The Shinsu, in awe of the human, rubbed his nose against her chin like a child. He then continued in a whiney voice.
ăTell me I was cool. The coolest in the world.ă
âMhmm⌠You were coolâŚ. Very coolâŚâ
Ack. That tickles so much.
With Aymonâs rubbing, the thin chemise softly slid down. Soon, Belindaâs smooth, white shoulders were exposed.
Aymonâs breathing grew a little louder. He lightly pressed against her shoulder with his fangs as if he was stepping into the fresh white snow.
Struggling to resist the urge, he very lightly bit her shoulder before quickly pulling back.
âThat hurt!â
Belinda lifted back her chemise and slapped him on the nose.
He wasnât just a teething kitten⌠Aymon had been biting and licking all over her body lately, but maybe that wasnât proper. It seemed like she needed to break his habit.
There was no way he would hurt her or eat her, but just in case. If he unintentionally failed to control his strength, she might bleed.
He said he got very excited when he saw blood, so if she didnât want to be eaten, it would be best to nip it in the bud.
There was a red scratch on her smooth skin. Belinda rubbed the fine red line and pulled back.
ăDid it hurt? Iâm sorry, Breedee. Iâm having a hard time holding it in nowadays.ă
Aymon whispered, licking the wound.
Belinda shrugged as the tingling sensation spread through her.
Aymon slowly moved down to her collarbone, going down further and approaching the chemise covering her chest. A soft curve was revealed when he lifted it with his nose.
Aymonâs restless breathing and hot body became unusual. As his face touched Belindaâs rounded curves, she grabbed his face and looked at him, asking a serious question without noticing the burning heat in his eyes.
âAre you having a hard time holding it in? Are you teething again?â
Did Shinsu teethe several times?
Aymon answered the innocent question slowly.
ăâŚ.No.ă
Belinda rubbed his nose, lifting her chemise back over her chest.
âYou finished teething a long time ago. Did you know I still have your old fangs in my jewelry box? Theyâre very cute.â
She said in a gentle, friendly whisper as if talking to a kitten.
Aymon exhaled quietly, still not cooled down, and blinked.
In the dark night, his purple eyes glowed like sparks.
He rubbed against Belindaâs hand, murmuring with a sigh.
ăI became the chief today, so when the hell are you going to grow up?ă
Not hearing him, Belinda looked out the window. Between the brightly shining stars, there was a blue moon.
âItâs late. You must be tired, right? You should go.â
ăâŚâŚâŚă
âAre you going to sleep before you leave?â
Aymon stared at her and eventually sighed, rubbing his cheeks against her.
ăWhatever. Iâll wait a little longerâŚ.ă
Now that he even had permission, there was no rush. He was determined to obey the laws of humans, not those of beasts.
***
In a secluded spot west of the imperial palace, there stood a small temple in honor of a god who didnât exist anymore.
Before the Empire was founded, the being who ruled the continent wasnât a human or a Shinsu, but the God of the Beginning. However, as the river dried up over time, the God of the Beginning also disappeared.
The only thing left behind was the temple where he lived.
In memory of the god who once ruled the continent, and in hopes of gaining his glory, the imperial palace was built on that site.
Princess Adelai was briskly approaching the small white building, without her usual escorts around her. She held up her fine dress and rushed ahead, only accompanied by the Count of Otoman.
Finally! I finally found it!
Her eyes glowed with excitement.
The temple appeared in the distance.
A place no one approached even though its existence was, a matter of fact, rooted down in the empire.
Adelai passed by a stone pillar and entered the center of the temple, where sunlight poured in.
The dirty, dry air entered her nose. It was a whole other world, cut off from everything outside.
She walked towards the Window of Truth without hesitation, where no light entered.
It was luxurious, with red jewels inlaid on the golden frame. Even after so much time, it was so shiny that its age couldnât be seen.
Signaling to the Count of Otoman, the man managed to take off the window and put it on the floor. Even the power of an adult man was barely enough to hold it.
Adelai took the key from around her neck.
She pushed the key into the wall, where the window was, and it magically slid in.
ââŚâŚ.â
Adelai let out a long breath.
She slowly stepped inside through the old dust.
Under the sun scattering through the ceiling, there was a man with a beard lying down.
The harp in the center of the space sounded as if reacting to an unknown force.
Adelai approached the vision without hesitation.
âThis is it, Princess.â
Adelai swallowed the blue jewel the Count of Otoman handed her and shouted the spell.
Then, she forced the same jewel into the mouth of the mysterious man lying down.
When they both swallowed the same jewel, it started heating up in her stomach.
The two jewels were connected.
Finally!
Adelaiâs face was distorted by her deep joy.
***
ăWhy. Why canât I⌠I want to go tooâŚ.ă
The big black leopard whined, rubbing against Belindaâs waist.
âFirstly, youâre too big, and⌠andâŚâ
Belinda replied quietly, stroking his head.
Youâre in heat.
Belinda swallowed those words, only repeating her sole excuse.
She was in an endless battle with Aymon.
Belinda had decided to go on a vacation to the Gerban Peninsula in the summer. This time with the royal family instead of just Lucy.
As soon as he heard the news, Aymon suddenly began to insist on going with her, but Belinda couldnât allow it.
There was only one reason why Aymon couldnât go. He was a beast, in heat, who couldnât control himself and was dangerous.
These days, Aymon was like a child rushing back and forth to the river on a very hot summerâs day.
Whether or not Lart and Lucy were at the guest palace, or if the maid had just entered, he was always clinging to Belinda.
She was embarrassed by his whining, flustered to see Lart and Lucy turn away with red faces, and abashed by her own pathetic self, who heated up at Aymonâs childish behavior.
She could understand that it was a time of uncontrollable impulses, but how could he act like this in front of the royal family? He was still a revered Shinsu.
Every time Aymon rushed in, Belinda resorted to giving him a slap or a tug on the chin, knowing she couldnât win over him by force.
No one should see the insolent behavior of the new Shinsu chief.
âJust hang in there for a little bit. Iâll be right back.â
The vacation would be quite long, so by the time she returned, he wouldnât be in heat anymore. She could come back to a cute, big cat.
Aymon drooped his ears at the words said to soothe him.
ăBut thereâs so much to do.ă
He wagged his tail weakly.
âWhat do you want to do?â
Belinda gently asked, stroking his ears.
ăThere are things!ă
Aymon burst out. He had a cute habit of screaming when he got shy.
Belinda looked at the huffing Aymon with a smile and held on to him.
The leopard was so huge that she couldnât even cover half of him, no matter how tightly she held on, but Aymon easily gave in to her weak force.
She kissed him on the nose, making his hair stand up.
âBe good and wait for me. Iâll be back soon.â
She spoke to him as if he was a puppy guarding a house. Aymon nodded with gleaming eyes.
ăYeah. You have to hurry backâŚ.ă
âAll right.â
Belinda grinned. He looked like an obedient pet cat.
Although he could have bitten through a humanâs neck with a single fang and cut down a tree with a claw, he was now just a cute cat.
Belinda smiled, but her face suddenly hardened. A strange thought had passed through her mind.
She hesitated to speak for a moment, staring into Aymonâs eyes.
âAymon, you canât just go and jump on anyone while Iâm not here.â
ăHuh?ă
âWhat did I say about men who only care about their instincts and go around with anyone?â
ăThat they are playboys and lechers.ă
He had heard it so many times that he couldnât even choose a single answer.
Belinda, now with a serious expression, nodded.
Good boy, Aymon.
âThatâs right. You might be a beast, but youâre stuck with me now, so watch your behavior, all right?â
If you donât want to be a bad beast, you have to spend the breeding season with me.
He was a Shinsu but a beast before that. His instinct outweighed reason.
Strangely uneasy, Belinda scolded him with a stern tone.
Aymon laughed.
ăYou donât know what itâs really like to be stuck together.ă