Finally, the massive snake head dipped in a slow, regal nod.
"Very well," Syris said, his voice low and resigned. "If you wish to keep the cat, I will allow it. I will share the Nest. But know this, Ren—if he bites me, I will bite back."
Ren let out a breath she felt like she'd been holding since the day started. "Thank you," she gasped, clutching her chest. "Thank you, Syris. I promise, no more running. No more stealing. I'm yours. Uh, and his. I'm ours? We'll work on the terminology later."
A fleeting thought crossed her mind: 'Wait, Syris agreed because he's rational (mostly). Kael is currently a drooling murder-machine. What if he wakes up and decides he doesn't want to share?'
Ren shoved that thought into a mental box labeled "Future Ren's Problem."
"This is madness!" Lyssa shrieked, stepping forward with trembling indignation. "My King, you cannot be serious! A Tiger? In the Palace? It is against tradition! It is—"
