffed his own shoulder. He raised an eyebrow. He had been with Sorin. That made sense.
"It’s someone I met from the eagle tribe," Neve said simply.
Cael’s entire body went tense behind him.
"Ha. Eagle tribe," Cael muttered under his breath. He lowered his face against Neve’s shoulder.
Neve leaned back slightly to look at him. "Is everything okay?"
Cael held Neve’s hand but did not answer immediately. When he spoke, his voice was careful and measured in the way it always was, but there was something different underneath it.
"I want to know so that I can prepare myself," Cael said.
Neve waited. He did not know where this was going, but something in the way Cael said it suggested it was important.
"How many mates do you intend on taking?" Cael asked. His eyes looked sad already, like he was preparing himself for an answer he did not want to hear.
Neve was surprised by the question.
He had not talked about this with Cael. He can’t talk about the system mission or the requirement of ten mates. He had only bonded with Cael, and they had not discussed what came after that.
"Why are you curious?" Neve asked. "Is there something that’s bothering you?"
Cael’s grip on his hand tightened slightly. "You seem close to other males, and I’m wondering if you wish to take them as your mates too."
Neve smiled. He reached up and touched Cael’s face gently, turning his head so they could see each other properly.
"Don’t worry, Cael," Neve said. His hand moved against Cael’s cheek. "I wouldn’t take more than ten."
Cael’s eyes went wide. "Ten?"
Neve nodded slowly. "I’m sorry that I can’t explain it completely, but I intend to rebuild my tribe. To do that, I need a lot of mates."
"Am I not enough?"
The question was quiet and genuine, and it hit Neve harder than he expected.
He wanted to say no. He wanted to tell Cael that no one person could ever be enough for what the system required. That the mission was bigger than both of them, and Neve had no choice in it.
But saying that would hurt him, and Neve had already hurt too many people. He didn’t want to add more to the list.
"You’re always enough for me, Cael," Neve said instead. He meant it. "But I have to do this for my tribe. This is something I need to do."
Cael was quiet for a long time.
His hand stayed on Neve’s, but the tension in his body shifted from worried to resigned, like he was accepting something he did not like but understood was necessary.
"Then I have no say in who you choose to be your mate," Cael said finally. "But I must be in charge."
Neve tilted his head slightly. "In charge of what?"
"Of you," Cael said. He paused. "If that dragon king isn’t there."
Neve understood what he meant. Vaelthorn was above Cael in status. The dragon king would have authority that Cael could not challenge. But when Vaelthorn was gone, when it was just the mates in the leopard tribe territory, Cael wanted to be the one making sure everything was handled.
Neve nodded and agreed.
Cael seemed to accept that.
He held Neve close for another moment and then released him. Neve yawned without meaning to, the exhaustion from staying up all night at the festival finally catching up with him.
Cael lifted him onto his shoulder in one smooth motion. "You should sleep more. Winter is still long. You should enjoy it while it lasts."
Neve said nothing as Cael carried him back through the village. He was tired enough that he let himself just exist in Cael’s arms without fighting it. When they reached the cave, Cael set him down gently and kissed his head once, and then he was leaving again, heading back to wherever he needed to be.
Neve watched him go and then turned to walk into the kitchen.
The fruit was still there in its containers. He picked some and sat down and ate slowly while the cave around him was quiet and still. The snow outside was bright from the weak morning light coming through the entrance. The day was just starting.
He finished eating and set the empty container aside.
The system appeared in front of him without being called.
{A new mission loading...}
The text sat there glowing and waiting.
Neve stared at it as a smile appeared on his face. Finally.
He did not click on it yet. He just looked at the words. He needed to fulfil all the missions for him to get to level 5. Apart from ramen, he had a lot to buy from the market.
The mission loading screen sat in front of him, pulsing gently, waiting for him to acknowledge it.
Neve took a breath and kept staring at it.
’At this point, I don’t even mind a difficult mission. Anything to increase my level.’