The jungle fell quiet. Even the cicadas, which had been buzzing loudly just moments before, seemed to stop out of respect for the smell.
Bacon.
It was a universal sign of peace, like a white flag made of cholesterol.
Ren watched the bacon curl in the pan, its edges turning crispy and golden-brown. The fat sizzled and popped, filling the air with a smoky, salty smell so strong that Ren's stomach growled, giving away her fear.
"Easy," she murmured, her eyes locked on the massive predator in front of her.
The White Tiger was no longer growling. He was frozen, his giant body trembling. The red light in his eyes flickered violently, battling with the natural gold. He took a step forward, his nose twitching.
He didn't look like a killer anymore. He looked like a house cat that had just heard the sound of a can opener.
[System Notification: Target 'Kael' is salivating. Hunger Level: Critical. Rationality: 5%. Hurry up, Host, before he decides you look like a side dish.]
"I'm going as fast as I can, you glorified calculator!" Ren snapped at the voice in her head.
She grabbed a pair of long metal tongs from her belt. She never traveled without them. Then she flipped the bacon strips.
Sizzle.
The tiger let out a whine. It was a high-pitched, pitiful sound that didn't belong in a throat that big.
"Okay, okay, it's done," Ren said, her voice shaking.
She turned off the fire on her camping stove. Now came the hard part: giving him the food.
She couldn't exactly walk up to him and say, 'Here comes the airplane.'
"Hey! Mittens!" Ren called out. She skewered all six strips of bacon with the tongs. "Catch!"
She flung the bacon, and they flew in a perfect arc. The strips glistened in the sunlight, looking like shiny, greasy ribbons of hope.
The tiger sprang into action, a blur of white and black. He didn't just catch the bacon...he swallowed it in mid-air, his jaws snapping shut with a loud clack that made Ren jump.
He landed on his paws, swallowing the scalding hot meat without even chewing.
Ren held her breath, clutching her frying pan like a shield.
For three seconds, nothing happened.
Then, the tiger froze.
His ears twitched. His pupils dilated.
Inside Kael's body, a sensation he had never felt before was exploding. Usually, eating was a chore. Raw meat was heavy, cold, and fueled the burning fire of the Feral Curse that tore at his mind.
But this... this was different.
It was hot, salty, and crunchy. As it reached his stomach, a wave of warmth spread through him, different from the usual burning rage. It was a gentle, golden heat. The painful noise in his mind, the urge to attack and destroy, suddenly faded away.
[Ding! Purification Successful.][Feral Curse suppressed by 0.05%.][Target Status: Ecstatic.]
The red glow in the tiger's eyes vanished completely, replaced by a deep, crystalline gold.
Kael blinked, as if waking up from a long nightmare. He looked down at his paws, then up at the strange, hairless creature standing by the fire.
She was small. Incredibly small. She had no fur, only strange coverings. She smelled like fear... and that divine food.
Ren lowered the pan slightly, seeing the clarity in the beast's eyes. "Better?" she asked tentatively.
The tiger didn't roar. Instead, he let out a low chuff, a sound that meant hello.
Then, he moved.
"Whoa! Stay back!" Ren backed up, tripping over a tree root.
She fell backward onto the soft moss with a thud. Before she could scramble away, a shadow blocked out the sun.
The huge tiger stood over her, his paws on either side of her hips, trapping her. His head was as big as her torso. He lowered his face until his wet nose was just an inch from hers.
Ren squeezed her eyes shut. This is it. I'm dessert.
Sniff. Sniff.
He breathed in her scent, his rough whiskers brushing her neck. He could still smell the maple bacon on her clothes, but he also noticed her own scent. Under the sweat and fear, she smelled sweet and milky, making his instincts urge him to protect her.
Then, to Ren's absolute horror, a sandpaper-rough tongue dragged up the side of her face.
"Ack!" Ren sputtered, trying to push his massive furry chest away. It was like pushing a brick wall. "No! Bad kitty! Personal space!"
The tiger ignored her. He licked her cheek again, savoring the salty taste of her sweat, then chuffed again, vibrating against her chest.
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have been claimed.]
"Claimed?" Ren choked out, wiping tiger saliva off her jaw. "Claimed as what? A chew toy?"
[Correction. The Target has identified you as a 'Provider.' He thinks you are a weak, hairless cub that produces magical food. He has decided to keep you.]
"I am a thirty-two-year-old woman with a mortgage!" Ren yelled at the system. "I am not a cub!"
The tiger, now sure she wouldn't run away and having tasted her to make sure she was real, suddenly swayed. The energy from the purification had used up what little strength he had left. The rush from his earlier rage faded.
His golden eyes drooped.
"Hey, don't you dare..." Ren warned, seeing his heavy eyelids flutter.
The tiger let out a long, heavy sigh that smelled like maple syrup. His front legs buckled.
"Wait! No! Move over!"
THUMP.
Four hundred pounds of muscle collapsed directly on top of her.
"Oof!" The air left Ren's lungs in a squeak.
He didn't crush her. He had curled slightly to the side, but his heavy head landed right on her stomach, pinning her to the ground. Within seconds, a deep purr started in his chest, shaking Ren's whole body like a massage chair on its highest setting.
Ren lay there, staring up at the canopy of alien trees, trapped under a sleeping prehistoric killing machine.
She tried to wiggle. The tiger growled in his sleep and tightened his grip, throwing one heavy paw over her legs like she was a body pillow.
"Great," Ren whispered into the humid air. "Just great. I survived the fall, I survived the attack, and now I'm going to die of suffocation because a giant cat wants to cuddle."
[System Quest: 'The Alpha's Nap' initiated. Duration: 4 hours. Reward: Basic Beast Language Pack.]
"Four hours?!" Ren hissed.
The tiger snorted, blowing hot air onto her shirt, and nuzzled deeper into her stomach.
Ren let her head drop back onto the moss. She looked at her frying pan, lying just out of reach.
"Dave," she muttered to her absent sous-chef. "If I ever see you again, I'm going to sauté your liver."