This was the first time Emma had ever hugged Marcus in his beast form. So soft. God, I want to pet him so badly… Emma sank into the silver-white fur that carried his faint, icy scent, rolling lazily along his broad back. Then she stretched out both arms, hugging his thick, fluffy neck tight, burying her face deep into the soft fur behind it, rubbing with pure satisfaction. Marcus froze, his entire wolf body went rigid, his mind a blank void. What… is my huntress doing? Is she… sucking my neck? Before Marcus could even process that thought, Emma's slender, delicate fingers began to wander through his sleek fur. Sometimes she stroked. Sometimes she scratched. Every movement landed exactly where it felt best. So good. So addictive. Marcus squinted in bliss, a low, unconscious rumbling spilling from his throat. A wave of tingling heat spread through him, as if he were soaking in a hot spring. His mind turned to mush—hazy, drunk, utterly lost. His tail curled up quietly, gentle yet possessive, looping around Emma's slender waist and pulling her tighter against him. Those silver-gray wolf eyes darkened, ink spilling deep into them. His massive body shifted slightly, as though he wanted to roll the little thing on his back beneath him and do something about it... The air grew hotter, the tension thick enough to drip. Emma instantly sensed the change in the giant wolf beneath her. Her lips lifted into a sly smile. Then, in one swift motion, her arms tightened. What had been a tender embrace turned into a clean, decisive chokehold."Aw—" Marcus, drowning in that soft haze, was yanked back to reality by his throat. A short, puzzled, wounded whine escaped him. The spell shattered in an instant. The entire wolf went dumb. The heat that had just surged up got jammed mid-air, stuck between desire and confusion. The daze in his eyes snapped into pure shock. Emma's strength hit the perfect balance—enough to make him struggle, not enough to truly hurt him. She grabbed one of his fluffy wolf ears and snarled, "Be honest! How much are you hiding in your secret stash?" At the words "secret stash", the white wolf's body went stiff as a board. Oh no. How did she find out? Marcus panicked, silver-gray eyes flicking rapidly. Who ratted me out?Silas? Probably not. Silas has covered for me a few times. And he doesn't seem the type. Edric? That sneaky b*stard—possible. But I have never traded with him. Edric shouldn't know about my stash. Is it Corvin, that naive sweetheart? Did he accidentally let it slip? Or Lucien? No way. Lucien wouldn't bother with something this trivial... right? Marcus ran through the suspects in his head. The most likely culprit is Corvin. Marcus ground his teeth. Fine. Corvin can wait. "Say something!" Emma, seeing Marcus sprawled motionless on the bed, tugged harder on his ear. "Ms. Tibarn!" Marcus spoke quickly, his voice full of innocence and hurt. "Ms. Tibarn, you've got me wrong. I don't have secret cash. Really, I don't." Still denying it? "Ha." Emma let out a cold laugh, tightening her grip on his ear. "You still want to lie to me? I've got proof." She pulled out a screenshot of the messages he'd sent Silas and shoved it in his face. "A small favor, you said, and you just threw out a Rank 10 beast core like it's spare change. I told Silas to raise the price to five, and you agreed without even blinking. And you dare say you don't have a secret stash?" So it was Silas who tattled. Marcus narrowed his eyes dangerously. Smack! Emma raised her hand and slapped his head. "You dare squint at me?" Who does he think he's going to bite? Emma hadn't used much force. Marcus didn't even feel pain. But his huntress had hit him, and she'd hit his head. The giant wolf's silver-gray eyes looked at her, full of wounded disbelief. "Ms. Tibarn, I didn't hide any money. You wronged me. And you hit me." Unhappy and heartbroken, Marcus was utterly aggrieved. "Still defending yourself?" Emma didn't buy it. "If you've got no secret stash, then where did those beast cores for Silas come from?" "I stole them," Marcus mumbled softly, guilt flickering across his face. His voice was too quiet. Emma didn't catch it. "What?" She blinked at him, confused. Marcus thought she didn't believe him. He instantly shifted back into human form, scooped her into his arms, and opened his storage band. "Ms. Tibarn, look. All my belongings are in here." He truly had no secret stash. Emma peered inside his storage band. Aside from a few spare clothes, some nutrient fluid, and a handful of crystals, there were only a few pitiful beast cores. And not one of them was a Rank 10. Emma narrowed her eyes at the pitifully wounded Marcus. "You're sure this is everything you own?"