In the tribe, forming a pair was always based on mutual consent. That's why only infertile females were sent to the shelter.
Fertile females were considered treasures in the tribe. Even if one ended up in a place like this, she wouldn't have the chance to give birth anyway.
"I'll remember this grudge," Yuliana thought.
Yuliana shouted back loudly, "I have a beast mate! I was tricked into coming here. I'm pregnant, there's a cub inside me!"
She hoped they might spare her for the sake of the cub.
After she had been with Yuval in the cellar, she asked the system. The system confirmed it was done, so there shouldn't be any problems.
As soon as she finished speaking, the surroundings erupted in surprise. No one expected a pregnant female to be sent to a place like this.
Females with fertility were like gold in the tribe. Their own people would guard them carefully. How could one be sold off to a place like this?
"You dare lie to me!"
A guard raised his whip in anger, ready to strike Yuliana.
Just before the whip could land, a large hand with strong fingers caught it firmly.
"You're going too far. She said she's pregnant—how could you be so cruel to a pregnant female?"
Yuliana looked up at the man who stopped the whip. He was about 1.9 meters tall with golden hair and sharp, strong features filled with anger.
The guard respectfully saluted him.
"Warrior, you must be new here. Many females have faked pregnancy before. They're sly and don't listen unless they're punished. Don't be fooled by her."
"It doesn't matter. She's just a female. I, Weyan, can afford to keep her. What was the highest offer? I'll give twenty pieces of beast skin and a roll of coarse cloth. She's coming with me."
The guard froze for a moment, then joyfully confirmed the offer again and again. Once Weyan paid, the guard politely untied Yuliana.
A female of her condition usually wouldn't even be worth twenty beast skins—let alone a roll of coarse cloth. They felt like they'd struck a gold mine with this deal.
"Little female, would you like to come home with me?"
Weyan reached out his hand. His presence radiated warmth and rescue.
She placed her soft hand in his large palm and stood up, thanking him gently.
This made the usually shy male a bit flustered. Then, the two of them walked away together.
Weyan seemed easy to talk to. As they walked, Yuliana asked about the Lynx Tribe.
But what she learned shocked her—they were already deep in the Hot Rain Jungle, far from the distant Zephyr Jungle where the Lynx Tribe lived.
Even if there weren't dangers along the way, she had no strength to make the journey. And now that she was pregnant, she couldn't risk long travels.
She had to wait for the right time to go find Yuval. Hopefully, he was safe.
For now, the most important thing was to find a safe place to give birth and claim the system's reward.
That cursed shaman probably feared the sold females might return. Aside from her, the others were likely sold far away too. Her hatred for the shaman deepened.
Weyan was a warrior from the Tiger Tribe with a level-three gift. He had come to the "Gentle Home" on behalf of his older brother to find a beautiful female as a new mate.
"You spent everything you brought to buy me. What about your brother's new wife?"
"It's okay. I'll hunt more beast skins later. The cloth was harder to get, but it doesn't matter. I just couldn't stand watching a pregnant female being bullied. Don't worry about it."
Those words touched Yuliana. His earlier act of saving her had already left an impression. Now she found herself beginning to trust this sunny young man.
With nowhere to go, and Weyan unwilling to leave a pregnant, non-hunting female alone in the wild, they decided to travel together to the Tiger Tribe.
When she was too tired to walk, Yuliana shifted into her beast form and let Weyan carry her in his arms.
For Weyan, this was his first close contact with a female. His face turned slightly red.
He hoped that once they reached the Tiger Tribe, she could find protection there.
After two days of traveling, Yuliana was exhausted.
They found a cave hidden in the jungle. She cleaned the place while Weyan went hunting, and they planned to rest for the night.
At dusk, the thick jungle mist hid Yuliana's small, busy figure.
Thirsty, she headed to the river to get some water.
The Hot Rain Jungle lay between mountain ranges and a second forest that separated it from the Zephyr Jungle.
They were now in the central area, where a large river flowed through. For Yuliana, water was even more vital than food.
After being locked in a box and rushed through the journey, her already thin frame had become even weaker. A strong wind might blow her over.
A cat beast's pregnancy lasted about two months. With the system's help, apart from a slightly bigger belly, she felt fine.
There was still about a month and a half before giving birth. She needed to nourish herself to stay strong and protect herself if danger came again.
After drinking two handfuls of water, she finally felt alive again.
"There are fish!!"
In her cat form, Yuliana couldn't resist the sight of fish swimming in the river. Her craving took over.
She reached into the water but nearly fell in. Luckily, Weyan returned just in time and grabbed her hand, pulling her against his chest.
Yuliana blushed and stepped back.
"Um… sorry for the trouble. I saw the fish and couldn't help it."
Weyan laughed heartily.
"If you wanted fish, you should've told me! A female shouldn't have to catch her own food."
He took off his clothes, then shifted into a large golden tiger and leapt into the river.
Moments later, the tiger returned with a fish in his mouth.
Back in his human form, Weyan's tall, muscular figure gleamed under the golden light of sunset. His clear abs reflected the warm glow.
He grinned at Yuliana. She couldn't help staring.
"Yuliana, here, eat." His gentle eyes made her feel safe.
She took the fish and softly thanked him.
Weyan looked at the small, delicate female who thanked him so sweetly. His back stiffened, and in just a few seconds, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
He didn't know when it started, but his ears turned red, and his hands behind his back began to sweat.
After Yuliana cleaned the rabbit Weyan had caught, they shared the raw meat. Only after eating did they feel alive again.
Yuliana actually craved cooked food, especially grilled fish and spicy rabbit meat.
She had learned to make fire before, but she didn't want to reveal that in front of a male she barely knew.
"When things settle down, I'm going to have a big feast," she muttered.
After their meal, they continued on their journey. When Yuliana got tired, she transformed into her beast form and let Weyan carry her, saving her strength.