Exiled Villainess: They Threw Me Out, Now Every Beastman Wants Me
Chapter 25: Bear Hug

Chapter 25: Bear Hug

Xavi was confused about how she could have known his name, but that did not matter.

What mattered was that the female was crying, and he had also realised he didn’t know her name yet either.

But her behaviour made him uncomfortable. He did not understand why she was in tears and what to do about it.

Maybe she had injured herself while she was down here?

Where was it? He didn’t smell any blood.

He immediately started inspecting her hands and skin, worried. If he touched her, she looked like she might slap his hands away.

"Did you injure yourself? Where are you hurt? Let me see your hands."

He hunched over her, fussing.

"I’m fine," Tera managed. Her voice cracked on the second word and made a liar out of her immediately. "Go back up. You should be with the clan."

Xavi didn’t move. His worry only spiked when he noticed her shivering.

"You are shivering. Are you cold?"

He was genuinely confused how she could be cold from this weather when he realised she was shiftless and had no fur or fat in her body to protect herself from the weather.

Tera sighed. "I said I am fine—"

"You are shivering, and you are crying, and you are sitting in the coldest part of a shelter you built for everyone except yourself."

"Just go away. I am not crying. The rain was just on my face, that is why I look like this."

Xavi was not convinced. "I can smell the salt on your tears. And I heard you when I was coming."

Tera opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out.

She then tried to wave him off, but her hand was shaking too badly to make the gesture convincing. Xavi caught her wrist gently and held it. His palm was so warm it almost burned against her ice-cold skin.

Alarmed, Xavi immediately sat down beside her with no intention of leaving.

"OMG. Go back—"

He pulled her against his chest.

His arms wrapped around her, his muscles radiating heat like a furnace. Tera tried to push away, but the warmth was so overwhelming after hours of cold that her body betrayed her. She sagged against him, a shuddering exhale escaping before she could stop it.

"You are too cold," Xavi murmured against the top of her head. "Foolish female. Did you come here to die?"

Tera’s eyes stung again. She pressed her face into his chest and tried to hold it together, but his warmth was undoing every wall she had hastily built.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered.

"Because you are cold."

"No. Why do you care? You don’t even know me."

"But I know you. You are strange. You are loud. You fight with the air when nobody is watching."

’He’s seen me arguing with the system.’

"You built a shelter for my clan, and you are selfless. I know I do not know much about you, but I wish to understand. The more I watch, the less I understand, but the more I wish to know... Are you sad you were banished from your tribe?"

Tera didn’t say anything and only shook her head instead, more tears pouring from her eyes.

She didn’t have the energy to argue or even say anything else. She was so tired. So cold. And he was so warm.

Xavi’s arms tightened around Tera, and to her shock, she felt his body shift.

The arms around her changed shape. The chest she was pressed against expanded, and within seconds, Xavi had shifted into his beast form. Dense fur had replaced his skin, spreading outwards like a blanket being drawn over her entire body.

Xavi became even softer and warmer, and his hold was so comfortable that her body almost felt like it was melting.

She stopped shivering within seconds.

His enormous head lowered, resting beside hers. She could hear the deep, slow rhythm of his breathing, and each exhale sent a wave of warm air washing over her face and neck.

Rain still splashed through the gaps in the shelter. Occasional sprays of cold water hit the fur along his back. But none of it reached Tera. She was buried in warmth and felt safe.

Tera started to feel drowsy, and she didn’t fight it, swiftly falling asleep in Xavi’s arms.

Ermin was in one of the upper pockets, pressed against the far wall in his beast form.

He was finding it difficult to sleep.

Something was wrong inside him. He could feel Tera’s pain and sorrow because of the mate imprint. He wanted to rip out the bond she had forced on him, but he was also shocked.

One didn’t feel their mate’s emotions unless it was a very strong one.

Why was Tera feeling such immense pain and hurt? She was not supposed to be capable of such.

He strangely wanted her to stop feeling like this. Had she truly changed?

Out in the harsh environment, the second surge of flood raged through the area. A lot of the water reached the hole, but quickly surged away due to the trees and additional layered sticks Tera had designed to be shaped at an angle that diverted the water.

Some still sprayed and poured down into the hole. Xavi had had to move closer towards the opening leading to the second upper chamber. But the hole thankfully did not fill up with water.

Even as some seeped into the earth and dripped from above down on Xavi’s fur, he still remained in place, holding the sleeping female.

And through it all, Tera did not see the notifications that accumulated while she slept.

[Ding!]

[Task Complete!]

[Construct emergency flood defences: SUCCESS!]

[Rewards granted!]

[Construction +5, Influence +10, Nipples +20]

[System shop has been unlocked!]

[Host may now purchase useful items to aid in tribal development]

[50% discount for first purchase!]

[Xavi’s Favourability: 33% → 40%]

[Xavi has witnessed Host’s vulnerability and dedication to his clan]

[His desire to protect Host has intensified]

[Ermin’s Favourability: -40% → -30%]

[Mate bond resonance detected]

[Ermin has felt Host’s grief through the imprint]

[He does not know what to do with it]

[Ermin’s Favourability: -30% → -29%]