The fire crackled low.
Beast-blood steamed on the ground. Shadows stretched like claws across the stone arena. And Ryon sat with his back to the flames, every muscle tight.
Because Shaera, the Beast Queen, hadn't stopped watching him.
Not once.
Not when he drank.
Not when he stitched his wound.
Not when he met her gaze and didn't look away.
The Challenge Behind the Fire
"You didn't sleep," she said at last.
"I don't sleep where I'm prey."
Shaera smirked. "Smart. The fire isn't just warmth. It's a line. Those outside it? Kill or be killed."
"I've fought worse than beasts," he replied.
"I'm not talking about them."
She rose—slow, dangerous, catlike.
And stepped over the fire.
To his side.
> System Alert: Dominance Encounter Initiated
Target: Shaera of Clawspine
Emotional Spike: Aggression → Intrigue
Warning: Physical proximity may lead to combat-intimacy overlap
Challenge Issued: "Let her wound you willingly"
Letting Her In
