Chapter 94: Support And The Snake’s Return!
Cael was the first to step forward.
He walked directly to Neve and cupped his face in both hands, tilting it up so their eyes met.
"Listen to me," Cael said, his voice steady and certain. "No matter who you are. No matter where you come from. No matter if you’re human or red panda or something else entirely. You belong here. You belong with me... us."
He kissed Neve’s forehead gently.
Ryker moved closer and placed a hand on Neve’s shoulder.
"I already lost my chieftaincy," Ryker said. "I lost my position and my status. And you know what? I don’t regret it for a single second because I have you."
He squeezed Neve’s shoulder reassuringly.
"The system gave you these missions? Fine. We’ll help you complete them. All of us. Together."
Kelly nodded from where he was standing.
"I’m next in line for bonding anyway," he said with a slight grin. "So I’m already committed to this. Whatever you need from me, I’m here."
Sorin stepped forward and placed both his hands on Neve’s shoulders, looking directly into his eyes.
"You saved my life," Sorin said quietly. "So whatever you need, whatever mission you have to complete, I’m with you."
Popi walked over and took Neve’s hand.
"I’m not sure if I should do this since I’m not your mate but... I left my entire tribe for you," she said simply. "I’m not going anywhere."
Gideon was already taking notes, his physician’s mind already working on understanding how Neve’s unusual physiology would work.
"The human thing is interesting," Gideon said, not looking up from his measurements. "But it doesn’t change what I know. You’re brilliant. You’re capable. And you’re my rival in medicine. That matters more than where you came from."
Aldric was still standing quietly in the corner, but when Neve looked at him, the bear nodded once. A simple gesture of acceptance and support.
Neve felt tears start to roll down his face.
He had been so worried. So terrified that they would reject him. That they would see him as something foreign and dangerous. That they would want nothing to do with him after learning the truth.
But they had not. Not a single one of them had walked away.
"I was so scared," Neve said, his voice breaking slightly. "I thought you would all leave. I thought I would have to go back out into the wilderness alone. I thought I had messed everything up by telling you the truth."
Cael pulled him into a hug immediately.
"You could never mess this up," Cael said. "You have us. All of us. That’s not changing."
.
.
Later, after everything had calmed down, Gideon was preparing to leave..
"I’ll need to speak with Soren about the house structures," Gideon said as he was gathering his things. "You should talk to him too. He’s the chief now. He’ll want to know about your plans for helping the villagers improve their living conditions."
"I’ll do that," Neve agreed. "Tomorrow, I think. Tonight has been overwhelming enough."
Gideon smiled, a genuine smile that reached his eyes.
"You know what?" he said. "No matter how much you’re weird or how much you sleep through things, you’re still my rival. That doesn’t change. That will never change."
Neve laughed despite his tears.
"Thanks, Gideon," he said. "I’m glad you’re here."
Gideon left the cave with a wave, heading back to wherever he was staying in the village.
.
.
While Neve’s cave was rowdy and filled with warmth and acceptance, things were very different in another part of the village.
Bella sat by a small fire that one of her girls had created just for her.
She was warming up after six hours of kneeling in the snow. Her body was still trembling slightly from the cold. Her lips were still slightly blue. But she was alive.
She thought to herself as she stared into the flames.
’I didn’t have anything to lose after kneeling outside Neve’s cave for six hours. Everything is already gone. My status. My respect. My position. So what else can I lose?’
One of her girls walked closer and sat down beside her.
"Maybe you should give up, Bella," the girl said quietly. "Maybe it’s time to accept that you lost and move on with your life."
Bella turned to face her, fury flashing in her eyes.
"Give up?" she hissed. "I will not give up. I have lost too much already to just walk away. I need a plan. I need to figure out how to fix this."
She grabbed the girl’s arm.
"Where is the other girl?" she asked.
The girl with her hesitated.
"She left to find the snake," the girl said finally. "But I don’t know if she was successful."
Bella’s eyes went wide.
"The snake? That bastard Neve already let him go," she said, her voice rising. "How are we supposed to get him now? How are we supposed to use him against Neve if he’s already gone?"
"Are you talking about snakes?"
A voice came from the entrance.
All of them turned to look.
There was her girl standing in the entrance. And behind her, there was someone else. Someone tall and muscular and definitely attractive in a dangerous kind of way.
The stranger stepped forward slowly, his movements fluid and graceful.
He walked directly toward Bella with an expression that was confident and knowing.
She found herself staring at him, her mouth slightly open, unable to look away.
"Have you finished watching?" he asked, his voice smooth and practiced.
Bella froze immediately.
Of course she had been looking at him. He was striking in a way that demanded attention. His dark eyes were intelligent. His movements were controlled. There was something about him that screamed power and danger and sex appeal all mixed together.
"Who are you?" Bella asked, her voice coming out slightly breathless.
The stranger smiled, and it was a smile that suggested he was used to women reacting this way to him.
"Me?" he said, stepping even closer until he was standing directly in front of her. "I’m from the snake tribe. The man you’ve been looking for."
He grinned, and Bella felt her heart skip a beat.
"I’m the messenger and the same one one Neve let go."
Bella’s eyes widened.
The snake. He had come back. He had come back to her.
And he was looking at her like he had something very interesting in mind.