Chapter 206: Teasing The Bad Wolf

Sora’s kiss was light.

It barely lasted a moment, brushing across Lukan’s lips like the delicate flutter of a butterfly’s wings. There was something sweet about it, yet the faint taste of the sour fruit jam she had eaten earlier lingered between them.

To Sora, it was nothing more than a small, affectionate kiss.

To Lukan, however, it felt like a thunderclap exploding inside his chest.

His breathing immediately grew heavier.

The warmth spreading through his body intensified until his blood seemed to run hot beneath his skin. His heart hammered violently against his ribs, and he swallowed hard, trying desperately to regain control.

His eyes, which had always carried a calm and gentle light, gradually darkened.

Yet his hands remained still.

He didn’t reach for her.

He didn’t pull her closer.

He simply allowed her to kiss him while doing everything in his power not to respond.

It wasn’t because he didn’t want her.

Quite the opposite.

That was precisely the problem.

He wanted her far too much.

Lukan knew himself well enough to understand what might happen if he allowed his restraint to break.

Ever since the plague toxin had appeared in the Wolf Tribe, Sora had been constantly occupied.

She had barely stopped moving.

She taught the Tribe how to prepare new foods, searched the wilderness for safe sources of nourishment, organized precautions against the disease, and reassured frightened Tribe members whenever panic began to spread.

And through all of this, she was carrying their little cub.

She never complained.

She simply kept going.

Lukan had watched everything from the sidelines, silently worrying about her.

She needed rest.

That was why, despite the raging desire inside him, he had forced himself to remain calm.

He wanted her to sleep peacefully tonight.

He wanted her to wake up tomorrow feeling refreshed.

So he suppressed the impulse again.

But this time, it was much harder.

Sora’s simple kiss had already disturbed the careful balance he had maintained for so long.

It was like trying to extinguish a fire with his bare hands. Every time he thought the flames had died down, another spark appeared and spread through him.

His body stiffened.

A thin layer of sweat appeared across his forehead.

He closed his eyes and silently told himself to endure.

Just wait.

Soon, Sora would stop.

Soon, she would lie down and sleep.

As long as he remained patient, he could control himself.

Unfortunately, Lukan had underestimated Sora.

More importantly, he had underestimated the effect she had on him.

After kissing his lips, Sora remained there for a moment.

When she realized Lukan hadn’t reacted, she became confused.

What was wrong with him today?

He had never been this unresponsive.

The last time they had been together, he certainly hadn’t behaved like this.

Sora slowly lifted her head and studied him.

Then she noticed the sweat.

His eyes were tightly shut, his jaw was tense, and his breathing was noticeably heavier than usual.

He looked as though he was struggling against something.

Sora blinked.

She had never seen Lukan like this before.

The normally gentle and refined wolf seemed to be using every ounce of his willpower to remain composed.

She was about to move away when the familiar mechanical voice suddenly rang inside her mind.

[Host! Quick! Kiss him! Just a little more and you’ll successfully activate the hidden mission!]

Sora froze.

The system had suddenly become strangely enthusiastic.

"What?" she asked silently.

The system immediately explained.

[Host, as long as you make the gentle and refined Lukan lose control of his abstinence, you’ll receive a generous reward!]

Sora’s eyes widened.

"But I’ve already kissed him. He hasn’t reacted."

[Then try somewhere else!]

The system paused dramatically before continuing.

[Beastmen are especially sensitive around the throat. A kiss there should have an immediate effect!]

For once, Sora felt that the system’s advice actually made sense.

She glanced at Lukan.

His eyes remained closed.

His breathing was still heavy.

Then she slowly leaned closer.

Her lips brushed against his throat.

The reaction was immediate.

Lukan’s body went rigid.

The sensation sent a shiver through him, and the restraint he had carefully maintained suddenly seemed dangerously fragile.

He had thought Sora had stopped.

He had been wrong.

She had actually moved closer.

His fingers curled slightly against the bedding.

"Kaeli—"

He caught himself before saying anything else.

"Kaelira," he finally managed in a low, strained voice, "don’t."

But Sora didn’t retreat.

Instead, she became even more curious about the reaction she had caused.

Lukan’s back stiffened further.

His breathing became heavier.

Sweat gathered at his temples.

For the first time, Sora realized just how close he was to losing control.

She was about to change her approach when Lukan suddenly opened his eyes.

His hand gently but firmly lifted her chin.

Sora froze.

The veins along the back of his hand were visible beneath his skin.

There was something in his gaze she had never seen before.

His eyes were still unmistakably Lukan’s, but the gentle restraint that usually surrounded him had disappeared.

Sora’s heart skipped.

She suddenly sensed danger.

Before she could react, Lukan leaned down and kissed her.

This kiss was completely different from the gentle affection he had shown earlier.

It was intense, overwhelming, and filled with all the emotion he had been suppressing.

Sora’s mind went blank for a moment.

When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against hers.

His breathing was rough.

His eyes were still burning with restrained emotion.

"Kaelira," he murmured, his voice low, "I already gave you a chance."

She swallowed.

"You’re the one who came to me."

His arm tightened around her.

"So don’t blame me if I can’t remain patient anymore."

Sora’s cheeks burned.

She suddenly realized she might have made a terrible mistake.

Lukan pulled her closer, and his large wolf tail appeared behind him, wrapping protectively around her.

The soft fur tickled her skin.

Sora couldn’t help but squirm.

That only made Lukan’s restraint more difficult.

His usual gentleness had disappeared beneath the emotions he had held back for so long.

His kisses became more persistent, his arms more protective, and his attention completely focused on her.

Sora had never imagined that the quiet and disciplined Lukan could become this intense.

He was usually the one who reminded everyone else to remain calm.

Now he was the one struggling to remain composed.

The contrast was almost frightening.

Sora tried to move away slightly, but Lukan simply drew her back into his embrace.

Their eyes met.

His gaze was filled with such intense affection that she suddenly forgot what she had intended to say.

She could see herself reflected in his eyes—her cheeks flushed, her expression uncertain, and her heart beating far faster than it should.

For the first time, Sora realized something.

She had genuinely underestimated Lukan.

She had always thought of him as the most restrained and gentlemanly among her Beast Husbands.

She had been wrong.

Very wrong.

Once a person like him lost control, the difference was startling.

Sora eventually gave up trying to tease him.

She was tired.

Very tired.

After everything she had done during the day, she had barely any energy left. ℴ

Lukan eventually noticed her exhaustion and softened.

He held her close, allowing her to settle comfortably against him.

"Sleep," he whispered.

Sora’s eyelids had already become heavy.

She didn’t even have enough strength left to argue.

Before long, she fell asleep in his arms.

And deep inside, she made a solemn decision.

Never again.

She would never deliberately provoke Lukan like this again.

A gentle person who had been restraining himself for so long was truly terrifying once that restraint finally broke.

It was like watching a harmless sheep suddenly reveal that it had always been a wolf.

One should never play with fire without knowing how hot it could become.

At that moment, the system’s cheerful voice rang out again.

[Congratulations, Host!]

[Hidden Mission successfully activated: Make the gentle and refined Lukan lose control of his abstinence!]

[Mission Reward: Wood Element Ability upgraded to Level Three!]

[Additional Reward: Complete Guide to Grain Cultivation!]

Unfortunately, Sora was already too exhausted to respond.

She vaguely heard the system mentioning something about her Wood Element Ability being upgraded, but her mind was already drifting into sleep.

Still, the reward was excellent.

Especially now.

The plague toxin had appeared in the Tribe, and the stronger her abilities became, the better she would be able to protect everyone.

Sora vaguely remembered that the previous time she had successfully pursued Lukan, the system had also rewarded her with an improvement to her Wood Element Ability.

Could it be...

Was Lukan somehow connected to the Wood Element Ability?

She didn’t have enough energy to think about it.

Her eyelids closed completely.

---

The next morning, Sora woke up with her face covered.

Not because she wanted to be dramatic.

She was simply too embarrassed.

After waking up, she had noticed several faint marks on Lukan’s back from where her nails had pressed against him during the night.

The sight had instantly made her want to disappear beneath the bedding.

Lukan, however, merely looked at her and chuckled softly.

There was no teasing in his expression.

Instead, there was an unmistakable warmth in his eyes.

He calmly dressed himself in his beast-hide skirt and prepared to leave the wooden hut.

Before stepping outside, he glanced back at Sora.

She was still hiding most of her face.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Rest a little longer."

Sora immediately pulled the animal-hide bedding higher.

She didn’t answer.

Lukan left the hut.

The moment he disappeared outside, Sora finally lowered the bedding slightly and stared toward the doorway.

Her face was still burning.

She had really made a terrible decision last night.

She had only wanted to tease the gentle Lukan a little.

Who would have thought that the result would be so disastrous?

She silently cursed the system.

Then she remembered the reward.

Level Three Wood Element Ability.

And the Complete Guide to Grain Cultivation.

Her expression gradually became serious.

Those rewards were extremely useful.

Especially the grain guide.

The Tribe had already begun searching for new sources of food, and the plague had made hunting dangerous.

If she could successfully cultivate grain, the Tribe’s food supply would become much more stable.

Sora slowly sat up.

Perhaps provoking Lukan had not been entirely useless after all.

Still...

She would absolutely never do that again.

At least, that was what she told herself.

Outside the wooden hut, Lukan walked away with an unusually relaxed expression.

The gentle wolf who had always been known for his restraint looked completely satisfied.

And somewhere behind him, Sora buried her face in the bedding again.

She suddenly had a feeling that life in the Wolf Tribe was becoming more and more complicated.

But there was no time to dwell on it.

The Tribe still had a plague to prevent.

Food still needed to be found.

And now, with her Wood Element Ability reaching Level Three, she had another powerful tool at her disposal.

Whatever came next, Sora intended to face it head-on.