My Beastly Fertility System Chapter 37: The Stolen Silkroot

Winter was coming fast. The days grew colder, and strong winds blew every day. The beastfolk went out less often to hunt or gather food.

"I wonder if Rufus will freeze staying alone in that cave."

Claire muttered softly as she packed the dried herbs into a fur pouch. She weighed it in her hand. It still didn't feel like enough.

Luckily, after lunch, the wind died down a little.

Claire begged Zane to go out with her.

"This isn't enough. What if we get sick in winter and don't have enough medicine?"

"Beastfolk are strong. We don't need that much," Zane said. "And look at your belly. You shouldn't be going out anymore."

Claire had no choice but to use her final trick. She slept with him until he agreed.

Afterward, a very satisfied Zane wrapped her in layer after layer of soft fur clothing until she looked like a fluffy ball.

"Stay close to me once we're outside," he said seriously. "And when I say we go back, we go back."

"Okay, okay. I'll listen to you!"

Zane sighed, then gently picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the clan.

They first stopped by Rufus's cave. Since he was fine and not affected by the cold wind, they finally relaxed and went to the place where herbs grew.

Rufus was bored out of his mind, so he followed them.

"It's freezing, and you still made her come out," Rufus said. "Zane, you really don't care about your mate at all!"

Zane, still in a very good mood, ignored the jealousy in Rufus's voice. He simply shifted into his beast form and stood in front of Claire to block the wind.

Rufus found it lame and turned to look at Claire, who was crouching on the ground.

"Hey, what's that thing in your hand?"

It was round and long, with a milky white inside where it had been broken.

Claire couldn't hide her excitement. She held up the dirt-covered root.

"This is called Silkroot! It tastes really good when cooked!"

This trip was totally worth it. Not only did they gather enough herbs, but she had also found Silkroot.

She had only dug a little and already pulled out a thick, chunky root.

Just thinking about its soft, creamy texture made her mouth water.

Rufus didn't doubt her at all. He got excited right away.

"Hurry up and cook it for me! I'm sick of eating meat every day!"

With Zane around, Claire only needed to give instructions. He quickly got a fire going.

"Rufus, go get a log and hollow out the middle."

Even though he didn't understand why, Rufus did as she said.

"Zane, make the fire stronger, and wash the Silkroot. Once Rufus brings the wooden pot, we can cook it."

Zane's voice was gentle. "Got it. You just sit there. I'll handle everything. If you feel uncomfortable, tell me right away."

With all three working together, the Silkroot was cooked in no time.

After peeling off the skin, the snow-white flesh was revealed.

Rufus couldn't wait. He took a big bite and immediately started blowing on it—it was too hot.

Zane peeled one carefully, let it cool a little, and then brought it to Claire's lips.

She took a bite. It was soft, sweet, and rich. Honestly, it tasted even better than anything she remembered from before.

They left the rest of the Silkroot, along with the wooden pot, for Rufus.

"If you want to eat it later, you can cook it yourself," Claire said. "But I think you should go back to your clan soon. Just tell Zane when you're ready."

She reminded him again and again.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll think about it."

Rufus hugged the pot and quickly went back to his cave.

Zane packed up the uncooked Silkroot into the fur pouch and slung the herb basket over his back. After that, he carried Claire back to the clan.

As soon as they reached the main cave, Zane was called away by the hunting team.

Claire had been out for half the afternoon. Even though she hadn't done much, she still felt tired. She lay down on the stone bed and soon fell asleep.

Only after she was fully asleep did a head slowly peek in from outside the cave.

A plump fox with black and yellow fur looked around with sharp, restless eyes. When it spotted the pile of fresh Silkroot, its eyes lit up.

It rushed over, grabbed one in its mouth, and ran off.

"This awful female... so this is what helped her get pregnant?" It mumbled through the root. "Just wait. I'll get pregnant too. I'll have even more babies than her!"

As Claire's belly grew bigger day by day, Fiona's jealousy grew just as fast. She often stared at Claire's stomach, as if she wanted to burn a hole right through it.

"Hmph. That tiny belly—how many can she even have? When it's my turn, I'll have two or three times as many. Then let's see what everyone says!"

These past few days, the gossip she faced was worse than anything she had dealt with in over ten years.

Even though Gavin pushed her so hard her legs went weak, she still forced herself to keep going. But there was still no sign of pregnancy.

Today, she had slipped out while Gavin wasn't paying attention.

She hadn't expected to actually find something.

The sweet juice from the Silkroot filled her mouth.

It had to be delicious.