Taming the Beast World with a Frying Pan-Chapter 198: The Versace of the Jungle

Ren blinked, water dripping from her eyelashes. The sexually charged atmosphere popped like a soap bubble.

"Cubs?" Ren squeaked.

She wasn’t expecting the baby conversation to come up already. But Kael was looking at her with such earnest, golden eyes, waiting for an answer.

Ren took a deep breath. She decided to be honest.

"I want them," Ren admitted, placing a hand on his wet chest. "I want to have babies with you. And... well, with Syris too. I want a big, chaotic, mixed-species family."

Kael’s ears twitched at the mention of Syris, but he didn’t growl. He was making progress.

"But," Ren continued, her face turning serious. "I can’t get pregnant right now. I have a... situation."

Kael frowned, tilting his head. "A situation? Is your womb broken?"

"No! It works fine!" Ren defended.

She held up her left arm, pointing to the faint, small scar on the underside of her upper arm. Beneath the skin, a tiny, rod-shaped object could be felt.

"This," Ren explained, tapping the spot. "This is called a Nexplanon. It’s a... magic stick. It stops babies from happening."

Kael leaned in, sniffing her arm. He looked at the skin suspiciously.

"It is expired," Ren said grimly. "It stopped working properly a while ago. I need to get it out. Until it’s out, my body is confused. I can’t get pregnant with it in there."

Kael’s eyes narrowed. He looked at the offending patch of skin as if it were a parasite.

"I can take it out," Kael offered confidently.

He opened his mouth, revealing his razor-sharp fangs.

"I will bite it," he demonstrated, snapping his jaws near her bicep. "Quick. Clean."

Ren’s eyes widened in horror. She snatched her arm back, clutching it to her chest.

"Absolutely not!" Ren shrieked. "No biting!"

"I would be very gentle," Kael argued, looking offended. "I can peel a grape."

"And I’m sure you can also crush a skull! The answer is no!"

Ren sighed, rubbing her arm. "I will cut it out myself. But not yet. We are homeless, Kael. Raising kids while living in a borrowed cave in a tree is simply poor future planning. I want a house. I want a crib."

’System,’ Ren thought nervously. ’Can I wait? Just a little longer? Until we build the mansion?’

[System: You can wait as long as you want, Host. However, the longer the expired foreign object remains, the higher the probability of permanent hormonal disruption. In layman’s terms: Infertility.]

The word echoed in Ren’s mind like a gavel striking a desk.

Infertility.

A cold knot formed in her stomach.

She looked up at Kael. He was watching her, sensing her distress.

"Kael," Ren whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "If... if something happens... and I can’t have babies... would you leave me?"

Kael’s face fell. He hated seeing her worry. He hated the scent of fear that spiked in her pheromones.

He reached out, cupping her face with his large, wet hands.

"Ren," he said firmly. "Look at me."

She met his gaze.

"You are my mate," Kael vowed. "With cubs or without cubs. I would never abandon you."

Ren swallowed the lump in her throat. "Promise?"

"I swear it on my stripes," Kael promised, kissing her forehead.

Ren leaned into him, wanting to believe him. But the doubt lingered in the back of her mind. Even in her modern world, men left women for less. "Barren" was a heavy word. No man wanted a dead garden.

’He’s only saying that now,’ Ren thought pessimistically.

She shook her head. She didn’t want to ruin the mood with her spiraling anxiety.

She looked down at the pile of dirty wool on the grass.

"Ugh," Ren groaned. "I really wish I didn’t have to wear that thing. It’s an instrument of torture disguised as clothing."

Kael looked at the dress, then at her.

"I will make you a dress," Kael announced suddenly.

Ren blinked. "Excuse me?"

"A dress," Kael repeated. "I can make one. Better than that sheep-fur dress."

Ren’s jaw dropped. She looked at his massive hands—hands that could crush boulders and decapitate oxen.

"You..." Ren stammered. "You have a hidden talent in fashion? You sew?"

Kael puffed out his chest. "I am a King. I have many skills."

Ren covered her naked body with the itchy wool dress but didn’t put it on. She followed Kael toward a cluster of broad-leafed trees, her curiosity piqued.

He walked with such confidence that Ren had a hard time doubting him.

’Maybe tigers are naturally artistic?’ Ren wondered. ’Maybe he weaves grass? Maybe he’s the Versace of the Jungle?’

She watched with great anticipation as Kael walked up to a tree with massive, fan-like leaves. He reached up and stripped several of them with a sharp snap.

"Turn around," Kael commanded over his shoulder. "I want to surprise you."

Ren turned around, clutching her wool dress, vibrating with excitement.

’A custom dress!’ Ren thought giddily. ’Made by my husband! This is so romantic!’

Ding! 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

[System: Congratulations! Daily Mission "Cardio" Completed. Reward: Endurance/Stamina +1.]

Ren paused. She wiggled her legs. There was a dull ache in her thighs and hips, but she was standing. She was walking. She wasn’t crawling on the ground begging for mercy.

’Huh,’ Ren thought. ’I had rough sex with a tiger without any prep or aphrodisiacs, and I’m still whole. The buff is definitely real.’

She bit her bottom lip, her mind wandering back to the waterhole.

It had been intense. It had been primal. But...

’I need to teach him foreplay,’ Ren decided. ’Don’t get me wrong, being ravaged is great, but a girl needs a warmup. I like the rough stuff, but I really like the slow stuff too.’

Her face flushed as she imagined Kael’s large, warm hands taking their time. Exploring her. Teasing her.

’Next time,’ Ren promised herself. ’I’m giving him a lesson in "Slow Burn".’

"Done!" Kael announced proudly.

Ren jumped.

"Already?" she asked, it hadn’t been long.

"Yes," Kael said. "It is perfect."

Ren’s heart soared. Fast and talented?

She turned around with high hopes and even higher expectations.