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."

The heavy wooden gates groaned as they were pulled open.

Cora kept her spine straight, her hand locked in Dax's, as they stepped into the Hickman Settlement.

The place was a miserable collection of low stone huts and patched animal-skin tents. The air smelled of wet dirt, bitter herbs, and desperation.

The rabbit-mutants working in the muddy streets stopped dead in their tracks. They stared at Cora as if she were a ghost. She was the weakest female in the settlement, a genetic failure who was supposed to be a frozen corpse by now. Yet here she walked, head high, with a Tier-9 male at her heel like a trained beast.

Then, their eyes shifted to the man beside her.

Dax's presence was suffocating. The apex predator pheromones rolling off his body made the weaker herbivores physically tremble. Mothers pulled their children into tents. Men backed away, lowering their eyes in submission. They recognized the hierarchy immediately. This male belonged to Cora. And he would kill anyone who forgot it.

Dax ignored them. His ice-blue eyes scanned the face of every adult male they passed, searching for the bastard who had broken Cora's heart. His jaw was clenched so tight a muscle ticked in his cheek. Where was the coward who had abandoned his female?

Cora felt the lethal tension radiating from his arm. She squeezed his fingers. "Relax. Take me to my father first. He must see that I am well. "

They navigated the winding dirt paths until they reached a slightly larger stone hut near the center of the settlement. Before Cora could knock, the wooden door flew open.

A middle-aged rabbit-mutant with graying hair and deep bags under his eyes stumbled out. It was Arthur Hickman.

Arthur saw Cora standing there, perfectly whole. Tears instantly spilled over his wrinkled cheeks. His body shook violently as he lunged forward. "Cora! My sweet girl! You're alive!"

Cora caught him as he threw his arms around her. The residual emotions of the original body surged in her chest, making her throat ache. She patted his shaking back. "I'm home, Dad."

Arthur pulled back, wiping his face. That was when he finally noticed the towering wall of muscle standing right behind his daughter.

The older man gasped and stumbled backward, instinctively shoving Cora behind his body. A father's instinct to protect his daughter from a dangerous male. He stared at Dax with wide, terrified eyes. "Who... who is this?"

Cora stepped out from behind her father. She gestured to Dax. "Dad, this is Dax William. My first husband. He saved me in the wasteland. We've signed a Beast Mark Contract."

Arthur's eyes bulged. He could feel the terrifying, crushing weight of the man's power. This was a monster that their entire settlement couldn't scratch. And his daughter had tamed him.

He stammered, his voice shaking. "A... a Beast Mark Contract? Are you sure? He's..."

Dax stepped forward. He bowed his head slightly, pulling his lethal aura back into his body. He showed respect to his female's father. This was the proper way. His voice was deep and respectful, but firm as iron. "Arthur. I am your daughter's first husband. I will protect her with my life. I will serve her until death. "

Arthur looked at the absolute conviction burning in Dax's eyes. He glanced at the faint blue fox-tail tattoo peeking out from Cora's collar. The terror in his chest slowly melted into overwhelming relief. His defective daughter had somehow claimed a Tier-9 male. It was a miracle.

He let out a long, shuddering breath and wiped his eyes again. "Good. Good. As long as you keep her safe, I can die in peace."

Arthur quickly ushered them into the cramped stone hut. A small fire crackled in the hearth. He rushed around, pouring hot water into clay cups, his hands still trembling with joy.

Suddenly, Arthur stopped. He walked over to his cot and pulled a battered wooden box from underneath it. It was wrapped in layers of dirty animal skin.

He walked back to the table and opened the box with shaking hands.

Inside lay a single, glowing green crystal. The energy pulsing from it was pure and vibrant.

Tier-3 Wood-element Beast Core detected, the system chimed. Contains massive life energy. Extremely high value. System Alert: Symbiote will now refine and convert its energy to match Host's unique 'Mental Resonance' frequency.

Arthur pushed the box across the table toward Dax. His voice was thick with emotion. "Dax. This is a Tier-3 core. I nearly died getting it when I was young. It's the most valuable thing our family owns."

Tears welled up in the old man's eyes. "I know Cora's genetics are defective. She... she will have a very hard time giving you children. Please, take this as her dowry. Just... don't discard her. She deserves a husband who will stay."

Cora stared at the glowing crystal. Her chest tightened painfully. Her father was giving away his life savings to buy her safety. To bribe a male into staying with his defective daughter.

Dax stared at the crystal. His brain processed Arthur's words, but filtered them through his own massive misunderstanding.

He thought Arthur was apologizing because Cora was already pregnant with another man's cubs. He thought the old man was offering him this treasure to compensate him for being the "replacement father." To bribe him into raising another male's children.

A sharp pain sliced through Dax's heart. He hated the bastard who did this to them even more. But looking at the broken old man and the brave female beside him, his chest swelled with fierce devotion. He did not need bribes. His female was enough.

Dax stood up abruptly. He pushed the wooden box back across the table. His voice was low, rough, and absolute.

"Keep it. I don't need compensation. Cora is priceless. I don't care about her past. I only want her future. I am her husband. That is all the reward I need."