Her scalp tingled, her heart pounding uncontrollably. She collapsed weakly against a tree trunk. It seemed all was lost.
The wolves circled, sizing up their prey, ready to strike. Time seemed to stop.
"Roar." The leader let out a commanding growl, and the pack surged forward.
At that critical moment, Sasha acted instinctively. She placed the black cat from her arms onto the tree trunk, hoping it could escape. Cats could climb trees, after all.
But the black cat did not flee. Instead, it turned, leaping to the ground, its body suddenly expanding in size.
Before Sasha could react, it had grabbed her by the lapel and hoisted her up a tree. She gasped, stunned by the impossible scene.
"Ow," Nolan roared, fury blazing. Anyone who dared harm his female would face death.
He charged at the wolves, leaping with agility and strength. The leader wolf was thrown to the ground, bitten viciously by Nolan, who killed it instantly.
Sasha clung to a branch, eyes wide as she watched the black cat fight. Wolves attacked, but Nolan moved faster than any predator. In mere moments, dozens of wolves lay defeated.
The remaining seven or eight wolves recognized their opponent was far too strong. Their tails tucked, they fled.
Nolan's body shifted again. The elegant black cat became a lean, agile young man, standing amidst the fallen wolves.
His nails lengthened, and with swift movements, he disemboweled the carcasses, retrieving egg-sized yellow beads into his "mustard space."
He approached Sasha, steps light and graceful, green eyes fixed intently on her.
Sasha, still processing the transformation, watched nervously. The young man looked about seventeen or eighteen, with short black hair, fair, smooth skin, slanted eyebrows, a high nose, and elegant yet wild features, almost like a character out of a cartoon.
Bloodstains added a ghostly, fierce edge. His pupils, a pure emerald, contracted into vertical slits as he neared her.
Even usually composed, Sasha swallowed hard. Trembling, she pointed at him and asked, "Are you a monster?"
"What monster? I'm the orc Nolan." He smiled, revealing sharp white teeth.
The contrast struck her: a wild, flamboyant young man with canine teeth and dimples. She stepped back, confused. Orc? Wasn't that a monster?
Even stranger, he produced a piece of white rabbit fur seemingly from nowhere, cleaning the blood from his body. The yellow beads he had retrieved disappeared as if by magic.
Sasha asked in disbelief, "Where did you get that?"
"Mustard space. Every orc has it," Nolan replied, puzzled that she had never heard of an orc's portable space.
Sasha's mind reeled, recalling novels describing magical bags and rings. Could this be real?
Shaking off dizziness, she focused. "Why are you alone in the forest? It's too dangerous for females." Nolan's voice was calm but concerned.
Sasha hesitated, hiding her origin. "I don't know. I woke up here… what is this place?"
Nolan studied her frail figure with concern. "This is the foggy forest. If I hadn't found you, you would have been eaten by wild beasts or worse."
His eyes burned with seriousness. "My name is Nolan. I am a Moonclaw cat beast. I do not have a partner yet. Can you be my female?"
Sasha blinked. Female? Was he asking her to mate with an animal? She shook her head, firmly uninterested. In her mind, this orc was nothing but a cat demon.
Seeing her refusal, Nolan's green pupils narrowed slightly. He said firmly, "I met you, you are unowned, and from now on, you will be my female."
A wild, untamed smile spread across his face. "Although females are precious and can have multiple male partners, I, Nolan, can only have one female. Do you understand?"
Sasha did not want to argue about the concept of a female partner. She bent down to pick up the bag she had dropped.
As she leaned over, her eyes widened in shock. The orc in front of her appeared to be completely naked. She had thought he was just topless before.
Her gaze lingered for a moment before she blushed deeply, quickly looking away and clearing her throat. "You… why aren't you wearing clothes?"
Nolan did not seem embarrassed. "What are you afraid of? You are my partner anyway." He reached into his mustard space, pulling out a piece of animal skin and tying it around his waist.
Sasha could only stare, thinking about the strange rules of this world. Judging by what she had seen so far, these animals could transform into humans, called orcs. Clearly, he considered himself the same kind.
After a moment's consideration, she decided it would be safer to follow Nolan for now. The forest was too dangerous to wander alone.
Her stomach grumbled loudly, reminding her of how hungry she was. After days of fruit, she longed for meat.
Nolan seemed to understand. He dragged a dead wolf over, quickly removed its skin, and placed it before her. "Eat it, little female. I will eat after you finish."
Sasha stared at him in disbelief. Eat raw meat? And what was with "little female"?
Seeing her hesitation, Nolan asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is something wrong?"
"I don't eat raw meat. I eat cooked," Sasha said weakly. "And I have a name—Sasha Willow."
Hearing her name, Nolan whispered it softly, "Sasha Willow", thinking it sounded sweet.
He paused, blinking. His female friend did not eat raw meat? He recalled that the females in the tribe usually ate roasted meat. As a stray beast, he rarely interacted with females, so he didn't understand.
He rummaged through mustard space, found flints, gathered dry firewood and branches, built a frame, placed the wolf on it, and lit the fire. Flames roared up, crackling loudly.
Sasha sat nearby, resting her chin on her hands, watching Nolan work. Under the firelight, she looked enchanting, almost unreal.
Nolan glanced at her with soft, admiring eyes. His female looked more beautiful by the moment.
The aroma of roasted meat filled the air, making Sasha even hungrier. She licked her rosy lips eagerly.