The tension in the square was thick enough to choke on as the females filed back to their seats. The presence of the five Dragon males was like a heavy blanket of gold and shadow draped over the party grounds. Even the central bonfire seed to flicker lower, as if intimidated by the sheer bloodline pressure emanating from the guest table where the newcors sat.
Long Zhan sat perfectly still, his violet eyes tracking the movent of the crowd with the predatory grace of a creature that knew it sat at the very top of the food chain. Beside him sat Davy, the diplomat who had earlier cald the hot-headed Kray. Davy was currently trying to maintain a look of dignified boredom, but his nose was twitching uncontrollably.
"Lord," Davy whispered, leaning toward Long Zhan so the surrounding Orycto could not hear. "Do you sll that? It isn’t just charred at and woodsmoke. It’s... sothing else. Sothing delicious, complex, and incredibly enticing."
Long Zhan did not answer imdiately. He looked at the platter of at that had been left on the table. It was the batch Lin Wan had roasted with cumin, garlic, and curry just before the alarm sounded. He reached out with long, elegant fingers and took a piece, examining the dark, spiced crust.
The mont the spice hit his tongue, the Dragon Lord’s pupils dilated. His heart gave a strange, forceful thump.
Beside him, Davy took a bite and completely forgot he was a diplomat representing a superior race. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and for a split second, he looked less like a high-tier Dragon and more like a starving cub who had found a hidden treasure.
"By the Ancestors!" Davy choked out, his hand flying to grab another piece before anyone else could. "What is this? This isn’t just bison at. It is magic! How is it so savory and sharp at the sa ti?"
Kray, the aggressive guard, did not even bother with words. He lunged for the platter, his hand colliding with Davy’s in a frantic scramble.
"Back off, Kray! I’m the second in command here, I taste first to ensure it isn’t poisoned!" Davy hissed, dropping his cool facade entirely as he wrestled a seasoned rib away from the warrior.
"You’ve had three pieces already!" Kray growled, his eyes glowing with a faint draconic light. "The Lord deserves the rest, but I am taking this one for my own strength!"
The three other Dragon males joined the fray, their superior bloodline dignity evaporating like mist in the sun. They scrambled for the remaining scraps, their fingers moving faster than a scout’s eyes could follow.
Long Zhan was the only one who stayed seated with a semblance of poise, but even he was eating at a pace that was significantly faster than his usual royal decorum. Every bite sent a surge of heat through his senses, a flavor profile he had not encountered in all his centuries of travel through the various regions.
Around them, the Orycto tribesn watched with smirks they tried very hard to hide behind their hands. Usually, they were the ones being looked down upon by higher tribes and wandering predators, but seeing these God-like Dragons fighting over a plate of ribs gave them a deep, satisfying sense of pride.
"Yes,’ the Chief thought to himself, his silver ears twitching with a hidden amusent. ’ You may be able to crush us with your aura and hold the power of the heavens in your hands, but you still act like hungry pups when female Lin’s food is on the table. Everyone is equal before a perfect al.’
Long Zhan finally set down a clean bone, his violet eyes scanning the square with renewed interest. "I have traveled from the Northern peaks to the Southern seas," he said, his voice deep and smooth like aged wine. "I did not know the Southern ats were this refined. Is this a local treat of the Orycto tribe? Or perhaps a secret of the Southern land?"
Su i, seeing her chance to finally reclaim the spotlight and erase her earlier humiliation, smoothed her white fur and stepped forward. Her bunny ears were perked up in her most innocent and charming pose, her eyes wide as she looked at the Dragon Lord. "Yes, Lord Zhan! Our tribe has always prided itself on our hospitality and our unique way of preparing the hunt. We ensure only the best for our guests."
"No, it isn’t!" Ember interrupted, her voice booming as she cut Su i off without a second thought. She stood with her hands on her hips, a proud and mischievous grin on her face. "This isn’t an Orycto recipe at all. This is all thanks to Wanwan! She brought the spices from her own hidden stores and taught our males how to roast them properly. It’s amazing, right? We were all just as shocked as you are."
The Dragon males paused, all of them nodding in unison, their mouths still full of the spicy bison. Even the Orycto males cheered in agreent, their voices joining together to praise the new female. Su i’s face turned a brilliant, angry shade of red.
She gnashed her teeth so hard it made an audible click, turning away in sheer frustration. She felt like a fool, her lie exposed before she could even finish it.
Lin Wan, sitting between Lilly and Jia, felt a deep, hot blush creep up her neck beneath her mask.
She was not blushing because of Long Zhan’s handso, god-like face; she was blushing because she felt like a bit of a fraud in the face of such high praise.
’My skills aren’t even a tenth of what Wang or Qin Mo can do,’ she thought to herself.
’They are the natural masters of the hunt and the fire. I’m just a girl who happened to have a spice rack and a bit of luck.’ Still, a small, proud part of her heart swelled at the reaction. ’Well, at least in the South, I’ve achieved my dream. I am officially the number one cook here, even if the Dragons are my only critics.’
Long Zhan’s gaze sharpened, focusing on the area where the girls sat. "Wanwan?" he repeated the na as if tasting it on his tongue. "And who is this Wanwan that possesses such a skill?"
Lilly and Jia did not wait for Lin to protest or hide. They quickly stood up and motioned for her to rise as well. To the females of the South, this was a golden opportunity that could change a life forever.
In this harsh world, the stronger your husband, the stronger your status as a female. If Lin could catch the eye of a Dragon Lord, she would be untouchable and revered by all.
"Go on, stand up! Don’t be shy now!" Lilly whispered, giving her a gentle, encouraging nudge in the ribs.
Lin Wan stood up slowly, her heart drumming a nervous rhythm against her chest. She felt the violet eyes of Long Zhan lock onto her figure. She did not have the height of the beastn, standing much shorter than the towering Dragons, but she held her backbone straight and her head high.
Rembering a bit of old-world etiquette to keep her mystery and maintain her dignity, Lin Wan perford a light, graceful curtsy. It was a movent they had never seen in the Beast World, elegant and strange.
Long Zhan’s eyes lit up with a spark of genuine interest. He recognized her imdiately. She was the one with the royal braids and the blue flower he had noticed the mont he entered the gates.
The way she moved was different from the raw, earthy movents of the Southern females; there was a refined, quiet elegance to her every gesture.
"So, you are the one," Long Zhan said. His voice dropped an octave, turning intimate and low. A small, genuine smile touched his lips, softening his sharp features. "It is very nice... your at. I have never tasted anything quite like it in all my travels. You have a rare talent, little one."
"Thank you, Lord Zhan," Lin Wan replied. Her voice was steady despite her internal nerves. "I am glad it was to your liking. We have plenty more if your n are still hungry."
"We are always hungry for such top quality food," Davy added, grinning through a mouthful of at.
Lin Wan thanked him before seating herself once again, wanting to retreat from the overwhelming intensity of Long Zhan’s stare. She felt as though those violet eyes were trying to see right through her mask.
While in Su i’s corner, the rabbit-female was gnashing her teeth in pure, unadulterated jealousy. She watched the exchange with a poisonous glare, her heart boiling with resentnt. ’Why is this ugly female seducing the Dragon Lord?’ she thought bitterly. ’What a vixen! She is using that mask to act mysterious and casting spells with her food! She is a disease on this tribe!’
But Su i’s silent rage was ignored by the rest of the square. The drums began to beat again, and the flutes resud their lody.
The square was once again filled with music and laughter, but this ti, every male in the Dragon tribe was looking toward Lin Wan’s table with curiosity.
Long Zhan leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving the girl with the star-blue flower. He had co for a place to rest, but it seed he had found sothing far more interesting than a bed in the Southern Sanctuary.
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