Chapter 3

Gage and Jett immediately lowered their bone spears. They relaxed their aggressive stances upon recognizing Harlan's unique whistle and voice.

Harlan adjusted Cadence on his back. He carried her proudly through the heavy, creaking wooden gates.

Cadence lifted her head from his shoulder. Her eyes widened at the sight before her. Primitive mud and straw huts were scattered haphazardly across the packed dirt. The smell of woodsmoke and unwashed bodies hung heavy in the air.

Several shifter women stopped their chores. They wore rough, poorly cured hides. They stared openly at Cadence's clean skin and odd nylon jacket. Their gazes were sharp and calculating.

A group of dirty, half-shifted cubs ran up to them. They had human faces but sported furry animal ears and tails. Their noses twitched as they sniffed the air curiously, trying to catch Cadence's scent.

Harlan growled softly. It was a gentle but firm warning. He parted the crowd of cubs with his presence to protect Cadence from being overwhelmed. He ignored the loud whispers of the tribe. He carried her directly toward the largest, most sturdy stone structure in the center of the camp.

An older man stepped out of the stone hut. He had graying hair and prominent tiger ears. He leaned heavily on a polished wooden staff. Chieftain Corbin Thorne narrowed his weathered eyes. He astutely assessed Cadence's unusual aura and pristine appearance.

Harlan set Cadence down gently on her feet. He kept one large hand hovering protectively near her lower back. The heat from his palm bled through her jacket.

Harlan spoke rapidly and respectfully to Corbin in their guttural language. He gestured animatedly toward Cadence, his tone urgent and possessive.

Corbin nodded thoughtfully. He stroked his gray beard. He looked Cadence up and down with a respectful, non-threatening gaze.

Cadence forced a small, polite smile. Her stomach churned with anxiety. She felt entirely out of her depth and painfully aware of the language barrier. She had no idea what they were deciding about her fate.

Corbin pointed to Harlan. He then pointed to Cadence. He made a sweeping, definitive gesture toward the perimeter of the camp, specifically toward Harlan's living quarters.

Cadence tilted her head. Her brow furrowed as she tried to decipher the Chieftain's hand signals.

Harlan looked incredibly excited by the Chieftain's decree. He puffed out his broad chest with visible pride. He gently took Cadence's hand and led her away from the staring crowd. They walked toward his personal stone hut near the wooden wall.

They entered the dim hut. Cadence's heart sank. The room contained nothing but a pile of dry grass in the corner and a flat stone slab in the center. There was no furniture. No fire pit.

She touched the rough, itchy grass bed. Her modern sensibilities cringed at the complete lack of basic hygiene and comfort. A shudder ran through her.

Harlan noticed her subtle grimace. He saw her immediate discomfort. His excited demeanor shifted into worried panic. He immediately raised his hands, attempting to use broad, gentle gestures to ask what was wrong. But as Cadence only stared back with wide, uncomprehending eyes, Harlan realized gestures would never be enough to truly care for her. He needed the tribe's most direct solution.

Without a moment of hesitation, Harlan held up one finger. He signaled for her to stay put. His expression shifted to absolute determination. He dashed out of the hut, leaving Cadence standing alone in the unfamiliar, shadowy room.

Cadence paced the small dirt floor. She wrapped her arms around herself. Anxiety about her permanent living situation crept into her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Minutes later, Harlan rushed back through the doorway. He carefully held a glowing red, translucent fruit in his palm. He offered the strange fruit to her. He mimed taking a bite, then pointed to his mouth and his ears enthusiastically.

Cadence tentatively took the fruit. She sniffed it. She caught a familiar, sweet, strawberry-like scent. Trusting his earlier kindness and desperate to communicate, she took a small, cautious bite of the Translation Fruit.

A warm, tingling sensation washed down her throat. It spread rapidly up to her brain like a gentle electric current. Her vision blurred for a fraction of a second.

Harlan stepped closer. He looked at her with intense hope. "Can you understand me now?"

Cadence gasped. The words translated perfectly into English in her mind.