Chapter 116: Can You Be My Friend Too?

"Friends?" Kael repeated, the word sounding like a bad translation in his mouth as his ears pinned back. "No. We are mates!" he growled, his tail going stiff.

Nuan rolled her eyes, slicing the steel knife through the thick Muskoxen hide, expertly carving out a large, even square of fur.

"Kael, we don’t do the horizontal tango, so we are not mates! Listen to me. Friends help each other. Friends trust each other. Friends don’t view each other as personal property." She yanked the freshly cut skin away from the meat with a wet rip, tossing it onto a clean rock. "And we two are doing exactly that, right?"

"What do mates do then?" Kael asked, his brow furrowing as he watched her work.

"They just do dirty, shameless stuff and focus only on breeding!" Nuan said, clicking her tongue with a deeply disappointed shake of her head at her own definition.

"No!" Kael growled, stepping closer as Nuan moved to the second carcass. "Mates hunt together. Mates eat together. They help each other and trust each other! They fight side-by-side and build their territory!"

Nuan paused her knife mid-air, blinking at the carcass. Hmm... well, crap, he’s actually right.

She dug the blade back into the fur, slicing down the spine. Seriously?! The one time I need him to be a blockhead, he suddenly drops local relationship philosophy on me?

"What difference is there then between a friend and a mate?!" Kael declared, his chest puffing out victoriously. "We are mates!"

"Yes, true, Kael. Very true," Nuan groaned, wiping a stray drop of sweat from her brow with the back of her bloody hand, leaving a hilarious red smudge across her forehead.

"But you see, casual friends don’t do those specific, adult bedroom things together, while mates do! That is the single largest boundary line between a friend and a mate! Please, just understand my terms!" she dramatically sobbed, patting the dead Muskoxen’s flank before digging her knife back into its hide.

Kael didn’t hesitate for a single millisecond. "Then let’s mate!"

Oh, for the love of— Nuan almost stabbed the meat extra hard. "No! We are not doing anything like that! If possible, I intend to keep my single status for the rest of my days in this world!" she sighed, throwing her hands up in utter defeat.

"Nuan," he called her name, his voice dropping into a rare, gentle tone that actually sounded like human for once.

"Hm? Yeah?" Nuan muttered, pulling the knife through the last stubborn bit of connective tissue on the Muskoxen’s flank.

"Why is it that you always hate mating?" Kael murmured, his golden eyes searching her face with genuine confusion. "Am I not good? What is your desired beastman? Strong? I am strong!"

Ehhh!!! Nuan’s internal monologue screeched to a halt. Never in a million years did I think this giant puppy had the mental capacity to ask about my ideal type! Is his brain finally rendering?

"You know what, Kael? This is actually a really good question," Nuan said, using her elbow to wipe her nose since her hands were covered in animal fat. "You’re the second guy to ask about my type in this world."

Instantly, the gentle vibe vanished. Kael’s predatory vertical pupils narrowed into tiny slits, and a deep, rumbling growl vibrated right through his chest. "Who else tried to ask you your type?!"

"Oh, it was Aerin!" Nuan chirped casually, pulling the heavy skin off the carcass with a satisfying shluck. "He asked me what my type in men was and all... Oh, we became friends! Yeah, he’s actually the very first friend I made in this jungle."

Before she could even drop the knife, Kael lunged. He grabbed both of her wrists, ignoring the raw meat, and hauled her hands up right above her head.

In one fluid, terrifyingly fast motion, he spun her around and pinned her back flat against the massive, furry side of the dead Muskoxen.

His body pressed flush against hers—hot, firm, and practically vibrating with alpha jealousy. He leaned his face so close their noses almost touched, his golden glare locked onto her.

"That eagle asked your type... and is your first friend?" Kael growled, his tail thrashing behind him.

Nuan blinked. Wow... did I compliment his reformed behavior a little too early? Note to self! Do not praise the dog before he’s fully house-trained, Nuan thought, her heart doing a quick thumps against her ribs. Sigh... but wait, this is the perfect opportunity.

"Ahem, yeah, he did," Nuan mumbled, her body sinking slightly into the soft, furry mattress of the Muskoxen behind her. She looked right into his intense eyes. "And you know, he actually matched so many of my requirements to be my mate! Except for the fact that he can’t eat fruits, obviously. But yet, he happily did a very attractive thing!"

"What thing?! What did he do to you?!" Kael growled aggressively, his torso pressing harder against hers, his hot breath fanning across her neck and collarbone.

Nuan kept her cool, letting out a dramatic, slow breath. "He took things slowly with me!"

Kael’s eyes widened in sheer panic and rage. "He... he?! What things did he do slowly? Tell me, I will fly to the cliffs and rip him to pieces!"

"He took things slowly by not immediately forcing me to be his mate!" Nuan countered loudly, tapping her pinned knuckles against the beast’s flank. "Even though he met all the requirements to be one, he took it step by step, respected my space, and himself offered the hands of friendship first!"

"And you became friends?" Kael asked, his voice dropping an octave into a low, rumbling frequency that vibrated right through the Muskoxen hide behind her.

Nuan nodded rapidly, a thoroughly wicked, teasing smirk spreading across her lips.

"Yes, very good friends! I honestly wonder where he is right now. I heard he got challenged by that infamous Sky Reaper guy! I really hope my dear ’friend’ won that duel!"

Kael practically started vibrating with pure, unadulterated jealousy, his inner wolf losing its absolute mind at the mention of the feather-head being praised.

Unable to take it anymore, he leaned straight down, aggressively pressing his lips against her cheek in a needy, huffy mark of possession.

"Can you be my friend too?" he mumbled against her skin, his tail doing a fast, reluctant thud against the dirt.