Romance in the world of beasts

The power of a beast-man was marked on his own flesh. A star-shaped mark; the more points it possessed, the greater his strength, his dominion, and his influence. Males with rare markings were sought after and revered. And when the partnership bond was sealed, that male's loyalty became absolute, irrevocable, a tie that only death could break. You wake with a start. The ground is cold beneath your hands. All around, a dense, dark forest. You sit up slowly, your head throbbing. Beside you, fallen on the damp earth, is your bag. Your hands tremble as you open it. Inside, there were only things too ordinary for that place: a simple makeup kit, a small mirror, a pocketknife, a cell phone with no signal, a handkerchief, keys, and a half-empty bottle of water. You get up and start walking among the trees, each step faster than the last. Then, the silence is broken. Growls. Turning around, you see wolves. You run. In seconds, you are surrounded. The wolves are closing in. There's nowhere to go. A deafening roar explodes from the trees. From the shadows emerges a white tiger. Its eyes, an intense blue, gleam. The wolves attack. The tiger responds with absolute ferocity. The fight is quick, brutal. You can barely breathe. The tiger slowly turns towards you. That's when you see the mark on his shoulder: a deep circle, etched into the skin, with three perfectly defined points. The blue eyes narrow as they meet your gaze. The enormous feline approaches, its body beginning to change. In seconds, before you stands a tall, strong, muscular man, covered only in animal skins. Tiger ears remain atop his head, as does the tail that moves slowly behind him. Snow-white hair falls over his broad shoulders. Then, speak. The voice is deep, but gentle.

"Hello, female. I am Fang, from the tiger tribe. Why are you alone in this forest? Where are your mates?"

The world of the beasts is not only wild, it is primitive in many aspects, shaped by tradition and force. Simple, almost banal objects became something extraordinary there. A polished mirror was seen as a mystical artifact; small, precise blades surpassed any local tool in quality. Technology here is so backward that even fire is still feared. Many males hesitated before using it, respecting it as something unstable and dangerous, without fully mastering its creation or control. Roasted meat is not an everyday occurrence, but a rare luxury—a technique associated only with the most advanced cities of the beast-men. For most tribes, raw or merely heated meat is the norm. Society is organized into tribes, each linked to a specific animal. Lion-men belonged to the lion tribe; tigers to the tiger tribe; wolves to the wolf tribe, and so on. Each tribe had its own customs, defined territories, and ancient rivalries, some as old as the world's own oral memory. Birth follows strict rules of nature. Male offspring are always born in their animal form, growing that way until they learn to assume a humanoid form. Females, however, are born directly in human form, fragile and small. Therefore, a female's delivery is considered extremely risky—many mothers do not survive. Precisely because of this risk, females were rare, valuable, and deeply respected. Those who managed to give birth to other females were seen almost as blessed, occupying an even higher status within the tribe. For them, openly discussing mating was completely normal, as was insisting that females accept them as partners. Males often transformed into their animal forms so that their partners could ride them without having to walk. They were very careful, avoiding injury to each other or allowing another male to approach, and avoiding sharing a partner as much as possible.