My Beastly Fertility System Chapter 27: Never Bond

Moonlight streamed in through the mouth of the cave. In the shifting shadows, the sound of splashing water continued without pause.

By the time the moon had climbed high into the sky, Claire was so exhausted she could barely move.

Zane lifted her out of the water, dried her carefully, and gently combed through her long hair strand by strand. After he finished tidying everything, Claire had already fallen into a sweet, deep sleep.

Zane brushed his fingers over her cheek, feeling completely satisfied.

A sharp cry suddenly rang out from outside the cave, shattering the quiet night.

Zane's eyes narrowed. His sharp gaze shot toward the entrance as he stepped outside.

Under the bright moonlight, a massive gyrfalcon perched on a towering tree just beyond the clan's edge, crying out every few seconds.

"You're loud," Zane said as he appeared beneath the tree.

Rufus paused. He had chosen this particular tree on purpose. From there, he could see the cave at the edge of the clan where Claire lived.

Everything that had just happened inside the cave had been picked up by his keen hearing.

For some reason, he had simply felt like calling out a few times.

From his high perch, Rufus looked down arrogantly at the beastfolk below.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything. Some beast mates have more than one partner, and some people even watch."

Hearing his bold words only made Zane angrier. In an instant, he shifted into a massive silver wolf and let out a howl at the moon.

"Ruining the mood like that deserves a beating," Zane growled.

Rufus refused to back down.

"I just called out a couple times. Since when is that illegal? You're way too controlling."

The gyrfalcon dove down. The silver wolf leaped up.

The two massive beasts clashed midair.

Moments later, two figures separated and landed apart from each other.

Rufus and Zane both shifted back into human form, watching each other warily.

They each had a few minor cuts and bruises, nothing serious. Just a faint sting, no real damage done.

Rufus spoke first. "You're strong."

For a Level 1 to fight evenly against him, a Level 2, was no small thing. He knew the other man had held back, just like he had.

Otherwise, the injuries wouldn't have been so trivial.

Zane's eyes moved to the two clear beast marks on Rufus's cheek. He immediately realized this was the "bird guy" Claire had mentioned.

"So it was you. You're Rufus Soto?"

Rufus lifted his chin proudly. His spiky hair stuck up like a hedgehog's quills.

"That's right. So what? The little female mentioned me?"

He felt oddly excited.

The corner of his mouth curled up, and he couldn't suppress it.

She still remembered him.

Zane asked, "You seem pretty interested in my Claire. Got something in mind?"

"Yeah, maybe a little," Rufus replied casually.

Then, seeing Zane's raised brow, he quickly corrected himself.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not interested in becoming her mate. I'm just curious about her. Watching someone that small climb a cliff that high, I was shocked."

Zane's heart tightened.

"So it was you at the bottom of the cliff that day. If you saw her, why didn't you help? You're from the eagle clan. One flap of your wings and you could've carried her up. Why didn't you?"

The cliff had been so high, so dangerous. Just imagining Claire climbing it step by step made his chest ache.

He didn't dare think about what would have happened if her hand had slipped.

Zane's accusation cut through Rufus's admiration like a blade.

Rufus felt frustrated. If he had helped her back then, she probably would have liked him more.

"I didn't know it was her at the time. Would you help a total stranger without knowing anything about them? I didn't even know if they were good or bad, male or female..."

His voice grew quieter, tinged with regret.

Zane knew he was only venting his own lingering fear.

"So now you know?" Zane asked.

Rufus nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, I know. She's the best female. She knows a lot, she cooks amazing food, and she's not bad-looking either."

"You like her?"

"Like her? No. It's respect. Admiration for someone strong. No matter how great she is, I'd never give up my freedom to bond with anyone. We eagle folk aren't like you land beasts. We live for the mountain winds. I won't bond. I won't tie myself down. You can relax."

He rushed to explain.

Zane looked at him knowingly and raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Never bonding?"

Rufus hesitated for only a second before nodding.

"Never bonding."

Zane didn't comment. Instead, he asked, "What did it feel like being hit with Midnight Riverie?"

At the mention of it, Rufus felt irritated. He was angry at the female who had drugged him, even angrier at himself for lacking self-control. There was also a strange hint of regret, though he didn't quite know what he regretted.

"When it first hit, my vision was blurry, but I still saw the beastfolk who drugged me. It was a female, from this clan. After that, I lost consciousness. Claire saved me. I owe her another big favor." He let out a sigh.