A blur of orange and black exploded from the underbrush, landing in a tense crouch before them. Muscles rippled beneath thick fur, and piercing amber eyes locked onto them.
Jethru and Lara reacted instantly, unsheathing their swords in unison. Reya and Sandoz tensed, ready to fight.
"Thunder!"
Lara barely had time to exhale the name before the massive tiger lunged, a streak of fur and fangs. She was knocked onto her back, the weight of the beast pinning her down.
The tiger was licking her face, its rough tongue dragging across her skin with unmistakable affection.
Jethru exhaled sharply, his shoulders dropping as he sheathed his blade. He crouched beside the feline, running a hand over its thick fur. Thunder nuzzled him before rubbing against Sandoz, marking them as kin.
"How are you, buddy?" Lara chuckled, propping herself up and scratching Thunder's ears. "I haven't seen you in three months, and looked how big you had grown."
