The heavy crunch of footsteps in the snow echoed outside the cave.
Cora sat up straight, pulling her knees to her chest.
Dax's massive frame blocked the cave entrance. He dragged the bloody corpse of a hairless, boar-like mutant behind him. Snow dusted his broad shoulders. His female needed meat. He had provided.
He dropped the carcass at the entrance and crossed the cave in three long strides. He stopped just short of touching her, his eyes scanning her face with intense worry. "Are you alright? Does your stomach hurt? Do the cubs trouble you? "
Cora felt a strange flutter in her chest at his genuine panic. She shook her head. "I'm fine. Just cold."
Dax immediately turned to a pile of dry wood he had gathered before his coma. He pointed a long, calloused finger at the pile.
A sphere of dark blue fire ignited at his fingertip. He flicked his wrist, and the blue flame shot into the wood. The pile erupted into a roaring fire, instantly banishing the freezing dampness from the cave.
Cora stared at the flames. Tier-9 Fire Magic, Kay Lake supplied in her mind. Extremely destructive and dominant. A powerful asset for your household.
Dax stepped up to the carcass. He raised his heavy boot and stomped down hard on the boar's exposed ribs, snapping one clean off. He picked up the jagged, blood-slicked bone, its edge as sharp as any blade. With brutal, practiced efficiency, he used the makeshift knife to slice into the boar. He carved out the thickest, most tender cut of meat from the thigh. The best cuts were for his female. Always.
He skewered the meat on a thick branch and held it over the blue flames. The firelight danced across his sharp jawline and focused eyes.
Fat dripped from the meat, hissing violently as it hit the fire. The rich, primal scent of roasting flesh filled the air. It wasn't chicken noodle soup, but it smelled like raw survival.
Dax pulled the meat from the fire. He used the bone knife to slice it into thin, bite-sized pieces, placing them carefully on a wide, clean leaf. He prepared her food with the reverence of a male serving his female.
He handed the leaf to Cora. His voice was gruff, hiding a clumsy attempt to please her. "Eat it while it's hot. This meat builds strength. You need it for the cubs."
Cora was already full from the soup, but she couldn't reject the gesture. A male's offering of food was a sacred act in this world. To refuse would be to shame him. The rabbit-mutant body also craved the dense calories.
She picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth. There was no salt, no spices. Just the heavy, bloody taste of wild game. She forced herself to swallow.
Dax watched her throat work. When she swallowed, the tight muscles in his jaw finally relaxed. His female had eaten. He had fulfilled his duty.
He grabbed the remaining slab of raw, bloody meat and tore into it with his teeth. He ate like the apex predator he was, ripping muscle from bone. The lesser cuts were his. The best belonged to her.
Cora chewed slowly, pulling up the system map in her peripheral vision. She checked the weather patterns and the surrounding terrain.
After three pieces, she pushed the leaf back toward Dax. "I'm full. You eat the rest. You need to heal."
Dax didn't argue. He devoured the remaining cooked meat in two bites, wiped his bloody hands in the snow at the entrance, and sat back down beside her. His female had given him permission to eat. He obeyed.
Cora stared into the blue flames. She took a deep breath, her voice steady. "The storm is dying down. We can't stay in this cave forever."
Dax nodded, his expression darkening. "You need a safe place to nest. Where do you want to go? I will follow. "
Cora looked directly into his ice-blue eyes. "I need to go back to my settlement. My father is there. He must be going out of his mind looking for me."
At the word settlement, Dax's eyes narrowed. He hated crowded places. He hated the stench of other males. Most of all, he was terrified of running into the bastard who had left her pregnant and alone. The male who had failed her. If he found that male, there would be blood.
But he looked at the fierce determination in Cora's eyes. She was asking for his support. His female had given him a command. He would obey.
Dax reached out and wrapped his massive, rough hand over her small one. His voice was a low, unbreakable vow. "Alright. I'll take you back. And if anyone tries to stop us, if anyone dares to disrespect my female , I'll kill them."
The sheer weight of his promise sent a jolt of absolute security through Cora's veins.
She squeezed his hand back, a genuine smile breaking across her face. "Thank you, Dax."
Dax stared at her smile. His Adam's apple bobbed. He fought the violent urge to drag her into his lap and kiss the breath out of her. But she was the dominant one. He would wait for her permission.
Instead, he stood up. He stomped the fire out with his bare foot. He grabbed the heavy fur coat and wrapped it tightly around Cora's shoulders, burying her in the warmth. His female must be warm. His comfort did not matter.
He walked to the cave entrance and shifted. The giant white fox lowered its massive head to the ground. "Climb on. Hold tight. We're going home. I will carry you. "
