“Gareth, pull it out!
My body’s about to give up!” Lily yelled, gritting her teeth as she endured the strain and the scorching heat of the sun.
Meanwhile, Gareth was trying just as hard.
The veins on his hands and neck bulged as though they were about to burst through his skin.
His calloused hands gripped tightly as he pulled with all his strength.
“Calm down, Lily,” he said through gritted teeth.
“It’ll only get more stuck if you keep struggling.” “Uhh, ah!” MOOO!
The moment they finally pulled Moona, the barn cow, out of the shed, both of them lost their balance and tumbled onto the grass.
Their bodies landed on top of each other, sweat-dampened skin brushing together, and for a few moments neither of them moved, both too winded to think about it.
Gareth was on top of Lily, jet black hair falling loose across his forehead, his chest rising and falling heavily as he stared down at her with his deep blue eyes.
Her long, wavy auburn hair was sprawled across the green grass like a blazing flame.
Beads of sweat rolled down her throat, slipping toward the swell of her breasts, while her brown eyes looked hazy after a long day of working in the barn.
Lily stared back at him, though the warmth in her gaze held none of the tension Gareth suddenly felt.
She looked at him with nothing but the innocent fondness of a younger sister looking at her older brother.
Then she giggled.
“Get off me, Gareth.
You’re heavy.” Gareth paused, breath still uneven as he stared at her a moment longer.
Then, as if suddenly realizing their position, he quickly pushed himself up.
Slowly, he got to his feet and reached out a hand to help Lily stand.
They patted the dirt from their clothes before busying themselves with forking hay into the horses’ feeding troughs.
Working inside the barn under the punishing heat was grueling, yet Lily showed no sign of displeasure.
She carried out every task diligently, leaving Gareth with no reason to dilly-dally either.
As they prepared the feed together, Gareth found himself glancing at Lily again and again.
She had just plucked a piece of twine from a hay bale and used it to tie her long hair into a ponytail, carelessly exposing the slender curve of her nape.
His gaze lingered on that vulnerable stretch of skin—one second, two, three—heat coiling low in his gut as the beastly instinct he’d spent so long restraining began to strip away his rationality.
And with it came a whisper from his deepest, most feral desire, one that threatened to break free: Mark her, Alpha.
Breed her.
Make her your Luna.
Before he could lose himself to it, Lily seemed to notice his stare and turned toward him.
“Are you tired?” she asked with concern.
“You should rest, Gareth.
I don’t want your wound to flare up.
We don’t have much medicine left, and Jack won’t pay me enough to buy more.” Gareth snapped out of his daze and forced a sheepish smile.
“I’m fine.
It’s just too hot.
I got a little dazed.” “I know, right?
It’s unbearably hot.” Lily sighed.
She fanned her flushed neck before wiping away the sweat with her frayed handkerchief.
The motion drew his eyes right back to the skin he’d been trying not to stare at.
“I think I’ll take a dip in the river after this,” she continued.
Then she glanced at him with a smile.
“Care to join?” Gareth quickly looked away and fixed his gaze on the horses, trying to distract himself from the thoughts creeping into his mind.
“It’s not appropriate,” he replied.
“Oh, hmm…
I guess so.” Lily nodded.
Perhaps she’d been too carefree, but she couldn’t help herself.
After spending so long working alone in the barn, she’d finally found a friend.
Ever since Gareth joined her, Lily treated him like the older brother she never had.
He never tried anything strange with her, nor did he ever make her feel uncomfortable.
Gradually, she let go of the wariness she once held toward him and began to trust him completely.
Still, he was right.
They’d only known each other for five months.
Their first meeting was unusual too.
She found him lying at the edge of the forest near the riverside, his body covered in blood.
Deep gashes marked his back and stomach, and he was completely naked.
When she touched his wound, he didn’t groan—he snarled, low and guttural, more animal than human.
He looked like a wounded beast that had just survived a brutal fight.
In the end, Lily brought him back to the barn and treated his wounds with everything she could find.
Once he slowly recovered, Gareth asked Mr.
Jack Addler, Lily’s boss, if he could work at the barn alongside Lily.
Not permanently, of course.
He’d told her from the beginning that he would eventually have to return to his hometown.
After her invitation was turned down, Lily suddenly felt a little awkward.
She lowered her gaze before casually asking, “So, are you going to return to your hometown soon?
Where is it, anyway?” “It’s across the Great Forest.
You have to travel along a long, stony path to reach it,” Gareth replied vaguely.
“You can come with me, but you’d be stuck with me for life.” “Huh?
Why?” “Because bringing a girl back means I have to marry her,” he smiled meaningfully.
“So think twice.” “T-that’s a cruel joke, I’m still unmarried!” Lily squeaked, cheeks turning cherry red.
He reached out, fingers lingering in her soft auburn hair.
“Maybe it’s not a joke?” “You’re doing it again!” He chuckled.
“I’ll be here a while.
Who else would deliver the milk?
I know you hate that task.” “The town is just too noisy for me, okay?” Lily muttered defensively, then looked up at him.
“You’re going again today, right?” “Yes.
Why?
Do you want to come with me?” “No, I have to take care of the barn.
But buy me, um…
you know…” “Rouge?” “Yup!” “Tsk.
Rouge is for women who want to find a spouse.” Gareth clicked his tongue, though the look in his eyes deepened.
“You spend most of your time in this barn.
Who exactly are you planning to doll yourself up for?
The horse?” “Hmph, I’m old enough to get married.
I need to find a good match!” Lily stomped her foot into the loose hay, then her expression dimmed.
“Besides, you’ll eventually leave anyway.
I don’t want to spend the rest of my life alone here.” … Gareth flicked her forehead, making her yelp before she rubbed the spot.
He turned away before their eyes could meet and said, “I’ll be off to town after lunch.
Remember my warning.” “That I should not rescue someone or kill an animal from the Great Forest when you’re not around?” Lily rolled her eyes.
“Come on now, you’re acting like it’s a common occurrence.” “Just…
listen to me, Lily,” Gareth said urgently.
It was always the same reminder whenever he left, though Lily could never be bothered to argue, wondering sometimes if there was any meaning behind it.
“Alright, alright, I won’t.
Besides, I have so much to do at the barn.
I don’t have time to go to the forest.” * Lily watched Gareth ride off on horseback, escorting a wagon of milk bound for town.
He wouldn’t return until noon the next day.
She waved until he disappeared from sight.
Just as she turned around, she saw Marigold, Jack Addler’s daughter, running toward her with a big smile.
She held a crossbow, which she had recently learned to use, in her right hand…
And a dead white fox in the other.
This novel WILL be spicy, so…
Apup is on fire right now because I need to earn some money, so I’ll write a lot!
Fightinggg!
(^O^)/