Chapter 4

The moon hung low in the night sky, warm mist drifting through the mountain springs.

Rhys pressed my wrist against the stone wall.

My back instantly pressed against the damp surface.

His palm was burning hot.

I did not dare move at all.

But the man did nothing else.

He only lowered his head slightly.

Long fingers curled around a wet strand of my hair, slowly winding it around his hand before letting it slip free again.

He was so close that I could hear his breathing.

Heavy. Restrained.

I could even hear the rush of blood beneath his skin.

Again.

And again.

Floating comments exploded across my vision.

【The Alpha is seriously about to burst.】

【His head is completely full of marking her.】

I instinctively held my breath.

Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the springs.

A voice called out through the mist.

“Alpha! The traitors who fled to the Black Wolf Pack have all been captured!”

Rhys did not turn around.

He only answered in a low voice.

“I heard it.”

His silver-gray wolf eyes slowly lowered toward my chest.

But I had no idea whether he was looking at the collar, or somewhere else entirely.

Heat crept up my ears.

I instinctively closed my eyes.

I did not dare meet his gaze anymore.

The person outside seemed to still be waiting for orders.

“Alpha...?”

A soft sound of water rippled through the springs.

The heat pressing against me suddenly disappeared.

I opened my eyes.

The man had already turned away.

A black coat was casually thrown over his shoulders.

The next second, whoosh.

His tall figure vanished into the mist almost instantly.

Leaving me standing alone in the spring water, completely stunned.

The floating comments rolled wildly across my vision.

【That’s what you get for rubbing oil on him. Scared now?】

【Little wolf, you got him way too worked up this time.】

So...

Could my actions really make Rhys lose control?

After that night, Rhys never came looking for me again.

I originally thought the whole thing had passed.

Until training ended one day, and while wiping sweat from my neck,

I suddenly remembered the sound of his breathing against my ear in the springs.

I grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the showers.

Hot water ran down my skin, sliding over the wolf fang resting against my chest.

Then those floating comments suddenly flashed through my mind again.

Slowly, I removed the collar.

The wolf fang lay quietly in my palm.

A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

…What would a wolf fang taste like?

Besides, I wasn’t touching it.

I was only going to bite it lightly once.

I pressed my lips together.

Then gently touched the wolf fang with the tip of my teeth.

The floating comments instantly exploded again.

【! LEVEL ONE ALERT !】

【She bit it!】

【Oh no oh no oh no—!】

Meanwhile, deep inside the dungeon.

Blood slowly flowed through the drainage channels carved into the floor.

The air was thick with the smell of blood.

Rhys Ashbourne sat high on an iron chair, one hand resting against his temple.

A massive gray wolf lay silently at his feet.

Beyond the iron bars, several traitors hung suspended in midair by heavy chains.

Their bodies were covered in blood.

The man’s voice was cold.

“It’s been three days.” His fingers idly scratched beneath the gray wolf’s jaw.

“You still don’t plan to talk?”

One of the traitors lifted his head with a growl.

“Killing us won’t change anything!”

The man let out a quiet laugh.

But there was not a trace of warmth in those silver-gray wolf eyes.

“I’m very patient.”

“I can keep playing with you forever.”

But the next second, his voice abruptly stopped.

The air suddenly froze.

The gray wolf that had been lying at his feet suddenly rose to its feet.

Its ears flattened.

Its fangs slowly bared.

The entire dungeon fell deathly silent.

Every wolf lowered their heads at the same time.

No one dared look toward the high platform anymore.

Rhys’s wolf eyes suddenly turned crimson.

Alarms exploded throughout the entire headquarters.

All the wolves instantly dropped to their knees.

In the dormitory,

I was halfway through my shower when I vaguely heard alarms going off outside.

Before I could react, a violent crash suddenly came from outside the bathroom.

Something sounded like it had just been forced open.

I froze.

The bathroom door was violently shoved open.

Steam rolled through the room.

A tall Alpha figure stood there.

Crimson wolf eyes locked onto me.

My entire body instantly stiffened.

I instinctively bit down on my lower lip.

The wolf fang was still clenched tightly in my hand.

The man’s voice was frighteningly low and hoarse.

“Release it.”

Startled, I immediately released the wolf fang.

Clack.

The collar fell onto the floor.

But the man did not stop.

Instead, he slowly stepped closer.

His eyes stayed fixed on me.

His voice dropped even lower.

“I told you to release it.”

I froze in confusion.

…I already let go of the collar though.

【He meant your lip!】

【Don’t tell the little wolf!】

The man lowered his head.

The tip of his nose brushed against the side of my neck.

His burning breath almost made my skin go numb.

One of Rhys’s hands braced itself behind me.

The crimson in his wolf eyes slowly began to darken.

The floating comments completely flooded my vision.

【Rhys is already in marking mode!】

【Can he seriously still stop himself?!】

【Can the little wolf even handle him?】

My heartbeat grew faster and faster.

Even my breathing turned uneven.

The man’s low, rough voice brushed against my ear.

“You ignored my warning.”

“You even bit it.”

Instinctively, I grabbed onto the soaked fabric over his chest.

His sharp canine teeth slowly pressed against my neck.

My breathing stopped.

The whole world seemed to go quiet.

His low voice pressed close beside my ear.

“Do you know what happens after a mark?”

（卡点）