My Beastly Fertility System Chapter 58: The Secret Spreads

"Claire, he's just feeling insecure. He thinks he can't protect you anymore."

Rufus snapped right back, stubborn as ever.

"That's not true! I can protect Claire. I'd risk my life for her!"

Claire reached out and gently patted his hair. The moment she did, his anger melted away.

"Don't worry," she said softly. "It's winter. Most people aren't going out much. The news won't spread that fast."

Zane nodded. "At least we can keep it quiet through the winter."

Rufus glanced around and suddenly realized Hazel and Elodie were already gone.

Claire had thought the news of her having twelve babies might stay secret for a couple of days. But by that very afternoon, almost everyone in the clan already knew.

"Did you hear? Claire gave birth! Twelve at once!"

"What? Her cave can't even hold them all!"

The rumors grew wilder with every retelling. Soon people were saying she had a hundred babies, even different kinds—cows, sheep, horses, pigs.

It was like her belly was some kind of magic box that could produce anything.

Before long, a crowd gathered outside Claire's cave again.

"Zane, just let us take a look at Claire!"

Zane and Rufus stood at the entrance, blocking the view from both sides.

Rufus looked cold and distant. His face was hard, his eyes full of disdain. A chill seemed to radiate from him, colder than the snow. No one dared get too close.

So the crowd turned to Zane instead.

He was cold, but at least he looked easier to approach.

They were curious about how Zane had reached Level 2, but that felt out of reach. Having babies, though—that seemed possible if they could just learn from Claire.

Zane shook his head.

"No. Claire needs to rest."

"We won't stay long! We won't disturb the babies. My mate hasn't gotten pregnant in years. I just want to learn from her."

"Same here! We want more babies too!"

"Come on, just let us see! I've never heard of someone giving birth to different species!"

Zane didn't bother explaining.

Inside the cave, Claire lay on the bed. The babies had just finished feeding and were now crawling all over her in her beast form.

She stayed that way and let them explore.

"Careful, number one. Don't squish number ten."

"Hey, number six, aren't you full already? Look at that round little belly!"

Her voice was soft and warm.

"It feels weird calling you by numbers all the time. I'll have your dad give you names later."

She sighed a little. Naming one baby was hard enough. Naming twelve? That sounded like a nightmare.

She decided it would be better to leave that to their father.

"Did you send them away?" she asked, looking up as Zane and Rufus walked in.

Zane nodded.

"Don't worry. As long as we say no, no one gets in."

Rufus snorted. "Bunch of clueless idiots. They think they can just walk in? If they didn't leave, I was ready to throw punches."

He still held a grudge against the fox clan. Even though he was part of it now, he couldn't forget how they had treated Claire—either bullying her or standing by and doing nothing.

Because of that, he was bias against them.

Honestly, he kind of missed his clan.

Claire smiled as she played with the babies using her tail.

"Thanks, both of you."

The babies, full and tired, soon began to fall asleep.

Claire hopped off the bed and made space for Zane.

"Rufus, let's go to the other cave."

Rufus's eyes lit up. All the tension in him disappeared.

Before leaving, Claire turned back.

"Zane, don't forget to give them names!"

Zane, with two babies clinging to him, nodded.

"Got it. Be careful. If anything happens, have Rufus take you and run."

"I know!"

The moment Claire stepped out of the warm cave, goosebumps rose on her arms.

Rufus shifted into his gyrfalcon form and shook out his feathers.

"You're small in your beast form. You can hide in my feathers. It'll keep you warm."

Claire didn't want to fly in that loose, drafty fur tunic anyway. She quickly turned into a fox and leaped onto his back.

The gyrfalcon spread his wings and took off.

Claire tucked herself into his feathers. Just like that, the cold wind was gone.

In only a few breaths, they arrived at the other cave.

A huge stone blocked the entrance.