"Qinglan, you must stay completely still and silent. The women of the village have gathered at the central fire, and their voices carry on the wind tonight. They're not happy about a new female suddenly appearing—especially a human one who's already caught the eyes of Mu Lei and that snake Si Yuan."
Elder Shen's whisper was barely louder than the crackle of the low fire as he knelt beside her furs, his wrinkled face etched with fresh lines of concern. He had returned from the head hunter's meeting just after dusk, bringing the usual basket of food but also this urgent warning. Mu Lei stood guard outside as always, but even his shadow seemed tense, ears pricked toward the distant murmur of female voices drifting from the village square.
Qinglan sat up slowly, clutching the hidden pouch of freshly crushed herbs beneath her cloak. The secret medicine she had brewed in the dead of night was already working—her limbs felt a fraction stronger, the constant ache in her frail body easing just enough to let her think clearly. But she kept every movement weak and trembling, exactly as the orphan girl they all expected.
"Who… who are they talking about?" she asked in her smallest voice, eyes wide with pretend fear. Inside, the reborn woman from her past life was already steeling herself. Jealousy. Of course. In her old life, boardroom rivals had smiled to her face and stabbed her in the back with contracts. Here, in the Beast Realm, the knives would be sharper—and probably tipped with claws.
Elder Shen glanced toward the cave entrance before leaning closer. "Ruo Mei. She's the loudest one out there. A fox shifter female from the outer huts—pretty enough to turn heads, but she's been the only unmarried girl in this village for three seasons. The beastmen pamper her, bring her the best cuts of meat, build her a private corner in the longhouse. Now you've appeared, human and rare, and suddenly Mu Lei won't leave your side. Even Si Yuan lingered too long today. The other women are listening to her. They're saying you're stealing attention that should be theirs."
A soft, bitter laugh escaped one of the distant voices on the wind, high and sharp. "That weak little river rat? She can't even stand without shaking. How is she supposed to bear strong cubs? We should drive her out before the Wolf Clan takes her and leaves us with nothing."
Qinglan's stomach twisted. The mate bond in her chest gave a sharp, warning throb, pulling harder toward the forest where Helian Xuan's golden eyes waited. She pressed a hand over her heart to hide the tremor, forcing her face to stay blank and scared.
Mu Lei's growl rumbled from outside, low enough that only they could hear. "I can go scatter them, Elder. One word and they'll remember their place."
"No," Elder Shen said quickly, voice firm. "That would only make it worse. Ruo Mei is clever with her words. She's already planting seeds—telling the others that a human female brings bad luck, that the spirits will curse the village if we keep her. They're planning something small for tonight. A 'welcome gift' that might spoil by morning. Rotten meat left near the cave, maybe, or a few sharp stones in your path tomorrow. Nothing that can be traced back to them, but enough to make you sick or scare you into running."
Qinglan's fingers tightened around the hidden herb pouch. She had already used her past-life knowledge to brew a mild tonic that could counter minor poisons, but she couldn't reveal that. Not yet. "I… I don't want to cause fights," she whispered, letting real tears well up for effect. "Maybe I should just go with the Wolf Clan when they come at dawn. Then no one here will be angry with me."
Mu Lei's shadow shifted violently at the entrance, his golden eyes flashing as he stepped halfway inside. "You're not going anywhere with them. Not if I have anything to say about it." His voice was rough, protective fire burning in every word. "Those jealous females can plot all they want. I'll tear their little schemes apart before they touch one hair on your head."
Elder Shen patted her shoulder gently. "For now, stay hidden. I'll have Mu Lei watch the perimeter extra close tonight. Ruo Mei and her group won't dare act openly while he's here. But tomorrow… when the Wolf Clan patrol returns, things could get ugly. Jealousy turns females cruel in the Beast Realm, little one. They see you as a threat to the attention they've always had."
The distant voices rose again, Ruo Mei's sly laugh carrying clearest of all. "Let the wolves take her if they want. But if she stays even one more night, we'll make sure she knows she's not welcome. A human? In our village? She'll learn her place soon enough."
Qinglan lowered her eyes to the furs, the perfect picture of a frightened girl.
But inside, the modern mind that had once outmaneuvered entire companies was already turning over every detail. Rotten meat. Sharp stones. Small, deniable attacks from jealous rivals who had never had to share the spotlight before.
She had survived betrayal in her past life.
She could survive this too.
But as the mate bond surged hotter—closer, more insistent—she knew the real storm wasn't just Ruo Mei's petty plotting.
It was the Wolf Clan patrol that would arrive with the dawn… and the ruthless Alpha whose golden eyes were already fixed on the village, drawn by the scent of the rare human girl everyone now wanted to claim or destroy.
The newcomer had enemies.
And they were moving faster than anyone expected.