Free Web NovelChapter 13: Episode 013: A Solid Home!
[Host, I think your mate’s brain is no longer functioning properly.]
Rue blinked. She turned her head to Caius, and he stood there completely still in the middle of the market. His jaw was locked tight. He stared directly at her lips, like a statue that forgot how to pose.
A hot flush crept up Rue’s neck. This was a mistake. She poked his solid arm. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
"We need to go," she softly told him.
The poke broke the spell. Caius sucked in a sharp breath. His golden eyes vanished entirely. They bled into a deep, violent red. He didn’t say a single word. He just dropped his large hands and scooped her up from the wagon. He held her tight against his chest.
He turned his head and glared down at the gathered male beasts. The tiger beastman swallowed hard. The wolf threw his hands up in the air and took three fast steps backwards. They all backed away quickly. Nobody wanted to fight a high-tier predator who looked ready to snap spines.
Rue rested her head against his dark shirt. His chest was amazing. It was a solid wall of thick muscle. He was burning hot. She could hear his heart hammering against his ribs. Her own pulse started racing. Her body betrayed her completely.
[Host, are you falling---]
Don’t even complete that sentence, Rue snapped in her mind.
[...]
The blue screen flickered. A new notification popped up.
[Time until next Heat Period: 6:05]
A thick vein throbbed in Rue’s forehead.
You’re a garbage piece of machinery, she told it. I hate you.
She was absolutely sure the system would be laughing at her right now if it had a face.
Caius ignored the silent crowd. He grabbed the handles of his wagon and pulled them out of the Convergence. He moved incredibly fast, leaving the loud noise and the smell of the busy market behind.
They entered a quiet, tree-lined neighbourhood. It was a safe distance from the market chaos but close enough for convenience. Different beast tribes lived here peacefully. Caius pulled the wagon onto a large, empty patch of green land.
A wooden cabin sat right in the middle of it.
Caius set the wagon down. "We’re here."
Rue hopped out, suddenly feeling excited to see a new apartment. She walked up to the cabin. She pushed the front door open. It actually had a solid wooden door on metal hinges. She rushed inside.
She expected a dirt floor. Maybe some dry grass. She didn’t expect a fully furnished living room. A large couch draped in thick, soft furs sat in the centre. A sturdy wooden table stood next to a dedicated kitchen space. The kitchen had actual stone counters and neat wooden shelves.
Oh my god! This is actually more than what I expected.
She looked outside again, to make sure she wasn’t on Earth. Because this... Rue stopped moving.
This is human architecture, Rue noted. Someone from Earth built this stuff.
[...]
The system stayed completely silent. That confirmed her suspicion.
Rue didn’t care about the world lore right now. She was just thrilled to see proper furniture. She walked around the room. She sniffed the fresh pine wood. She ran her hands over the smooth table. It was a massive upgrade from a damp cave. She wouldn’t have to sleep on a cold rock anymore.
Caius slithered into the room. He carried his heavy leather sack. He wasn’t comfortable at all. He set the sack down on the table. He couldn’t stop thinking about the busy market. He definitely couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss.
Her lips were incredibly supple. The brief contact felt like a raw shock of lightning. It ripped right through his legendary self-control. It dragged his mind straight back to their first night together. He wanted to pin her to that new fur couch right now.
Ugh... Caius, how deep have you fallen exactly?
He watched her trace the edge of a wooden chair. He frowned. Why was she studying a piece of dead wood instead of looking at him? He was standing right here. He was her mate.
His blood was boiling. He needed a distraction before he did something rash, like getting angry at the furniture because his mate was paying attention to it rather than him.
Caius began to unpack. He arranged the heavy pots in the kitchen. He stacked his old books on a shelf. He organised the jars of spices. He moved fast and efficiently. The physical labour helped quiet the loud noise in his head.
The sun went down. The cabin grew dark. Caius lit several candles and placed them around the large room. The warm light made the space feel cosy.
Rue let out a massive yawn. Being a pregnant rabbit was exhausting. She rubbed her eyes.
"I need to sleep," Rue announced as she wrapped herself in the fur coat they came with. Caius nodded. He led her down a short hallway. He pushed the bathroom door open.
Rue stared. A large wooden bathtub sat in the corner. It was big enough to fit three people easily.
Caius leaned over the tub. He twisted a carved wooden handle. Clean water immediately poured out of a metal pipe and into the tub. He twisted another piece of wood at the bottom to show her how the drain worked. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Rue was amazed. It was a fully functional plumbing system. The Earth person who visited this world was a genius.
"This is perfect," Rue sighed as she looked around the bathroom and then landed her gaze on Caius, who wasn’t leaving. "Leave. I need to clean myself."
Caius paused. He looked at her, then at the warm water as if he was hinting at something. He clearly wanted to stay.
Rue narrowed her eyes at him. "Out," she ordered. She pointed a small finger at the door, gesturing with her head towards it.
"I..." Caius sighed heavily. He left the bathroom and shut the door behind him.
Now having the bathroom all to herself, Rue sighed as the coldness wrapped around her body. Rue stripped off her dusty silk dress. She climbed into the warm water. It felt incredible.
The dirt from the wagon ride and the stress from the market washed away. She scrubbed her silver hair. She let her sore muscles relax. She stayed in the tub until the water started to turn cold.
She pulled the wooden plug. The water drained away perfectly.
She opened the system shop in her mind. She bought a large, fluffy white towel for two Life Points. It dropped right into her hands, and she wrapped it tightly around her body. It covered her from her chest down to her mid-thigh.
She opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the hallway, only for her to stop dead in her tracks.
For how long has he been standing there?
Caius was standing right outside the bedroom door. But something about him was different; her eyes narrowed down as her brows knitted together to form a frown.
Her eyes widened.
He was standing on two muscular, human legs!
Rue stared at his feet. She blinked. She looked at his knees. She looked back at his feet. Her mind was stuttering in disbelief.
"What the fuck?? You can use feet?!" she exclaimed in shock.
She was so distracted by the existence of his legs that she missed all the warning signs. She didn’t look at his face. She didn’t see the glowing, predatory red light in his eyes. She definitely didn’t notice the massive tent pushing against the front of his dark silk wrap.
Caius didn’t answer her question. He crossed the distance between them in a single step and reached out and grabbed her neck. His sharp claws pressed gently but firmly against her soft skin in a possessive grip.
A small noise escaped from her lips as he slammed her backwards. Her spine hit the wooden wall right next to the bathroom door. The hard impact knocked the breath out of her lungs.
He stepped into her space, caging her in with his massive body. The heat radiating off him was scorching, making her swallow.
Rue was forced to tilt her head up as she looked at his handsome face.
Realisation crashed down on her. His eyes were entirely red. His jaw was clenched tight. The heavy scent of his arousal filled the narrow hallway. The six-hour timer the system warned her about was completely irrelevant now.
She opened her mouth to protest.
Caius restricted her air and pressed his lips against hers.
