Clarissa stood a head shorter than Ryo, her auburn hair curling just below her waist and her bangs neatly trimmed above her thick brows. Unlike the others gathered around, she was much paler in comparison, with freckles dotted along her nose and cheeks, with her eyes a bright green color. But unlike the other males, her curves were much rounder in comparison, leading Sophie to believe the young woman was probably pregnant.

There were a few other females in the vicinity as well, adorned in similar fur hide which mostly covered their chests and hips, exposing a great deal of their rounded stomachs. It seemed they were also pregnant, and similar to Clarissa, they were fairly average in the looks department, unlike the majority of beast men which dominated this village.

While Clarissa made it known to just about everyone around that she was clearly unhappy with her mate, Sophie on the other hand felt bad for him. What was wrong with helping another female in need? It wasn't like she was sleeping with him. Still, she wondered how Ryo would handle the situation, given that she had already turned most of the others against him.

Unsurprisingly, he reacted nonchalantly to her hisses and growls and comforted her with both hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Clarissa. I didn't mean to upset you. For the sake of the tribe, I just wanted to confirm that her injuries were not serious. Nothing more," He said, smoothing her hair out of her face.

His affectionate actions seemed to almost please her, but she soon slapped his hand away. "For two days, Ryo? You've been leaving our den frequently since she arrived, and on top of all that, you've been hunting for her! You're putting her first before me!" She seethed.

Ryo's ears flattened at this. "I didn't mean anything by it-"

But Clarissa wasn't finished. "And not only that, but you've refused to lay with me since! How could you do this to me?! A TRUE beast man would NEVER ignore his mate for another and would certainly NEVER gift her food! Are you trying to court her?!"

Before Ryo could further defend himself, a few beast men spoke up, "How could you treat Clarissa like that?"

"You bastard! Are you trying to sabotage your relationship?!"

"Poor Clarissa... she doesn't deserve to be treated like that! You're too good for him!" A female cried out.

Another female agreed. "I agree! It seems just by one glance, he's become enamored by the female inside the hut!"

A heavy sigh escaped him and to everyone's surprise, he dropped to his knees in front of her and lowered his head shamefully. The action certainly caught Clarissa off guard, but it was only for the briefest of seconds. "I'm sorry that my actions have hurt you. I didn't mean for things to turn out this way. You are my mate, and I will never forsake you for another. I give you my word, Clarissa. I only have eyes for you."

"He's on his knees! Ryo must be serious!" Someone gasped.

"Maybe we misunderstood?"

As Ryo remained unmoving before her, a small group of women approached Clarissa, and when she noticed their approving nods, Clarissa's gaze softened. "Fine... I'll forgive you this time, Ryo," She said and suddenly turned on her heel with a huff.

With the misunderstanding quelled, Ryo regained his standing among the circle of onlookers and followed after his mate. Soon the others scattered to resume their chores, and it was as if the scene had never taken place.

Sophie moved away from the door and turned to the shaman. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Are you worried about Ryo?" She asked, lifting a brow. "You needn't be concerned. It's normal for couples to have their disputes, but he's fortunate she didn't abandon him."

"He was only worried about me... I think Clarissa should be a little understanding..." Sophie said before plopping herself back onto the straw.

The older woman chuckled at this. "Are you going to walk around all day with a blanket wrapped around you? Do you need help changing into your clothes?"

Sophie's cheeks reddened. She'd almost forgotten. "No. I can manage..." She said, reaching for the furs.

---

On his return to the den, a cavern nestled on the farthest side of the village near a flowing river, he found Clarissa sitting on the lap of one of her many mates. Zain. The young male was a recent addition into the family, chosen by Clarissa the moment he came of age, and he coddled her affectionately with his arms wrapped around her waist. Unlike Ryo, Zain came from a family of racoon dogs, his curly short brown tresses glistening from a recent bath in the river, and upon noticing they weren't alone, he growled low.

"Do you realize how upset you've made Clarissa?"

Ryo merely ignored him in favor of crossing to his area of the den, but on account of noticing several of his newly made spears were splintered and lying on the ground, he flashed Zain a reprimanding look. Unsurprisingly, it was ignored. Regardless, he wasn't in the mood to argue or start any fight, but he could tell by Zain's scent that he was itching to pounce and lay his claws on him.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm not deaf. I heard you first time. And this matter is between me and Clarissa. It has nothing to do with you, Zain. So, I kindly ask that you mind your own business," He warned before turning his stare onto his mate. "Clarissa-"

"If you really want me to forgive you, then you should prove it by hunting a colossal beast," She said, immediately surprising both Ryo and Zain. "If you can attain a sapphire from the beast, as well as it's head, then I will forgive you."

It wasn't as if he hadn't hunted colossal before, but they were not that easy to track down, nor was it easy to acquire said gems without putting his life at stake. It was a selfish demand, but if it meant she'd forgive him in the end, then that was what really mattered. After all, she was his mate, and he was bound by his loyalty and honor to please her no matter the stakes.

"If that is what you truly wish, then I will. I may not return for a while, Clarissa…"

The female only nodded, turning her body so her breasts were flat against Zain's as she straddled him. A few bucks of her hips against his noticeable bulge told Zain she was ready to rut. Zain wasted no time removing her chest band and crawled atop her, his knowing smirk taunting Ryo.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Why are you standing around for? Hurry up! I want that sapphire!"

---

On the third day since her arrival to the village, Sophie decided she'd had enough rest, insisting to the elder shaman that she was fine and was in great need of sunlight and exercise. To her relief, the older woman complied, and with her growing curiosity to explore this unusual world, she took her first step out of the shack and into the sunlight.

Almost immediately, she shielded her eyes from the harsh rays. She'd been sleeping in a dark room since, but after her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she was suddenly in awe. Despite having only seen a portion of the village from the narrow window, she realized it was far larger than what the cutscene had provided.

There were many shacks like the one behind her, made of wood with large stones holding down the hay covered roofs, and there were also houses built into the mountains near a flowing river. As big as it was, she was equally amazed by the immense forests on all sides, and if she didn't know any better, she'd think this village was hidden away.

Wow... this looks surreal! And it is a little more modern than I anticipated.

A chorus of gasps and whisperings immediately caught her notice, and when she turned her gaze away from the scenery, she noticed several beast men staring in her direction. They were mostly men, some going about their daily chores carrying baskets or spears, but the moment their eyes fell on her, it was as if the world had stopped.

Sophie immediately stiffened when she realized she was the reason, but before she could escape to the safety of the shaman's hut out of embarrassment, they had immediately swarmed her and blocked her exit. Beyond their curious excitement to talk to her, she was not oblivious to their growing manhood's, and that probably scared her the most.

"Female! You've finally awakened!"

"Female, are you feeling okay? Do you still hurt anywhere?"

"You're so beautiful! More beautiful than the females in our village!"

"She must be from a prestigious clan! Look how white her skin is!"

"Female, where is your mate? If you aren't already taken, can I be your male?!"

Sophie could not move from her spot as they had surrounded her, their bodies inching closer and closer toward her as their excitement continuously increased with further inquiries. Although she was very happy to receive positive reactions from the beast men, she had not anticipated how needy they would behave.

Oh god... Am I really that pretty? Or is it because females are rare in this world? Either way, I'll have to be careful, otherwise I might end up in a very bad situation. After all, this game had warnings about dark situations given its mature rating...

At this point, her ears were starting to ring from the persistent questions coming from her right and left. How could she stop this? "Um... can I say something?" She asked, raising her voice slightly above a whisper. Sophie assumed they probably hadn't heard her, but the instant she opened her mouth, they immediately fell silent. "It's a little hard to answer all your questions all at once... Do you mind giving me a bit of space?"

And just like that, the beast men suddenly became aware of their close proximity to her and immediately apologized, stepping back a reasonable distance to speak with her. Unfortunately, they still blocked her exit, but at least she had room to relax. It was better than nothing.

"Thank you," She said, folding her hands politely in front of her and bowing her head. "My name is Sophie. I got into an accident three days ago and got injured, but I'm feeling much better."

Their eyes sparkled at this, and their gaped expressions suddenly turned up into elated smiles. All at once, they cheered for her, raising their fists into the air with excitement, enough that it caused a stir from the other beast women in the vicinity.

"The female is cured! The female is cured!"

"We're so happy! We thought we'd lose another female to the bird tribe!"

"You said your name is Sophie? How old are you? Do you have a mate?"

"Can I be your mate?! I'll worship you and give you anything you desire!"

The one who had asked that was immediately struck over the head by two other males. "Idiot! Can't you see she's only woken up? The female needs time to adjust!"

"Yeah! The female is still weak! We should help her so she feels more comfortable here!"

"In that case... I volunteer to show you around the village! I'll even show you the best places to sit back and relax!"

"Female, what tribe do you come from? How old are you?"

Sophie sweat dropped at the scene, but as soon as she lifted her hands to calm them down, she was surprised once again by their obedience. "I'm... going to be eighteen this winter. I don't have a mate either, but I don't have time for one at this moment," She said, making sure they understood not to overstep their boundaries with her.

"Does that mean you've never mated before?" One of them asked in awe. "You are still so young, so you have plenty of time! Once you're ready, I will swear my loyalty to you and together we will have litters of pups!"

Again, Sophie lifted her hands and shook her head. "That's awfully nice of you, but I'm a bit concerned about my friend. You see, she and I got separated from each other three days ago..."

Hearing this, the males fell silent and exchanged glances.

"Your female friend is missing? Was it the bird tribe?"

Sophie shook her head. "I'm not sure... but I need to find her..."

"I'll go out and search for her!"

"I'll go out and search too!"

"But if we all go together, who will look after the females in the village?" Someone else asked, which caused even more of a stir.

In the end, half the beast men had sent their farewells and ran off together with their spears in hand to search for her missing friend. There was no hesitance at all and seeing this reassured Sophie a little bit. Just a little bit, but knowing Ava's strong personality, she was certain she would fair just fine if one of them tried to put the moves on her.

Ava... I hope you're safe, wherever you are. So far, it seems I'm safe here... For now, at least. But it seems females are highly regarded in this world, so maybe I can use that as my advantage?