It was her who drained his beast energy. It was her who had reduced him to this weak state. But it was him who put everything into place.
Damn it all!
He had enough of this ill-fated relationship. He took her by force and Sol knew he was destined to be hated. A feral beast like him would soon be casted away anyway by his mate by the time she found new mates. He had accomplished his goal to continue his bloodline.
Sol clenched his fist. It would be a lie to say he never hoped to be accepted but he knew his fate and circumstances as a feral so he had given up any false hope that would cloud his head.
And yet, now why? Why is this woman lying on top of him… smiling like that?
His heart felt tight. Warm. Almost embarrassingly so. Sticky, even.
Wait—sticky?
Sol lowered his gaze and froze.
"Snore…"
His jaw slackened in disbelief.
Bullshit.
What warmth? What fluttering emotion?
The only warm, sticky thing was this ridiculous woman's drool, now soaking into his bare chest while snoring loudly like a wild boar.
"Stupid woman," he muttered under his breath, utterly exasperated.
Still, he didn't shove her off like he usually would. Instead, he let her cling to him, helplessly accepting her embrace. After realizing what he just did Sol froze.
He shook his head and looked away, shyly. But before long, Sol found himself glancing back again as if his glowing red eyes were being pulled by the peaceful breathing of the woman and the small, innocent face just inches away from his.
He instinctively gulped.
"Shit!" Sol snapped.
He must have gone insane too.
***
Pak! Pak!
By the river, Hyerin crouched over a stone, smacking her soaked clothes against it with a flat wooden plank. The morning sun had risen high, and its rays stung her skin like hot needles. Sweat poured from her brow in steady drops—though by now, even she couldn't tell if they were sweat or tears.
"Nam Hyerin, you idiot, you freaking idiot, aish!" she mumbled with a sniffle, whacking the fabric again and again until she felt her arm turned sore.
She slumped over, defeated, with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Take responsibility? Are you crazy?" she repeated aloud, horrified. "Why? Why did I say those things?"
Goodness. Take responsibility to a big snake and his children? Did she really say that? Out loud?
"Wah, I'm doomed!"
Hell right. She's so doomed.
She had actually said those words. Without even thinking. Was she that happy of having her children and becoming a mother?
She wasn't just stepping into Ashta's shoes—she had practically proposed to that man! And all of it had come straight out of her own stupid mouth.
She buried her red face in the fabric. She had dug a hole so deep she wasn't sure she could climb back out.
Looking down at her swollen, work-worn hands, she sighed again. She wasn't afraid of hardship. But she was a modern woman—how was she supposed to survive like this?
It had only been five days since she had woken up in Ashta's body. In that short time, she had tried her best to adapt to this unfamiliar, primitive world. She shared a cave with Sol, fought off mosquitoes, and tended to him through his morning sickness and moods.
Just five days. But she felt like she had aged ten years.
She didn't even have the energy to cry over that bastard Minjae anymore. All she wanted now was a warm bed, a good night's sleep, and one simple bowl of white rice along with a simmering beef stew to warm her weary soul and body.
She missed her apartment. Her washing machine. Her portable appliances. Her small comforts.
How had life come to this?
Sigh. Nevermind, what can she possibly do when she died?
This type of consolation maybe tiring but she should at least be thankful for being given a second life to live while expecting for her little babies to be born soon and call her "Mommy."
"Oh gosh, I can't wait for my little darlings." Hyerin beamed and mentally squealed.
Just the thought of it was enough to melt her soul.
Hyerin continued her task. After some time, she finished rinsing the clothes and squeezed them dry with all her strength. Then, she spread them carefully over a shrub to let them dry.
Next, she set about baiting a straw basket with overripe bananas in hopes of catching fish. It looked crude, but it worked.
She stood slowly, her joints stiff from kneeling, and let out a small groan.
Hyerin wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and began walking towards the shed of a nearby mango tree.
"Sol's probably throwing up again," she muttered, her voice tinged of concern. The man looked paler by the day. She was genuinely worried that the babies wouldn't be nourished properly.
Catching fish wasn't easy. Making traps, baiting, cooking—it was exhausting. And to make things worse, Sol hated the fishy smell.
He barely touched anything besides bananas and wild berries. She had no clue what beastmen were supposed to eat, but he was a snake-type, wasn't he? Snakes were carnivores! If he didn't start eating properly, he might end up eating her out of desperation!
Hyerin groaned inwardly.
"I want meat too!" she cried into the sky. But she never tried hunting and wouldn't want to go off anyway in the fear of being hunted instead.
Sol told her not to stray away and stay within a hundred meters from their cave. Well, she never thought of it anyway unless he accompanied her. Having a big snake with a big attitude as a guard while scouring the mountains sounded more promising than Minjae mourning for her death.
Fortunately, the river was within reach which made a few things that required water convenient for her such as washing their garments and fishing like today.
He mentioned something about ferals in the mountain and not going out of his territory. Hyerin even brainwashed herself to steel her nerves by thinking about it as a trip to the zoo everytime she goes out of their dwelling cave. Fortunately, aside from the small animals occasionally making appearances, she had never met any notable creature like another big snake coming to visit their pregnant cousin.
"If only I can find some honey combs to soothe his stomach and shut his grumpiness for a day—waah!"
Her foot slipped.
Bam!