The soft green light of Dr. Clarke's Wood magic swirled over Cora's stomach.
Suddenly, the healer's face froze. The color drained completely from her cheeks.
Her eyes snapped open, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks. She stared at Cora's abdomen as if a monster was about to burst out of it. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead and dripped down her nose.
Dax saw the terror on the healer's face. His instincts flared. He lunged forward, grabbing Dr. Clarke by the collar of her tunic and lifting her off her feet. His voice was a terrifying, icy snarl. "What is it? Is she hurt?! Tell me now! "
Dr. Clarke gasped for air, her hands clawing at Dax's iron grip. "No! Not hurt! It's... it's life!"
Dax dropped her. Dr. Clarke collapsed against the wooden table, pointing a shaking finger at Cora's stomach. Her voice cracked hysterically. "She's pregnant! And... and there are three incredibly powerful life forces in there! Three cubs! "
Niamh slapped both hands over her mouth, a muffled scream escaping her lips. "Goddess! Cora, you're pregnant?!"
Dax already "knew" this. But hearing the official confirmation sent a fresh wave of agony through his chest. His female was carrying another male's cubs. And yet he would protect them as his own. His fists clenched so hard his knuckles popped. He glared at the floor, fighting the urge to destroy something.
Cora lay stiff on the cot. She covered her face with both hands, burning with humiliation. She screamed at the system in her head to make her disappear.
But Dr. Clarke wasn't done. "I need to check the father's energy signature through the Beast Mark to determine the cubs' growth rate," she stammered. She closed her eyes again, her hands trembling as she reached out to sense the energy pulsing from the faint blue fox-tail tattoo on Cora's collarbone.
A second later, she yanked her hands back as if she had plunged them into boiling water. The absolute, terrifying suppression of a Tier-9 apex predator violently lashed out from the mark, slamming into her senses. She stumbled backward, crashing into a shelf. Clay pots shattered on the floor, scattering dried herbs everywhere.
"Impossible... this is impossible!" Dr. Clarke muttered, her eyes wide with absolute despair and sheer terror as she looked up at Dax.
Dax grabbed the healer by the shoulders, shaking her violently. "What is wrong?! Tell me!"
Dr. Clarke looked up at Dax, her teeth chattering. "Your energy... the Beast Mark! You are a Tier-9 mutant! An apex warlord! And you have submitted to her as her first husband!" she gasped, the revelation shattering the fragile peace of the room. Her eyes darted back to Cora in horror, completely misunderstanding the situation as she sensed the resonance. "And the cubs... they are drawing on his Tier-9 anchor to survive! Their innate energy levels are terrifyingly high. They are high-tier mutants! They will kill a defective mother! "
The clinic fell into a dead, suffocating silence. Even Niamh stopped breathing.
In the wasteland, the laws of biology were absolute. A mother's energy had to match her cubs. If a low-tier female carried high-tier cubs, it was a death sentence. She was carrying three ticking time bombs.
Dr. Clarke turned to Cora. Her eyes were filled with pity and profound grief. "Cora... your genetic defect is too severe. Your body cannot provide the massive amount of energy they need to grow."
She swallowed hard. "In less than a month, those high-tier cubs will drain your life force completely. The energy backlash will cause you to... explode. You will die. Your first husband's power is too great for your body to support. "
Even though Cora knew the system would keep her alive, hearing the words explode and die sent a violent shiver down her spine. Her stomach cramped in fear.
Dax heard the death sentence.
His brain snapped.
A guttural, demonic roar ripped from his throat. His eyes flashed a blinding, glowing red. The sheer, unadulterated fury of a Tier-9 apex predator exploded from his body. His female was dying because of his power. His strength was killing her.
The wooden window shutters blew outward, shattering into splinters. The remaining clay pots exploded into dust. The crushing pressure forced Dr. Clarke and Niamh to their knees, pinning them to the floor as they gasped for air.
"I will not let her die!" Dax roared, his voice shaking the foundation of the cabin. "She is my female! My purpose! I will find a way!"
He spun around and dropped to his knees beside the cot. He dragged Cora into his chest, wrapping his massive arms around her. He held her so tight her ribs ached, burying his face in her neck. His massive body was trembling violently. He was terrified. He had finally found a female to serve, and he was going to lose her.
Cora gasped for breath against his chest. She lifted her hands and wrapped them around his broad back. "Dax, stop. Calm down. I'm not going to die. Trust me. Your female commands you to calm yourself. "
Dax took a ragged, shuddering breath. He forced the violent energy back into his core, his eyes still burning red as he glared down at Dr. Clarke. "How do we save her? Tell me the price. I will pay it. I will tear the world apart. "
Dr. Clarke wiped the sweat from her eyes, struggling to speak under the lingering pressure. "The only way... is to forcefully raise Cora's energy tier before the cubs form. She needs to reach at least Tier-2 to survive the drain. She must become strong enough to wield the power her husband has given her. "
She shook her head in despair. "But it's impossible. Her defect makes absorbing cores incredibly slow. We don't have the time-"
A flash of absolute, manic determination crossed Dax's face.
He reached into Cora's pocket and yanked out the wooden box Arthur had given them. He flipped the lid open. The Tier-3 Wood core pulsed with green light.
Dax grabbed the crystal in his fist. He looked down at Cora, his voice hard as steel. "Then we upgrade you right now. I will force it into your veins myself. You will not die. I refuse to lose my female."
