Chapter 303: 303: Promise to Stand Together
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"You look alive," Shale said, grinning wide.
"I feel alive," Kai replied, clasping his forearm briefly. "Better than I have in weeks."
Vexor laughed heartily. "We could hear the mountain hum last night. I take it your wife... welcomed you home?"
Kai shot him a flat look. "Do you want to keep that smile attached to your face?"
Flint and Needle snickered, exchanging knowing looks. "We are friends, King Kai," Needle said. "We share life and death together. And apparently, you got so many beauties. We are still single. Don’t you feel bad for us?"
Kai sighed, deciding it was better to change the subject before they blackmail him to find girls for them. Now is not the time to find girls for them. "How is the colony work progressing?" He asked.
Silvershadow emerged from a shadowed alcove with his usual quiet grace, bowing his head. "Stable. We kept patrols tight while you were gone. No intrusions. The eggs you bought are safe in the ant queen chamber. The injured sisters are healing well. And..." His antennae twitched slightly. "The mountain feels... fuller now."
"It is," Kai said, glancing around at the bustling activity. "And it will get busier. I need you to make teams to carve new chambers for the harem girls. They will need space to sleep and train without crowding the main nests."
Shadeclaw appeared from the upper level, his voice low and smooth. "Already done. I anticipated you would come with... expansion."
Kai chuckled. "Good. I also need a big roost built for Alka at the top of the mountain. A nest lined with fur and moss where she can rest and keep watch. She is part of this family now."
A rumble of agreement passed through the soldiers.
"Of course," Silvershadow said. "The sky should have a guardian as much as the ground does."
The four soldier ants —Vexor, Shale, Flint, and Needle— lingered as the orders were passed on to others. Then, one by one, they turned back to Kai with the same mischievous gleam in their eyes.
"So," Vexor began, crossing his arms, "twelve new females. How will you mate with them daily?"
"Thirteen if you count the bird," Needle added.
Shale smirked. "Are you building a colony or a kingdom of babies?"
Kai gave them a flat look. "Both. And maybe a headache while I’m at it."
Flint nudged him lightly with an elbow. "We saw the girls run in the hall outside your door this morning. How much stamina do you have? You mate with five girls in one night? That is insane. Seems like you are... a beast."
Vexor roared with laughter. "Careful, King Kai. I am afraid one day, even the eggs are going to ask for your attention. You have so much stamina. Can bless us a bit. So that we can mate like you when you find us a wife."
Kai groaned and ran a hand down his face. "What blessing? Just kill five star predators and eat them. You will get more strength."
"You fought a five star predator monster," Shale said with a grin, "and came home to a queen, with a pile of wives, and maybe the future half of the colony ready to call you Father. Sounds like victory to me."
Kai opened his mouth to retort, then stopped. He couldn’t even argue. Instead, he laughed. It was a deep, honest laugh that echoed through the mountain halls.
"You might be right." For the first time in weeks, he felt relaxed.
Meanwhile in the main Bed chamber...
The scent of morning drifted through the upper hall. In the warm stone, damp moss, and the faint aroma of freshly cooked beast meat wafting from the lower kitchens. Soft chatter from the bustling colony mixed with the distant calls of birds circling the mountain.
Luna stirred.
She blinked against the soft light filtering into the chamber, her silver hair spilling across the feather pillow, one ear flopped lazily while the other twitched at the faint echo of voices outside. She stretched like a cute bunny, a soft, sleepy sound escaping her lips. The blanket slid down, brushing over her bare shoulders, and the faint soreness in her body made her remember exactly why she was so tired and why she was smiling.
Kai had already slipped out of the bed, but the lingering warmth in the sheets and the soft, sweet ache in her hips reminded her of everything that had happened last night. Her face heated slightly at the thought, and she buried herself under the blanket for a moment, giggling quietly to herself.
"Last night was great. He even released inside me. I wish I could take more. But I am weak to mate with him, I need to get stronger to be worthy of his love in bed."
Then she sat up and glanced toward the door.
Luna slipped from the bed, the blanket trailing across her back before falling to the floor. Her bare feet touched the smooth, warm stone, and a soft shiver traveled up her spine. She stretched again, ears twitching as she glanced toward the high window where sunlight spilled across the floor.
Her mind drifted back to the night before, the heat of Kai’s hands, the deep rhythm of his breath against her neck, and the way he had whispered her name like it was the only word in the world. Her face warmed all over again, and her tail flicked involuntarily behind her.
She crossed the room to the basin, splashing her face with cool water. The reflection that looked back at her in the polished metal plate was that of a woman satisfied but not yet content.
She whispered to herself. "I cannot let myself fall behind... I want to stand at his side, face enemies together."
The soft patter of claws drew her attention to the corner of the room.
Miryam had been curled up near the small patch of warm moss bed, her little golden eyes blinking sleepily. The young wyrmling stretched her stubby legs and let out a soft chirp, waddling toward Luna with a slow, unhurried confidence that felt almost regal despite her small size.