Chapter 2

Once I'd made up my mind, I called the Contract Registry at Central Administration.

They told me that because my relationship with the sisters had originally been established through a purchase contract, terminating it would be fairly simple. All I had to do was bring in the original paperwork and sign a few forms.

I dug out the sales contract and left the house, but halfway there, I changed my mind and decided to go to the military headquarters first.

After all, we'd lived together for five years. I didn't want to end things without a word. Whatever happened, I felt like I owed them an explanation face-to-face. If I was going to walk away, the least I could do was give all three of us a proper goodbye and a clean break.

When I arrived at headquarters, I went straight to Sierra's office. I was about to knock when I heard a man's voice coming from inside.

"Come on, ladies. Won't you join me on this mission? It's my first time leading a team on my own, and honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'd feel a lot safer with both of you there."

I peeked through the crack in the door and saw a male Rabbit Shifter with an easy smile and a soft, gentle voice.

Sierra agreed without hesitation, her expression warm. Even Sabrina, who was usually sharp-tongued and impatient, patiently reassured him. The three of them chatted and laughed together, and the atmosphere inside was so relaxed and comfortable that I found myself stopping in my tracks.

For a moment, I wasn't sure if I should go in.

Then, Sabrina happened to glance up.

The moment our eyes met, the smile disappeared from her face. She opened the door and looked at me impatiently. "What are you doing here?"

Sierra seemed to snap back to reality as well. She instinctively stepped in front of the male Shifter before quickly explaining, "Don't get the wrong idea. He's a new member of our unit. We were just discussing an urgent mission."

At the same time, the comments kept rolling across my vision.

[Ugh, what a buzzkill! Nathan just had to show up and ruin the mood. Does he have no sense at all?]

[He's about to throw another tantrum. Sabrina and Sierra are already sick of his personality.]

[The more he clings to them, the more annoying he gets. No wonder they end up hating him so much.]

I finally got a good look at the handsome, gentle-looking male Shifter, and my heart sank.

Could this be Eli White, the male protagonist the comments had been praising nonstop?

The moment I remembered what happened to anyone who crossed the main characters in this novel, panic set in.

I immediately took half a step back and waved my hands apologetically. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your work. I'll leave right now!"

Both Sierra and Sabrina frowned at my reaction, but I didn't dare look at either of them again. I turned around and ran.

I hadn't gotten more than a few steps before someone grabbed me. Sabrina shoved a key into my hand.

"Go wait in my office."

Before I could say anything, she turned and headed back inside, apparently dealing with a genuinely urgent assignment.

Sabrina's office was much messier than Sierra's. Aside from the neatly made bed, documents were scattered across nearly every available surface, leaving me nowhere to sit except on the bed itself. I had no choice but to wait there.

After a while, the quiet and exhaustion started to catch up with me. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier until I finally drifted off.

I didn't know how long I'd been asleep when I suddenly felt something warm and wet against my skin, as though someone were licking my neck.

My eyes flew open.

The curtains had been drawn shut, leaving the office dim and secluded.

Sabrina was leaning over me, one hand braced beside my ear while the other worked at the buttons of my shirt. Her lips were pressed against my neck, and the warm, damp sensation spread across my skin, accompanied by the scorching body heat unique to a White Tiger Shifter.

I woke up instantly and shoved her away.

"Sabrina, that's not why I came to see you."

She didn't stop. She merely gave a muffled response against my skin. "You climbed into my bed. What else could you possibly want?

"If you weren't having an episode, why would you ever come looking for us on your own?"

She was already tugging at my clothes again when I finally lost my patience. I sank my teeth hard into her shoulder.

Sabrina let out a muffled groan, and her movements finally stopped. She looked down at me, surprise flickering across her face.

I took the opportunity to shove her away. "I told you. I don't want to."

Caught completely off guard, Sabrina stumbled back. For several seconds, she just stood there, staring at me in disbelief. Then, she let out a quiet laugh, apparently assuming I was throwing another childish tantrum.

She raised an eyebrow and asked softly, "Did you get jealous because you saw him with us? Don't overthink it. He's just our mentor's son.

"Our mentor asked us to look after him before he passed away last year. Eli just joined the military, and this is his first time leading a mission on his own. He was nervous, so he came to us for advice."

She paused before leaning closer again, her voice turning gentler. "I have to leave for several days to accompany him on this mission."

Her gaze softened as she looked at me. "That means you won't get to see me for several days, master."

She reached for me again. "So, how about I take care of you before I go?"