The Wolf Clan's lineage was dwindling. Prince Valen, the Wolf King's heir, had lived for a thousand years. He was a fearsome warrior, respected across the Beast Realm, but utterly uninterested in romance. The Wolf Queen was frantic. Beauties from every clan lined up outside the Wolf King's den, hoping to catch his eye. I'm Ginger, just a regular girl from a poor family who accidentally fell into the Beast Realm. After crossing over, I stumbled into the Wolf King's chambers by mistake. On the day of his engagement to the Tiger Princess, I ran away—pregnant with a litter of wolf pups. Years later, as I was busy feeding meat to my eight little wolves, he pushed open my garden gate. He looked at me like a kicked puppy, ears drooping. "Ginger, do you really not want me anymore?" 1 The Great War between the beast clans shattered the barrier between the human and beast worlds, and I fell right through the cracks. I was just trying to help my grandma dig up some wild ginseng in the back mountains. One wrong step, and I woke up here. Half-human, half-beast creatures were everywhere. Before I could process anything, a Wolf Clan patrol surrounded me. They wanted to execute me on the spot, but Grandma Leopard intervened and brought me into the Wolf Clan's territory. I grew up in the mountains with my grandma. I rarely saw anyone besides the villagers, so I knew nothing about the outside world, let alone this one. At first, I thought I should treat these beast-men like the animals back home. I reached out to pet their heads and ears, but their ferocious snarls scared me back. They were fiercer than the neighbor's Rottweiler! But Grandma Leopard was kind to me, just like my own grandma. She tried to give me chores like cleaning, but I was useless in this world. I tore ancient scrolls while dusting and nearly burned down a room while mixing potions. Exasperated, Grandma Leopard took me to the Wolf Queen. The Queen looked me over, noting my curves with satisfaction, and whispered to her handmaidens. "This little human looks like a good breeder. A bit dim, perhaps, too innocent." "That's fine. Let's test her fertility. If the Prince takes a new consort later, she'll be easy to dispose of." Breeder? Consort? I didn't care. I only cared about what Grandma Leopard told me: "Spend one night in the Wolf Prince's bed, and you'll survive here." So, I happily let them take me to Prince Valen's courtyard. A crowd of wolf beauties was already there, clearly unhappy about my arrival. One silver-haired beauty even tossed my luggage into the muddiest corner of the yard. I didn't see the Prince until evening. He had fluffy wolf ears atop his head, but his face... god, he was handsome. "You... you're so handsome..." I blurted out. Valen paused, seemingly intrigued by this bold human. He leaned in, sniffing me, his eyes thoughtful. This enraged the other beauties. From then on, they bullied me relentlessly. Threatening to tear out my throat, putting bugs in my food—I hadn't had a decent meal in days. The wolves ate raw meat, which I couldn't stomach. Starving and desperate, I remembered Grandma Leopard's words. One night in his bed, and I get to live. And eat good food. So, under the cover of darkness, I snuck into the Prince's chambers. The room was empty. I climbed into his bed and burrowed under the covers. Soon after, Valen walked in. He stripped as he walked toward the bathing pool. Through the steam, I saw his muscular back and powerful waist. It was the first time I'd ever seen a naked man! My heart pounded. Suddenly, he turned around. I ducked under the blanket. After what felt like forever, he stood by the bed. "Come out," his voice commanded, heavy with authority. I peeked out timidly and patted the pillow next to me. "Your Highness... wanna sleep together?" Valen raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes. "What is your name?" "Ginger," I answered honestly. He stared at my lips, his breathing growing heavy. He turned back to the pool, then returned moments later. His eyes were redder now, his breath ragged, as if suppressing something wild. "I... I was injured recently. There's a dark energy in me I can't control." "Ginger, I need you now. Is that okay?" Need me? For what? I was confused by his burning gaze. "If I say yes, will you give me food? Will I get to live?" He chuckled and nodded. "Then hurry up! I want to eat when we're done!" The next second, he was on top of me. His kisses were overwhelming. I felt like I was melting. My clothes were torn away in a daze. Then, a sharp pain snapped me back to reality. I pushed him. "Ouch! No more! I don't want to eat anymore!" He kissed away my tears, whispering comforts, but his movements only grew fiercer. My protests seemed to fuel him. "Shh, be good. Relax, it'll be over soon." I sobbed in pain, but he wouldn't stop. When it was finally over, I clung to his arm. "You promised. Food." Valen stroked my hair, looking satisfied. He ordered a feast. And just like that, I, a human who had only been there a few days, became the first person to sleep with the Wolf Prince. 2 I woke up the next morning covered in Valen's scent. I didn't know what that meant in the Beast World. The wolf beauties in the courtyard glared at me with fire in their eyes. Overnight, I had become public enemy number one. I was moved to a special room. They said it was designed for humans, with strange runes on the walls. It was close to Valen's chambers, heavily guarded. But Grandma Leopard was right. After sleeping with the Prince, I never went hungry again. No one dared threaten me. Valen treated me well, sending me cooked food and desserts every day. Some of it was weird, but it was better than raw meat. Rumors said Valen was cold and uninterested in women. I now knew that was total bull. Since that night, he was addicted. The moment he returned to his chambers, he was on me. Bed, bath, desk—nowhere was safe. I'd pass out and wake up to dawn breaking. Even while working, he'd hold me on his lap, kissing and nibbling on me. Sore and exhausted, I complained to Grandma Leopard. She smiled ambiguously. "Silly girl, he's marking you! That's a huge honor in our clan!" "If you get pregnant with a wolf pup, your future is set! You'll be a hero to the Wolf Clan, set for life." I blinked. "What if I have a human baby?" Grandma Leopard frowned. That stumped her. That night, in Valen's arms, I asked. "Your Highness... if we have a baby, will it be a wolf or a human?" Valen's hand paused in my hair. "You're young. Don't worry about children." From the next day on, he fed me a strange fruit after every encounter. He said it was good for my health. I ate it without question. Only later did I learn it was a contraceptive fruit. Clearly, Valen never intended for me to bear his heirs. He kept me by his side constantly. He taught me the beast language. My writing was terrible—like chicken scratch—but he was patient, teaching me stroke by stroke. I loved writing his name in the beast script. It made me happy. Valen knew my tastes. He brought me rare treats from his travels: glowing berries, savory mushrooms, legendary "Beast God Nectar." My heart started feeling strange. When he wasn't there, I missed him. When he was, just sitting quietly nearby made me happy. The annual "Full Moon Festival" approached. It required a pilgrimage to a distant holy land. As the Prince, Valen had to go. The night before he left, he was insatiable, as if stocking up for the month apart. I was sad to see him go. That night, I was unusually responsive. Valen was so excited his wolf tail popped out. The big, fluffy tail wagged happily. After he left, I felt listless. Even roasted chicken wings lost their appeal. I remembered a proverb Valen taught me: "The lone wolf watches the moon, sleepless in its shadow." I understood it now. I, a girl who had been single since birth, realized this was love. It had seeped into my bones without me noticing. The day he returned, he dragged me into his room immediately. I thought he wanted sex, but he pulled a glowing fruit from his robe. "Try this. It's a fruit from the Beast God Tree. I stole it for you." I almost cried. The Beast God Fruit was a sacred treasure. Even the King rarely ate it. I took a bite, and energy flooded my body. I felt light, floaty. In that moment, I thought staying here with Valen forever wouldn't be so bad. I forgot I was just a "breeder." How could I dream of growing old with the Wolf King? Soon, news spread that the Wolf Clan was forming a marriage alliance with the Tiger Clan. The Tiger Princess was coming to stay, acting like the future Queen. 3 The wolf beauties mocked me mercilessly. "A mere human, dreaming of keeping the Prince's favor forever?" "The real deal is here. Scram, you hairless pet!" We lined up to welcome Valen and the Tiger Princess, Roxanne. When they walked in together, my heart skipped a beat. Valen radiated power, and Roxanne was elegantly wild. They looked... perfect together. Acid filled my chest. Thinking about watching them be a loving couple for the rest of my life made it hard to breathe. In the following days, Valen showed Roxanne around the territory. They watched the moon, hunted together. Some gossips even used magic to project images of their dates for me to see. I pretended not to care. But at night, I cried. Valen hadn't summoned me in days. He came back late, and I never saw him. Maybe I really was just a toy, a pastime for when he was bored. One day, the Queen summoned us to the main hall. Valen was busy, so we were ordered to entertain Roxanne. Roxanne smiled and linked arms with me. "I heard you serve Valen. It must be hard work." Once we were alone, her face changed. She threw my hand off. "A human like you thinks you deserve to be by his side?" "I heard you think you're his partner. Guess who's more important to him? You or me?" Alarm bells rang in my head. Before I could run, she ripped a talisman from her neck and threw it into the nearby Miasma Forest. Valen walked into the courtyard just then. Roxanne threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "Valen, this human is so rude. I just wanted to talk, but she insulted me and threw my mother's talisman into the Miasma Forest!" I hadn't seen Valen in so long. The man I shared a bed with now looked at me with cold, stranger's eyes. "I didn't..." I tried to defend myself, but he cut me off. Valen comforted Roxanne softly. "Don't worry. I'll send someone to find it." Roxanne pouted, pointing at me. "She lost it. She should find it!" Humans have the weakest sense of smell here. I couldn't navigate the poisonous fog. Valen knew this. He used to tease me about my "useless nose." But now, he commanded coldly: "Go find it!" I stumbled into the forest. The acrid air made me dizzy. The toxins burned my skin. I crawled around, feeling my life draining away. I don't know how long it took, but I found the damn talisman. Covered in cuts and burns, I crawled out and handed it to Roxanne. The Queen had arrived. She glared at me. "Disgraceful! A stain on the Wolf Clan!" "Stay in the forest for a day and night as punishment!" Valen didn't even look at me. He walked away with Roxanne. The night wind blew, and I shivered. I finally understood the gap between a breeder and a Queen. I had no voice here. Roxanne could decide my life or death on a whim. I, who had once loved this place, wanted to leave for the first time. 4 I didn't last long in the forest before fainting. In a haze, I smelled Valen. He licked my wounds gently. I sobbed, "Do you care about me at all?" He was silent. When I woke up, I was alone. A hallucination, surely. Then, footsteps. Valen walked in, face grim. I felt a flicker of hope. "Your Highness, you came?" He sat by my bed, eyes complex. "Ginger, Roxanne has contracted Soul Wither from losing her talisman. It's critical." He paused, his gaze hardening. "The shaman says we need human heart-blood as a cure. You... you're always sensible. Will you help her?" "I promise I'll make it up to you!" It felt like being doused in ice water. I shook. "I didn't lose it! She threw it herself!" "Why don't you believe me?" "I'm sorry," his voice went cold. "You owe her this." He grabbed my arm. Despite my struggles and begging, he drove a knife into my vein. The pain was excruciating. I couldn't tell if my arm or my heart hurt more. Before I blacked out, I thought I saw pain in his eyes. No. Impossible. Another hallucination. The next day, I heard Roxanne recovered. The Queen summoned me so Roxanne could "thank" me. Before I entered, I heard them laughing. "Good child, take care of yourself." "When you marry Valen, give us a strong wolf pup." "As for that mongrel in his yard, I'll watch her. She won't birth the first pup before you arrive." "Once you're Queen, you can do whatever you want with her!" I realized then: to them, I was livestock. Roxanne thanked me insincerely. The Queen ignored me. "Just a lowly plaything. Giving blood is her honor. Why thank her personally?" "You're too kind." Message received. Leaving, I looked at my reflection in a puddle. No ears, no tail. But I was human. I had dignity. Why let them trample me? I was just a hidden breeder in Valen's backyard. I never had a chance. Let alone growing old together. It was time to go. I stopped dreaming and started planning. The Queen's Moon Festival was coming up. All clans would visit. Perfect cover. I snuck into a Bear Clan merchant's wagon. Watching the Wolf territory fade into the distance, tears streamed down my face. "Goodbye, Valen."
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