One Girl, A Pack Of Beasts

"Sure." Lillian gave a short nod. She barely spared Justine a glance before heading straight for the registration desk. Instead of wasting time on pleasantries, she went straight to the point and asked the staff to stamp the documents. Without delay, a staff member processed everything and placed three separation certificates in her hands. A polite smile stayed on his face as he spoke. "Now that you're registered as a single female, Yggdrasil will match you with new males. You can check your email tomorrow for the results." After acknowledging him with a nod, she turned back and flicked her wrist, throwing two certificates toward Waylon and Jaycob. "It's done. From this point on, the two of you are Justine's fated mates." Shock spread across Justine's face as she went stiff for a moment. "Lillian, you actually broke the bonds with them? So that's it? You don't love them anymore?" A cold laugh slipped from Lillian as she shook her head. "Love? There was never anything like that between us. It was nothing more than an obligation that tied me to them. Since you're willing to pick up what I threw away, go ahead." Waylon's anger flared at that. "Lillian, watch your mouth! You think you can talk about us like that? We refused to serve you because of Justine. She's the one we truly love." Lillian didn't even bother responding. Arguing with them wasn't worth her time. So, she left and made her way home before the sky turned dark. Earlier, Rosalyn had sent a message to her. She said she had given Samuel an injection that kept him alive, but his condition hadn't improved. His mind was unstable, and he needed a suppressant or a female to soothe him as soon as possible. The moment Lillian arrived home, she found Samuel in the guest room. His body was hunched over on the carpet as he knelt there, and he was struggling through waves of pain. A strained sound escaped him while one of his hands had already shifted into a claw, about to hurt himself. Lillian's expression hardened at the sight. She rushed forward without hesitation and caught his wrist to stop him. At the sight of her, Samuel went still for a second. His chest rose and fell in uneven breaths as his voice came out rough. "You shouldn't get close to me. I might lose control and hurt you." "I'm not leaving you like this." Carefully, Lillian reached up and held his head between her hands. She tried to soothe him, letting her spiritual power flow through him in an effort to calm the storm inside him. Even so, the strain on Samuel's face didn't ease. Pain tore through him without pause. It felt like his bones were being forced apart, then crushed back together again. Something unseen seemed to press along his spine, breaking it piece by piece. The agony dragged him closer to the edge with every passing second. "Thank you for helping me." Samuel realized Lillian's ability wasn't enough to soothe him, gritting his teeth and reaching out to push her away gently. "I'll just face my destruction." A flicker of anxiety crossed Lillian's face. Regulations made it impossible to use suppressants on someone with a criminal record. Without a female willing to soothe him, there was no way to pull him back from this. She had already tried soothing him through touch, yet it hadn't been enough. That left only one option—mating. It was typically reserved for a female's fated mates. She had never done something like that before. Neither in her previous life nor in this one had she ever given herself to anyone. Still, watching Samuel struggle right in front of her, Lillian hesitated only for a brief second before making up her mind. She leaned in, steadied his head in her hands, and pressed her lips against his in a firm gesture. A flicker of shock crossed Samuel's eyes the moment her lips met his. Something within him shifted in a way he couldn't explain. He had never felt anything like this before. For the first time, he experienced what it felt like to be soothed by a female. Tension drained from his body without warning. The violent strain in his muscles eased, and the sharp pain tearing through his bones faded as if it had been pulled away by an unseen force. A tremor ran through him as relief settled in. Driven by instinct, his arms moved on their own. He circled Lillian's waist and pulled her closer, holding her tightly against him. The need for comfort from her took over as he deepened the kiss instinctively. Caught off guard, Lillian lost her balance and ended up seated on his lap. Her tongue was entwined with Samuel's, continuously licked and sucked, occasionally grazed by his sharp teeth, causing her to shiver. A strange sensation spread through her, leaving her mind unsteady. Not only was there a physical change in her, but spiritually, she also felt something unusual. Her previously depleted spiritual power suddenly swelled like a sponge absorbing water, pulling in everything that poured from him. The wild energy surrounding him flowed into her, and she turned it into her spiritual power, using it to soothe him. Time slipped by without her noticing. By the time the kiss finally broke, her spiritual power had been completely drained. Her body gave in, and she slumped against Samuel, her consciousness fading as exhaustion took over. For Samuel, the torment hadn't fully disappeared, but the storm inside him had calmed enough for him to think clearly again. Carefully, he carried Lillian and laid her down on the bed. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he chose not to lie beside her. Instead, he lowered himself to the floor and stayed there, watching her quietly. Complex emotions lingered in his eyes. He couldn't understand why someone like her would go so far just to save him. Nor could he figure out what he had ever done to deserve her help. In his eyes, she was perfect. When Lillian finally woke, a full day and night had already passed. Warmth surrounded her, and she noticed her hand was still being held firmly. A slight turn of her head revealed Samuel lying on the cold floor beside the bed, fast asleep. The small movement didn't go unnoticed. He stirred almost at once, pushing himself upright as his blue eyes locked onto her. There was something intense in the way he looked at her. His gaze didn't pull back, and combined with his rugged yet striking features, it made her heart skip a beat. Lillian paused for a moment before reaching out. Her fingers brushed through his messy hair, then touched his ear. "Samuel, why did you sleep on the floor?" she asked in a soft voice. A low sound slipped from Samuel at the touch. Since he was a werewolf, his ears and tail were highly sensitive. "I'm used to it. And... thank you for saving me and letting me stay here." That answer wasn't the truth. He hadn't grown used to sleeping on the floor. But he had watched too many others like him get taken away by females who treated them like passing interests. They would leave with females smiling, only to return later with wounds covering their bodies. Some of those females, backed by their status, didn't hesitate to cross the line and treat their slaves as nothing more than tools for their own desires. After seeing enough of that, Samuel had come to understand one thing. If he wanted to survive, he had to endure whatever came his way and be compliant. But... "Don't say things like that. You should be sleeping on the bed." Lillian pushed the covers aside and got out of bed, reaching for him as she pulled him to his feet. Only then did she realize just how tall he was. Standing close to him, she barely reached his chest, which forced her to tilt her head up to meet his eyes. A trace of shyness slipped into her expression before she spoke again. "After what happened last night... are you feeling better now?" Samuel was stunned for a moment before answering, "I am. You got me through the rut safely." The memory of that kiss lingered in his mind, and his gaze drifted to her lips without him realizing it. He swallowed instinctively. He realized that the rumors on Rogue Planet were true. Once a male experienced a deep level of soothing from a female, the feeling would stay with him, pulling him back toward it again and again. He could already feel that pull. "Wait... you really made it through because of me?" Excitement lit up Lillian's face. "So what I did actually worked?" When Samuel confirmed it, everything clicked for her. The way her spiritual power worked wasn't the same as that of other females. Beast cores had never improved her spiritual power, no matter how many she had used. All those years of fighting aberrant beasts hadn't changed anything. Now, she finally understood why. Her spiritual power didn't grow that way at all. And what had happened last night went beyond simple contact. It was a deeper connection that had allowed her to draw in far more energy than before, upgrading her spiritual power. Without thinking, Lillian wrapped her arms around Samuel, unable to hide her joy. "Thank you, Samuel!" The sudden embrace caught Samuel off guard. A faint heat crept across his face, and he didn't know how to react. Every instinct told him to stay wary of her, yet he was unable to do that. He forced himself to pull away, steadying his thoughts before speaking. "You shouldn't treat me this well. I'm not someone worth your kindness. I've got a criminal record, and I'm marked as a slave from Rogue Planet. If people find out what you did for me, they'll laugh at you." "No," Lillian responded as she held his hand, her smile unwavering. "Bringing you home was the best choice I've ever made. You're my lucky charm!" She looked at him. "Stay with me, Samuel. Maybe you're the only one who will."