Chapter 3

3.

The contract ritual finished quickly.

The Chief beamed at us. "Good. Now that the bonds are sealed, go home with your partners."

"To the rest of you males, don't lose heart. If you can win the favor of these two precious females, you might still become their consorts."

The other beastmen relaxed, their eyes burning with lust as they stared at Chloe and me.

Huxley, my new tiger priest, stepped in front of me, shielding me with his massive body.

He let out a low, warning growl. "She is mine. I will not share her with anyone!"

"Anyone who lays a finger on my female will be torn to shreds."

The other males winced. They knew how powerful the Priest was.

Trying to steal a female from him was a death wish.

But the wolf-man? He was an easy target.

Suddenly, every male in the clearing turned their hungry gaze toward Chloe.

The looks they gave the wolf-man were pure murder.

In this world, strength is everything. This wolf wasn't even in the top hundred of the White Tiger Tribe. How did he get such a soft, sweet female all to himself?

They accepted the Priest having a female because he was the strongest.

But the wolf? He didn't deserve her.

Chloe, however, seemed to love the attention. A smug smile spread across her face.

She thought she was the queen of the world. She had no idea that once you enter a wolf's den, there is no easy way out.

I glanced at her one last time before turning to Huxley. "I'm tired. I want to rest."

Huxley's expression softened instantly, replaced by a look of intense concern.

The next second, his arms―which were thicker than my thighs―scooped me up effortlessly.

"I'll take you home right now," he said.

He sprinted toward his stone house, holding me as if I were made of glass.

In this tribe, the Priest's status was actually higher than the Chief's.

He wasn't just in charge of rituals and ancient knowledge; he was the only doctor.

Medical care was non-existent in this primitive society. If a beastman got hurt, his life depended entirely on the Priest.

Inside his stone house, Huxley carefully placed me on a stone bed covered in thick furs.

His brilliant golden eyes were locked on me. "Sit for a moment. I'll get you a blanket."

I nodded.

He pulled a huge, high-quality fur from a wooden chest.

To my surprise, he didn't wrap it around me. He spread it over the bed instead.

After smoothing it out, he stared at my exposed skin. "Your skin looks so fragile. I'll add another layer so the stone doesn't hurt you."

Females in the tribe had always tried to seduce him, but he'd never been interested.

Looking at me now, he realized he liked small, cute females.

And the way I smelled... it was so intoxicating he could barely stand to be more than an inch away.