Chapter 70: Empty Conscience
’What the fuck? What the fuck? What the actual fuck?!’
The knowledge that Feron could have walked into her shelter while she was in heat, that he had intended to touch her without her consent, that she had been vulnerable and someone had tried to exploit that, made something dark curl in her stomach.
Her gaze strayed to Kiri.
This was no longer a joke. She needed to get rid of that fox!
’Did she fucking lure that bastard to my tent so he could assault me?!’
[\(˚☐˚")/]
[This system wanted to relay this message!]
’Are you freaking kidding me? What happened?!’
[This beast male entered your shelter with vile intentions, but this system can confirm that Host physically expelled him!]
’Wait. What?’
Tera tried to think back to what happened during the heat.
She had a fuzzy memory of someone entering the shelter, followed by a surge of rage...
’Hold on... Did I fling him out?’
[Yes!]
[The force applied was considerable due to a heat-induced adrenaline surge combined with territorial instinct!]
[Host’s body temporarily exceeded its physical limitations to remove a perceived threat]
[This system was equally surprised]
[And mildly horrified]
So, she had actually launched a fully grown jackal beast male out of the shelter with her bare hands.
Tera would have been impressed with herself if she wasn’t so disturbed.
"How can you not remember how you got there?" Ermin pressed, his voice cold.
"I think I should hit you on the head to make you remember," Xavi growled.
Feron’s tail tucked so far between his legs it was practically trying to crawl inside his own body.
"All I can remember was talking to Kiri!" he squeaked.
Kiri went rigid.
[The fox female’s heart rate has spiked!]
[She is nervous!]
[૮( `д´*)ა]
[Her plan must have backfired after Host’s beautiful intervention!]
Tera tried not to let her discomfort show on her face. She didn’t want to give Kiri that luxury, and even if she mentioned Feron had indeed walked into her shelter, Kiri would go scot-free again.
[Host, this fox is a dangerous schemer!]
’I can see that.’
"What did you discuss?" Xavi glanced between Kiri and Feron, and unsurprisingly, the male could not answer.
The bloody fool did not remember anything.
Tera wished she had been sensible enough to kick him where the sun didn’t shine so his head would still have remained intact.
Kiri instantly jumped at the opportunity.
"All we talked about was me wanting to mate with him, and he agreed!"
Someone spoke up, their voice so low it nearly got lost in the murmurs. "But I didn’t smell his scent on you."
Kiri flinched, glaring at the beast male who had just spoken up. The male flinched in return at the sudden attention.
"Don’t lie just because I didn’t want to mate with you!"
His eyes bulged. "I did not—"
Kiri whirled to Xavi, her eyes watering. "He is lying." Then she faced the others. "Does anyone not remember me having his scent?"
Tera held her breath in excitement, only for it to crash when some of the clan members looked a bit confused and lost. Saying something about how they couldn’t clearly remember, as they had been more occupied with finding the missing Feron and how Kiri had just quickly entered the shelter to sleep.
"Even so, you wouldn’t have clearly smelt anything. I had washed myself after," she snapped, turning to the male who had spoken up.
He looked ashamed now, as if he was doubting himself.
"I was mistaken..."
’No... Things won’t go your way.’
Tera was about to address the situation when the fox female played her final card.
Kiri placed both hands on her stomach with a gentle, protective gesture.
"I am with cub. This stress is not good for me or the child."
Kiri’s eyes were wet and wide, the picture of a vulnerable mother-to-be defending her unborn child.
Her voice cracked as she continued, "Please. I do not need this stress now. All of this is making me feel unwell, and if something happens to the cub because of this—"
She raised her hand to her face like she was about to faint, leaving the implication hanging like a threat wrapped in silk.
Even Xavi suddenly looked uncomfortable.
’Oh, this bitch is BOLD.’
Tera was starting to get even more pissed off, but with how some of the clan members were acting by moving towards Kiri in a protective circle, accusing her was not the best move right now.
’Scan her. Now!’
[Scanning Kiri...]
[No conception detected!]
[This female’s uterus is as empty as her conscience!]
[(·•᷄_•᷅ )]
Tera almost choked.
As much as she would love to expose Kiri right now, there was no way she could explain how she knew the fox wasn’t pregnant.
Tera watched Kiri dab at her eyes, accepting comfort from another female. The tears were convincing. The trembling lip was a nice touch. The slightly protective curl of her arm around her stomach—which was completely flat and empty—was the finishing touch.
Tera’s mind was reeling.
It would be better to hold this off till later. A fake pregnancy was a ticking clock.
Kiri couldn’t fake a growing belly or any other physical transformations that would accompany it.
And in a few months, Kiri’s stomach would still be flat while every other pregnant female in the clan was visibly swelling. Tera did not need to accuse Kiri now. The lie would eat itself very soon.
But at the same time, it was also a problem.
Tera could think of two options, one of which would especially put herself in trouble.
Kiri could find a way and use this to frame Tera. Accusing her of causing Kiri to miscarry, which would easily excuse her lack of growing pregnancy.
And anything could cause it. The herbs, pushing herself against Tera and forcing a fall, or many other options.
Tera frowned.
She had woken up in a beast world. Why were things currently playing out like a soap opera because of this buffoon?
Another option was Kiri actually getting pregnant in the meantime to cover her tracks.
Tera would rather eat rocks than let that happen.
She was going to watch Kiri closely. Very closely. If the fox tried to sleep with another male to make the pregnancy real, Tera would do everything in her power to cock block the stupid idiot.
The idea of actively sabotaging Kiri’s mating attempts filled Tera with a petty, vindictive glee.
There was no way she was going to lose in a battle of brains against some primitive schemer!
Meanwhile, Ermin had been watching the entire exchange in frustration.
He did not trust the fox female at all.