Ch 89: My Wolf Husband

Fuli sat in the wolf king’s den, watching the lively group of a dozen wolf pups bouncing around. He was still lost in thought when the child suckling nearby let out a soft whimper and kicked his tiny legs.

The man remembered Lin Shuishi’s words well—don’t let him overeat on the first feeding. So, he carefully placed his hands under A’tong’s small arms and, without using much force, gently pulled him back. With a soft pop, the baby’s tiny mouth separated from the wolf’s teat.

Still unsatisfied, the rosy-cheeked infant smacked his lips noisily, sucking at nothing.

When Fuli returned to his own den, he found his mate not resting at all but anxiously watching the entrance. Seeing him return with their child in his arms, Lin Shuishi immediately asked, voice filled with urgency.

“How was it? Did he feed well?”

Fuli lifted the baby up, letting Shuishi see the ring of milk residue still lingering around his tiny mouth.

Looking at his son’s small lips still moving, Lin Shuishi’s heart melted with love. He quickly took the baby into his arms, settling onto the warm, soft furs beneath them. A’tong, smelling the familiar scent and hearing the steady heartbeat, relaxed completely and drifted into peaceful slumber.

Lin Shuishi carefully tucked the baby in with a small blanket, then turned and waved Fuli over.

Fuli, misunderstanding, thought something good was about to happen and leaned in for a kiss—only to have his mate grab his chin and turn his face away.

“Be serious. I need to tell you something.”

Fuli exhaled heavily, nodding. At this moment, anything Lin Shuishi said was fine—even if he wanted his life!

Lin Shuishi tugged at Fuli’s cheeks. “Humans have a tradition. When a child is born, we send red eggs to our relatives and friends.”

“Hmm, we send them.” Fuli didn’t really listen to what exactly was being sent—he was too focused on pressing closer to his mate, whose scent was so intoxicating that Lin Shuishi could barely push him away.

“Ugh, I mean we should send eggs to Dongzi and the others. We don’t have chicken eggs, so let’s use big bird eggs! It’s just symbolic. They’re my only family here.”

Only then did Fuli straighten up, though he looked uncomfortable, tugging slightly at his waistband.

“I’ll find red ones,” he said and turned to leave.

“Send some wild game too. I’ve gathered quite a few dried fruits and lingzhi mushrooms,” Lin Shuishi added, trying to get up to help, but Fuli stopped him, ordering him to stay put. He then busied himself for half the day, selecting large eggs with red speckles from nests hidden in the rocky cliffs. He rolled them in the boiling waters of the hot springs before packing them along with the other gifts, securing them in a bundle, and handing them off to the white wolves who knew the way down the mountain.

Finally, with that matter settled, Lin Shuishi felt at ease. As drowsiness overtook him, he sleepily asked about the fire in the western forest.

“Is it still burning?”

“It’s out.”

Lin Shuishi nodded and, too exhausted to speak further, fell into a deep sleep.

But Fuli remained tense, unable to relax. The fear of losing them had sunk into his bones.

So, in their newly expanded den, he took his wolf form and curled himself protectively around Lin Shuishi and their child, staying awake all night. His golden, slit-pupiled eyes vigilantly watched the mountains beyond the entrance, guarding them in silence.

That same night, the Zheng household in Rehe was also lit up until dawn.

“Something from ‘the mountain’ came down again,” the family said, peering at the pile of items left at their door. The swift and silent visitor had already disappeared back into the woods before they could even catch a glimpse of its silhouette.

Looking down, they saw an assortment of valuable items—some they had seen before, but among them were six large, deep-red bird eggs. Those were certainly rare!

The Zheng family exchanged bewildered glances. What… did this mean?

Finally, Zheng’s eldest sister-in-law clapped her hands together with a loud smack. “Hah! Father, I think Shui Ge’er has had a baby! I didn’t even know he was expecting. His pregnancy marks were so faint—it must’ve been hard on him!”

She then recalled that tall, powerfully built man who used to pass by their house. Her cheeks flushed slightly.

“A man like that… yeah, no wonder.”

At last, the whole family understood.

So early the next morning, Old Zheng took a cart to town and had a solid gold bracelet made, heavy with intricate engravings of auspicious blessings—perfect for a newborn.

But when the goldsmith asked for the bracelet’s size, the old man hesitated.

He knew the truth.

The baby had been born, yes—but was it truly human? Or… something else? He couldn’t be sure!

A few days later, the white wolves returned from the newly built temple of the Wolf God by the boundary river.

Clutched in one wolf’s mouth was a small cloth bundle. Inside, wrapped in red silk, was a greeting envelope marked “To Be Opened by the Wolf God Himself.” Inside the silk was a beautiful, adjustable gold bracelet, its surface gleaming under the light.

This little token of blessings would stay with A’tong as he grew. He would wear it as a child, and he would carry it into the heart of the mortal world.

The morning after the gift delivery, Lin Shuishi awoke drenched in heat.

Opening his eyes, all he could see was silver-white fur. A’tong was already awake, happily wriggling around in the thick warmth of the giant wolf’s belly fur, his tiny legs kicking excitedly.

Seeing that Lin Shuishi had woken, Fuli finally ran out of patience. He gently but firmly picked A’tong up with his mouth and set him down beside Shuishi in a perfectly proper position.

Lin Shuishi sniffed his child, who was now completely covered in a strong canine scent, and then leaned forward to smell the massive wolf.

One whiff—good heavens.

Not only was there an overwhelming “dog” smell, but Fuli also reeked of that heavy, musky scent unique to dominant males.

Lin Shuishi sat A’tong down in his lap and looked seriously at the giant wolf. But before he could speak, Fuli lunged forward, rubbing his massive head against Lin Shuishi, nearly knocking them both over. His thick tongue swiped over them in one broad lick.

“…”

So that’s how, before dawn even broke, the wolves of Dongshan saw their mighty leader being shoved into the hot springs, while his mate—child in one arm—tossed soapnuts at him, barking orders.

“Wash in your wolf form! How else are you going to scrub all that matted fur? Yes, scrub your chest more!”

Lin Shuishi held back from adding, “And make sure to really scrub that dog head of yours—it’s completely charred black!”

Meanwhile, the little bundle in his arms watched the entire spectacle with sheer delight, kicking his legs and giggling.

Lin Shuishi wondered why A’tong was so amused.

Then he looked down—and was taken aback.

Though born prematurely in a human form, the wolf-blooded child had already opened his eyes within just a couple of days. And now, his gaze was sharp and focused, fixed on his father getting scolded and bathed.

His little shoulders trembled with glee.

His eyes, though shaped like Lin Shuishi’s, were a deep tea-brown. Slightly upturned at the outer corners, they gleamed with flecks of hidden gold—like scattered stardust twinkling in their depths.

Fuli leaned in as well, his golden eyes locked onto A’tong’s. He stared at his son for a long while before, at last, shifting back into his human form.

He took the child from Lin Shuishi’s arms and, holding him up high in the morning light, his voice rumbled deep from within his chest. Slowly, solemnly, he chanted in the ancient tongue.

Each word carried a weight beyond language, as if laced with hidden power.

Lin Shuishi, barely understanding, caught fragments of the meaning.

“In the name of the mountains, the great lakes, the sun and moon, and our ancestors, I bestow upon you your true name.”

Ashina Yule Dusi.

The eternal sky, the boundless, dazzling river of stars.

All the wolves bowed their heads.

The mountains echoed with their howls.

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Author’s Note:

Yule Dusi: In ancient Turkic, it means “a myriad of stars.”

Translator’s note:

Extra chapters will be password locked. Please find the password in TOC.