The Wicked Female and Her Eight Beastmen Mates: Pregnant From Day One - Chapter 8:

The Counterattack

Al’s scream tore through the forest, sharp enough to make both Bafeng and Feng stop fighting.

They were evenly matched, two predators locked in a stalemate that neither could win.

Bafeng’s flames died out. He shot Feng a cold glance, then vanished

gone in a blur of motion like smoke caught in a gust of wind.

Feng hesitated only a moment before realizing where Bafeng was going.

The white fox females. He was going to rescue them. Feng took a few steps to follow then froze.

The totem on his chest flared to life again, hotter than ever,

burning like molten metal against his skin.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The pulsing heat matched the rhythm of his own heartbeat,

until it was impossible to tell which was which.

He knew what it meant. His bondmate was close.

Without a second thought, he changed course, moving toward that pull

the invisible thread that linked his cursed soul to the one who could end it.

He needed to find her.

And then he needed to kill her.

Only that could break the Beast God’s curse.

Deep in the jungle, Bai Yue was lost.

System, which way now? she muttered, scraping mud off the soles of her feet against a tree root.

The dirt here clung like glue five steps and she felt like she was wearing clay boots.

I’m scanning… the system replied weakly.

As a so-called “Knowledge System,” it was a walking encyclopedia,

but when it came to anything practical, it was hopeless.

Malfunctions were practically part of its personality.

Hurry up. If you take any longer, your lovely host is going to end up as mosquito food.

Scanning, scanning, the system said hurriedly.

While she waited, Bai Yue sat down under a tree. The forest around her was thick and shadowed,

alive with the chirps and hums of unseen insects.

She stared blankly at the canopy, bored and tired.

Then—silence.

The world went dead still. No wind. No rustle. Not even the faintest buzz of wings.

Every instinct screamed that something was wrong.

She shot to her feet. Too late.

Two iron-strong arms clamped around her waist from behind, pinning her in place.

A searing heat pressed against her back a body, tall and solid.

She barely reached the stranger’s chest.

Her heart went cold. She struggled, but his grip didn’t budge.

Who are you? Her voice shook.

No answer.

The hands at her waist shifted one stayed firm while the other slid upward,

rough fingers tracing along her side until they reached her neck.

He closed his hand there, not choking, but holding as if testing the fragility of her life.

The killing intent was suffocating.

He was going to kill her.

Her whole body tensed, every nerve alive with terror. If he squeezed just a little harder,

her neck would snap.

His thumb brushed lazily over her throat, the touch light and deliberate,

like a predator toying with its prey.

Who are you? Bai Yue tried again, forcing her voice not to tremble.

The only response was a low chuckle, cruel and amused.

What’s your name? The beastman’s voice was slow, smooth, careless

like someone asking a pretty pet what it was called.

She couldn’t see his face, but Feng’s eyes flickered with something unreadable.

The totem over his heart had gone silent the moment he touched her.

No more burning, no more pulsing just stillness.

He had come here to kill her.

To slay the female who held his fate.

But now that she was right in front of him, every drop of hatred

built over two decades began to crumble.

Was this the Beast God’s punishment?

To make him want to destroy her and yet be unable to harm her?

Be good, tell me your name, he said again when she didn’t answer, his tone soft but dangerous.

He wanted her to look at him, to remember his face but shame coiled inside him.

The scar that ran across his cheek had always marked him as less than the others.

Would she find him disgusting? Would she turn away, like all the rest?

White Yue, she whispered, trembling like a frightened rabbit.

White Yue… he murmured, rolling the name on his tongue as if memorizing it.

My name is Feng. Like the wind wandering, restless, without a home.

Bai Yue forced a faint smile, trying to seem harmless, while inside she was screaming for help.

System, system, do something!

The system’s voice chimed in instantly, suddenly more alert than usual.

Wait don’t panic.

Turn around and face him. I think he’s your bondmate.

Can you keep me alive if you’re wrong? she asked faintly. Because I really, really don’t want to die.

Guaranteed.

Encouraged by the system’s fake confidence, Bai Yue took a deep breath and began to turn.

Don’t move, Feng barked.

She froze, blurting out the excuse she’d rehearsed in her head.

I just… I just want to see what you look like. Is that okay?

Her voice was soft, breathy, almost fragile and something in it tugged at

Feng’s heart like invisible fingers.

You’re not afraid I might be ugly? he asked quietly.

Of course not. Looks don’t matter. Everyone’s born the way they’re meant to be.

She answered without thinking, more worried about why he was even asking

about the meaning behind it.

Feng stared at her, startled by the sincerity in her tone. For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then, hesitantly, he loosened his grip.

Bai Yue turned around slowly.

He was tall, sharp-featured, his face set in tension. A hooked nose,

fierce brows, and one long, jagged scar carved from temple to jaw.

She didn’t flinch. Instead, she reached up and touched the scar with curious fingers.

How did this happen?

Feng’s throat moved as he swallowed. For the first time in his life, he felt the urge to confess.

A wild beast attacked me.

Does it hurt?

His pride almost made him shake his head but when he met her eyes, something softened.

It does.

Good, she said brightly. Then before he could react,

she whipped out a knife from who-knows-where and swung it straight at his face.

Feng barely dodged, eyes widening.

She tried to kill me?

But by the time he regained his balance, the girl was gone. Vanished.

He stood there, stunned, one hand over the still-burning totem on his chest.

She lied to me.

Bai Yue stumbled through the forest, panting and terrified.

Ahhhh—too scary! I almost died back there!

Only when she saw the familiar outline of the cave did her heart finally settle.

The system spoke up, reciting data from the scan in its usual monotone.

Dark Beastman — a race cursed by the Beast God. They take pleasure in killing their own kind.

They cannot die, except by the hand of their bondmate.

Bondmate? What’s that supposed to mean?

It means the one beast who has the power to kill them.

Then… I hope his bondmate finds him soon, Bai Yue whispered, still trembling.

Just remembering his hand at her throat made her skin crawl.

If he’d wanted to kill her, she’d already be a corpse.

System, when do I get my reward?

Right now.