The massive pavilion had been retrofitted into a temporary timber structure split into distinct living quarters, but following their fireside chat, execution proved trickier than Ryker anticipated. Aria’s pureblood avian pride and Cora’s fiercely possessive werewolf instincts made the initial plan of a shared master suite a bit too jarring for them. For the sake of domestic cohesion, they agreed to retreat to separate rooms divided by a thick timber bulkhead.Cora waited in her quarters, pacing across a thick layout of bear hides, her claws occasionally scoring the leather sheets in a textbook display of lupine impatience. Next door, Aria composed herself on a bed of downy feathers, her massive wings folded tightly against her back, though her heart hammered against her ribs as she stared at the door frame.Standing in the central commons, Ryker rubbed his temples. One wrong move meant bruising an ego, which would instantly tank his projected system multipliers.He stepped into Cora's

Gorg lifted his tear-stained face, his gravelly voice trembling with a mixture of raw grief and unchecked relief. "Chief... you said you were only stepping out for a brief run. But you vanished without a trace for six whole months! We thought a high-tier threat took you out, or that you abandoned the clan for good!""Forgive me for putting you all through that," Ryker said, slamming a heavy hand onto Gorg’s shoulder to anchor the giant orc. "I swear to you, I had zero intention of leaving. The transit vector had a temporal displacement anomaly, but I'm back on grid now. And I’m not stepping out again without taking you along."Cora tilted her flushed face upward, her small fists pounding rhythmically against Ryker’s chest armor. "We deployed scouts across the entire mountain range, Ryker! We thought some apex monster dragged you off, or that you just threw us away!""I’m right here, Cora. I’d never discard you," Ryker said gently, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye with hi

Ryker chuckled softly at the kid’s sheer terror. He set Doran down gently, dusting off the grime on the boy’s ragged shoulders."I’m just messing with you, kid," Ryker said casually, letting his terrifying smirk melt into a faint smile. "But remember: this is the first and last time you take anything from my palace without asking."Doran clutched his chest, his breathing ragged, before blowing out a massive sigh of relief. His scaled tail, which had been locked straight with fear, now drooped limply to the floor.Ryker turned around and picked up a clean cloth bundle. Inside was a piping-hot portion of the remaining spiced venison steak, a few pieces of sweet bread, and a heavy blanket. He handed the surprisingly heavy parcel into Doran’s arms."Take this to your mother and sister. Go on."Doran clutched the bundle tightly to his chest, his large reptilian eyes shining with uncontainable emotion. Without another word, the dragonkin boy bowed deeply, turned on his heel, and sprinted of

Back inside the palace, Ryker was reviewing boundary reports in the main hall when he noticed his wife walking past. "Aria, how did things go with the dragonkin family—""Don't ask me! Ask your own conscience!" Aria cut him off sharply, not bothering to offer him even a passing glance.When Ryker stepped closer, reaching out to gently pat her shoulder, Aria recoiled as if his touch had scorched her skin. "Don't touch me! The wind is blowing the wrong way today, and everything you do is making me sick!"Ryker blinked in utter bewilderment, scratching the back of his neck.Standing a few paces away, Cora watched the scene with a knowing smirk. As a wolfkin female who understood the exact nature of jealous female hormones, Cora strolled up to Aria and leaned in to whisper in her ear."Come on, Aria... your jealousy is so loud the palace guards outside can probably smell it," Cora teased playfully. "Remember, Ryker is ours. If you keep pouting like this, you're just going to drive the poo