Chapter 4 – The Pride Circle
Dawn rose in bands of rose-gold over the plains, and the air shimmered with heat as I followed Nox and Luka toward the cliffs. Smoke drifted ahead, curling from the base of the mountain where the lion chieftain's domain began. The scent of meat, fire, and earth filled my lungs.
The Pride Circle was no small settlement. It breathed like something alive, half-stone and half-beast. Caverns wound deep into the cliffs, their mouths carved smooth by generations of claws. Wooden platforms hung above the open courtyards, woven banners rippling with painted stripes—one to five—each marking strength and rank.
Beastmen moved in constant rhythm: some entirely human, others half-shifted with fur at their necks, tails flicking, or ears twitching to sounds my duller senses barely caught. Their gazes followed us as we walked, weighing, measuring. I knew what they saw—a lone lioness without pride or marks, a female who should have been protected by males but carried none at her back. I kept my chin high even as my pulse raced.
"They'll stare until they scent you," Luka murmured at my shoulder. His voice had that lazy calm that always made me feel steadier. "A lioness without a pride is rare."
"Unclaimed?" I asked.
"Unbound," he corrected softly. "For now."
Nox didn't glance back, but I could feel his attention—sharp, quiet, commanding. The air thickened around him with an authority that needed no words. Conversations died as he passed. No one blocked his path.
The heart of the settlement opened into an arena of beaten earth, ringed with stone totems carved with claw marks that glinted under the rising sun. A crowd gathered, voices humming low and eager. Two lionesses faced each other at the center, both half-shifted—manes bristling, muscles coiled. They moved in a deadly dance until one slammed the other to the ground. Dust and blood rose together.
A roar went up. The victor lifted her hand, claws shining red, and the elders watching from the rim inclined their heads. The defeated female bowed low before pressing her forehead to the victor's palm. It was not submission, not entirely. It was ritual.
"What is this?" I whispered.
Luka's eyes followed the fighters. "A Trial of Claim. Females challenge each other for the right to keep their males and cubs. It strengthens the pride and keeps order. No male can risk going feral when bound to a victorious female."
I watched the males who stepped forward then—lion, leopard, bear—heads lowered in solemn respect as they joined their new mistress's side. "And the one who lost?"
"She becomes sister to the winner," Luka said. "Her pride joins the stronger. That's how the Circle endures."
Nox's gaze lingered on the arena, unreadable. "Power demands order," he said finally. "Without it, we return to chaos."
His words settled in me, cold and true. I wasn't yet sure which side of that law I belonged to.
Inside the council hall, firelight danced across walls veined with gems, the colors shifting with each flicker. The elders sat on their carved thrones, their fur streaked with gray and age, and beside them stood a tall leopard male whose spotted coat caught every glint of light. His eyes, golden and sharp, swept over me.
"You bring a stray into the Circle, Nox?" His tone dripped disdain. "A soft-pelt outsider without even a single stripe?"
Nox's tail lashed once. "She hunted beside me. She killed feral serpents and lived."
The leopard smiled thinly. "A story fit for cubs. Perhaps she'd be better suited for the arena."
I felt the air change—dense, heavy with threat. Nox didn't move, but his presence deepened until the torches bent toward him. "Careful, Kareth. My claws still remember your blood from the last time you tested them."
The elders stirred, and the eldest female lifted a hand. "Enough. Nox's guest stands under his protection. When the moons align, the Circle will judge her worth."
Kareth inclined his head, but the smirk he left me with promised trouble later.
By nightfall we had climbed to a terrace overlooking the glowing settlement below. Fires dotted the valley like stars. I sat close to the warmth of our own fire, hugging my knees. "They don't want me here."
"They don't know you yet," Luka said, poking the embers until sparks swirled up into the dark. "Strength takes time to scent."
Nox stood at the edge of the cliff, the wind catching his mane so it shone pale gold in the moonlight. "They'll learn," he said quietly.
I looked up at him. "And if I fail?"
"Then you'll fight until you don't." His eyes found mine, fierce and certain. "That's how beasts survive."
Something steadied in me at that—something that had been trembling since I'd arrived in this world. When he turned away, I couldn't help watching the easy, predatory grace of him. Luka noticed and laughed under his breath. "Careful, Maise. Lions bite."
"So do wolves," I shot back. His grin was small and knowing, and the firelight caught in his silver eyes like twin moons.
Before dawn, a messenger came—a young hawk-winged male landing hard on the stone, feathers still quivering. "A crystal beast," he panted. "Green-hearted. Near the eastern ridge. The elders call for hunters."
Nox's expression sharpened. "Then we hunt."
Luka was already on his feet, blades in hand. I hesitated. "You mean we?"
Nox's gaze turned to me fully. "You wanted a place in this world, lioness. Earn it."
The challenge in his voice sparked something hot in my chest. I rose, the morning wind carrying the scent of dust and wild grass. The horizon ahead burned with the first light of day, and for the first time since awakening here, I didn't feel like prey at all.