My Beastly Fertility System Chapter 62: The Nine-Tailed Lineage

Twelve pairs of round eyes stared up at Zane, silently begging for praise.

"Oh my gosh, you're all so smart!"

Claire showered them with compliments.

She turned to Zane.

"How come only the fox pups got special names? The wolf pups are just... numbered?"

She'd noticed the moment they lined up—they'd arranged themselves in exactly the order Zane had called. They already knew their names?

It had only been a few days.

That was faster than training a dog.

Claire coughed and shoved the thought away. These are my babies. My actual, biological children.

Zane rubbed the fox pups' heads with gentle affection.

"Obviously, because these little ones are foxes—just like you. The wolf pups can be raised casually. But the fox pups deserve something special."

Claire gave him a playful look of reproach.

"I love them all equally, wolf or fox. No favorites! But since they already know their names, I suppose we'll keep them."

All the pups took Zane's surname, and Claire had agreed to this beforehand.

Rufus would father the next litter, and to keep things simple, the children would take their father's name.

Both Zane and Rufus had agreed.

Beastfolk were casual about names. What really mattered was strength.

Rufus spoke up from the side. His voice thick with longing.

"When's it my turn to name babies? Claire..."

Claire cleared her throat.

"Soon! Very soon!"

Zane gave him a sidelong glance.

"Claire's body hasn't fully recovered yet. What's the rush?"

Weren't you the one who loved freedom?

Now you're eyeing his pups?

Rufus tossed his head with a huff.

"Hmph! I know who's really in a rush. Someone holds Claire's hand in his sleep every night and pitches a tent every morning!"

"What?" Claire's face caught fire.

Was that really something she needed to hear?

She buried herself in her meal. Mmm—the meat stewed with spices and salt was heavenly.

Behind her, Rufus and Zane were still going at it.

"You already have 12 pups! The next litter is mine!"

"You're a bird. When you lay eggs, who's going to sit on them? Claire will wear herself out!

"I'll sit on them myself, obviously! In our clan, it's always the males who incubate! You got a problem with that? Don't think I'm scared of you just because you hit Level 2!"

"Level 2 against Level 2—you might not win anymore."

"Then let's find out!"

"Fine. But after the pups fall asleep. Claire can't handle them alone."

"You stupid mutt. Always playing the good guy."

The two went back and forth—Rufus was practically combusting, face red and voice climbing higher by the second, while Zane stayed utterly unruffled.

Claire ate and watched the show, thoroughly entertained. By the time they wound down, she was full.

Incubating eggs, though?

She pictured Rufus crouching over a nest of eggs and nearly choked on laughter.

What would laying eggs even feel like?

She didn't dare think too hard about that. Belly full, she shifted into her beast form, climbed onto the wide stone bed, and started nursing the pups.

The familiar tug of tiny mouths latching on—stronger now than before.

This time, she felt herself being drained.

Before long, she was completely empty.

She looked at the sleeping pups and let out a helpless laugh.

Next time, she'd need to supplement with formula. They were outgrowing her supply.

What a pack of tiny gluttons.

Still, the growth was obvious. In just a few days, they'd gotten noticeably bigger.

Roly-poly balls of fluff in white, black, and red. The red and black pups stood out brilliantly against the sea of white.

"Crimson and Scarlet's tails are starting to fork—one has three tails, the other nine. And three more are showing signs of multiple tails. We should keep them hidden from outsiders for now. No need to invite trouble."

Neither Zane nor Rufus had ever seen multi-tailed beastfolk.

Claire, however, had a faint memory—something her late father had once told her. Somewhere in their ancestral line, there had been a nine-tailed red fox. A Level 3 female.

The memory was hazy. She'd been so young.

"A Level 3 female—can you imagine how powerful that is?"

"Our eagle clan has never had a Level 3 female, either. We did once have a Level 1 female, though. Her fertility was astonishing."

Rufus stroked his chin, remembering the legendary female from his clan's history. Sadly, she'd died in a territorial dispute, leaving few descendants.

The blizzards grew fiercer by the day. Within two weeks, the snow was six feet deep.

Every day, Zane and Rufus shoveled the courtyard. Even so, a layer of white always crept back.

Claire pulled sweet potatoes from her storage space, boiled them until soft, and spoon-fed the pups.

The creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture was perfect for babies. They ate with abandon, smearing it all over their tiny muzzles.

Zane wiped each pup's face in turn, then let his gaze drift to Claire.

A few days of rest had made her even lovelier—skin like fresh snow, a delicate nose, rosebud lips, and neat little fangs that gave her an irresistibly mischievous charm.