Cassian's eyes hardened. He watched the couple like a wolf sizing up prey. The sleazy man behind the stunning woman suddenly whipped out the butcher knives from his belt and shouted, "Hey! I'm warning you two! You can stay the night, but don't try anything stupid! Especially you!" He pointed straight at Cassian. "Keep your eyes off my wife, got it?" Cassian frowned but didn't respond. He turned his head slightly. "Natalie, we staying?" Natalie nodded once. "Yeah. We're staying." The storm outside roared like an angry beast tearing at the walls. Going back out would've been suicide. She slid a hand into her coat pocket, hiding the motion well, and pulled out a handful of chocolate from her storage space. It gleamed faintly under the candlelight. The man's greedy eyes lit up, but his mouth twisted fast. "That's not enough!" Natalie arched a brow. "We're only staying one night." No way she'd tell him she planned to stay longer until the blizzard stopped. Not when this place still screamed suspicion and smelled like bad news. He kept staring at the chocolate like it was gold but still snarled, "No! It's not enough!" The beautiful innkeeper didn't say a word. She walked around the room with calm grace, using her candle to light others along the walls. One by one, flames flickered to life, painting the room in a warm glow. Natalie looked around the first floor. It had once been a cozy lounge before the world fell apart. On the east side sat an old bar. The west side held worn couches, dusty tables, and empty chairs. The guests probably spent their free time here, chatting away in the past. There were board games, a pool table, and a few busted arcade machines in the back. A couple of guitars leaned in the corner, covered in gray dust. But the couches and tables looked clean, freshly wiped. They were probably still being used. The man caught her glancing around. He stomped forward and blocked her view. "Hey! You gonna pay up or what? If not, find somewhere else to sleep!" Natalie let out a short, dry laugh. "You're greedy, aren't you?" Now, chocolate and candy were treasures people killed for. Before the world collapsed, that much chocolate could've covered a hotel room for the night. "Hey, don't talk to me like that!" he barked. "You broke in here after midnight, and I'm not even charging you for the damage or the trauma! You should be thanking me!" Natalie's eyes narrowed. Her patience thinned like ice under heat. The innkeeper quickly grabbed her husband's sleeve and pulled him back with a smooth smile. "Don't mind him, honey. He runs his mouth when he's tired. Forget the repair fee. Just pay for the room." Her tone softened, almost melodic. "It's hard to find shelter these days, especially with a storm like this one. Prices are higher now. You get it, right? The world's gone mad, and taking in strangers is risky. But you two look decent. I'm sure you won't sweat the price." Natalie's eyes flicked toward her. The woman's words were smooth and gentle. Guess ugly people do really love to start problems more. She gave her husband one last glare, then took out two cheap cigarettes and dropped them into his hand. "That's all you're getting." If he pushed his luck, she'd make him regret it.His mood flipped in an instant. His grin spread wide as he shoved his knives back into his belt. "That's plenty!" he said, almost giddy. He hurried forward and snatched the payment from her hand. "Welcome to the Cloud Inn!" He even chuckled. "If you stay another night, I'll give you a twenty percent discount!" Natalie scoffed and turned her back on him. He tucked away the chocolate and cigarettes with greedy delight. "You made a smart deal, lady. Every penny's worth it!" The woman beamed too. "You two sure travel in style. Even your pig's wearing mink. That's classy!" Pig? Lucky froze. Her tail stiffened. She'd been quietly watching the woman, even admiring her for her looks. But now her eyes flared in outrage. Is she blind? She bared her teeth and exploded into a flurry of furious barking. Spit flew across the room, splattering on the woman's face. Her smile cracked. She wiped her cheek with a trembling hand, her tone half a shriek. "What's wrong with your pig? Is it … yelling at me?" Natalie looked down at Lucky and smirked. The dog's rage was clear as day. "She says you don't know the difference between a dog and a pig," Natalie said calmly. "And she says your eyes must be stuck somewhere way too low. I'll skip the rest. It's worse." The woman blinked, stunned. She had no idea Natalie could actually understand Lucky after drinking a full bottle of spring water. To her, it just sounded like a passive-aggressive insult wrapped in translation. Her laugh came out thin and shaky. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear."Oh, so it's a dog. My bad." She muttered under her breath, "Weird … I thought dogs barked, not howled like that."