The glowing blue tattoo on Cora's collarbone slowly faded into her skin. She rubbed the spot, the skin still hot to the touch. She took a deep breath, deciding to shatter the heavy silence in the cave.

She looked at Dax, who was adjusting the fur pelt around his waist. She kept her voice as casual as if she were commenting on the weather. "Since we're officially contracted partners now, there's something you need to know."

Dax stopped moving. He turned to face her, his ice-blue eyes entirely focused on her face. His female was about to give him a command. He was ready to obey. "What is it?"

Cora's hands instinctively dropped to her flat stomach. Her throat tightened. "I'm... pregnant. With triplets."

The words sucked all the oxygen out of the cave. Dax's massive body locked up. It was as if someone had driven a steel spike through his spine.

His pupils dilated wildly. His gaze dropped to her stomach, his brain misfiring as it tried to process the information.

In the wasteland, conception was a miracle. Triplets were a myth. More importantly, last night was their first time. There was absolutely no way she could know she was pregnant from him this fast. His female was carrying cubs—and he had not fathered them.

Dax's mind raced down a dark, twisted path. He reached the only logical conclusion his wasteland brain could form: She was already pregnant before they met. His female had another male before him. A male who should have been her first husband.

The image burned into his mind. A fragile, pregnant Cora, abandoned by some worthless male, left to freeze to death in the snow. A male who had failed in the most fundamental duty—protecting his female. That was why she was so desperate for a protector. That was why she forced the contract. She had been betrayed by the male who should have knelt at her feet.

A wave of pure, homicidal rage erupted in Dax's chest. The muscles in his arms bulged, his veins pressing against his skin. The fury wasn't directed at Cora. It was directed at the phantom male who had left her to die. Any male who abandoned his female deserved a slow, agonizing death.

He closed the distance between them in one stride. His large hands gripped her shoulders. His grip was tight, his knuckles turning white. His voice was a low, terrifying snarl. "Who is the bastard?! Tell me his name so I can tear him apart! "

Cora flinched, startled by the sudden explosion of violence. She stared at him, completely lost. "Huh? What bastard?"

Dax saw the confusion in her eyes. To him, it looked like the dazed trauma of a broken heart. His female had been wounded by a worthless male. It was his duty now to heal that wound. A fierce, overwhelming wave of protectiveness crushed his anger.

He loosened his grip instantly. He pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her in a crushing hug. His large hand stroked her hair. "Don't be afraid. I'm here now. I will be the husband he failed to be. No one will ever hurt you or the cubs again. These children will be mine to protect."

Cora's cheek was smashed against his pectoral muscle. She listened to his fierce, solemn vow, and her brain finally caught up to his logic. He thought she was carrying her ex's babies. He thought he was stepping into another male's place—and he was embracing it with absolute devotion.

She opened her mouth to tell him the truth. But the words died on her tongue. How could she explain the system? How could she explain a twenty-four-hour forced pregnancy? She would sound completely insane.

Cora snapped her mouth shut. She chose the path of least resistance. She let out a soft, pathetic sigh and buried her face deeper into his chest, playing the role of the tragic victim. Let him believe what he wanted. His protectiveness was useful.

System prompt: Host's deception tactics have a 98% success rate on males of this intelligence level, the mechanical voice chimed in her head. Cora mentally crushed the system's voice.

A glowing interface popped up in her vision. Hidden Objective Completed: Confess Pregnancy. Reward: 50 Survival Points. New Quest Unlocked: Expand Household. Additional husbands required for optimal cub development.

Cora read the system prompt. Survival points could be exchanged for Old World supplies. She also quickly scanned the biological data. As a rabbit-mutant, her gestation period was terrifyingly short. The system wanted her to find more husbands. More males to protect and provide. The thought was still strange, but in this world, it was as natural as breathing.

Her stomach let out a loud, embarrassing rumble, shattering the dramatic tension.

Dax pulled back immediately. His face was dead serious. "You need to eat. Stay right here. I'm going to hunt. A husband who cannot feed his pregnant female is worthless. "

Without waiting for a reply, he turned, shifted into the giant white fox, and bolted out of the cave into the snowstorm. He was a male on a mission to provide for his tragic little female.

The second he was gone, Cora opened the system store. She spent her 50 points immediately.

A flash of light illuminated the cave. A steaming, hot paper bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup appeared in her hands.

The rich, salty aroma of chicken broth and herbs filled the damp cave. Cora's eyes watered. It was the smell of the modern world.

She grabbed the plastic fork and shoved the noodles into her mouth. She ate like a starving animal. The scalding broth burned her tongue, but she didn't care. The warmth spread down her throat, thawing the ice in her veins.

She swallowed the last drop of soup and let out a loud burp. A warm, pulsing energy settled in her lower abdomen.

Nutrients successfully converted for fetal development, the system chimed. Host stamina restored to 60%. First husband's hunting efforts will supplement future caloric needs.

Cora quickly tossed the empty bowl and fork into the system's digital incinerator. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, slumped against the stone wall, and arranged her face into an expression of weak exhaustion, waiting for Dax to return. Her first husband was hunting for her. It was a strange, warm thought. In her old world, she had been alone. Here, males competed to serve. The difference was staggering.

The heavy crunch of footsteps in the snow echoed outside the cave.

Cora sat up straight, pulling her knees to her chest.

Dax's massive frame blocked the cave entrance. He dragged the bloody corpse of a hairless, boar-like mutant behind him. Snow dusted his broad shoulders. His female needed meat. He had provided.

He dropped the carcass at the entrance and crossed the cave in three long strides. He stopped just short of touching her, his eyes scanning her face with intense worry. "Are you alright? Does your stomach hurt? Do the cubs trouble you? "

Cora felt a strange flutter in her chest at his genuine panic. She shook her head. "I'm fine. Just cold."

Dax immediately turned to a pile of dry wood he had gathered before his coma. He pointed a long, calloused finger at the pile.

A sphere of dark blue fire ignited at his fingertip. He flicked his wrist, and the blue flame shot into the wood. The pile erupted into a roaring fire, instantly banishing the freezing dampness from the cave.

Cora stared at the flames. Tier-9 Fire Magic, Kay Lake supplied in her mind. Extremely destructive and dominant. A powerful asset for your household.

Dax stepped up to the carcass. He raised his heavy boot and stomped down hard on the boar's exposed ribs, snapping one clean off. He picked up the jagged, blood-slicked bone, its edge as sharp as any blade. With brutal, practiced efficiency, he used the makeshift knife to slice into the boar. He carved out the thickest, most tender cut of meat from the thigh. The best cuts were for his female. Always.

He skewered the meat on a thick branch and held it over the blue flames. The firelight danced across his sharp jawline and focused eyes.

Fat dripped from the meat, hissing violently as it hit the fire. The rich, primal scent of roasting flesh filled the air. It wasn't chicken noodle soup, but it smelled like raw survival.

Dax pulled the meat from the fire. He used the bone knife to slice it into thin, bite-sized pieces, placing them carefully on a wide, clean leaf. He prepared her food with the reverence of a male serving his female.

He handed the leaf to Cora. His voice was gruff, hiding a clumsy attempt to please her. "Eat it while it's hot. This meat builds strength. You need it for the cubs."

Cora was already full from the soup, but she couldn't reject the gesture. A male's offering of food was a sacred act in this world. To refuse would be to shame him. The rabbit-mutant body also craved the dense calories.

She picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth. There was no salt, no spices. Just the heavy, bloody taste of wild game. She forced herself to swallow.

Dax watched her throat work. When she swallowed, the tight muscles in his jaw finally relaxed. His female had eaten. He had fulfilled his duty.

He grabbed the remaining slab of raw, bloody meat and tore into it with his teeth. He ate like the apex predator he was, ripping muscle from bone. The lesser cuts were his. The best belonged to her.

Cora chewed slowly, pulling up the system map in her peripheral vision. She checked the weather patterns and the surrounding terrain.

After three pieces, she pushed the leaf back toward Dax. "I'm full. You eat the rest. You need to heal."

Dax didn't argue. He devoured the remaining cooked meat in two bites, wiped his bloody hands in the snow at the entrance, and sat back down beside her. His female had given him permission to eat. He obeyed.

Cora stared into the blue flames. She took a deep breath, her voice steady. "The storm is dying down. We can't stay in this cave forever."

Dax nodded, his expression darkening. "You need a safe place to nest. Where do you want to go? I will follow. "

Cora looked directly into his ice-blue eyes. "I need to go back to my settlement. My father is there. He must be going out of his mind looking for me."

At the word settlement, Dax's eyes narrowed. He hated crowded places. He hated the stench of other males. Most of all, he was terrified of running into the bastard who had left her pregnant and alone. The male who had failed her. If he found that male, there would be blood.

But he looked at the fierce determination in Cora's eyes. She was asking for his support. His female had given him a command. He would obey.

Dax reached out and wrapped his massive, rough hand over her small one. His voice was a low, unbreakable vow. "Alright. I'll take you back. And if anyone tries to stop us, if anyone dares to disrespect my female , I'll kill them."

The sheer weight of his promise sent a jolt of absolute security through Cora's veins.

She squeezed his hand back, a genuine smile breaking across her face. "Thank you, Dax."

Dax stared at her smile. His Adam's apple bobbed. He fought the violent urge to drag her into his lap and kiss the breath out of her. But she was the dominant one. He would wait for her permission.

Instead, he stood up. He stomped the fire out with his bare foot. He grabbed the heavy fur coat and wrapped it tightly around Cora's shoulders, burying her in the warmth. His female must be warm. His comfort did not matter.

He walked to the cave entrance and shifted. The giant white fox lowered its massive head to the ground. "Climb on. Hold tight. We're going home. I will carry you. "

Cora lay flat against the broad back of the giant white fox. Her fingers were buried deep in the thick, coarse fur around his neck, gripping tight as his massive muscles bunched and released beneath her.

The freezing wind screamed past her ears, but Dax's body radiated a blistering heat that formed a physical shield around her. The cold couldn't touch her. Her husband's body was her armor. This was his purpose.

She peeked out from the heavy fur coat, staring at the endless, blinding white of the wasteland.

In her mind, she commanded Kay Lake to pull up the data on the world's power structure.

Mutants absorb beast cores to level up, the system explained. Tiers 1 to 3 are the bottom feeders. Tiers 4 to 6 are elite warriors. Tier 7 and above are apex warlords. Females naturally ascend faster due to biological superiority in energy absorption. Males require female anchors to stabilize their advancement.

Cora swallowed hard. The beast she was riding was Tier-9. He was a walking weapon of mass destruction. And he belonged to her. The realization sent a thrill of absolute safety through her chest.

Suddenly, the white fox slammed on the brakes. His massive paws dug into the ice. His ears pinned back flat against his skull, and a low, vibrating snarl ripped from his throat. A threat to his female. He would annihilate it.

Cora followed his gaze. Thirty yards ahead, the snow exploded upward.

Thick, black vines, as wide as tree trunks, erupted from the frozen ground. They whipped through the air, covered in razor-sharp thorns.

Warning, the system blared. Tier-4 mutant flora detected. Strangler Vine. Highly aggressive.

The Strangler Vine sensed their body heat. It whipped forward like a nest of striking snakes, aiming straight for the fox and the woman on his back.

Cora gasped, her heart jumping into her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in Dax's fur. Her husband would protect her. He had to.

Dax didn't even bother to dodge. A flash of pure, arrogant disdain crossed his ice-blue eyes. This pathetic plant dared to threaten his pregnant female?

He opened his massive jaws. A torrent of blinding, blue fire erupted from his throat. The flames hit the black vines like a physical wall.

BOOM.

The impact shook the ground. The moment the blue fire touched the vines, they incinerated. The air filled with the sickening stench of burning sap and ash.

The Tier-4 predator didn't even have time to scream. It was reduced to a pile of smoking black dust in less than two seconds.

Cora opened her eyes. She stared at the scorched, empty crater in the snow. Her jaw dropped. It was a total, effortless slaughter. Her male was a monster. Her monster.

The white fox turned his head slightly, catching her eye. He let out a soft huff, his tail flicking proudly, seeking his female's approval. Then he resumed his steady pace.

Cora couldn't help it. She patted his thick neck vigorously. "Dax, that was incredible! You are a worthy first husband. "

The tips of the fox's ears turned a distinct shade of pink. His female had praised him. His pace quickened, his paws barely leaving prints in the snow as he bounded forward. He would earn more of her praise.

Hours later, the snowstorm finally broke. On the horizon, a sprawling cluster of crude stone huts and heavy wooden palisades appeared.

Cora's chest tightened. She pointed a finger toward the walls. "Look! That's it. The Hickman Settlement!"

The fox slowed to a halt. His eyes darkened. He could smell the stench of hundreds of weak, pathetic males inside those walls. Males who might try to take his place. Males who might be the bastard who abandoned his female.

He shifted. The giant beast vanished, and Dax caught Cora in his arms before she could hit the ground. He set her on her feet, pulling the fur coat tight around her neck.

His face was a mask of lethal seriousness. "When we go in, you stay right beside me. Do not leave my sight. Any male who approaches without my permission dies. "

Cora looked at his tense jaw. She knew exactly what he was doing. He was preparing to go to war with her imaginary ex-boyfriend. She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

She nodded obediently and reached out, sliding her small hand into his massive, calloused palm. "Don't worry. I'm not scared with you here. You are my first husband. They will respect that. "

Dax's fingers clamped down on hers, locking their hands together. He pulled her flush against his side and marched toward the settlement gates. His female was entering her domain. He would be the sword at her side.

Two rabbit-mutant guards stood shivering by the heavy wooden doors. When they saw the towering, terrifying man approaching, they panicked and raised their bone-tipped spears.

Then, one of the guards locked eyes with Cora. His jaw dropped open. He rubbed his eyes frantically. "Cora?! You... you're not dead?!"

Cora lifted her chin. A sharp, confident smile crossed her face. She was a female returning to claim her place. "I'm not dead. And I brought a plus-one. My first husband. Open the gate."