Chosen Mate Of The Beastmen Empire

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"Why not?" Nyx came to her senses, flipped over, and pressed him down, gently pinching his ears. "Aren't you my mate?"

Her soft breath brushed his ear, making Zayne's ears burn. He sat there helplessly, letting Nyx have her way.

'No, not yet,' he thought. In a panic, he didn't bother to adjust the animal hide around his waist and directly transformed into a Snow Wolf, lying beside Nyx to hide his weakness.

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“Next year, next hot season, we'll have cubs,” he tried to negotiate with her. If Nyx insisted on having cubs now, then so be it. He would just have to hunt during the cold season to provide for his mate and cubs.

Having made all the plans in his heart, the Snow Wolf relaxed, exuding an air of resignation.

Seeing his innocent and easy-to-bully appearance, Nyx turned around, covering her mouth, and couldn't help but laugh secretly. Teasing the pure-hearted Zayne was truly amusing.

Even in the dim light, Zayne's vision was excellent, and his hearing was extremely sharp.

He heard the laughter and saw Nyx's smile, realizing he had been played. He gritted his teeth and pulled the mischievous little rabbit into his arms.

Nyx dodged left and right. "Don't tickle me."

The Snow Wolf's large frame could completely envelop the female.

Nyx wasn't afraid and played with him for a while, then wrapped her arms around him, using her fingers to comb through his fur.

His long fur, with just daily care, was thick and smooth, pure white and clean, feeling very nice to the touch. Surrounded by such a fluffy sensation, Nyx felt a bit drowsy and gradually slowed her movements.

The Snow Wolf's gray-blue eyes were filled with tenderness. He gazed at his beloved female for a while, then closed his eyes and took a nap with her.

Outside the cave, the cold wind howled. Nyx curled up in her mate's arms, sleeping warmly and soundly. When she woke up, the cave was even darker. Nyx rubbed her eyes in confusion, unsure if it was morning or evening.

“Are you hungry?” Zayne also opened his eyes, turned back into his human form, put on his animal hide skirt, tied up his hair, and prepared to wash his hands and cook.

It was already evening, and Nyx hadn't eaten at noon, so she must be hungry.

He lifted the animal hide at the cave entrance, and a cold wind carrying frost and snow blew in. Nyx, caught off guard, shivered violently.

It was so cold. She stared outside in shock. The sky wasn't completely dark yet, but in the short half afternoon she had been asleep, the tribe had turned into a frozen, snowy world.

Zayne immediately put down the curtain, his expression grave. "The cold season has come early.

The cold season, originally due in about twenty days, had arrived prematurely, which was obviously not good news. He hung a second layer of animal hide at the cave entrance to block the cold air more effectively and lit a small fire inside the

cave.

"I'll cook." Nyx washed her hands.

Zayne had already efficiently processed the wild goat he had caught today. She kept some of the meat and offal, freezing the

08:46 Sat, Mar BN-

rest outside for storage.

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She marinated most of the meat for roasting and used the rest, along with the offal, to make soup, adding some wild vegetables. The recipe seemed no different from before, but Nyx added many spices and used green onions and ginger to remove the gaminess.

Zayne stood by, assisting her and silently learning. When she was about to start roasting the meat, he took over the task, which was prone to burns. “I'll handle this.”

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The fire crackled, bringing warmth and light to the cave. Nyx tossed a few sweet potatoes into the fire and sat nearby, staring at the flickering flames, lost in thought.

"How long does the cold season last?” After a while, she came back to her senses and asked Zayne.

Each tribe's cold season length varied depending on their location, so Zayne wasn't surprised by her question. “For our tribe, it's about a hundred days.”

That's how it had always been. But this year, the cold season had come unusually early. If it didn't end sooner, their food supply might barely be enough.

The cold season had arrived too suddenly, and no one was fully prepared. The rest of the tribe had even less stored food than they did, struggling to feed themselves, let alone support the shaman.

Zayne frowned slightly. He couldn't rely on others. If it were just him, he could manage with less food, but now he had a mate to care for, and the sense of crisis grew stronger.

He remained silent for a while, then picked up a piece of sizzling roasted meat from the stone slab, placed it in a clay bowl, and handed it to Nyx. "Eat first. Don't overthink it. Maybe the snow will stop, and the weather will warm up again."

While comforting Nyx, he had already prepared for the worst. Once the snow stopped, he would go out to hunt and gather firewood, ensuring they had enough supplies before the heavy snow completely sealed the mountains.

"You eat too." Nyx was fed several pieces of roasted meat and handed the bowl back to him. "I want to save room for some soup."

There was plenty of roasted meat, so Zayne didn't refuse. He picked up a piece and took a bite, his eyes lighting up as he paused.

The roasted meat, marinated by Nyx, had an exceptionally rich flavor. With each bite, the rich meat aroma and juices burst forth, a taste he had never experienced before. Compared to this, his previous roasted meat, seasoned only with salt, was practically inedible.

"Is it good?" Nyx tilted her head, raising an eyebrow.

She suddenly remembered the first time she cooked Earth dishes for him and Theon, and they had reacted the same way. Her tense mood eased slightly, and a smile appeared in her eyes. "How about I cook from now on?"

"I'll cook," Zayne insisted. "I've already learned."

He dug out the roasted sweet potatoes from the fire and tasted the soup in the clay pot, adjusting the saltiness before adding a pinch more. The soup could be kept simmering on the fire, and a sip now and then would disperse the cold.

After filling her stomach by the fire, Nyx walked to the cave entrance to listen to the outside sounds. Apart from the howling wind and the sound of snow hitting the animal hides, the entire tribe was silent, unlike its usual liveliness.

From day to night, and then to dawn, the heavy snow never stopped. Staying in the dim cave, Nyx worried about losing track of time, so she used a stone to carve tally marks on the cave wall, marking each day. By the time she finished the first tally mark, the snow had only slightly lessened.

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"Was the snow this heavy in previous years?" Nyx lifted the animal hide and looked outside, squinting as the light dazzled her eyes. Thanks to Zayne clearing the snow daily, the entrance hadn't been blocked. Zayne shook his head. In all his memory, he had never seen such heavy snow. After waiting so long, the snow had finally lightened a bit, and it was time to go out and check.

"I'm going out." He transformed into his beast form and reminded Nyx, “Stay home. I'll be back soon."

It wasn't that he didn't want to take Nyx or found her burdensome, but it was too cold outside, and the little rabbit's fur couldn't withstand it. Moreover, he needed to hunt in his beast form and might not be able to look

after her.

Nyx understood this and obediently sat by the fire. "Come back early."

Watching her mate leave, she added water and ingredients to the clay pot, preparing to cook a pot of soup so he could have Some when he returned.

As she cooked, she listened carefully to the outside sounds, checking if the snow had worsened, her heart concerned for Zayne.

In the clay pot, the meat soup bubbled, its aroma gradually filling the air. The sound of beast footsteps came from outside the cave.

Hearing the noise, Nyx, unprepared, looked up. “Zayne, you're back."

Before she could finish, the animal hide curtain was lifted, and a brown bear's head poked in.