Chapter 115: You’re My Good Friend

Nuan carefully set the clay pieces on a bed of warm ash inside the existing fire pit instead of placing them directly into the flames, ensuring the sudden heat wouldn’t crack the delicate structures.

​She started with a small, gentle fire to heat them slowly, letting the last traces of hidden moisture escape before gradually feeding in more dry hardwood until the fire burned hot and steady.

​"I’ll keep it like that, surrounded by steady flames for the next few hours," Nuan murmured to herself, wiping a soot smudge from her cheek.

​She stood up and stretched, her eyes drifting toward the treeline just as the hunting troop broke through the foliage.

They were hauling two massive Muskoxen.

Instead of dragging the heavy carcasses through the dirt, the wolves had adapted—carrying a thick, sturdy wooden branch over their broad shoulders from both sides, with the Muskoxen’s legs securely tied to the middle of the pole with vine ropes.

​"Whaaa!!! You guys actually managed to take down another massive prey again?!" Nuan cheered, walking over to meet them with a bright grin. "Look at you all! You’re getting stronger!"

​With a collective groan of relief, the hunters lowered the heavy pole, letting both Muskoxen hit the grass with a dull thud.

The wolves immediately collapsed onto the ground, huffing and panting heavily from the exertion.

​"Hunting big prey is great, but dragging them all the way back to camp is exhausting," one of the hunters gasped, resting his chin on his paws.

​"Weak! You all need to build proper muscle like me," Kael huffed, strutting over to untie the vine ropes from the Muskoxen’s legs.

​Nuan tapped her chin, looking at the exhausted wolves and then at the massive, heavy shapes of the Muskoxen.

The wolves were very strong and fast, but hauling heavy weight over long distances was an anatomical nightmare for them too.

​A mischievous smirk spread across her face. Time to introduce one of humanity’s greatest inventions. Wheels!

​Granted, it was a rough jungle, so she couldn’t just use simple rolling logs. She needed to engineer thick, sturdy wooden wheels with flat surfaces. Yep, time to build a proper pushcart for them.

​"Hey, guys, can you all help me out in a few days?" Nuan asked, turning to the resting troop. "I’ll need you to find a thick, solid hardwood log and cut it into large, even, round discs. Not right now, of course, but keep an eye out for the right tree!"

​"Sure, Witch, but what are the round logs even for?" one hunter asked, tilting his head.

​"And how are we supposed to cut wood into perfect shapes like that?" another added.

​"Hmm, well, we will get to that part very soon," Nuan murmured with a mysterious wave of her hand. "For now, I just need a little bit of one-on-one time with your Alpha!"

​Kael’s ears shot straight up. His chest instantly puffed out, and a smug, victorious smirk stretched across his face. She wants my time! his inner beast rumbled with absolute pride.

​"Yeah, yeah, big boy, come with me," Nuan said, rolling her eyes.

​Kael didn’t waste a fraction of a second. He marched over and firmly grabbed her hand, immediately trying to lead her toward the dark entrance of the Alpha den.

​But Nuan stopped dead in her tracks, planting her heels into the dirt.

​"Rrrrr?" Kael stopped, turning his head back toward her in utter confusion.

​"What do you mean, ’rrrr’? Why are you trying to lead me inside the den?!" Nuan snapped, her face flushing slightly. "We are staying right here in the open clearing! We don’t need to go into a dark cave for this!"

​Kael tilted his head, his golden eyes wide and entirely earnest. "You want to do it in front of everyone?"

​"You have got to be kidding me..." Nuan hissed. She violently yanked her wrist out of his grip and delivered a swift, disciplinary smack right to the side of his head with her fist. "Seriously, how dirty-minded can you be?! How can you even think of something like that?! I am not taking your time to do those kinds of things with you. I want to talk to you! Do you get it? Just talk!"

​Muttering under her breath, Nuan turned on her heel and walked over to the freshly caught Muskoxen laying on the grass.

​"Talk..." Kael repeated, rubbing the spot on his head as he trotted after her, settling down beside the massive carcass.

​Nuan gestured to the surrounding wolves to give them some space. The hunters quickly took the hint, spreading out across the clearing to rest by the fire pits, leaving Nuan and Kael standing alone in front of the prey.

​"Hmm, this thick, furry skin is going to be incredibly useful for making warm winter clothes later," Nuan murmured. She pulled her knife out of her system inventory and knelt down, carefully slicing along the hide to skin the beast.

​Kael sat cross-legged right next to her, his eyes tracking the movement of her blade. "What do you want to talk about? Are we finally mating soon?"

​"No, Kael," Nuan sighed, pausing her blade to look at him dead in the eye. "It’s actually about what I’ve been trying to tell you lately. Look, Kael... I really like how much you’ve changed. You aren’t that controlling, caging, territorial guy anymore."

​"I am learning for you!" he stated proudly, his tail giving a soft thump against the dirt.

​"Yes, and I’m genuinely happy about it," Nuan said, her voice softening. "You always hunt with me, you bring me the exact wood I need for my crafts, and you show me around the territory now that my leg is fully healed. You’re trying so hard to be careful and attentive. Do you know what all of that makes you?"

​Kael’s face lit up with a proud, radiant grin, his chest expanding. "Your mate!!!"

​"No, dear," Nuan countered gently, giving him a fond, sympathetic smile. "It makes you my good friend. Like, a really, really good one!"