The path widened as we advanced, and soon the dim lights of torches appeared among the trees. The village was small, a circle of wooden cabins and hides surrounded by a simple palisade. The smell of smoke and dried herbs filled the air, and distant murmurs could be heard, as if the inhabitants already knew that something strange was arriving.
Lira walked pressed against me, her tail still wrapped around my waist, but now with more tension. Her ears moved alertly, catching sounds that I couldn't even perceive.
"We've arrived," she murmured, stopping in front of a tall figure waiting at the entrance.
The clan leader was an imposing woman, more mature than Lira, with generous curves that were marked under a tight fur tunic. Her ears were black as night, and her green eyes shone with intelligence and curiosity. Her name was Mira, according to what Lira told me in a quick whisper.
"What do we have here?" Mira asked, her voice deep and husky, approaching with slow steps. Her eyes immediately fixed on me, scanning me from head to toe as if I were an invaluable rarity. "Lira... you brought a man. A real man."
Lira tensed beside me, her tail tightening more.
"Yes, Mira. I found him in the forest. He was injured... I saved him," she replied, her voice with a defensive tone.
Mira smiled, showing small, sharp fangs. She came closer, openly sniffing me, her tail swaying gracefully.
"He's tall... strong. His scent is... different. Potent," she commented, extending a hand to touch my arm. Her fingers brushed my skin, and a low purr escaped her throat.
Several villagers began to come out of the cabins, drawn by the novelty. There were about a dozen of them, all with varied ears and tails, some young and slender, others more curvaceous. They approached forming a semicircle, eyes bright with curiosity and something more... desire.
"A man..." murmured one of them, a girl with white ears, brushing my shoulder with hers.
"I wish he would touch us," whispered another, purring audibly while her tail tried to wrap around my leg.
Lira growled low, a guttural and feline sound that made several step back. She positioned herself in front of me, marking me with her body, rubbing her cheek against my chest to leave her scent.
"He's mine!" she hissed, her ears flattened and her tail whipping the air. "I found him. No one touches him."
Mira laughed softly, raising her hands in a sign of peace.
"Calm down, little wild one. No one is taking him from you... for now. The village welcomes him. He needs rest."
She assigned a cabin at the back, secluded but comfortable, with thick hides and a chimney already lit. The villagers murmured disappointed, but dispersed slowly, throwing hungry glances at me over their shoulders.
Lira dragged me toward the cabin without letting go, her nails digging slightly into my arm. The door closed behind us with a sharp thud.
Inside, the heat from the chimney enveloped us. Lira looked at me with bright eyes, her breathing agitated from the accumulated jealousy.
"They... all wanted you," she murmured, approaching until her body was pressed against mine. "But only I have you."
Her hands slid down my chest, and her tail wrapped possessively around me.
The night was just beginning.
(Continues in Chapter 6...)