The sunset spilled warm amber across the tribal clearing, the open feast already in full swing.
Crisp golden potato fries, smoky fire roasted venison, and honey glazed wild fruits were neatly laid over spread animal hides.
Cubs bounced around the dining circle, crunching fries in high pitched, happy yips, while the adult beastman laughed and chatted, passing food back and forth.
Tigris and Jor flanked me on either side, constantly stacking choice fries and sweet berries onto my hide plate.
Their eyes never drifted far from me, watching my every move with that familiar, intense focus.
Then, a deafening BOOM suddenly split the cheerful chatter apart.
The oversized, hand carved stone wok, which I had set aside empty beside the cooled cooking pit, had fractured from the residual trapped heat.
It burst into jagged, scattered rubble, sharp stone fragments skittering across the bare dirt.
A hush crashed over the crowd instantly, every pair of eyes snapping toward the wreckage.
By pure good fortune, everyone had already moved to the dining area to enjoy the meal not a single soul had been lingering near the cooksite when it exploded.
An elderly wolf warrior slowly set down the half eaten fry in his paw, a grave look settling over his features.
“Young female, you mention if random beast tried to imitate this ‘frying’ it could explode and kill someone, was it like that? ”
A nearby fox beast matriarch nodded in earnest agreement, flicking her bushy tail.
“That was so scary, thank beast goddess that no one got hurt.”
My relaxed smile faded.
Fine worry lines creased between my brows as I stared at the broken stone litter scattered across the ground.
Stepping forward, I prodded a jagged rock shard with the toe of my shoe, my voice soft with genuine concern.
“I knew this would happen, that’s why I didn’t want anyone frying things. The stone’s full of hidden gaps and air bubbles we can’t spot without proper tools.”
“Frying’s suspended for good now. Our cookware isn’t built for high heat, another blast will end with someone getting seriously hurt.”
Back in my old world, sturdy iron pans and stainless steel kitchenware are everywhere, easy to grab from any grocery store.
Trapped in this primitive beastman realm with only rough stone, timber, and animal hides, how am I supposed to forge proper frying utensils from nothing?
If only my cellphone still had service, I could pull up detailed blacksmith and bamboo craft tutorials online to solve all these troubles in minutes.
I lifted my head, softening my tone to soothe the faint disappointment rippling through the gathered crowd.
“Don’t be disheartened. While fried food is off the menu temporarily, fire roasted potatoes and bamboo tube boiled potatoes remain completely safe. They require no risky stone cookware at all. These two simple cooking styles can still stock your winter sufficiently to fend off hunger through the coldest months.”
Relief swept over the crowd.
Laughter and lively conversation gradually resumed, the feast continuing long into dusk until the last of the visiting clans and tribal guards took their leave one after another.
Night wrapped the mountain tribe in quiet darkness as Tigris, Jor, and I trudged back to our cave.
The cave’s central fire pit glowed with dim, warm embers, casting soft, undulating shadows over the stacked potato sacks and bundled cured meat lining the stone walls.
Thick, layered bear and wolf furs were spread across the cave’s innermost nook, forming our shared sleeping bed.
Tigris adding new quilt every day because i keep complaining about the hard bed.
but in the end i always use his beast form as bed.
Tigris circled around me, his large, calloused palm brushing lightly over my forearm.
His golden tiger irises were darkened with a smoldering, soft affection, and the faint, warm musk of wild pine and the hunt clung to his skin.
“The whole day was spent running around teaching the tribe your potato secrets,” he murmured, his deep voice carrying a suggestive rumble.
“Now the night is ours to unwind slowly, my Lily.” This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
Jor slipped to my other side, his cool, scaled forearm curling loosely around my waist.
His frigid reptilian skin provided a pleasant, contrasting shock against my warm flesh, low vibrations thrumming from his chest against my hip.
“I tended the cooking fire for hours near the flame to help your fry experiment,” Jor countered smoothly, drawing me a fraction closer.
“Don’t I earn a little gentle comfort as repayment?”
Tigris leaned down, his warm breath fanning across the tender curve of my neck.
His soft lips barely grazed my skin in a featherlight nuzzle that sent faint shivers down my spine.
“Just slow, quiet cuddling, Lily. Nothing too rough okay, I promise.”
“Your skin still holds the faint, sweet scent of berries and fried potato grease,” Jor added, pressing his forehead gently against my temple, his deep, husky voice dropping to a private whisper.
“It’s impossible for us to keep our distance.”
I shifted slightly, my cheeks flushing into a delicate pink.
I wriggled subtly out of their loose hold, exhaustion weighing heavy in my bones.
“I’m worn thin from nonstop moving all day,” I sighed, leaning back slightly.
“My mind is still tangled up brainstorming how to craft safe new kitchen tools.”
Tigris’s pointed tiger ears droop faintly in dejection.
His hovering hand froze mid air just beside my hip, not daring to press his advances further if I was truly tired.
“We’ll stay utterly still and silent beside you,” Tigris promised softly.
“We won’t interrupt your thinking at all.”
I tugged a thick animal hide over my torso, settling back against the plush fur pillow with a firm but gentle finality.
“Not tonight. I need full, uninterrupted rest to sort out all my crafting ideas properly.”
Tigris and Jor exchanged a wordless, disappointed glance.
Then, obediently retreating to the outer edges of the fur bedding, they let me drift off into an undisturbed sleep quickly amid the cave’s quiet warmth.
The next morning, soft golden sunlight filtered through the slit of the cave’s hide entrance.
I didn’t wake up naturally instead, I was dragged from my dreams by a heavy restriction in my chest and an overwhelming, searing heat.
“Ah… nngh…”
A soft, involuntary whimper escaped my lips before I could even open my eyes.
My breath hitched, my back arching instinctively into the plush furs.
The material of my linen top had been pulled down, exposing the pale, sensitive curves of my breasts to the cool morning air, but they weren’t cold.
Instead, both sides were encased in intoxicating, contrasting warmth.
On my left, Tigris was broad and scalding hot, his tongue dragging in thick, lazy, half asleep strokes over my sensitive skin, suckling with a needy, possessive hunger.
On my right, Jor’s cool, smooth lips were wrapped tightly around my other peak, his tongue swirling in a rhythmic, teasing friction that made my stomach drop with a sudden, wicked spike of pleasure.
“Stop… ah! Please…” I gasped out, my hands blindly tangling into Tigris’s wild hair.
I meant to push him away, but my fingers gripped tight instead as a wave of friction shot through my lower belly.
“Ah, wait… you two, nghn!”
“Mine…” Tigris growled drowsily against my damp skin, his large paw blindly reaching out to swat at Jor’s face.
“Jor, back off… Lily’s left side is sweeter…”
He didn’t let go, instead drawing me deeper into his mouth with a sharp, possessive pull of suction that made my toes curl.
“She’s softest on this side. Get your claws off her.”
“No… please, stop it…” My voice trembled, a heavy, breathless blush staining my face all the way down to my collarbones.
My body was melting under the dual assault, a low, embarrassing moan tearing from my throat as their competitive suckling grew more intense.
“Don’t… ah! I said, ”
The pleasure was crossing the line into pure, dizzying sensory overload.
Realizing they were completely ignoring my pleas and treating me like a morning snack, a sudden jolt of adrenaline and hot embarrassment snapped me fully awake.
The hazy pleasure instantly morphed into pure indignation.
“Enough of this!” I shrieked.
SMACK!
SMACK!
Using every ounce of my strength, I brought both hands down, delivering two crisp, resounding slaps right to the tops of their heads.
Tigris yelped, pulling back instantly.
He rubbed his aching scalp with a confused, bleary expression, his tiger ears twitching violently in shock.
Jor blinked awake sluggishly, his crimson eyes still fogged with leftover sleep and lust as he let go of my skin, a thin silver thread connecting his lips to my flushed, aching chest.
“Lily…?” Tigris whined, looking like a chastised, oversized kitten.
I didn’t spare them another word.
Pulling my clothes up with trembling, furious hands, my face burning a bright crimson, I scrambled out of the fur bed, threw on my daily wear, and strode out of the cave into the fresh morning air, leaving the two stunned beastmen behind.
I wandered the cave’s outer yard, deep in thought, trying to force the lingering tingling sensation from my chest out of my mind.
Bamboo, I focused my thoughts, pacing back and forth.
*Bamboo is the ideal makeshift cookware material for boiling and shallow frying.*
Yet, dense mature bamboo barely grew anywhere within the tribe’s mountain territory.
The only large bamboo forest was located deep in the eastern river valley, requiring a multi day, cross country journey to reach and harvest enough stalks.
After a quick, simple breakfast of leftover roasted potatoes, I headed toward the tribe’s riverside to meet up with Mara and Donna.
I intended to discuss organizing a small expedition east to source the bamboo.
The two female were already kneeling beside the shallow river, rinsing freshly foraged wild berries in the clear, running current.
Mid conversation, a scrawny, familiar figure peeked out timidly from behind the dense waterside shrubbery.
It was Lola.
The tribal chief’s daughter caught my gaze locking onto her.
Instantly, her face twisted into a messy mix of lingering fear and abiding shame.
She never dared step out from the bush into open sight, instead, she spun on her heel and scampered away into the thick undergrowth, vanishing without a trace in mere heartbeats.
Mara snorted disdainfully, tossing a cleaned berry into her hide pouch, her bushy fox tail flicking irritably.
“Scurrying off like a frightened field mouse. It’s exactly what she deserves after all the cruel schemes she laid against you.”
Donna rested one protective palm lightly over her rounded, pregnant belly, nodding in complete agreement.
“We have no spare time to spend on that bitch anyway, you should tell us more about that potatoes, do you have more information?”