Ch 41: My Wolf Husband

The crimson morning sun chased away the last traces of moonlight as the creatures of Dongshan Mountain awoke and began their busy day.

Lin Shuishi slept lightly with his eyes closed, but he felt the massive body wrapped around him trembling and convulsing. His heart tightened with worry. Though he hadn’t fully overcome his fear of Fuli in this beastly form, he instinctively sprang into action.

He rolled out from the warm fur of Fuli’s belly and crawled up to the wolf’s neck. His bare skin prickled with pain as the coarse, long fur of the wolf’s neck brushed against him, but he still clung to the wolf’s head, watching the ever-changing colors in Fuli’s eyes.

“Fuli! What’s happening to you? Look at me, Fuli!”

The giant beast seemed to be in unbearable pain, its sharp claws trembling as it carved deep white marks into the hard rock beneath it. Fuli, afraid of hurting Lin Shuishi, lifted his chin to protect the small, naked human in his chest.

In a matter of moments, Lin Shuishi witnessed something extraordinary—he saw the fierce, terrifying giant wolf undergo a violent transformation. The wolf’s muscles and bones contracted painfully, its fur receded, its fangs withdrew, and its sharp claws turned into thick hands as its beastly spine transformed into broad shoulders.

Under the bright morning sun, Fuli, in agonizing pain, shed his beastly form and became human again. He panted heavily, beads of sweat forming on his honey-colored skin, and, utterly exhausted, he rested his head on Lin Shuishi’s lap, squinting his beast-like eyes as he gazed down the cliff at the world below, everything on Dongshan Mountain in his sight.

Lin Shuishi had never seen anything like this in his life, but as he looked into those still golden eyes, he quickly went from panic and shock to a calm acceptance.

Lin Shuishi didn’t say a word or ask any questions. He simply reached out with his trembling hand and gently smoothed the damp hair away from Fuli’s face, revealing his deep, handsome features.

The emotions of losing and regaining something so precious overwhelmed him, leaving him feeling both sorrowful and tender. With tears brimming in his eyes, Lin Shuishi leaned down and kissed Fuli’s forehead before pressing his own against it.

The two survivors rested quietly on the cliff, their shadows stretched long by the morning light.

While everything seemed serene and still on this side, the other side was full of frantic activity! The little white wolf and the black horse were anxiously pacing the mountainside! They had only gone for a short walk, and upon returning to the “human den,” they couldn’t find even a single trace of Lin Shuishi. In a panic, the wolf and the horse immediately bolted, scouring the mountains to find him.

Relying on information provided by the wolves along the way, the little white wolf and the black horse finally found the scene of the incident. The area was drenched in a bloody stench, which made the black horse uneasy, but the little wolf paid it no mind and darted around, searching frantically. Unable to find Lin Shuishi, the wolf sniffed the air carefully, but the overwhelming scent of Fuli’s beastly presence masked everything. The more it sniffed, the more its legs trembled, unable to detect where Lin Shuishi had gone!

With no other options, the two companions decided to return to Dongshan Mountain for help. They were still young, lacking endurance and speed, and had to rest several times during their journey. By the time they returned, exhausted and disheveled, they noticed that the mountain’s animals were unusually solemn. The cattle and horses had stopped grazing, and the wolves and leopards had paused their hunts. All stood still, ears perked, facing the same direction—the ridge of the mountain, towards the highest peak.

Pausing to listen, the wolf and horse halted in their tracks as they heard an ancient howling sound emanating from the mountaintop. It was neither entirely human nor entirely wolf, a long, resonant call that echoed across the wilderness, reverberating in the hearts of every living being on Dongshan Mountain. They bowed their heads in reverence to the god of the mountain.

At that moment, Fuli, now fully transformed, showed no signs of the pain or exhaustion from his metamorphosis. His strong arms cradled Lin Shuishi as they stood atop the towering peak, howling towards the sky.

After his complete transformation, it was as if Fuli had suddenly understood the world, grasping the essence of nature. He knew where he had come from, and as he gazed down at the human nestled against his chest, he felt he also knew where he was headed.

He was declaring his awakening to the mountains and his ancestors, announcing that he had found his mate—this was his coming-of-age ceremony.

In the lineage of the wolf god, maturity wasn’t marked by age but by the moment of true awakening. In the prosperous times of the clan, after finding a lifelong mate, the wolves would make their vows before their ancestors, drink a drop of blood from an already matured pack member, and thus awaken the bloodline within them, transforming into wolves and reaching full maturity.

But Fuli had none of that. He was the last of his kind, the final wolf god descendant in the world. His bloodline had lain dormant for twenty-seven years, and without Lin Shuishi, without the love that forced his transformation, he would have remained an ordinary beast of the mountains forever.

However, his previous attempts had ended in failure. Instead of completing the ritual, they had only stirred his beastly instincts, disrupting the peace of Dongshan Mountain.

Fuli howled into the wind, holding Lin Shuishi tightly. Their bodies were so close that there was no space between them. Lin Shuishi pressed his ear to Fuli’s chest, feeling the deep resonance of the howls, which made his ears and cheeks tingle slightly, but he had never felt so at ease.

Fuli’s howls shifted, becoming softer and more drawn out, lingering with a mix of tenderness and melancholy. Lin Shuishi looked up, watching the beastly markings on Fuli’s neck, which flickered in and out of sight. The intricate golden patterns seemed to vanish and reappear, spreading from his neck to his face and eyes, giving him an air of both wildness and solemnity.

After a series of long howls, Fuli paused, then lowered his head to nuzzle Lin Shuishi’s cheek, locking eyes with him. His gaze was intense and profound, filled with a cherished admiration that also harbored a fierce possessiveness.

Lin Shuishi’s slightly chilled body started to warm under Fuli’s gaze. The friction between their subtle movements made him feel both shy and overwhelmed. Fuli, breathing heavily, leaned in and bit down gently on the tender skin of Lin Shuishi’s neck, causing a mild itch. Then, with a strong grip, he hoisted Lin Shuishi onto his shoulder and began to leap across the mountain ridges.

Lin Shuishi’s breath became a bit rapid. He didn’t dare to look at Fuli’s powerful body, but he still tightened his grip around Fuli’s neck with one hand. This was his now! On this slightly chilly winter day in Dongshan Mountain, he wanted to absorb the searing warmth and the fulfilling love from this majestic figure.

Lin Shuishi compliantly let Fuli carry him to the wolf’s den. Even though they were deep in the secluded mountains, with not a thread of clothes on him, he still felt the strong sense of shame instilled in him by modern civilization. It was only when he was placed inside the familiar wolf’s den that he began to relax a bit.

But soon, his tension returned. In the warm den, with both of them fully exposed, there was no way to hide their gazes, and no desire that could be concealed.

The moon, held by the beast, melted into a gentle stream of passion.

By the time dusk approached, the little white wolf finally returned to the pack, wobbling and exhausted. After a day of searching and trekking, the young pup was utterly worn out. It tried to climb up the mountain ridge below the wolf den, but halfway there, it let out a soft whine and collapsed. Eventually, it was picked up by the scruff of its neck by the wolf king, who, with a flick of his head, tossed it up the mountain.

The little white wolf, dizzy from the throw, was indignant but dared not protest. It knew it needed to find its “backer” and return to Lin Shuishi’s side!

As it gathered its strength, preparing to howl for attention, its nose twitched, catching the scent of the two people. Finally, it had found them! Suddenly feeling reinvigorated, the pup’s aches vanished, and it wagged its little tail as it scurried towards Fuli’s den.

But the scent along the way was odd. The pup assumed Lin Shuishi must have been cooking up something new again and didn’t think much of it. However, as it approached the entrance of the den and peeked inside, it was met with an unusually ferocious growl from Fuli, who usually indulged it. The little wolf was so shocked it froze in place, only to be quickly grabbed by the leg by the wolf king. The once-mighty ruler of the wolf pack hurriedly and somewhat sheepishly dragged the pup back to his own den.

As the little pup sat in its den, trying to piece together what had just happened, its siblings approached, trying to engage it in play. But the pup was distracted, thinking about how it had heard Lin Shuishi’s voice inside the den—calling out intermittently, even crying! It seemed so unfair; how could they fight like that, piling on top of each other? That was too much, even the pup didn’t play that rough with its own playmates!

The little wolf decided that once it grew into a brave and strong wolf, it would stand up for Lin Shuishi. But for now… it glanced at its father’s disappointed expression and tried to mimic Fuli by bullying its siblings to show off its strength, only to be kicked away by the wolf king.

The still-young wolf king had already made up his mind: he would have to sire another litter and carefully select one to raise properly. This little fool wouldn’t do.

When Lin Shuishi woke up again, it was already the next morning. The sky outside the wolf den was bright. He gritted his teeth in frustration, determined to escape this endless cycle of exhaustion! He wanted to see the sky, to breathe fresh air!

He struggled to lift the strong arm wrapped around his waist, but as soon as he moved, the insatiable beast behind him suddenly opened his eyes, instinctively tightening his grip around Lin Shuishi’s sore waist. Lin Shuishi, feeling the ache, reached out to slap the offending arm.

“Hiss, let go!”

Fuli reluctantly released him, and Lin Shuishi watched as the beast slowly crawled out of the animal skins. But then, he found himself kneeling on the ground…

In the end, Lin Shuishi, completely resigned, was placed on the only remaining dry piece of deerskin, staring blankly as Fuli efficiently tidied up the den. Fuli’s robust body seemed even more powerful, his strong arms gathering up all the wet hides to hang them out to dry. It was only when he turned around that Lin Shuishi noticed the fine scratches on Fuli’s broad back—thankfully, they were shallow and hadn’t broken the skin.

Fuli was about to leap out of the den when he heard Lin Shuishi’s hoarse voice from behind, weakly saying, “Clothes.” After a pause, he added, “I need to go down the mountain to get some things.”

Fuli hesitated, unwilling to leave, and moved closer to nuzzle Lin Shuishi affectionately. But just as things were heating up, Lin Shuishi shot him a stern look, forcing him out of the den.

Standing in the warm sunlight, Fuli thought for a moment, draped himself in a still-damp sheepskin, and with a sharp call, led a pack of white wolves down the mountain.

Back in the Rehe village, the men of the Zheng family had been unusually quiet lately. Their wives, unaware of the situation, assumed that Lin Shuishi had somehow escaped and disappeared. They were worried but had no idea what the men had experienced in the woods.

After the incident, knowing there was no turning back, the men of the village agreed to keep everything secret. They pretended they hadn’t followed anyone, that they knew nothing, and then returned home. The next day, they went to Yuanshan village and claimed that the shaman had taken their village chief up the mountain to perform a wolf sacrifice, but they were all eaten by wolves and bears!

The villagers were shocked and didn’t believe it at first, but when they saw the bloody scene and the traces left by wild beasts at the site, they were convinced.

Within days, everyone in Yuanshan village, whether they had family involved in the sacrifice or not, quickly moved away to seek refuge with relatives. The village of Yuanshan disappeared, and the truth behind the events was buried.

But the Zheng family still couldn’t rest easy. They were haunted by fear and remained on high alert. One day, Old Man Zheng decided to tidy up Lin Shuishi’s house, thinking it was at least a way to hold on to some memories.

But when he entered the house, he heard the clattering of pots and pans. Alarmed, he grabbed a weapon and kicked open the door, thinking there was a thief!

Inside, he was greeted by the sight of over a dozen large white wolves scattered around the room. Some were holding bowls, others had pots in their mouths, and one was standing on a cabinet, passing down a ball of thread with its mouth.

When Old Man Zheng opened the door, all the wolves stopped what they were doing and stared directly at him.

Their eyes met, big eyes staring into smaller ones. The hair on the back of Old Man Zheng’s neck stood up as he slowly lowered his stick and, with a respectful “creak,” gently closed the door. The wolves, seeing him leave, returned to their tasks, busy clattering about as they continued moving things…

When Old Man Zheng got back home, he urgently instructed his family not to go up the hill carelessly. His eldest daughter-in-law, who was quick with her words, asked why. Old Man Zheng felt a chill down his back.

“Trouble with wolves!” he muttered.