My Beastly Fertility System Chapter 34: Preparing for Winter

"Zane, you're amazing! This cave is big and looks great!"

Claire didn't hold back her praise.

Zane's ears turned a little red.

"Every male knows how to dig a cave."

He pointed to a pile of firewood stacked like a small hill in the yard.

"That's for cooking. But it still feels like not enough. We can't get through winter without fire. I'll gather more tomorrow."

Claire nodded. Over the past few days, Zane had made her stay in the cave. She had even gained a little weight.

He said it was so she could supervise and guide him while he dug.

But Claire knew the truth. He was worried about her pregnancy. He didn't want her moving around too much and getting hurt.

If Zane knew about Pome, he wouldn't worry so much.

But Claire wasn't going to tell him.

That was the only secret she wouldn't tell him.

"Don't work too hard," she said. "It would be nice if we had charcoal. It burns longer and saves a lot."

"Charcoal?" Zane looked confused.

Claire often said things he had never heard before. He guessed the Beast God must have taught her.

She didn't explain much.

"I'll teach you how to make it someday."

Right now, there was no time for that.

The most important thing was storing enough food.

She hadn't checked the storage cave for days. She wondered if Rufus had really kept his promise and stayed there.

"Zane, I want to go check that cave. Will you come with me?"

If she went alone, Zane would never agree.

Zane thought for a moment, but in the end, he couldn't resist her pleading eyes. He shifted into a white wolf and let her climb onto his back.

They set off.

The leaves in the forest had started to turn yellow. A cool wind blew through, and everything felt quiet and a little lonely.

Inside the storage cave, a gyrfalcon sat with its head tucked under its wing, fast asleep.

It mumbled now and then in its sleep.

"Yum... so good...

"Female... cook for me forever..."

Suddenly, it heard footsteps nearby. Rufus's eyes snapped open.

He quickly walked to the cave entrance and saw a giant white wolf. Recognizing Zane, he yawned lazily and turned to go back inside.

Zane had been coming every day at mealtime, bringing delicious food made by Claire.

This must be the same.

But just as he turned, he stopped. A faint scent drifted through the air.

It was her. That female.

He spun around.

The white wolf rushed up to him, then shifted back into human form. In his arms was Claire.

"Hey, you finally decided to come?" Rufus lifted his chin proudly and whined. "You left me here all alone for days!"

Claire blinked.

"Huh? Didn't Zane come every day?"

"I don't care about him."

Zane was like a stubborn maniac. Every time he showed up, he dragged Rufus into sparring. Said it was "sparring," but he hit hard.

If Rufus weren't Level 2 and stronger than him, he would've been beaten flat by now.

Still, there was a small upside.

In just a few days, both of them had improved. Rufus could even feel himself getting close to Level 3.

Of course, he wasn't going to tell Zane that.

Not seeing Claire, something inside him felt empty.

Zane shot Rufus a cold look and carried Claire into the cave.

Inside, without the wind, it was still freezing cold.

Zane tightened the straps of her fur coat, then led her to the food storage area.

"Wow! Zane, did you hunt all this and turn it into jerky?"

The dried meat was piled up like a hill, almost touching the cave ceiling.

There were also dried vegetables, packed into several large fur bags, probably enough to last all winter.

Rufus scoffed. "Just him? No way. I helped too."

Claire reached out and scratched his head gently.

"Nice job! Rufus is such a responsible beastfolk."

Rufus had heard plenty of praise before. Some females had flattered him endlessly. He never cared. It only annoyed him.

But now, just one simple sentence from Claire made him feel good. He didn't even know why.

Rufus shot Zane a smug look. She praised him.

Zane snorted. "Childish."

Looking at the large amount of food, Claire finally felt at ease.

They wouldn't go hungry this winter.

With her and Zane and a few kids, it would be more than enough.

Then she turned to Rufus and asked, "You've worked hard these past few days. Winter's almost here. When are you going back to your clan?"

Rufus froze.

"I... haven't thought about it."

That was true.

A few days ago, his brothers had come looking for him. He sent them away.

He didn't expect the food to be collected so quickly.

Now he almost regretted it. Why did they gather everything so fast?