Chapter 113: Kidnapped, Concussed & Lactating
Tera woke up to the smell of wet dog and pine.
Her neck hurt. Not the dull ache of sleeping in a bad position, but a sharp, specific pain at the base of her skull that immediately reminded her of what had happened.
’That fucker knocked me out!’
Her eyes snapped open.
She was on the ground, lying on a bed of pine needles beneath a massive tree. She was dressed, and her silk-leaf clothes were damp but intact.
Someone had put her clothes back on while she was unconscious.
[Wow, that really knocked you out cold]
[(ᵕ—ᴗ—)]
’YOU!’
Tera shot upright and was immediately met with a man crouching on his heels, his face barely a foot from hers.
Tera’s heart slammed against her ribs, and she scrambled back so fast her spine cracked against the tree trunk.
"WHAT THE—"
He didn’t flinch.
Up close, Tera’s panic-flooded brain registered several things simultaneously.
He was tall, even crouching. His shoulders were broad, his arms were covered in dark tattoos, and his body was built with the kind of dense, functional muscle that came from years of fighting things that could kill you.
His strange hair tone aside, not once did she think she would actually come across tattooed beasts in this place.
And he was, despite having just kidnapped her and knocked her unconscious, devastatingly attractive.
Tera’s traitorous brain noted this detail, and she immediately wanted to punch herself for it.
’NOT NOW!’
"Where am I?!" Tera demanded. "Who are you?! Where is the cub?!"
The wolf male tilted his head, studying her before a small frown took over his face.
"You are in my territory." His voice was low and rough, like gravel being dragged across stone. "The cub is with her mother."
Her mother?
The cub had a mother and a family. So she hadn’t been abandoned after all.
Some of Tera’s fury deflated, but not much.
Her hand flew to the back of her neck where she had been hit. "You knocked me out!"
"You were going to run."
"OF COURSE I WAS GOING TO RUN! YOU CAME OUT OF THE BUSHES WHILE I WAS NAKED!"
He blinked and eyed her as if stating something obvious. "You are dressed now."
The calm, matter-of-fact delivery of that sentence made Tera want to scream.
Then the worst thought hit her.
’My babies!’
Nadia and Althea needed to be fed. Her breasts were already aching with the pressure of missed feedings. She wasn’t sure how long she had been out for, but she had a sinking feeling it had been for hours.
And her twins were back at the settlement with no milk and two fathers who, despite their devotion, did not have breasts.
"I need to go back!" Tera lurched forward. "I have cubs! They need to feed! I need to—"
He grabbed her arm, preventing her from standing.
"You are not leaving."
Tera stared at him. "Excuse me?"
"You had my pack’s cub. You are from another tribe. You have questions to answer."
"And I have BABIES who are going to STARVE if I don’t get back to them!"
The clinical detachment in his expression cracked, and a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes.
"You have cubs?"
"YES! Twin girls who need their mother’s milk RIGHT NOW, so if you could kindly LET GO OF MY ARM—"
"You are a shiftless female."
"What does that have to do with—"
"Shiftless females do not have cubs. Most are barren. If any."
The certainty with which he said it, as if stating a law of nature, made Tera’s fury reach a new height.
"Well, THESE—" she jabbed a finger at her swollen, aching breasts, "—say otherwise! Now let me GO!"
He stared at her chest, then at her face, then back at her chest.
Tera’s mouth fell open as he stared at them so shamelessly. Then he reached out to touch it when Tera swatted his hand. "No touching!"
The wolf’s eyes went wide with such innocent shock as he cradled his hand, the back of it still stinging.
A shiftless female should not be this strong.
Calis looked at Tera, offended by that quick smack. "You pointed at them."
’OMG!’
"Did I tell you to touch?!"
[Ding!]
’NOT NOW!’
’I will have your time later. Just pick a physical form so I can skin you alive!’
[(°ᯅ°)]
[Host. What did this system do?!]
’WHAT DID YOU DO?!’
’Don’t make me come get you wherever you are!’
[(⚈₋₍⚈)]
[Host constantly spouts such baseless threats]
Tera wanted to rip her hair out. ’YOU SAID NOTHING WHEN HE CAME, AND I CALLED YOU—You sure were freaking quick to react when sensing a corrupted monster nearby than helping me not get kidnapped!’
[｡°(°¯᷄◠¯᷅°)°｡]
[But Host was in no danger—]
’THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE!’
A quick glance at the male made Tera freeze up once again. He had been watching her go through that silent tirade with the system.
He likely thought she was mad now.
Calis did think she was mad, and looked like she was communicating with some voices in her head.
Was this because this was a shiftless beast?
Tera was about to snap at him to take him right back to the clan when a new screen popped up.
[New Potential Mate Detected!]
[Species: Wolf]
[Status: Alpha]
[Threat Level: High]
[Registering as: Potential Mate]
Tera’s brain flatlined.
’Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!’
[This system detects strong biological compatibility between Host and this male!]
’I WAS JUST KIDNAPPED!’
[Love works in mysterious ways!]
[(╭ರ_•́)]
’Just let me get my hands on you—’
"You are unwell. Are you sure you really have cubs?"
Tera returned her full attention to her captor, her gears grating.
"Would you like me to squirt some breast milk on your face?!"
Calis reared his head back, his ears shooting upright like rods as his face contorted with a stunned expression.
His eyes shot to her breasts. She really wasn’t going to do something that insane, was she? He didn’t know what to make of it, but something in the female’s eyes made him doubt himself.
And how was he even supposed to know if she was telling the truth when she had no scent?
His thoughts stopped short when he got the smell of milk from her.
This shiftless female was lactating?