Chapter 207 Chapter 206
Xenon took a step forward and crouched in front of her. Pointing at his back, he groaned. “Get on.”
Rayena stiffened, eyes wide. “You want me on your back?”
He glanced at her over his shoulder. “You don’t want to?”
“N-no! Of course not!” Rayena yelled, quickly clambering onto his broad, muscle-corded back. “I was just surprised, that’s all…” she muttered, a flush spreading over her face. He rose to his full height, firmly securing her there.
“The journey to the forest is a long one. I don’t want to waste time walking there,” he groaned.
Xenon left the palace, and within moments, they were speeding through a nearby forest. Rayena looked around, shocked at the speed the king was going. Even the forest was unlike anything she’d ever journeyed through back in her home. It was dense and filled with towering trees.
“Wow…” Rayena muttered, voice filled with awe as she held on to Xenon. “This is beautiful. Never seen a forest this thick before.”
“Glad you like it. It’s filled with animals as well as feral ones,” he informed her.
Rayena froze behind him. “Are we going to come in contact with them?”
“No…” he murmured. His steps slowed, and Rayena noticed his muscles contorting beneath her. She floundered.
“Are you shifting!?” she cried out, voice panicked.
An amused chuckle escaped Xenon’s lips. “Oh, it’s much more fun that way. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” he added, peering at her.
She glared distrustfully at him but soon sighed. “What form are you taking? Wolf?”
“No, my dearling. Tiger. It’s more stealthy and the one I’m most recognized by. You should get down for a bit,” he said, and she slid off his back. Taking off his outer robe, he handed it to her and gave some distance, hands on his hips. When he saw she wasn’t moving, he cocked his head to the side.
“Do you want to watch me shift?” he asked, and Rayena blushed, ducking her head shyly. With a small smile, she nodded, peeking through the holes of her fingers.
He gave a derisive snort, eyes rolling, but crouched lower. Rayena watched as his frame swelled, becoming twice as huge, bones shifting as muscles morphed. His hands soon transformed into paws, fingers becoming claws. Every inch of his skin was coated with fur, and in the blink of an eye, the manly face she was used to seeing had melted away, giving way to the magnificent build of a tiger.
Rayena gasped at the sheer size of the tiger in front of her, sharp green eyes holding her captive. She took a tentative step forward, heart pounding in her chest. “You’re so huge!” she murmured, eyes wide with awe and fear. The tiger growled low before delivering a powerful roar that shook the trees, birds scattering around them.
“Beautiful too…” The words fell from her lips before she could stop them.
It gave another low rumble, closing the distance between them. Rayena’s legs stayed rooted to the ground as the tiger circled her, darting out its tongue to lick her. Rayena chuckled at the fuzzy feeling it elicited.
“Rough tongue you have there,” she said, cautiously reaching to rub its ears. “Gosh, your eyes are beautiful. Green like the forest.” She commented, unable to ignore his whiskers brushing against her skin. The tiger growled again, nudging at her to climb onto its back.
Rayena gave in, climbing up and securing herself there. Giving another powerful roar, the tiger took off into the forest, Rayena’s excited shrieks trailing after them.
Rayena felt the wind rushing through her lungs, her heart light. Her hair flew wildly in the wind as she enjoyed the way the tiger’s fur felt against her skin—its powerful muscles moving in sync and the way it effortlessly cut through the forest, paws barely hitting the ground. This felt even better than riding a horse.
The tiger ran for a long time, weaving through the forest like a needle through cloth, before they finally arrived at a brook with a pond. The tiger slowed, and Rayena slid off its back, marveling at the sight before her.
She distinctly heard the sounds of bones contorting behind her, and before long, Xenon was standing next to her. She turned to him, eyes filled with wonder. “That was amazing! I loved it. Let’s do it again!”
“You do?” Xenon asked, voice hopeful.
“Yes! I’ve always loved spending my time outdoors,” she said, rushing toward the pond. “Back home, I would go horse riding with my father, and we would have a picnic later. But this—this is so much better!”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I didn’t plan for a picnic afterward,” he said, frowning slightly. “Would you like to see me hunt?”
“You want to hunt?” Rayena asked, glancing at him.
He shrugged. “We might be here a while, and I wouldn’t want you to go hungry…” She didn’t let him finish.
“Of course! Please, let me watch. I’ll be quiet,” she said, suppressing a snicker.
Xenon stared at her, pleased to see her so excited. It made him feel like an impressionable lad on his first date. “Stay here…” he groaned softly, giving her a bit of distance before shifting into his tiger form once more.
Rayena gasped, then instantly clasped her mouth shut, quietly following him as he dug out a prey’s scent and hunted it down. It didn’t take long for him to have his first kill—a young deer.
Rayena hadn’t witnessed him killing the animal, but she’d shown up just as he began to drain its blood. A flicker of fear crossed her eyes, but it was soon replaced with reverent awe. He snarled, suddenly punched with the need to drink her blood like that. It would taste divine, he was sure.
Shaking off the urge, he shifted back to his male form, grabbing the poor animal by the snapped neck, blood staining his robes.
“We’ll roast this… it’ll taste pretty good,” he said, watching as she stood beside him, staring at the limp animal he was holding.
“Do you think we can gather some wild fruits too?” she asked, glancing up at him.
Xenon shrugged, looking around. “There are some blueberry patches nearby, as well as wild ginseng. If we’re lucky, we can find some starchy tubers that aren’t toxic.”
Together, they sourced wild blueberries, some wild ginseng, and other edible plants. They returned to the brook, and while Rayena got busy washing the fruits and vegetables, Xenon focused on the animal he had killed, cleaning the body and setting up a fire to roast it.