Join his harem?
JOIN HIS HAREM?!
How could she possibly—she was with Qing Lin! She had his mark! They were building sothing together! She liked him! She cared about him! And Sha Chen wanted her to just—to just—
But if she refused, they would all die.
Qing Lin. Kuan Tie. Huo Gen. Yue Ling.
All of them.
Because of her.
Her hands were shaking and she set down her fork before she dropped it.
Think, Xin Yi. You need to calm down and THINK. Use your brain.
Compare the Alphas so far. Sha Chen wasn’t impulsive like Hei Yan, not playful like impulsive. He thought things through....perhaps a little too well.
Hmm.
She could work with that.
Maybe.
"I..." She hesitated, trying to find her strength. "That’s... that’s not... I an..."
Sha Chen’s white eyes darkened. "You will not join my harem, female?"
"I... I..." She was stuttering now, her brain scrambling for words. For a plan. For ANYTHING.
He leaned closer to her, sensing her hesitation. "You would rather let your people die? The snake who marked you? The tiger who carried you here? The others who followed you into MY territory?"
Oh wow, he’s manipulative.
"No! That’s not—I just—"
"Then what?" He interrupted her in a clipped tone. "Speak clearly, female. My patience is limited."
She swallowed hard. Her throat was dry despite the water she had taken less than two minutes ago.
Okay. Okay. She could do this. She had negotiated with System before. She had bargained with Hei Yan. She could handle one manipulative scumbag wolf alpha.
Probably. Or not?
"I... I will join."
His expression shifted, becoming pleased and satisfied.
"But—" She held up a hand. "—I have two conditions."
The pleased look vanished. "Conditions?"
"Yes. Two." Her voice was getting stronger now, more confident. "First, you release them. All of them. Imdiately. You let them go back to their territories, unhard, with supplies for the journey."
He tilted his head. "And the second?"
"You send help to them. To the Azure Scale tribe. I have started building there. Houses. Infrastructure. A settlent. But I cannot finish it if I am here." She t his white eyes. "So you send your people. Your builders. Your craftsn. You help them complete what I started."
Silence.
Long, stretching silence.
Then Sha Chen laughed. It echoed in the hall, and it was filled with mockery.
"You overestimate your importance, female. What makes you think you have a say in that?"
Her jaw clenched. "If that is the case, then you should let go as well."
His laugh stopped. "What?"
"If I am not important enough to warrant those conditions, then I am not important enough for your harem." She crossed her arms. "So let go. Let all of us go. We will leave your territory and never return."
The Alpha’s nose twitched. "You dare—"
"I dare." Her heart was pounding but she kept her voice level. "You said you want in your harem. Fine. That suggests I am valuable enough, and I will stay. But only if you et my conditions."
They stared at each other.
She could see his jaw working. His hands clenched on the armrests of his chair.
Then....
"Hmm." He sat back. His expression was unreadable again. "Very well."
"What?"
"I will do as you wish." The words sounded PAINED. Like they were being dragged out of him. "I will release your people. And I will send builders to the Azure Scale territory to help complete your.....projects."
Relief flooded through her. "Thank you—"
"But—" His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. "—you will honor your word. You will join my harem. You will stay here. With . Do you understand?"
She nodded, feeling like throwing up. "I understand."
He released her wrist and stood. "Good. Finish your al. Then we will make the announcent."
He walked away, leaving her sitting there, staring at her half-eaten plate.
[DING! ＼(°o°)／]
[Host made a deal with the Wolf Alpha]
[Sacrificing herself for others]
[This is very noble]
[Also very STUPID]
[Qing Lin is going to LOSE HIS MIND! ☆]
"Shut up you. I’m still going to question you, so don’t you dare call stupid." Xin Yi picked up her fork with shaking hands.
The food didn’t taste as good anymore.
It tasted like ash.
~
About an hour later, Sha Chen returned
"Co," he said simply.
She followed him. Through more corridors. Up stairs. Into a massive hall.
It was PACKED with wolves. Hundreds of them. All in human form. All staring.
At the far end was a raised platform, sothing like a stage. Sha Chen walked up the steps gratefully.
Then gestured for her to follow. She climbed the steps on wobbly legs, and stood beside him.
The crowd went SILENT.
"My people," Sha Chen’s voice rang out. "I have made a decision regarding our future."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"This female—" He gestured to Xin Yi. "—Xin Yi. She is an ’other.’ Like Mama and Papa who raised . She carries their knowledge. Their skills. Their potential."
There were more murmurs, and they were getting louder now.
"And she will lead beside . As part of my harem."
The hall EXPLODED.
"WHAT?!"
"The Alpha takes another?!"
"But she is MARKED by another male!"
"She is an outsider!"
"She has no right—"
"SILENCE!" Sha Chen’s terrifying voice echoed through the hall with the promise of violence if necessary. Everyone shut up imdiately.
"She will join my harem," he continued. "She will teach us her knowledge. She will help us advance further than even Mama and Papa achieved. And she will be treated with the respect due to one of my chosen females. Anyone who disagrees may challenge directly."
Nobody moved. Nobody was stupid enough to challenge the Alpha.
But Xin Yi could see the faces in the crowd. The jealousy. The anger. The resentnt.
Especially from the females.
One in particular, a beautiful wolf with silver fur and gray eyes, looked like she wanted to RIP Xin Yi apart.
[DING! (⊙_⊙)]
[Jealous females detected: 47]
[Threat level: MODERATE to HIGH]
Host’s survival chances in harem: Dropping! ☆]
Sha Chen was still speaking. Sothing about ceremonies. About traditions. About—
The doors at the back of the hall SLAMD open.
Everyone turned.
A group stumbled in. Dirty. Exhausted. Angry. Kuan Tie. Huo Gen. Yue Ling.
And at the front....
Qing Lin.
Oh no.
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