The creature that pounced on Aurora Rivers was a rare, mutated adult black tiger, exuding a sinister, domineering aura.
Due to its massive size, Isla Chambers had no idea what state Aurora was in beneath it.
‘Did she faint from fright, or is she too terrified to speak?’
“Miss Rivers, are you okay?
Are you hurt?!” Isla Chambers rushed forward, frantically trying to check on Aurora’s condition.
However, she froze in astonishment when she saw Aurora cupping the tiger’s big, fluffy face, squishing and kneading its cheeks without a trace of fear.
Not only that, but Aurora was clearly enjoying the pleasure of petting the tiger.
The tiger seemed to adore her in return, its tongue lolling out as it tried to lick her with enthusiastic yet restrained force.
Behind it, its thick tail wagged joyfully.
Isla couldn’t help but cry out, “Bale.”
But Bale merely glanced at her before ignoring her completely, even nuzzling its large head against Aurora’s face right in front of her.
Isla’s eyes widened in shock.
This was nothing like the scene she had imagined.
“Bale?” Hearing the name, Aurora repeated it to the big tiger before her.
Bale responded instantly.
“AWOO~” Its golden eyes shone with fiery intensity, and its enthusiasm grew.
It looked as if little hearts were popping up all over it.
“Haha, don’t lick.” Aurora raised and crossed her arms to shield herself, but she was overwhelmed.
Soon, she gave up resisting entirely.
She had always been powerless against fluffy things, let alone one this big.
“Why is your name Bale?
Bale can mean a destructive beast.
So, are you a little rascal who likes to tear up the house?” Aurora poked Bale’s dark nose.
As if embarrassed by her words, Bale let out a series of coquettish PURRS and WHIMPERS.
It relentlessly rubbed its head and twitching ears against Aurora’s face and mouth.
Bale shed a bit of fur in the process, and Aurora wiped her face.
Watching the human and beast hitting it off so well, Isla found the intimate scene strangely jarring.
She quickly spoke up.
“Miss Rivers, you aren’t hurt, are you?
Bale is very heavy, and he was so reckless just now, it scared me.
Let me help you up.” She extended a hand.
Aurora smiled.
It had already hopped to her side, lowering its head as if offering it for her to lean on as she stood.
Aurora got up nimbly, kicking up a few blades of grass.
She hadn’t needed anyone’s help.
Isla withdrew her hand and secretly squeezed her fingers.
“It’s such a relief you’re not hurt.” She let out a heavy sigh.
“Bale is Winston Wyatt’s pet.
Though he’s a pet, he isn’t caged.
He lives in this forest and usually hunts for himself, so he’s still full of wild, untamed instincts.
His aggression is especially potent.”
“He’s usually only affectionate with Winston Wyatt and me.
With everyone else, he lets his wild side show and is always incredibly fierce.
Anyone else who wants to approach him has to be extremely cautious and fully prepared.”
“Bale and I were just out for a walk when he suddenly bolted.
He must have smelled an unfamiliar scent.
After all, you only just arrived and haven’t met him before.
He doesn’t know you.”
“Bale didn’t mean to do it; he just can’t control his instincts.
I hope you won’t hold it against him, Miss Rivers.” Isla shot Bale a look that was both scolding and helpless, then turned to Aurora with an apologetic expression.
Aurora was completely unconcerned.
“It’s nothing.
He was just pretending to stalk me, just playing.
It’s cute.”
‘Cute?’
The corner of Isla’s mouth twitched.
No one here thought Bale was cute.
Aurora was the first.
In that moment, even Isla herself could clearly sense how special Aurora was.
Having won Aurora’s praise, Bale stuck close to her, circling her charmingly, its tail even curling into the shape of a heart.
Seeing this, Isla pressed her lips into a thin, downward line.
‘I always thought that besides Winston Wyatt, Bale liked me the most.
That I was special to him, like the lady of the house.’
A sour, anxious feeling welled up in her heart.
Isla felt as if a special status that had been uniquely hers was being snatched away.
No matter how you look at it, Bale is a bloodthirsty beast.” The first time Isla saw Bale, she had been so terrified she’d cried uncontrollably and fainted.
She had spent a long time getting used to him and building a rapport, which led to the current situation where Bale didn’t reject her presence and would even occasionally obey her commands.
In the past, there had been other calming masters who had barely passed the initial test with Winston Wyatt.
Even after witnessing one of his episodes, they had gritted their teeth and chosen to stay.
But after meeting Bale, they had still been scared away.
How could Isla know that, due to her family background, Aurora had been interacting with beasts of Bale’s caliber since she was a child?
Because of her love for animals, her parents had even gifted her a zoo that frequently rescued all sorts of creatures, most of them from the wild.
Aurora had possessed a natural affinity for animals since childhood.
As she grew up, she naturally learned to communicate with them all without barriers.
So, for Isla to ask Aurora if she was scared was like asking her if she was afraid of a kindergartener.
Aurora didn’t know how to respond.
She noticed the bag of food in Isla’s hand.
“Can I feed him?”
Isla paused for a second, then nodded.
“Of course.” She handed the bag to Aurora.
It was filled with fresh meat.
In truth, Isla also wanted to see what would happen when Aurora tried to feed Bale.
She offered a well-intentioned reminder, “Miss Rivers, Bale is extremely picky and possessive of his food.
He only eats what Winston Wyatt and I feed him.
I’m worried he might bite you, so please don’t force it.”
Isla had barely finished her sentence when she saw Aurora, without a moment’s hesitation, take a piece of meat and put it directly into Bale’s mouth.
She was struck speechless.
Her expression soured, and the look she gave Bale was one of utter betrayal.
Whenever she fed Bale, she always placed the entire bag of food in front of him or used feeding tongs, making sure to maintain a safe distance.
She had never done it like Aurora, whose relaxed manner made it look like she was feeding a small child.
“It seems Bale really likes you.”
“You might not know this, but besides Bale, this place is also home to wolves, bears, toads, rats, bats, spiders, and pythons.” Isla watched Aurora’s reaction closely as she listed each one.
To her disappointment, however, Aurora’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.
‘I wonder if she’s really as calm as she looks,’ Isla thought.
“You might be able to accept Bale, but can you accept the other creatures?
The ones that inspire fear and disgust.
Are you willing to live with them forever?”