Chapter 52
Trent bolted from the hut, his face a burning crimson. He ran until his lungs stung, finally stopping to catch his breath. He was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—shame, exhilaration, and a crushing weight of regret. The realization that he had spent his first meeting with the most beautiful female he'd ever seen calling her an "ugly male" made him want to crawl into a hole and die.
But the moment he stopped running, ambition took hold. He had always vowed to find the most beautiful mate in the world, and he had just found her.
"I have to fix this," he muttered, his eyes wide with a new plan. He turned and sprinted off, his tail feathers bobbing with renewed purpose.
That evening, the healer served Euphoria a bowl of meat soup, enhanced with savory seeds that made it surprisingly delicious. Halfway through her meal, Trent reappeared. He looked sheepish as he presented a bamboo tube to her like a holy relic.
