The morning light filtered into the cave in soft golden shafts, dust motes dancing lazily in the air. Birds chirped outside, completely unaware that inside, two very confused beings were having the most awkward wake-up call in history.
Alex woke first. His whole body felt like he'd run a marathon, fallen off a cliff, and then been wrapped in the world's comfiest blanket. He was still half-draped over the beastman's broad chest, one leg thrown over a thick coil that had loosened during the night. The tattoo on his lower belly—a crowned snake with five little stars—was now just plain black ink, no glowing, no drama.
He blinked slowly. Then blinked again.
And then the memories hit him like a cartoon anvil.
"Oh no," he whispered, eyes going wide. "Oh no, no, no—"
The beastman—whose name Alex still didn't know—stirred beneath him. Those emerald eyes opened slowly, sleepy and satisfied, a lazy smile already forming on his handsome, fanged face.
"Good morning, my sweet mate," he rumbled, voice thick with leftover affection. One big hand came up to stroke Alex's curly hair. "How does my beautiful female feel after her first—"
He stopped.
His hand kept petting Alex's hair, but the smile froze. Slowly, very slowly, his gaze drifted downward.
Past the tattoo.
Past the flat chest.
Past everything that was very much not what he'd assumed in the heat-scented haze of last night.
Alex winced. "Um… surprise?"
The beastman's coils twitched. His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"You," he said slowly, "are not a female."
"Nope!" Alex said, popping the 'p' with way too much cheer for someone currently naked and knotted—wait, no, the knot had gone down sometime in the night, thank goodness. "One hundred percent guy. Certified dude. Card-carrying member of Team Penis."
The beastman stared at him. Then at himself. Then back at Alex.
"I…" He cleared his throat. "I have mated with a male."
"Yup."
The beastman blinked in disbelief, still processing the reality that he had mated with a male. The silence was heavy, interrupted only by the distant sounds of morning in the forest.
He sat up carefully, coils shifting so Alex could slide off his lap and onto a pile of soft moss that had mysteriously appeared overnight (probably the beastman being considerate in his sleep). Alex grabbed a large leaf—nature's towel—and held it in front of himself like a shield.
Finally, Naga—(which he introduced himself only after their hot session) a name that felt both strange and oddly fitting—broke the silence. "This is... unexpected."
"Unexpected is one way to put it," Alex replied, still clutching his makeshift towel. "But hey, at least we're not trapped in a nightmare scenario of awkwardness, right?"
Just then, another ping echoed in Alex's mind, causing him to pause.
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have completed the bonding process. Mating compensation unlocked.]
"What now?" Alex muttered.
[You've received the title "Mated to Naga." First bonus: Emotional Bonding Boost. 10 points increase in your initial 200 SP ( Shopping Points) ]
[ Current SP: 200+10= 210 ]
[ System mall unlocked. Host now can have access to items that your SP can buy. ]
" Hold on a minute. " Alex said, showing his palm before the system's face.
[ Yes?!]
" Explain to me why the heat or whatever that damn thing started? Do you know what I suffer through because of your mistake? " Alex asked. His voice latched with frustration and fury.
Alex froze mid-rant, palm still dramatically raised like he was stopping traffic. Except the "traffic" was an annoying cat floating in front of his face that only he could see.
Naga tilted his head, one brow ridge raised. "Who… are you talking to?"
"Shush," Alex hissed, waving his other hand at the giant snake-man. "I'm yelling at customer service."
Naga blinked. "Cus… tomer?"
The system meow cheerfully, like a cat getting treats.
[System: Apologies for the inconvenience, Host! The sudden onset of heat was due to an emergency compatibility protocol. When a high-tier mate initiates bonding within 50 meters, the system automatically triggers a temporary physiological adjustment to ensure successful pairing.]
[ Side effects may include: intense arousal, temporary pseudo-female reproductive response, mild confusion, and one permanent free tattoo. We strive for 100% mating success!]
Alex stared at the screen. His eye twitched.
"So let me get this straight," he said slowly. "You saw a hot giant snake sniffing around, panicked, and decided, 'Eh, close enough—let's turn the human dude into temporary girl mode'?"
[System: Precisely! Efficiency is key. Think of it as auto-update for biology.]
[ Plus omega male are practically girls just with a dick. ]
Alex's jaw dropped so hard it practically hit the mossy floor.
"Omega males are practically girls just with a dick?!" he repeated, voice climbing into a squeak. "That's your official apology?!"
The floating cat-system flicked its tail, pink eyes sparkling like it had just won a prize.
[System: Correct! Consider it a compliment. You performed admirably. Five-star review from the mate.]
Alex pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm filing a complaint. Where's the manager? Is there a suggestion box? A one-star Yelp page for interdimensional kidnapping?"
Naga, still sitting there in all his glorious half-naked, scaled glory, watched Alex argue with thin air like it was the most fascinating thing he'd seen in centuries.
He cleared his throat politely. "Little… mate. Are you… speaking to the spirits?"
Alex whipped around. "No! I'm speaking to the worst tinder in the multiverse." He gestured wildly at the empty space where the cat hovered. "This thing basically hit the 'make him breedable' button the second you showed up!"
Naga's eyebrows shot up. He glanced left, glanced right, then back at Alex. "There is… a thing?"
"Yes! A glowing white cat with neon pink eyes and zero empathy!"
Naga leaned forward, squinting suspiciously at the air. "I see only you yelling at nothing."
The system snickered—an actual tiny cat snicker.
[System: Host, your mate cannot perceive me. Privacy protocol. Only bonded hosts get the full premium package.]
Alex groaned and flopped backward onto the moss, arms spread like a starfish. "Great. Now I look insane on top of everything else."
Naga crawled closer (because "walking" wasn't really an option for a guy whose lower half was thirty feet of powerful snake tail). He loomed over Alex, expression caught somewhere between concern, confusion, and lingering post-mating fondness.
"You are not insane," he said firmly. "You are simply… very strange. And small. And loud." He paused. "And surprisingly bendy."
Alex's face went scarlet. "Can we not bring up the bendy part right now?"
Naga's lips twitched—the closest thing to a laugh Alex had heard from him yet. "Very well." He reached out and gently booped Alex's nose with one clawed finger.
"But you are still my mate. Male. Female. Loud spirit-talker. Does not matter. The mark accepted you." He tapped the now-permanent serpent tattoo on Alex's lower belly. " That means from now on I'm your mate and will stay by your side until death do me apart."
" Did he just copied the human world's marriage vows? " Alex wondered.
[ Not a surprise there. Beastmen can have only one mate for life after all. ] System chimed in.
" What do you mean one mate? "
[ I thought you knew about beast world? ]
" Just because I know something doesn't mean I know everything about it. I only peeked few times when my sister was using her phone." Alex replied casually as if breaching someone's privacy isn't a big thing.