Chapter 17 This Isn’t the Driving School!
Carrying Tessa on his back, Jacob was still pondering how to answer her question when he spotted Alexander standing by the doorway the moment they stepped inside the villa. His tall figure stood unmoving and silent, like a child being punished.
Why didn’t the Ferality Management Division lock him up?
Jacob cast a cold, scrutinizing gaze at Alexander, then spoke with a hint of bitterness to Tessa. “Looking for the lion? He’s right in front of you.
Tessa’s first thought was that Jacob sounded oddly jealous. Her second thought was shock.
Alexander? That out–of–control lion… was Alexander?!
Anger flared within her. Without thinking, she pinched Jacob’s wolf ears between her slender fingers. “So, you two colluded to trick me?!”
She couldn’t believe she fell for their lies, thinking Alexander had actually returned to base on a mission and wouldn’t be home.
Caught off guard, Jacob shuddered violently–the wolf’s ears were incredibly sensitive. “Sorry…” Tessa hadn’t meant to grab his ears so suddenly, and seeing his intense reaction, she quickly let go. Nervously, she stammered, “D–Don’t lie to me again.”
The arctic wolf let out a short, low whimper as if promising to obey.
Meanwhile, the sight of Tessa riding on the giant wolf and interacting so intimately stabbed at Alexander’s nerves.
Normally, a feral male would be taken into custody by the Ferality Management Division. But since Alexander’s Ferality Index had already dropped to 70, they hadn’t restricted his freedom and had let him go..
Panic gripped Alexander during the entire journey home. The possibility that he might have forced himself on Tessa during his feral state gnawed at him. He had sprinted home without pause, only to find the house empty.
Overwhelmed by anxiety, his mind couldn’t think straight. So, he had simply stood there, waiting for her return–for hours.
However, had he glanced at his HoloCore during that time, he would have seen the Galaxy Net’s top headlines featuring footage of the black mamba therian’s feral episode and Tessa calming the snake in the middle of the street. He would have realized it was all a misunderstanding–that he hadn’t done anything unspeakable to her.
But he never once looked at his HoloCore.
Lowering his head, Alexander spoke in a rough, hoarse voice. “Can I tall +–
2:10 PM 다.
Chapter 17 This Isn’t the Driving School!
Tessa froze..
Finished
From the moment they’d met, Alexander had always appeared confident and proud. She had never seen him look so dejected and broken.
Is he feeling guilty for lying? But it wasn’t anything serious. I get it.
As the image of the lion overlapped with Alexander in her mind, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for him.
Just as she gave a small nod to accept his request, Jacob tugged at the hem of her shirt. His gray- blue eyes stared at her with a silent plea.
Knowing he couldn’t have her all to himself, he could only strive to earn a little more of her
attention.
Tessa picked up on his subtle hint, hesitated for a few seconds, then threw herself into the fluffy warmth with open arms.
If Jacob had been in human form, she might have been too embarrassed to hug him. But in his beast form? She had no reservations whatsoever.
Receiving the young female’s affection, Jacob greedily soaked in the warmth of her embrace, closing his eyes to savor this fleeting moment of happiness before reluctantly letting her go.
Soon after, Tessa and Alexander ascended to the attic.
The attic had a window that faced a peach tree outside. When Tessa cracked the window open, a gentle breeze swept in, carrying a flurry of pink petals that brushed against her face. Quickly, she shut the window and picked a few petals from her hair. As she turned around, Alexander was gone–replaced by a familiar lion.
Golden mane gleamed in the light and amber eyes filled with a hint of sorrow–it was undoubtedly the same clingy lion from before.
For a moment, Tessa’s mind filled with memories of rolling around and playing with the lion. The corners of her lips began to lift into a smile before she suddenly remembered–the lion was Alexander.
The images in her mind shifted, replacing the lion with Alexander’s face–the one she had rolled around with, touched all over, and even kissed of her own accord. The realization hit her like a shockwave, making her freeze as heat rushed to her cheeks.
This was definitely not something she should dwell on. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
Alexander’s heart sank further, seeing her averted
gaze and hesitant eyes.
I must’ve really forced myself on her. That’s why she’s so afraid of me now. She must loathe me so much that she can’t even stand to look at my beast form anymore…
Chapter 17 This Isn’t the Driving School!
→Finished
Thanks to interstellar technology, therians could shift with their clothes instantly adjusting, eliminating the inconvenience of having to change after transforming. It was a technology that had existed for thousands of years and was nothing remarkable.
But to Tessa–who had come from Earth–it was a marvel. Seeing a lion instantly transform into a well–dressed, handsome man left her wide–eyed in astonishment.
And then came an even bigger shock–Alexander dropped to his knees before her.
The sound of his knees hitting the floor echoed through the room. His posture was straight, the motion swift and resolute, as if he had made a firm decision.
“Ah!” Tessa gasped, thinking he had lost his balance. She rushed forward, grabbing his arms in an attempt to help him up. However, despite using all her strength, she couldn’t move him an inch.
Confused, she let go and took a step back, only to hear Alexander’s rough, strained voice, “Forgive me. Please punish me however you see fit.”
Even if she decided to beat him to death, he would accept it without complaint.
“B–But it was just a white lie, wasn’t it?” Tessa stammered, flustered.
It was just a little lic. But listening to him, anyone would think he had committed some unforgivable crime.
“I forgive you,” she said with a wave of her hand as if granting a royal pardon.
Forgive… me? Alexander stared at her in disbelief, stunned that she could forgive him so easily- and so casually.
Her kindness and generosity overwhelmed him with gratitude, but guilt still churned within his chest. Lowering his voice, he asked hesitantly, “Were you…. badly hurt?”
While medical pods could heal most injuries in an instant, the pain experienced at the moment of injury could not be erased. He feared that he might have left a lasting trauma.
“I wasn’t hurt at all. You didn’t bite me,” Tessa replied, not yet realizing where the conversation was heading. Then, a giggle escaped her lips as she recounted, “Though you did try to attack Jacob through the screen. Good thing you couldn’t reach him. And even if you had bitten me, I wouldn’t have blamed you. You weren’t in your right mind–it wasn’t your fault.”
This world is amazing. So many cute animals everywhere.
Her love for animals was boundless. Because of that, her affection naturally extended to their human forms as well.
Though touched by her compassion, Alexander couldn’t shake his worry. “But… my beast form is too large… and rough…. and the anatomy is… different. Are you sure you weren’t hurt?”
Tessa froze.
2:10 PM
Chapter 17 This Isn’t the Driving School!
Her brain screeched to a halt like a car slamming on the brakes.
She couldn’t believe Alexander was already speeding down the freeway when she was still learning to drive.
Finished
Staring at his slightly flushed face, she opened her mouth but couldn’t form any words. After a few moments of stunned silence, she finally managed to ask, “Hold on… Why would you think 1- that we–and with your beast form–did that?”
Her voice rose an octave, flustered beyond belief.
She wasn’t a pervert, nor did she have such kinds of preferences!
