Chapter 1

When I woke again, I was lying in Fenrir’s den.

The wolf shifter was beside me, awkwardly trying to untie the cords around my cloak.

The moment he saw my eyes open, he covered my mouth with his hand and warned me in a low voice.

“Human, don’t scream. Give me an heir, and I won’t hurt you.”

I widened my eyes innocently.

Then I brushed my lips lightly against his palm.

Fenrir froze.

A flush spread across his face, and he jerked his hand back as if he had been burned.

“What are you doing?”

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck.

Then I let my fingers trail over the thick silver fur of his tail.

“Fenrir,” I whispered. “I’ll give you a child.”

Those words snapped the last thread of his restraint.

For the next few days, I never left his den.

Maybe my obedience pleased him.

After confirming I was carrying his child, Fenrir did not lock me in a cage the way the others had.

He did not chain me.

He did not restrict where I could go.

That day, as usual, Fenrir left to hunt.

The moment he was gone, I slipped out and headed for the fox clan’s territory.

Kael, the fox shifter, looked stunned when he saw me appear at his door.

“Human? What are you doing here? Didn’t Fenrir take you?”

I pretended to trip and fell straight into his arms.

Kael’s heartbeat instantly quickened.

The tips of his ears turned red, and he did not dare meet my eyes.

I leaned closer on purpose.

“Doesn’t the fox clan need heirs too?”

Kael’s breath caught.

The next second, he swept me into his arms and carried me inside.

The system immediately realized what I was trying to do and rushed to warn me.

[Host, carrying children from two clans at the same time may be dangerous. Please consider this carefully.]

I ignored it.

The system’s voice grew more anxious.

[Only two shifter clans remain. There is no need to rush.]

But I did not want to endure even one more day as someone else’s vessel.

I no longer trusted the system.

It had deliberately hidden the real mission from me, trapping me here so I would keep bearing children and feeding it energy.

Now, I trusted only myself.

For three days in a row, I secretly met with Kael.

That day, I returned late.

Fenrir caught me the moment I stepped back into his den.

Before he could question me, I deliberately exposed the faint marks at my throat.

Then I lifted my head, tears hanging at the corners of my eyes.

“He bullied me…”

Fenrir stared at me.

Slowly, a fierce anger burned in his gaze.

“Who?”

I only kept crying without answering.

Fenrir found his answer in my silence.

He grabbed the iron war hammer beside the wall and stormed out.

“That damned fox. He waited this many years. He couldn’t wait a few more days?”

The corner of my mouth lifted.

I wiped away my tears and followed him to watch the show.

By the time I arrived, Fenrir and Kael were already locked in a brutal fight.

Neither of them held back.

Every strike was harder than the last.

“You knew it was the wolf clan’s turn. How dare you touch her?”

“And why should the fox clan be last?” Kael snarled back. “Were you all planning to wipe us out together?”

I stood off to the side and watched, calm and untouched.

Rowan arrived in a panic after hearing the news.

Only after confirming I was unharmed did he finally let out a breath of relief.

“Ayla, I’m sorry. I failed to protect you again.”

“I challenged Fenrir a few days ago, but I lost.”

His eyes reddened as he looked at me.

“Next time, I won’t let them take you from me again.”