The Storm Wolf: Gathering Clouds - 14. Spouse

Spouse: What does it mean to be family?

"...The white-spotted pufferfish creates 'nests' in the sand with intricate patterns to attract females and secure mating opportunities," I explained, switching the slide to reveal a stunning image of a radiant, nautilus-like symmetrical design on the seabed bathed in blue light. "This aligns more with the sexy son hypothesis--since males born to such fathers are likelier to inherit their artistry in crafting appealing nests."

The next slide showcased a video of the pufferfish performing their mesmerizing circular courtship dance.

"But when studying nesting fish, scientists discovered a fascinating phenomenon: 90% of fish cheat, and in half the nests, the offspring aren't even the nest-builder's," I continued with a neutral tone, refusing to be derailed by Luther. The mutt attempting to suppress laughter like a six-year-old. "Moreover, the more males a female mates with, the higher the survival rate of the fry, as more males--uncertain of paternity--contribute to caring for the young."

Luther finally erupted into laughter so loud that I had to pause until he could catch his breath.

"That's just too much--raising someone else's bastard!" Luther exclaimed, wiping his eyes.

"Raising non-biological offspring was common even in early civilizations," I retorted with a glare, though he showed no signs of stopping. "Gray wolves essentially always do this, raising pups collectively as a pack. Mating systems and caregiving strategies are optimized between individual and group fitness. Once social and cultural variables come into play, it's no longer purely about probabilities. Over thousands of years, people forgot these norms and started treating them as shocking."

Realizing my thoughts were drifting, I snapped back to focus, fixing my gaze on Luther.

"So, you're saying raising someone else's kids used to be normal?" Luther asked, still wearing that irritating smirk.

"More precisely, 'non-monogamy mating systems' were quite common," I replied, rubbing my temples to stifle the urge to smack him.

"Like harems? The kind emperors had?" he asked, shifting restlessly in his chair, causing a faint rustling of fibers.

"That's one type, mostly polygyny. Interestingly, in these alpha-male-centered systems, lower-ranking males often seek out less 'favored' females for opportunities to mate. For females, this setup can be more advantageous than monogamy, as it ensures male mating opportunities while reducing the chances of raising non-biological offspring..."

Interrupted again by Luther's laughter, I sighed deeply.

"Man, people really liked playing 'cuckold' back then!" he quipped, his tone laced with mockery, and I smacked my forehead hard. "Oh, sorry, I forgot that's a taboo phrase!"

Counting my heartbeats, I used a breathing technique to suppress my impulse to react. Once calm, I dragged a chair over and sat down directly in front of Luther.

"What do you think," I asked, meeting his brown eyes. Luther seemed to notice the shift in my tone and toned down his antics slightly. "What does 'family' mean to you?"