All around her, the three beastmen gathered close, each of them leaning in anxiously to see if she would wake up.
Their heavy breaths mixed with the humid air of the swamp, creating a tense circle of worry and protectiveness that pressed in on Tessa from every side.
"This is your fault. If anything happens to her, I won't forgive you," Zane threatened the other two, his teeth baring in a ferocious snarl.
As his voice rose with raw anger, the other men heard the rumbling of the swamp beside them grow louder, the crocodiles inside stirring and growling in response to the sudden tension. Zephyr made a dramatic face and collapsed onto Tessa's side, his long hair falling over his face and covering it halfway.
"Tessa, don't leave me," he pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion.
"We are supposed to mate and bring on many, many cubs. Don't let my enemies laugh at me, please." He fell forward onto his face, the impact soft against the ground but full of theatrical despair.
