Mate Collecting System: The Beast Kings Are Obsessed With Me

Chapter 57: The True Form of the Furless

Selka munched on her roasted deer meat, a quiet, knowing smile playing on her lips. "I meant exactly what I said... that you are not the witch Aestra."

Nuan swallowed the bite in her mouth, her mind racing as she kept her voice low. "Then who do you think I am? Nyxara?"

Selka took another bite, shaking her head. "You are not the witch Nyxara either."

"Then who do you think I truly am?"

"You are what you appear," Selka said, her silver eyes locking onto Nuan’s. "You are neither a good witch nor an evil witch... and you aren’t even a beast or prey. It is your true form—a fragile, weak body."

Nuan’s eyes instantly sharpened, shifting into a cold, predatory gaze. She refused to let herself look meek or defenseless, even under the scrutiny of an old Alpha’s mother.

"Your eyes speak of someone who stands completely above predators and prey," Selka continued, completely unfazed by Nuan’s sudden intensity. "That majestic fire in your eyes... that absolute confidence of a lion. You have a very deceiving appearance, furless. One might see you as easy prey by your body, but if they look into your eyes, they will immediately question their conclusion."

"So for you, I’m...?" Nuan pressed, leaning in.

"Mmm... someone closer to what the oldest prophecy mentioned," Selka said, finishing her piece of meat and cracking the bone between her sharp teeth. "Not many talk about this entity, as the tales do not give them a name, nor do they explain exactly how they will help the witch Aestra. Only that it is someone whose skin is as furless as a boiled egg, possesses the eyes of a true predator, and carries the sheer, unbreakable willpower of survival."

Nuan stared at her, her modern skeptic brain trying to process the mythical framing of a common Homo sapiens. "Why do you think I’m the one? The entity who will appear to help Aestra?"

"I might be wrong..." Selka shrugged, tossing the chewed-up bone into the crackling fire pit. "But I am absolutely sure of one thing. Your kind is what we all beast transforms into. I always wondered which of our forms is the true one—or if it is both. I guess I finally found my answer. You cannot transform because this is your only true form. Perhaps... It means all us beastmen are just copying something from your kind."

Nuan froze for a fraction of a second, completely stunned by the old wolf’s terrifyingly sharp philosophical deduction. Then, a genuine chuckle slipped past her lips, escalating into a quiet, amused laugh.

"You are the second person in this jungle who has called this my true form, and who is actually smart enough to understand what I am," Nuan said, a wave of respect washing over her as she finally took another bite of her meat.

Selka laughed softly, her ears perking up. "Oh? So who was the first smart person you encountered?"

"Eryx," Nuan replied with a wry smile. "Well, he hasn’t explained his full theories to me yet because Kael was always hovering around us like a loud guard dog, but he is definitely a sharp guy."

Selka nodded slowly, looking into the distance as she chewed on a stray piece of meat. "You might already be well aware, but let me warn you... snakes are creatures you shouldn’t trust easily. They hide their venom behind sweet words and cold eyes."

Nuan nodded, munching away casually. "Yeah, I’m aware. Don’t worry, I never fully let my guard down around a predator."

Selka smiled, leaning back onto her hands on the cool rock, her face tilting up to watch the vast canopy of stars.

The quiet moment didn’t last long, though. A small group of older pack members slowly shuffled over, their ears pitched forward. One of them stepped ahead, her gaze dropping directly onto Nuan’s neatly wrapped hand. "That smell from earlier... that incredibly fresh blood coming from the herb den. Was it yours, Witch?"

Nuan let out an awkward cough, shifting slightly on the rock.

Before she could fumble an excuse, Selka leaned forward, her deep voice cutting through the night with absolute authority. "The Witch’s blood was spilt for a sacred ritual. If you catch the scent of her blood again, do not dare go near her. Keep your wild instincts under strict control. She will soon be bearing our clan’s blood mark."

The elders gasped, their tails stiffening.

"Wha...?"

"Our clan’s blood mark?!"

"The outsider is going to be an honored pack member..."

They all started mumbling frantically among themselves, their suspicious looks instantly melting into deep awe. Selka gave them a sharp, dismissive flick of her ears, signaling them to leave. They quickly bowed their heads and backed away into the firelight.

Nuan let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, giving Selka a thankful nod for the quick cover story. She slowly finished the last of her venison. By the time she was done, the news had traveled like wildfire through the camp. Every single wolf tearing into the deer carcasses had been informed that the human was officially joining the inner circle under the protection of the Silver Grey blood mark.

Nuan sighed as she felt dozens of eyes constantly stealing glances at her from across the fire pits, the low rumbles of their murmurs floating on the wind.

Wow, word of mouth in this a pack really is faster than my actual eating mouth, she thought, tossing her clean bone straight into the snapping flames.

She stood up on her good leg and gave her arms a long, dramatic stretch. "Well, then. I think I’ll head in and get some sleep."

Selka nodded, her posture relaxing again. "Go on. Just take care of that palm. Even with the true Whiteclaw, body will still take two full days to heal completely."

"Got it," Nuan said. She looked over at the main fire pit where Kael was aggressively staring down a younger wolf who had looked at her for a second too long. She whistled softly, signaling the needy Alpha that it was time to head back to the den.