Chapter 15 - 015: The First Mate
Rylan stopped at the cave entrance, for several seconds, he simply stared.
Anaria, still beside Kai, slowly turned toward him and felt her entire soul leave her body.
"Of all the times for him to come back..."
Kai remained unusually quiet, still recovering from the aftermath of his dragon heat. He glanced toward Rylan but said nothing, while Anaria desperately tried to figure out what she was supposed to say first.
Rylan’s expression gave her no answer. His wolf, however, had already reacted.
The air inside the cave seemed to grow heavier as his aura sharpened. His eyes shifted toward Kai, and the possessiveness rolling off him became impossible to ignore.
Anaria immediately recognized the look in his eyes. Rylan knew perfectly well that she could have more than one husband or mate, so this wasn’t about Kai taking her away from him. It was probably his wolf that was making things difficult, bristling at the sight of another male bonded to his mate.
Anaria quickly stepped toward him and said, "Rylan, calm down. You’re still my first one"
His gaze returned to her.
"You were my first bond," Anaria continued, pointing toward herself before gesturing toward Kai. "That makes you my first mate. Kai is simply my second. That’s how harems work here."
Rylan’s jaw tightened. "I know."
"Then why are you looking at him like you want to tear his head off?"
Rylan didn’t answer.
Instead, his eyes returned to Kai, who remained seated and strangely calm despite the tension surrounding him.
Rylan finally asked, "Why did you mate with her?"
Kai’s brows drew together.
Rylan’s voice hardened as he continued, "You barely looked at her before. You avoided her every chance you got. You clearly didn’t like her, so why would you bond with her?"
Kai remained silent.
Anaria glanced between them and sighed. "Can everyone stop acting like Kai committed a crime?"
Rylan ignored her. His wolf was still unsettled, and the longer he stood there, the harder it became to control it.
Anaria finally looked directly at him and asked, "Do you like me?"
Silence followed.
Rylan’s expression changed slightly, but he still didn’t answer.
Anaria stared at him "That silence is basically an answer"
Before she could say anything else, the system suddenly appeared before her eyes.
[Affection Rate fluctuating.]
Anaria’s eye twitched "Seriously? Now?"
The system continued with another short notification.
[Husband Candidate #1 affection requires stabilization.]
Anaria mentally groaned. "Of course it does."
Rylan stepped away from Kai, clearly realizing that staying there was making his instincts worse. Without another word, he turned and walked outside.
Kai watched him go before a faint smile appeared on his face.
Anaria immediately pointed at him. "Don’t even think about following him."
Kai’s smile disappeared.
"Stay here," Anaria ordered.
Kai gave a quiet nod.
Anaria blinked at him before thinking "at least one of my husbands knows how to behave"
She hurried after Rylan.
Outside, she found him standing farther from the cave, his back turned toward her. His breathing had already steadied, but the tension in his shoulders remained.
Anaria approached carefully.
Rylan spoke before she could get close. "Stay back."
She stopped.
"I’m not completely calm yet," Rylan admitted, his voice low. "I don’t want to hurt you."
Anaria hesitated, then slowly stepped backward.
Before she could turn away, Rylan reached out, caught her hand, and pulled her toward him.
Anaria barely had time to react before Rylan pulled her against him and kissed her.
Her eyes widened in surprise. After everything that had happened, she hadn’t expected him to make the first move.
For a moment, she simply stood there before relaxing into the kiss and responding.
The tension in Rylan’s body slowly eased as he held her. His wolf, which had been restless since seeing Kai, finally quieted enough for him to think clearly again.
When he eventually pulled away, his forehead remained close to hers as he asked quietly, "Why did you mate with Kai?"
Anaria blinked at him. "Because he needed someone to help him with his dragon heat."
Rylan’s expression remained displeased. "You’re my mate."
"I know."
"My wolf doesn’t like watching another male mate with you."
Anaria looked at him for a moment before saying, "And?"
Rylan’s jaw tightened. "It would be easier if Kai actually liked you."
Anaria almost laughed. "So that’s your problem?"
Rylan didn’t answer.
She studied his face before asking again, "Rylan, do you like me?"
His eyes shifted away. Again, no answer.
Anaria sighed. "You really don’t like answering simple questions."
Rylan remained silent, but his thoughts were far less certain than his expression. He knew Anaria wasn’t beautiful by the standards of their world. Yet somewhere along the way, that had stopped being the thing he noticed first.
She was stubborn. Reckless. Infuriating.
She was also the woman who had saved his life, become his mate, and somehow found her way beneath every wall he had built around himself.
His wolf had accepted her long ago.
His heart was simply taking longer to admit it.
Anaria watched him struggle with his silence and finally decided she was done waiting.
"Fine," she said. "If you won’t answer, I’ll solve the problem another way."
Rylan looked at her. "How?"
Instead of replying, Anaria smiled and leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss against his cheek.
Rylan froze.
The reaction was so immediate that Anaria almost laughed. His ears reddened slightly, and his usually composed expression became strangely flustered.
She pulled back with a satisfied smile.
Then the system appeared.
[Rylan Affection +3%.]
[Current Affection Rate: 23%.]
Anaria’s eyes brightened. "Well, that worked"
Rylan looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you smiling?"
"Nothing," Anaria replied innocently.
She reached for his hand and squeezed it lightly. "I told you that you’re still my mate. Kai’s bond doesn’t change that."
Rylan’s expression softened slightly, though his hesitation remained.
Anaria remembered what she had promised herself and decided she needed to make her point clearer.
"I’ll reassure you properly," she said.
Rylan immediately frowned. "You don’t have to do anything because you feel obligated."
"I know."
She reached toward his loincloth.
Rylan caught her wrist before she could pull it away. "Anaria."
She met his eyes without hesitation. "I’m not doing this because I have to."
His grip loosened.
Anaria gently freed her hand and pulled the knot loose herself.
Rylan stared at her in startled disbelief as she smiled at his reaction before lowering herself into a squat in front of him.
His face became even more flustered.
"What are you doing?" Rylan asked.
Anaria looked up at him with a small, confident smile. "Keep quiet."
Rylan opened his mouth, but no words came.
For once, Anaria had managed to leave the usually composed wolf speechless.