Chapter 179 - 177

Chapter 179: Chapter 177

We finally found Gawain and the twins, and as it turned out, they had been having tea in the conservatory the entire time.

Remington happily waved at us the moment we walked in.

"I’m surprised you actually managed to find us, especially considering Kayden was leading you two."

’We almost didn’t.’

Thankfully, the three had apparently left a trail of breadcrumbs.

Except their breadcrumbs were weapon marks, damaged walls, and an absolutely ridiculous number of footprints.

So I had ordered Kayden to follow them exactly.

"It’s all thanks to Blanca," Kayden said as he finally put me down on a chair. "She tells me where to go."

"And yet you hate it when we tell you where to go?" Colt asked.

Kayden looked at him calmly. "Why? Are you Blanca?"

The twins went silent while I decided not to waste the opportunity.

"Give me that."

I reached across the table and grabbed the plate of cookies, immediately stuffing several into my mouth.

Gawain sighed. "So unladylike."

I swallowed and grabbed another one. "Who cares about manners when I’m about to starve to death?"

Gawain sighed and reached for the milk pitcher. "Why are you here anyway? You should still be resting." He poured me a cup and pushed it toward me.

I swallowed the cookie first. "I need help with something."

Gawain paused. "That’s new."

I frowned. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You usually come to me after something has already exploded."

"I haven’t caused an explosion today."

"Yet."

"Anyway," I said, grabbing my milk. "I need to learn how to shapeshift."

The greenhouse went silent.

Gawain slowly set down his cup. "You don’t know how?"

"Are you serious?" Colt asked, staring at me like I had just announced I didn’t know how to breathe.

"We all knew how to shift the moment we gained our senses," Remington added next. "And you don’t?"

I shook my head. "No."

Remington leaned closer, studying me with genuine confusion. "What kind of planet were you born on?"

I slammed my hands on the table. "Well, excuse me for not being normal!"

The twins immediately burst out laughing.

Gawain pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don’t even know how to respond to that."

"Then don’t."

Remington wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s just—everyone knows how to shift."

"Well, apparently I don’t!"

Colt nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe she really is defective."

I whipped my head toward him. "I’m sitting right here!"

’And yes, technically, you could say I’m half defective since my soul was split into two!’

I immediately shut that thought down before I accidentally said it out loud.

Kayden, who had been quietly drinking his tea this entire time, finally spoke. "She had a rough childhood being stuck as a cub, after all."

"Yes! Wait..." I froze then turned towards him. "How do you know that?"

Kayden looked at me as if the answer were obvious. "You’re my mate. It’s normal for me to want to know everything about you."

Before I could process that, he reached over and gently wiped something from the corner of my mouth, casually licking it from his finger.

All of us went completely still.

I stared at Kayden with the most obvious look I could manage.

’You could have just told me I had crumbs on the corner of my mouth!’

Instead, he had to wipe it himself and then lick it off like that was a perfectly normal thing to do.

The twins’ expressions said everything.

’Since when was Master this shameless?’

Kayden, completely oblivious to the silent judgment surrounding him, calmly continued drinking his tea.

Meanwhile, Gawain...

Well, his expression was completely blank.

That was somehow much more terrifying than if he had been yelling.

The moment he stood up, the twins immediately grabbed him from behind.

"Let me go," Gawain said flatly.

"No," Colt replied.

"I’m not going to do anything."

Remington tightened his grip. "That’s exactly what someone about to do something would say."

I slowly reached for another cookie.

’Maybe I should just eat and pretend none of this is happening.’

"Gawain," Colt said cautiously.

"I’m calm."

"You don’t look calm."

"I am."

"You’re staring at him like you’re planning his funeral."

Gawain’s eye twitched. "I’m just going to kick him away from Blanca. That’s all."

"Really?" Colt asked, tightening his grip.

"Yes."

Kayden calmly took another sip of tea.

"Swear to destroy your weapons if you’re lying?" Remington asked.

Gawain stopped for a moment as the twins waited for his response.

"I’m going to kick him first," Gawain calmly corrected himself.

Remington raised an eyebrow. "And...?"

"Launch him a hundred meters away preferably using my catapult."

Colt nodded. "That’s more believable."

Once I finished my milk, I looked at the four of them.

"Can we talk about my problem now?"

Remington shrugged. "Your problem is so easy to solve. Just shift."

I stared at him.

’Just shift.’

Same answer as Kayden.

Colt, apparently deciding I needed an even less helpful explanation, added, "You already know your beast form, right? So this should be easy. Just think of yourself like that and shift."

I finally exploded.

"How would I shift?!" I finally exploded. "Can anyone actually explain it properly and think of me as a kid learning how to swim for the first time?!"

Remington opened his mouth but I immediately shut him up.

"And don’t say, ’Just swim.’"

He slowly closed his mouth while Colt coughed into his fist, clearly trying not to laugh.

Gawain sighed. "I think we may have been taking this for granted."

"Thank you!"

’Finally! Someone understood me!’

Gawain leaned forward. "When you shift, you need to focus on the connection between your human body and your beast form."

I nodded seriously. "Okay. That sounds like an actual explanation."

"Then you just let your energy flow naturally."

I nodded again. "Okay."

"And allow your body to change."

I waited for the next but Gawain was silent.

"...Then what?"

Gawain blinked. "That’s it."

My eye twitched. "Gawain."

"Yes?"

"You’re doing it too."

The twins immediately burst out laughing.

I slammed my hands on the table. "Why does everyone in this family explain shapeshifting like it’s as easy as blinking?!"

Kayden quietly raised his hand.

I raised a brow at him. "What?"

"Do you want me to demonstrate?"

I narrowed my eyes. "You’re not going to say ’just shift,’ are you?"

"No."

I relaxed.

He stood up. "I’ll shift."

’That better be an actual explanation.’