Chapter 10 Pulled Into His Embrace
The sight before him was so intense that Jacob’s heart nearly stopped.
Finished
I swear, he thought, once this is over, I’m going to spar with Alexander until that dmn lion’s face is black and blue!
Eyes glued to the screen, he watched as the lion lowered its head, sniffing along the soft, vulnerable skin of the young female’s cheek as if deciding where to sink its teeth.
And then just as Jacob’s pulse spiked with dread–the lion opened its jaws wide…
Thunk!
Tessa smacked the lion’s head with a flick of her fingers. “Stop being mean!”
“Urrgh…” The lion actually closed its mouth and licked her fingers instead.
Jacob blinked, unsure if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but for a moment, he could’ve sworn the lion’s face showed an almost pleading expression.
That can’t be right.
No feral therian should be capable of such human–like emotions.
Tessa, after delivering her reprimand, balanced it out with a gentle touch–stroking the lion’s. strong back and leaning in to kiss its fluffy cheek.
The lion’s delight was unmistakable. As if returning the gesture, it nudged beneath her chin, then cautiously gave her a quick lick that sent her giggling and pulling back with a ticklish shiver.
“Stop it! Quit messing around…” she giggled, trying to dodge.
The lion’s rough tongue, designed to tear meat from bone, could have easily shredded her delicate skin. Yet it moved with remarkable care, causing no harm whatsoever.
No matter how much Jacob wanted to deny it, the evidence was right in front of him. Time and again, the lion had shown no aggression toward Tessa.
At last, a detail resurfaced in his mind–something from the mission report when they had rescued Tessa from the primordial resource planet.
The soldiers had found her asleep, completely unguarded, yet surrounded by wild beasts that stood watch over her.
It was unbelievable.
“Have animals always liked you this much?” Jacob asked.
Terca nauced at the auction then nodded “Vesh” & emila bloomed armee her face “And I lika
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What a remarkable female, Jacob thought. Even the untamed beasts of the wilderness had fallen for
her charm.
A mix of admiration and jealousy stirred within him.
I wonder… if I transformed into my beast form, would she show me the same affection?
Unable to endure another second of watching Alexander’s foolish lion self nuzzling against the young female, Jacob abruptly ended the call after a quick, “Wait for me–I’m coming back.
Tessa perched atop the lion’s back, marveling at the advanced medical technology of the interstellar world.
She’d assumed Jacob would be busy until evening, yet somehow, the mission had wrapped up faster than expected.
Majestic and powerful, the lion carried his beloved young female with steady steps, parading her through the entire villa as if patrolling his territory.
When they reached Alexander’s bedroom, Tessa’s gaze fell on the shattered window. After a few moments of silence, she grabbed a handful of the lion’s mane. “Was this your doing?”
No wonder the noise from carlier had been so loud–she’d completely forgotten to investigate. So, this troublemaker had broken in through the window.
Poor Jacob, rushing home as fast as possible, had no idea that the window he’d fixed that morning had already met its demise again.
The lion tilted its head, looking at Tessa with an innocent expression as if it had no idea what it had done wrong. To make matters worse, it seemed to think she was playing with it. After all, her grip was so gentle that it barely registered as a tug.
Tessa could only sigh at the lion’s playful demeanor. Well, it is a young male lion… No wonder it has so much
energy.
Half–heartedly humoring its attempts to play, she resumed her work of clearing the black mist clinging to its body.
The bad news was that there was far too much of the black mist, and every time she cleared a portion of it, she felt mentally drained. The good news was that once she dispelled a section of the mist, it didn’t seem to return.
If I keep at it, I should be able to get rid of it all eventually.
As the black mist diminished, the lion’s condition visibly improved. It carried itself with greater. composure, and its eyes gleamed with a newfound intelligence that seemed almost human.
Encouraged by the progress, Tessa vowed to clear away every last trace of the mist. Finding a comfortable spot to sit, she adjusted her posture and prepared to continue when suddenly, the lion’s ears twitched. It turned its head sharply toward the window.
209 PM d
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Eyes gleaming with alertness, the lion rose and gazed outside. Then it glanced back at Tessa, hesitation flickering in its gaze.
But the hesitation didn’t last. Making up its mind, it leaped through the broken window and vanished before Tessa could do more than gasp in shock.
Rushing to the window, she leaned out and searched the area, but the lion was nowhere to be
seen.
Just then, Jacob arrived home and spotted Tessa leaning precariously out of the broken window. His heart lurched, and without hesitation, he bolted toward the house.
In one swift motion, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her into his embrace, and carried her away from the window–all in a single, fluid sequence.
“Ab!”
Caught off guard, Tessa gasped as her feet left the ground.
For the first time in her life, she found herself held in a man’s arms. Heat rushed to her cheeks, turning them a soft shade of pink as awkwardness flooded her senses.
Eyes
es darting nervously, she couldn’t bring herself to meet Jacob’s gaze.
What’s he doing? Why is he holding me like this?!
Jacob could swear that when he pulled Tessa into his arms, he had no ulterior motives. His only thought was to get the young female aw
from the dangerous broken window.
But now that the danger had passed and they remained in that position, he couldn’t ignore the warmth and softness of her body pressed against his. Their proximity allowed him to catch her sweet, warm scent–a fragrance that reminded him of the first rays of sunlight falling on a dew- covered garden at dawn.
Taking several deep breaths, Jacob forced himself to regain his composure. Reluctantly, he set Tessa down and returned to his usual calm and reserved demeanor. Lowering his gaze slightly, he apologized, “Forgive me. But promise me you won’t stand somewhere so dangerous again.”
Only then did Tessa realize her mistake.
Although she didn’t think the second floor of a villa was all that dangerous, she still nodded and agreed.
“I was just looking for the lion. It jumped out of the window and disappeared,” she explained. Then, seeing the serious expression on Jacob’s face, she sensed that something was off. “Do you know that lion?”
Jacob hesitated briefly, then nodded.
“You do?” Tessa blinked in surprise. “Is it a therian?”
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for Tessa to worry about him. But faced with her direct question, he didn’t want to lie again- especially not when that d*mn lion had already taken advantage of her ignorance, cozying up to her without revealing its true identity.
If Tessa managed to connect the dots and figure out that the lion was Alexander, Jacob had no intention of covering for him any longer.
“But… it doesn’t act like a therian,” Tessa murmured, confused.
While the lion was certainly intelligent, it still behaved like an animal. From what she’d read in educational books, male therians could shift freely between human and beast forms. Although their instincts were stronger in beast form, their thoughts remained as rational as when they were human. Most importantly, they could still speak, even in beast form.
But this lion never said a word. Was it pretending?
“Because he’s a feral male, Jacob explained.
Books meant for females didn’t delve too deeply into the topic of feral males. Too much information might lead females to fear or reject their male partners, especially since most females already disliked the rough, primal nature of beast forms. This was precisely why most males stayed in human form as much as possible, rarely shifting into their animal forms.
Jacob watched Tessa carefully as he continued, anxiety tightening his chest. “A male begins to lose control when his Ferality Index reaches 80. Once he loses control, he shifts into beast form and can no longer think rationally. If his index reaches 100, he’ll permanently become a wild animal. and can never return to human form.
Feral males were known for their extreme aggression. Violent, frenzied, and devoid of reason, they burned through their life force like a fire blazing out of control–quickly consuming themselves until nothing was left but ashes.
As Jacob spoke, he studied Tessa’s expression, tense with anticipation. Deep down, he feared seeing disgust or fear on her face. But even if she did look at him that way, he wouldn’t blame her. He would simply be more careful in the future, ensuring she never saw him in beast form.
Silence settled between them.
Tessa stood still, her eyes reflecting only compassion and sorrow–no trace of revulsion.
If she’d been angry upon learning that the lion was a therian, that anger had now melted away. leaving only worry in its place.
After a long pause, she quietly asked, “If I have mental power… does that mean I can save him?”
