Several days pass after Jor settles permanently into our shared cave.
Lola walks free from her stone cell thanks to the chief’s constant pleading.
The tribal head rounds up wandering outsider beastmen paired with several unclaimed young native males to serve as her new bonded mates.
I never spot her wandering around the tribe’s central lanes or nearby gathering grounds.
She likely hides inside her small hut all day too scared to step outdoors and accidentally cross paths with me.
Word drifts across camp that every former bonded male tied to Lola faced tribal execution per earlier rulings leaving her with zero familiar partners left to rely on through the harsh upcoming winter.
The whole tribe shifts into nonstop pre winter preparation mode shortly after.
Groups of able bodied beastmen head out in large hunting parties each dawn to stockpile preserved meat.
Many expeditions return hauling carcasses of ferocious calamity grade beasts alongside smaller captured stray beastfolk.
I stumble on a pair of middle aged wolf beastmen one mid morning as they haul a bound young female beast toward the storage pits.
They openly plan to trade the criminal girl which is Lola in exchange for blocks of coarse rock salt.
Salt is an irreplaceable resource here needed heavily to cure raw hunting meat and stop meat from spoiling through freezing months.
I step forward quickly cutting off their path before they can move further toward Lola’s living quarters.
My brows pull tight with clear disapproval watching the bound female shrink back in visible fright.
“Hold on right there. You two intend to trade another living person over for salt?”
The taller wolf beast tilts his head blinking in plain confusion unable to catch onto my frustration.
“Trading is normal tribe custom. Lola needs new servants to tend her fire and fetch drinking water through winter. We need enough salt to cure three full elk carcasses for our own dens. Everyone benefits from this exchange.”
“I do not view another beast as goods to barter over spices or food. That is human trafficking and I refuse to let this deal go through.”
The shorter wolf beside his partner scratches at his fuzzy neck utterly baffled by my unfamiliar wording.
“What is trafficking? Is it a rare sickness or forbidden tribal curse we have never heard of?”
I pause short realizing modern world vocabulary holds no meaning within their primitive beastman culture.
There is no easy way to explain human rights ethics to folk who have lived by wild tribal trade laws their entire lives.
I sigh and wave a hand dismissing their planned trade entirely.
“Just set her free somewhere far from my house instead selling her. If you still need salt I can spare small chunks from my own stock later.”
The two wolves grumble quietly “well, it is you who is in danger if she is walking around in the tribe.”
I shake my head and turn back toward our cave where Tigris and Jor wait for my company to wander the tribe together for casual sightseeing.
Walking side by side with my two mates I catch myself observing subtle ongoing shifts around Jor more than once these past few days.
Changes not limit themselves to simple mood swings or minor temper tweaks.
It feels as if some unseen invisible bond rewrites pieces of their very core little by little each passing day.
When I first arrive in the tribe with Jor’s overwhelming ancient predator aura left females limbs trembling constantly no matter how hard I explain that he is not a danger.
I initially chalked my occasional dizzy spells up to head trauma from falling through the inter dimensional portal into these wild lands.
Even after he shifted from colossal serpent into his sleek human shaped form his lingering cold reptilian aura kept me on constant edge.
Now seeing him in human skin dressed in hand tailored snake hide garments hardly stirs a flicker of unease inside my chest.
He stands tall with sharp handsome model like features and an imposing near two meter frame that would turn heads anywhere back in my original world.
What surprises me most is the drastic shift in surrounding tribesfolk’s reactions toward him these days.
Previously every nearby beastman or cub would bolt for cover the second they caught even a whiff of his natural aura.
Females routinely fainted cold on spot when his true divine power leaked out unintentionally.
Today locals pass within arm’s reach of our trio without sparing Jor more than a quick passing glance.
They treat him no differently than any random background commoner wandering tribal pathways completely unbothered by his presence.
The old boast he naturally terrifyied all nearby females to death seems to have faded entirely alongside our growing shared bond.
I pause mid walk and lean against the rough wooden fence bordering our cave’s outer yard watching Jor’s long calloused fingers carefully chip away at sturdy beast tusk to finish carving the flute Tigris spent weeks hunting premium material for me.
Tigris lingers beside me keeping a lazy protective arm draped loosely across my waist as I pose my ongoing question about tribal winter stockpiles.
“Tigris what exactly are all the tribesfolk busy gathering for winter supply? It looks like they only focus on meat and large piles of rock salt everywhere I turn.”
He nods his blond head eyes drifting toward distant hunting parties hauling hanging meat racks toward underground storage pits.
“That is mostly right. A handful of younger females forage wild berries and small seasonal fruits during autumn too but those spoil extremely fast once temperatures drop. No one here likes mixing sweet fruit with salty cured meat either. ”
“Herbivore beast tribes mastered air drying fruit for long term storage long ago yet our carnivorous tribe finds preserved dried fruit far too bland to enjoy regularly. Our usual survival trick is stuffing ourselves silly all through autumn to pile on thick insulating body fat.”
“We preserve as much meat as possible then scrape by on whatever leftover resources remain once winter locks the mountains shut tight.”
I swivel toward Jor next curious about the odd orange fleshed fruit and mound of starchy root vegetables he dragged back into our cave late the previous night.
“Where did you find those potatoes and round orange fruits you brought home yesterday? I would love to check on it and collect more of that crop with you two later.”
Jor sets down his half finished flute carving tool and flashes a playful lazy grin while brushing stray wood shavings off his scaled forearms.
“Hidden sun warmed valley tucked deep inside the old crater lands I slumbered inside for centuries. The soil there holds unique nutrients letting those roots grow year round unaffected by incoming cold winter freeze. I can lead our small group there easily by midday if you wish to depart soon.”
Before we finalize our travel plans familiar fox beast Mara and eagle beast Donna cut across our path walking slowly back from a nearby berry foraging patch.
The pair spot our trio and hurry over immediately falling into lively casual chatter about Lola’s new messy living arrangement.
They fill me in on how the chief’s hastily assigned random mates avoid Lola as much as possible already after witnessing her manipulative cruel personality firsthand within days of moving in together. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Mid conversation Donna rests one hand gently over her rounded stomach a soft glowing smile spreading across her fox featured face.
“Big personal news to share Lily. I am expecting cubs soon.”
Mara claps her paws together cheering loudly bouncing lightly on her hind legs with unrestrained joy.
I match their warm excitement grinning widely and pat Donna’s arm in congratulations before a sudden confused thought pops unbidden into my head.
Wait Donna has multiple bonded beastman partners.
Does this mean her unborn children inherit mixed animal beast traits?
The hell I never considered that detail before.
I keep my absurd inner speculation hidden behind a polite happy expression not daring to voice the bizarre question out loud.
Jor leans in suddenly lowering his voice to a faint warm whisper directly against my exposed shoulder catching me completely off guard mid celebration.
“Since you enjoy small growing families so much would you care to birth a whole healthy litter of baby serpent cubs with me sometime soon Lily?”
I jolt upright with a shrill startled yelp stepping abruptly away from his looming frame.
“No absolutely not! Cut that nonsense out right now!”
Mara and Donna freeze mid cheer staring over at our sudden commotion with matching confused curious expressions.
Several passing nearby cubs and adult beastmen pause their supply hauling tasks to peek over toward our small gathered group.
“What unexpected trouble just happened between your three?” Donna blinks questioning our abrupt outburst.
I smooth down my rumpled hoodie trying to compose my flustered features quickly.
“Nothing serious we only chatted about strange underground root crop called potatoes actually.”
Mara tilts her fox ears forward eyes lighting up with instant curiosity.
“Potatoes? What is that?”
Jor bends down to pull one spare round potato from the small hide pouch tied at his hip and holds it out toward the two females.
Donna’s eagle beast mate steps forward first takes the odd knobby root into his palm and sinks his sharp teeth straight into raw flesh without pause.
He chews once then pulls back making a baffled wrinkled face.
“This tastes odd not sweet like regular wild fruit at all what sort of odd berry variant is this?”
“It is not fruit it grows underground as plant root. You cannot eat raw potato directly you need to cook it first.” I explain patiently watching their confused stares.
Mara’s mate immediately follows up with another confused query tilting his avian styled head.
“How?”