"Don’t rush; we’re still far from completely breaking the contract. Besides, whether or not we return to the tribe, there’s always something you want to do. You can’t just keep going in circles."
He stood up without a word, packing the remaining meat into a clay pot, and placing the lid on it.
Then he casually grabbed the grease-stained leaves, took a few steps to the door, and hurled them outside.
He kept his head down the entire time, not even lifting his eyelids once.
Seraphina Caldwell noticed he didn’t want to chat further, so she closed her mouth, quietly leaning her back against the pile of Beast Skin, and looked up at the soot-stained wooden beams on the ceiling.
From escaping the cliff, fighting the hyenas, to sprinting non-stop to the Leopard Clan’s territory, she was already bone-tired.
Once she rested against the Beast Skin, within two minutes, her breathing became shallow but even.
The wind outside faintly whispered.
She had fallen asleep, her cheek pressed against the soft fur.
Gideon Larkin finished tidying up and entered the room, pausing briefly at the doorway with dust clinging to his soles before stepping lightly inside.
His eyes immediately noticed her curled-up figure on the Beast Skin.
Her hair was a wild mess on her shoulders, a few strands stuck to her sweat-drenched forehead, and there were still bits of meat clinging to the corner of her mouth.
His heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his throat tightened.
To be honest, these past few days Wyatt Yardley and Isaac Vaughn had been clingily holding onto Seraphina daily, citing "still in heat" as their excuse.
One of them on each side, enclosing her tightly in the middle.
Wyatt’s heat had clearly ended long ago.
Yet he shamelessly pretended, often murmuring, "Not yet, emotions are unstable."
Then he’d effortlessly pull Seraphina into his embrace, obstinately refusing to let go.
Ultimately, it wasn’t entirely others’ fault.
Seraphina herself neither objected nor subtly encouraged them.
That day, Wyatt even bit his finger when she was half-asleep.
He almost forcibly formed the strictest Blood Covenant of the Beastkin with her.
At the last moment, she still hadn’t fully processed it, only blinking blankly.
Gideon walked to the edge of the Beast Skin, slowly squatting down, his knees touching the ground, eyes fixed unblinkingly on Seraphina’s sleeping face.
If she were truly deceiving them, then why play her part so convincingly?
He knew neither Wyatt nor Isaac wanted to part from her.
But himself?
Who should he trust?
He couldn’t distinguish it anymore.
Moonlight poured over her face.
The black patterns softened considerably in the gentle glow.
Unconsciously, he swallowed, his Adam’s apple moving up and down.
Images from that day by the river flashed through his mind.
The water shimmered, sunlight breaking through the trees, dancing on the ripples.
She turned her head, wet hair clinging to her shoulders.
A wave of heat exploded in his chest.
His body moved before his mind did.
His brain still mired in hesitation and struggle, yet his limbs moved of their own accord.
Without much thought, he leaned down, pressing his lips lightly against hers.
Yet in that brief moment of contact, it unleashed the pent-up undercurrent within him.
At the touch, he froze entirely.
His blood suddenly coagulated, then rushed back fiercely.
Time seemed to stop, leaving only the soft sensation on his lips.
Yet he couldn’t suppress the mounting heat.
His arm wrapped more tightly around her waist, deepening the kiss.
Seraphina hadn’t been deeply asleep.
Even half-awake, her senses remained keen.
The sudden sense of suffocation startled her awake.
Her breathing halted, eyes snapping open.
Gideon’s face was right before her.
His lips still pressed against hers, arms tightly encircling her waist.
She shoved him away forcefully, surprising even herself with her strength.
The space between them widened instantly, a chill sweeping in.
Her voice was hoarse and urgent, marked by lingering shock.
"Gideon! What are you doing?!"
He was pushed back, landing on the floor, his back striking the bedframe.
The pain cleared his mind somewhat.
Like struck by lightning, his head buzzed.
He actually... kissed her?
Just moments ago, he’d done that!
Was she awake?
This thought sent a chill through him, though his face burned hotly.
His mouth opened for explanation, but his throat felt blocked.
Seraphina frowned, observing his demeanor.
The usually composed and self-contained male now resembled a child caught in mischief, hanging his head, unable to meet her gaze.
Suddenly, she recalled Wyatt and Isaac during their heat.
They, too, were flustered, eyes evasive, faces flushed.
At that time, their entanglement was absent of rationality, driven purely by instinct.
She sighed, softening her tone, "Are you in heat too?"
Gideon grasped the lifeline, eagerly nodding.
"Y-yes! I have no idea what happened, I just... couldn’t hold back!"
His head bent low, bangs hanging forward.
Seraphina rubbed her temples, sighing internally.
These males, one more absurd than the other...
Appear grand and commanding ordinarily, yet become like this at critical moments.
Absorbing Beast Crystal triggers the heat, yet not absorbing might also lead to sudden loss of control.
For some, it’s internal energy running wild, while for others, it’s the crumbling of their mental defenses.
Are all Beastkin males so spontaneous?
Or is it just in her presence they lose composure so easily?
Seeing Gideon huddled in a corner, flustered, her heart softened, and she couldn’t bring herself to scold him.
He looked so pitiful.
She softly asked, "Then... do you want to sleep holding me? Maybe it’ll help?"
Gideon immediately raised his eyes, pupils constricting.
He thought she’d scold him, throw him out.
Yet she not only refrained from blame but offered to let him get close?
As he relaxed, his heart raced even faster.
The tension subsided, replaced by an overwhelming surge of emotions.
He murmured an affirming "Mm".
Seraphina shifted deeper into the Beast Skin, body slightly curling inward, leaving space beside her.
Then she gently beckoned with her finger.
"It’s almost dawn, come on over."
Gideon paused briefly, slowly extending his arms to enfold her in them.
Her scent, sweetly subtle, lingered on her.
As soon as he felt her against him, his blood seemed to boil.
Yet the anxiety and heat were soothed gradually by the warmth of their closeness.
She closed her eyes once more in his arms, long lashes fluttering briefly.
Then she fell back into serenity, her breathing becoming long and steady.
Yet he couldn’t bear to close his eyes, gaze fixed intently on her peaceful profile.
He had never experienced such a feeling, as if something soft filled his chest completely.
It was an unprecedented sense of fulfillment.
He dared not close his eyes.
Afraid that the moment he did, everything would prove to be an ephemeral dream.
Afraid that upon waking, she’d be gone.
He preferred to keep watching, prolonging the realness of her presence.
He suddenly recalled Kaelan Hawthorne’s words.
She’d said that Seraphina was manipulating him.
The thought had jolted him, though disbelieving.
But just now... he acted without asking her consent, kissing her.
She didn’t get angry or resist.
Instead, she leaned into his embrace, allowing him to hold her.