Looking at Emma—limp, a faint blush dusting her childlike face—Alan felt a pang of guilt, like he’d been teasing an underage loli. Even if this loli was technically his fiancée.
“Alan, you idiot!” Eli Gao strode over, shooting him a withering look. “For beastkin girls, fluffy tails and ears are absolutely off-limits. They’re the most sensitive spots—only the closest people dare touch them.” He shook his head. “And you’re the youngest S Rank Mage in Arcane Academy history? Your knowledge rivals an illiterate’s.”
“If you knew that,” Alan narrowed his eyes, voice low, “why did *you* try to touch Emma’s tail just now?”
“Ahem.” Eli Gao coughed, ruffling his spiky hedgehog-like hair with a sheepish grin. “Just joining the fun. No real intent. You know my tastes don’t run to little lolis who haven’t even grown up.” He backed away awkwardly.
“Play among yourselves,” Alan tossed over his shoulder, guiding Emma toward the second floor of the Cloud Peak Guild. “When you leave, block the door with a table—or seal it with magic.”
The Cloud Peak Guild spanned three floors: the first held the main hall; the second and third were living quarters. Right now, Alan’s dad was off gallivanting, his grandpa too—leaving Alan alone, though Haina occasionally stayed over.
Upstairs, Alan settled Emma into his room. No choice really—the only usable rooms on the floor were his and Haina’s. The other two? A study. A kitchen.
Alan had cooked for his family since age ten. Ever since his dad started eating Alan’s meals, the charming middle-aged gentleman had slowly plumped into a cozy uncle. *Maybe that’s why he passed the guild master title to me,* Alan mused. *Wanted to lose weight.*
“Emma, how are you? Okay?” He eased her onto the bed, poured water, and handed it over.
“I’m fine, Alan. Much better.” Emma accepted the glass. The blush lingered on her cheeks; her light pink eyes shimmered, dewy and soft.
Seeing her like this, Alan’s pulse skipped. *An urge to kiss her cheek.* Too damn alluring.
*No wonder,* he thought, *people say “Three years locked up? Worth it. Death sentence? Still no regret.”*
“Ahem. Glad you’re okay.” He cleared his throat. “Sleep here tonight, Emma. Don’t worry—nothing weird in my room.”
“Weird things?” Emma tilted her head, blinking. *What weird things?*
“Nothing!” Alan pivoted fast. “Hey—have you eaten?” *How else to dodge explaining “adult magic videos” and romance-action tomes?* (Immersive. Intense. He’d watched once. Never again. Nutrition concerns. Still growing. Too soon.)
“Food? No…” Emma’s voice dipped. “Since reaching Newdali City… two days without a proper meal.”
Newdali wasn’t tiny—a solid mid-to-large city in Leo Kingdom. Her words were literal. She had no human currency.
“Two days? How’d you survive?”
“I endured.” Her whisper grew quieter. “From the Northern Plateau to here… only when starving would I skip payment… or steal a bite.” She avoided his gaze. Shame warmed her ears.
“You’ve had it rough.” A warm hand settled gently on her head. Alan’s voice softened. “What do you crave? I’ll cook it.”
“Meat.” Her eyes lit up. “I haven’t tasted meat in almost a year.”
“Wait here. I’ll make it.”
“Huh? *You* cook? Are you a chef?” Surprise bloomed on her face.
“Don’t believe me? Wait and see.” He smiled, ruffling the cyan-tipped fur atop her head before turning toward the kitchen.
Inside, Alan thawed magically preserved meats and began cooking: braised pork, roasted beast leg, millet meat porridge. Beastkin physiology differed vastly from humans’. Two days fasting? A human would starve cautiously. But wolfkin—forged by generations in the harsh Northern Plateau—boasted ironclad stomachs and roaring appetites. Alan cooked without worry.
Soon, rich aromas drifted through the second floor. In Alan’s room, Emma’s drool escaped control, streaming like a waterfall. Her light pink eyes glowed fiercely. Wolfkin scent-perception? No human comparison.
Overwhelmed by the scent’s intensity, Emma—the Little Wolf Girl—succumbed completely. Drool soaked Alan’s bedsheets.
