Lethia struggled to chew the last two pieces of steak on her plate, taking her time with each bite.
She wondered why the venison made her feel queasy, even though she normally enjoyed all kinds of steak. She liked meat, didn’t she? Was she full? Didn’t seem so. She had no trouble finishing the warm artichoke soup earlier.
She sat there, torn between forcing herself to finish the venison or just leaving it. Her father always taught her to clear her plate, because out in the countryside, too many people starved for a single bite.
"Is it not to your liking?" Renar asked carefully, watching how long she chewed the meat.
He’d specifically ordered venison tonight after learning she was a meat lover. And of course, because venison was great for pregnant werewolves. Lean meat, low fat, good for the baby.
Lethia’s eyes widened as she quickly shook her head, trying to swallow the stubborn chunk of meat in her mouth.
"No... it’s tasty. I like it," She forced it down with a gulp of water.
"But your expression says otherwise."
Lethia cleared her throat. "I don’t lie about taste or whether I like something or not. It’s just... I feel a bit full, maybe? But that’s not exactly true either, ’cause I can eat the rest of the dishes just fine. See?" She popped a grilled shrimp into her mouth to prove her point.
Renar frowned. "Maybe your pregnancy’s messing with your appetite."
"Ah, that would be the case then," Lethia muttered, slipping the last piece of steak into her mouth. "Can’t waste rare venison like this."
Renar laughed at the sight of Lethia’s puffed cheeks, stuffed from chewing. "This imported venison is seasonal, you know. We’re lucky to get it now. And for someone who’s crazy about meat, I wouldn’t let you miss out for sure."
Lethia nodded in agreement. "Hm, I hope our country can start cattle venison soon so—" She froze mid-sentence, eyes narrowing as a realization hit her. "Wait, how did you know I’m a meat lover?"
Renar stiffened, catching himself as his tongue slipped. He glanced at her expression, wondering if honesty would make him sound like a bloody stalker. Would she be creeped out if he told her he ran a background check?
He chuckled, dodging smoothly, "Just a guess after watching you eat that steak my robot chef made last night. You cleaned up nearly every dish that had meat in it, so yeah, it checks out."
Lethia squinted at him suspiciously. But really, even if he had done a background check, what could she do about it? Even if he somehow knew her favourite lingerie style, it wouldn’t exactly surprise her at this point.
"Ah, right. I sprayed the omega fragrance this morning," she said, casually. "Does it actually work to blur the scent? You look calm today."
"Hm. Pretty much. It masks it well. Even though I can still catch it now and then. But it’s bearable today."
"Really?"
"Yeah... sometimes the scent still creeps through, but thanks to the triple dose of the Unbonding pill I took, I can handle being this close to you."
Lethia glanced at Renar’s plate. His meal was practically untouched. Come to think of it, both last night and this morning, he’d eaten barely enough for someone with a beast’s appetite.
"Is it really okay to take that many doses at once? Aren’t there any side effects?"
"Of course there are. This Unbonding Pill works like a kind of doping for a lycan’s body. It keeps us feeling energised and full all the time, even without eating much. Totally messes with our appetite."
"Ah, so that’s why... That’s so sad though, you can’t really enjoy good food then."
Renar let out a mocking chuckle. "There isn’t much real good food here anyway. Outside five-star restaurants, most of what we eat daily is artificial food."
"You’re right... Even in the countryside, real food is hell expensive. That’s why our cheese farm always does charity to share artisan cheese with the locals, so they know what real food actually tastes like..."
Renar smiled as he watched Lethia light up, eyes gleaming with excitement as she talked about her beloved cheese farm. She went on, completely immersed in her story, while he listened closely.
It was the first time since the night of the kidnapping that Renar saw her this alive, without sarcasm or bitterness lacing her voice.
He could feel the love she had for her cheese farm in the way her tone bounced with joy, how her grin widened when she proudly said she could make brie cheese with her eyes closed from sheer habit.
Her burning passion only added to her allure, making her beauty even more maddeningly radiant. Renar’s heart swelled, like a fool too drunk on her fire.
"I’d like to try that brie cheese of yours someday," he said softly.
The glow on Lethia’s face dimmed in an instant.
"I’d love to. But I’m not home right now. So, I’ll make you brie cheese when I get my ranch and cheese farm back."
Lethia’s smile slowly faded as her eyes drifted forward, lost in thought, playing out every possible scenario in her head to take back everything that had been ripped away from her.
She snapped back to the present, realising her expression might’ve soured the mood. A quick glance at Renar confirmed it—he was giving her that look. The damn sympathy one.
"I heard the Unbonding Pill gives you superpowers, too. Is that true?" she blurted out, trying to change the subject before it got heavier.
Renar let out a soft chuckle at her sudden shift. "Who told you that rubbish? It doesn’t give us superpowers. It just helps us stay focused so we can train for it."
"So, it’s not inherited?"
"Nope. Even though every Lycan family’s got its own special ability, we still have to work our arses off for it."
"So, your cousin, become two people at once, that’s his superpower?"