My Beastly Fertility System Chapter 50: The First Snow and a Sudden Birth

"This stone slab is pretty good. I'll carry it back and use it as a door. When winter comes, we can block the cave entrance so the cold wind won't blow in."

Rufus crouched by the fire for a while, warming himself until the chill left his body. Then he walked over and pulled Claire into his arms.

Claire wished she could bury herself in the pile of furs.

It was getting colder by the day. The temperature had probably dropped below freezing. The cave felt damp and icy, and only the fire—burning day and night—made it barely livable.

"Hey, Rufus... have you ever heard of a heated bed?"

Claire missed modern comforts more than ever—air conditioning, floor heating and those heated beds. The first two were impossible here.

But the heated bed? She had seen her grandfather build one before. Maybe she could recreate it.

Rufus shook his head.

"No. What is that?"

"It's a kind of bed that stays warm. Sleeping on it in winter feels amazing."

Rufus shook his head again.

"Never seen one. In the eagle clan, we live in treehouses. Our beds are all wooden. Wood that gives off heat? Never heard of it."

Claire couldn't help picturing treehouses high up, with eagle clan members popping out of them.

"Don't you miss home?"

His hand paused for a second as he stirred the fire.

"I do. But you're about to give birth. Protecting you matters more. My parents won't worry about me."

He had always been wild since he was young, running off whenever he could. After growing up, he often stayed away from home for long periods. His parents were used to it.

Claire held his hand, now warm. She said softly, "After winter, I want to visit your clan. I should meet your parents. Is that okay?"

She felt a little embarrassed. She had taken their son without even meeting them.

But then again, in this world, it was normal. A female could go out in the morning and come back at night already bonded to someone. No one found it strange.

Rufus agreed right away.

Ever since Zane left, the little female had been sleeping in his arms every night. She was soft and warm, and holding her felt too good.

But he never slept too deep. He was always afraid of pressing on her belly.

Now she wanted to visit his clan. That meant she cared about him.

Rufus glanced outside. The wind was getting stronger. Dark clouds hung low, and snowflakes began to fall.

"The first snow of winter is here," he said.

Wrapped in furs, Claire walked to the cave entrance and looked out.

Snow poured down in thick, heavy flakes.

Winter had officially begun.

The snowfall was heavier than anything she had ever seen before. In just a few minutes, the ground was completely covered. The yard turned into a field of white.

"Claire, stay here. I'll go clean up outside."

With that, Rufus stepped out into the storm.

The wind howled, making his fur tunic flap loudly. But he stood firm, tall and steady, like his feet were nailed to the ground.

He carried in firewood and tied down anything that wouldn't fit inside. All the pots and tools Zane had made were piled near the cave entrance.

The stone slab he had brought back was already in place, blocking half the opening.

He had even shaped it into a round piece. That way, even someone like Claire could roll it easily to open and close the entrance.

Claire couldn't help but admire them.

These primitive beastfolk were amazing. She would mention something casually, and they could make it real. Sometimes, it came out even better than she imagined.

After fixing everything outside, Rufus finally ran back in.

Steam rose from his short hair. His tanned face was slightly red. Even in such heavy snow, he only wore a fur tunic. His strong arms were exposed to the freezing wind, making Claire feel cold just looking at him.

"You've got crazy good stamina, Rufus," Claire said, half impressed, half jealous.

He didn't seem cold at all. Tiny droplets clung to his long lashes, and when he looked at her, he almost looked like a pitiful puppy.

Claire reached out and patted his head.

"Alright, stop working. If something gets blown away, let it go. When Zane comes back, we can just have him make new ones. He works fast anyway."

Rufus nodded, but he still looked worried.

"It's been three days. Why hasn't Zane come back? Didn't he say he'd return in three days?"

Claire felt uneasy too.

"He'll be fine. I trust him."

There was nothing else she could do anyway. She was about to give birth.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Claire's face suddenly tightened.

"Oh no! The babies... they're coming!"

Rufus froze.

Then he started pacing in panic, not knowing what to do with his hands.

"What do we do? What do we do?! I've never delivered babies before! I have no experience! Where do they even come out from?! What am I supposed to do?!"