I had a brief moment to gather my thoughts as the other women recounted their ordeal. They were from the bear tribe, kidnapped during a feral attack on their village. The scorpion, they explained, awaited the return of another feral leading the beasts astray before taking them to the feral city. I was already confused from their words, feral? And bear as in, they could transform too? My arrival had disrupted the scorpio's plan, and now all eyes were on me, awaiting my side of the story.

Opting for the safest path, I spoke cautiously, "I don't remember anything except my name and a few random things. I just woke up in the forest and followed the voices." Memory loss, that's the only thing I could think of to say. Telling them I'm not from this world seemed too much of a risk. The wolf beside me , Ace, which I heard other wolf call him, seemed a bit concerned. "It's most probably memory loss due to excessive shock or injury," he suggested. The older leader, nodding in agreement, and decided to escort me to the city's healer upon our return.

He went on to explain that they, a hunting party from the City of Beasts, had sensed our presence after they had came out to hunt for food to stock for the winters. Assuring us that the scorpion ferals were unlikely to return and couldn't breach the city's defenses, he outlined our immediate plan. "We'll be returning tomorrow morning. Until then, you females should eat, rest, and think about who you want to choose as your mate."

The mention of "mate" sparked my curiosity, and I blurted out, "Mate?" All eyes turned towards me, and the leader clarified, "It's a rule in the city that any new females rescued should choose one of the males who rescued them as their mate." The prospect made me nervous. Mate definitely meant what I thought it did. "What if I don't want to?"

The leader's expression tightened, hinting at his disapproval. Not wanting to get on his bad side, I added "Since I can hardly remember anything of my past, I was hoping I'll be given a little time to recover before choosing anyone". That seemed to pacify him a little. "If you do not choose a mate, you'll be on your own. We can allow you to stay in the city and even give you a house for a few months, but that's it. You'll have to procure food for yourself, mostly from your suitors who are courting you. Same goes for clothes." His gaze lingered on my attire, still damp, and it was evident that he found it peculiar.

"Very well. I understand," I replied, concealing my apprehension. As his words sank in, a whirlwind of thoughts circled my mind.