Chapter 4

The glowing blue tattoo on Cora's collarbone slowly faded into her skin. She rubbed the spot, the skin still hot to the touch. She took a deep breath, deciding to shatter the heavy silence in the cave.

She looked at Dax, who was adjusting the fur pelt around his waist. She kept her voice as casual as if she were commenting on the weather. "Since we're officially contracted partners now, there's something you need to know."

Dax stopped moving. He turned to face her, his ice-blue eyes entirely focused on her face. His female was about to give him a command. He was ready to obey. "What is it?"

Cora's hands instinctively dropped to her flat stomach. Her throat tightened. "I'm... pregnant. With triplets."

The words sucked all the oxygen out of the cave. Dax's massive body locked up. It was as if someone had driven a steel spike through his spine.

His pupils dilated wildly. His gaze dropped to her stomach, his brain misfiring as it tried to process the information.

In the wasteland, conception was a miracle. Triplets were a myth. More importantly, last night was their first time. There was absolutely no way she could know she was pregnant from him this fast. His female was carrying cubs-and he had not fathered them.

Dax's mind raced down a dark, twisted path. He reached the only logical conclusion his wasteland brain could form: She was already pregnant before they met. His female had another male before him. A male who should have been her first husband.

The image burned into his mind. A fragile, pregnant Cora, abandoned by some worthless male, left to freeze to death in the snow. A male who had failed in the most fundamental duty-protecting his female. That was why she was so desperate for a protector. That was why she forced the contract. She had been betrayed by the male who should have knelt at her feet.

A wave of pure, homicidal rage erupted in Dax's chest. The muscles in his arms bulged, his veins pressing against his skin. The fury wasn't directed at Cora. It was directed at the phantom male who had left her to die. Any male who abandoned his female deserved a slow, agonizing death.

He closed the distance between them in one stride. His large hands gripped her shoulders. His grip was tight, his knuckles turning white. His voice was a low, terrifying snarl. "Who is the bastard?! Tell me his name so I can tear him apart! "

Cora flinched, startled by the sudden explosion of violence. She stared at him, completely lost. "Huh? What bastard?"

Dax saw the confusion in her eyes. To him, it looked like the dazed trauma of a broken heart. His female had been wounded by a worthless male. It was his duty now to heal that wound. A fierce, overwhelming wave of protectiveness crushed his anger.

He loosened his grip instantly. He pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her in a crushing hug. His large hand stroked her hair. "Don't be afraid. I'm here now. I will be the husband he failed to be. No one will ever hurt you or the cubs again. These children will be mine to protect."

Cora's cheek was smashed against his pectoral muscle. She listened to his fierce, solemn vow, and her brain finally caught up to his logic. He thought she was carrying her ex's babies. He thought he was stepping into another male's place-and he was embracing it with absolute devotion.

She opened her mouth to tell him the truth. But the words died on her tongue. How could she explain the system? How could she explain a twenty-four-hour forced pregnancy? She would sound completely insane.

Cora snapped her mouth shut. She chose the path of least resistance. She let out a soft, pathetic sigh and buried her face deeper into his chest, playing the role of the tragic victim. Let him believe what he wanted. His protectiveness was useful.

System prompt: Host's deception tactics have a 98% success rate on males of this intelligence level, the mechanical voice chimed in her head. Cora mentally crushed the system's voice.

A glowing interface popped up in her vision. Hidden Objective Completed: Confess Pregnancy. Reward: 50 Survival Points. New Quest Unlocked: Expand Household. Additional husbands required for optimal cub development.

Cora read the system prompt. Survival points could be exchanged for Old World supplies. She also quickly scanned the biological data. As a rabbit-mutant, her gestation period was terrifyingly short. The system wanted her to find more husbands. More males to protect and provide. The thought was still strange, but in this world, it was as natural as breathing.

Her stomach let out a loud, embarrassing rumble, shattering the dramatic tension.

Dax pulled back immediately. His face was dead serious. "You need to eat. Stay right here. I'm going to hunt. A husband who cannot feed his pregnant female is worthless. "

Without waiting for a reply, he turned, shifted into the giant white fox, and bolted out of the cave into the snowstorm. He was a male on a mission to provide for his tragic little female.

The second he was gone, Cora opened the system store. She spent her 50 points immediately.

A flash of light illuminated the cave. A steaming, hot paper bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup appeared in her hands.

The rich, salty aroma of chicken broth and herbs filled the damp cave. Cora's eyes watered. It was the smell of the modern world.

She grabbed the plastic fork and shoved the noodles into her mouth. She ate like a starving animal. The scalding broth burned her tongue, but she didn't care. The warmth spread down her throat, thawing the ice in her veins.

She swallowed the last drop of soup and let out a loud burp. A warm, pulsing energy settled in her lower abdomen.

Nutrients successfully converted for fetal development, the system chimed. Host stamina restored to 60%. First husband's hunting efforts will supplement future caloric needs.

Cora quickly tossed the empty bowl and fork into the system's digital incinerator. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, slumped against the stone wall, and arranged her face into an expression of weak exhaustion, waiting for Dax to return. Her first husband was hunting for her. It was a strange, warm thought. In her old world, she had been alone. Here, males competed to serve. The difference was staggering.