Chapter 12: You Are My Mate

"Run!" The fox was incredibly agile, quickly breaking free from the predicament, pulling Clara along as they sprinted. After a few steps, Clara tripped, and the three beast rushed towards them. Two went for the fox, and one aimed for her.

She was in real trouble! Suddenly, a white figure leaped out from the forest. "Mateo!" Clara exclaimed in surprise.

The white fox, injured and now transformed into a single-tailed white fox, struggled to climb a tree, panting heavily.

With Mateo taking on three opponents, Clara didn't know what kind of beasts they were. They transformed into humanoid forms and engaged in a fierce battle. Gradually, Mateo seemed to be losing ground, getting kicked and beaten. "Stop! Don't hurt him!" Clara cried out, rushing forward and embracing Mateo. "You stupid vixen! Why don't you run!"

Mateo, both angry and helpless, turned over and shielded Clara beneath him.

Suddenly, a large group of beast flooded into the forest, all from the lion tribe. The three foreign beast were surrounded and bound, then escorted into the tribe.

In the open space of the tribe, a large bonfire was lit. The three captive beast were tied to poles, and the other beast gathered around to watch. For the first time, Clara saw so many of these people, and they seemed to recognize her. Mateo was severely injured, with wounds on his head. Clara felt distressed and sad, and she noticed that everyone looked at her with unfriendly eyes.

"The chief is here!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd automatically made way for an old beast with a cane to slowly approach. Several other elders followed, and grandma was among them. Granny glanced at Clara and Mateo, sighed lightly, wondering if she should continue to persist.

"Old lion, release us!" the three captive beast shouted.

"This little vixen was discovered by us first. You lion tribe is bullying us!"

Clara was startled and discreetly looked at the bound beast. Two of them were not fully evolved, with black noses and fierce leopard-like eyes. They had leopard-patterned ears on their heads. They were black leopards!

The old chief, who had just returned from visiting other tribes, was puzzled as he glanced at the elders behind him. "What's going on?"

No one spoke, all looking at Mateo's Grandma. This matter was somewhat unclear.

"Clara is now Mateo's mate! So, she cannot be given to the Black Leopard tribe!" Mateo's Grandma stated firmly. She was still wearing the grass shoes Clara had given her, feeling comfortable. This child was quite good. If her guess was correct, this child would change the tribe.

Mateo's Grandma was an esteemed elder in the tribe, even the chief didn't have the same level of respect. When Mateo's Grandma spoke, the old chief nodded and addressed the Black Leopards, "I will let you go. It's the law of the jungle. However, this female is now a lion's mate and cannot be taken by you!"

The Black Leopards felt aggrieved but outnumbered, so they reluctantly stopped arguing. As they left, they left a threat, promising to reclaim Clara during the next mate selection ceremony.

Clara shivered, cowering next to Mateo, trembling slightly.

With the Black Leopards resolved, the old chief assessed Clara standing beside Mateo. She was so petite, with no ears and no tail! The old chief was surprised and exchanged glances with Mateo's Grandma. He frowned, "This female cannot stay in the tribe!"

Everyone was shocked. The beast in the tribe whispered to each other, and Clara was even more stunned. If they didn't allow her to stay, she would either die in the jungle or be plundered by other tribes. The memory of the three Black Leopards sent shivers down Clara's spine.

Suddenly, a small hand tugged at Clara's fur coat. It was the fox that had saved her. The fox grinned and said, "Why don't you come with me to the fox den!"

As soon as the fox finished speaking, it received a glare from Mateo and quickly slinked away.

The old chief and Mateo's Grandma argued, "This female will bring disaster to the tribe! Have you forgotten the words of our ancestors?"

The old chief recalled the words of the ancient elders who spoke of a species that once dominated the beast tribes. The description matched Clara closely. It wasn't important, but what was terrifying was that many of their kind were slaughtered by this species. It took a great disaster to destroy that species, allowing their tribe to survive.

While the elders discussed, many heard their words, and the beast started to grow fearful. "Chief, we cannot keep her. She will bring doom upon us," a beast roared.

More and more beast joined in, calling for Clara's expulsion. They discussed past terrifying events, the invasion of foreign tribes, and the slaughtering of many lions. Even Mateo was moved; his parents fell victim to the massacre.

The tribe was cautious about accepting foreign species, and they mostly kidnapped vixens from the fox tribe. A species like Clara was rare, and in their eyes, she seemed dangerous.

How could this be? Clara leaned against Mateo, who looked down at her with a peculiar feeling. This female had lived with him for only two days, appeared weak, and was kind. How could she pose a danger?

"She is my mate! No one is allowed to drive her away!" Mateo stepped forward, shouting loudly. Clara was startled! Mateo looked so tall and imposing, and he actually stood up to protect her!

The beast fell silent, exchanging glances. Mateo had spoken, and they hesitated to object.

The elders were also surprised, but Mateo's Grandma nodded knowingly. She was determined to persist! She understood the chief's concerns, but she believed Clara could bring prosperity to the tribe. More importantly, Clara might be able to give birth to healthy females. In the jungle, the number of children was decreasing.

Mateo's Grandma shared her thoughts with the old chief, who remained skeptical. He left a stern warning, "If she fails, I will exile her from the tribe."

Clara felt particularly nervous, fearing she would be driven away. As the chief angrily left, she sighed in relief. Mateo's Grandma approached, comforting her, "Don't be afraid. Stay here with peace of mind!"

Addressing Mateo, she added, "You must protect Clara well!"

This turmoil had a significant impact on Clara. Even though the chief left, the beast lingered, not understanding the chief's final words. However, they heard the word "disaster" and found it terrifying. The female beast, in particular, were both fearful and angry. From the beginning, they were skeptical of this female, and now they believed she brought disaster to the tribe. Despite their thoughts, they didn't dare to act out in front of Mateo's Grandma.

Gloria and Rowan inquired about Mateo and Clara's situation, ensuring they were unharmed, then returned to their homes.

Clara followed Mateo back to the thatched house. Once inside, she began packing her belongings. She decided to leave! When dawn broke, she would depart. Clara could sense the fear and rejection from the tribe, and she knew Mateo had probably wanted to chase her away long ago.

Clara wiped away her tears. After the night's commotion, dawn arrived, and Clara, with a backpack on her back, prepared to leave.

Mateo had been puzzled by Clara packing her things the moment she returned and now seeing her with a backpack, ready to leave, he was taken aback. He quickly ran to Clara and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going home. Thank you for taking care of me these past two days." Clara bowed slightly to Mateo, then with her hands holding the backpack straps, she lowered her head and walked toward the main road.

"Where is your home? I'll walk you there!" Mateo, surprised at her sudden decision to leave, thought it best to accompany her.

Clara felt a bitter pang in her heart, shaking her head. "No need. I don't even know where home is." She continued to walk, and Mateo watched her disappearing figure with growing unease. Suddenly feeling reluctant, Clara was his mate after all.

He ran after her, embracing Clara and lifting her off the ground, heading back the way they came. Clara was startled, but inwardly she smiled. It seemed Mateo couldn't bear to let her go. Well, she had to test him!

"Let me go! I want to go home!" Clara pounded on Mateo, shouting.

"You are my mate. You're not allowed to go back!" Mateo, with a stern expression, declared stubbornly.