Chapter 267: Wife makes a move.

Zyra shook her head. "No. You’re going with Bianca’s team, Hunter. I will be more confident in the mission being accomplished if I know you are there to protect them." They couldn’t have everyone with an evolved beast on one team.

"What!? We have not discussed that!" Hunter’s voice cracked in a hilariously high pitch. He stepped closer to her, his brow furrowed. "We cannot separate! That is the opposite of a bodyguard. The opposite of my job."

The others did not pitch in their opinions; they were waiting for Zyra to make the final decisions. That is how things worked when a divine soul maiden was in charge.

Malia was the only one that lent her voice to the conversation, agreeing with Zyra. "Zyra’s right, Hunter. We can’t throw our best leaders and the only people with the strongest high-level beasts into the exact same basket. If feelings were not involved, you would see that clearly."

"I am not separating from my wife," Hunter snapped, his eyes fixed stubbornly on Zyra.

Zyra completely ignored his dramatic protest. She pointed at the map on the screen. "While I take one team to the Moon fall dungeon, Hunter will take the other team to the Ghost Mines in the north."

"Zyra! We can do both together! We go to the Ghost mines first and to Moon fall after." Hunter pleaded.

"It’s a big waste of resources and time. You cannot babysit me all the time, Hunter. Even mother eagles let their chicks hunt on their own sometimes." Zyra said firmly.

Achilles burst out laughing. "Look at him! Hunter is completely lovesick!"

A few people sniggered, and Hunter shot a fierce glare at anyone who dared to laugh. Ignoring the teasing, he reached out, took Zyra’s hand, and held it tight. "I have to protect you, I mean we already know that Moon fall is deadly. Who will watch your back better than me? I am the strongest person in this shelter, I can protect you better than anyone." he murmured softly, his eyes filled with genuine worry.

"We all protect Zyra, you know. Not just you," Bianca pointed out, rolling her eyes playfully.

Elfy chimed in, tossing her hair. "I will protect mother master, Orrakuns, you’re just an inconvenience."

"Orrakuns? Who the hell is that?" Achilles whispered.

Hunter sneered at Elfy, but Zyra just chuckled softly. "See? I’ll be totally safe."

"And don’t forget," Tessi added with a reassuring smile, "that Soul Maidens can teleport. Zyra will escape if she is any danger. All our teams can do so because we have the Soul maiden advantage."

Zyra nodded in agreement. "Right. One last thing_ we also need a small team to go back to Rose Water to help rebuild the village before random scavengers try to claim it. They are struggling after the floods."

Fisher gasped loudly, clutching his chest. "Wait, do you plan on sending us back to that ruin?! We are your people now, Divine maiden. No backsies."

"Only those who want to go," Zyra clarified with a light laugh. "It’s completely optional."

Throughout the rest of the meeting, Hunter never let go of her hand. His fingers stayed locked around hers, holding on as if she might vanish into thin air the moment he loosened his grip. Once the teams were finally sorted, the meeting ended. The dangerous journeys were scheduled for early the next morning.

As the room cleared out and the heavy door shut behind the last person, the silence returned. Hunter turned to Zyra, his tall frame leaning in close. His handsome face was clouded with reluctance. "I don’t like this, Zyra. I really don’t like that we’re being separated and I don’t like how you ambushed me with such a plan. I am your husband. This is the kind of thing we are supposed to discuss together before rolling it out and inviting others."

Zyra reached up and gently rubbed his cheek with her thumb, feeling the warm roughness of his skin. Her heart softened. "Orrakuns, I have Elfy, and I have a team of ten fighters. I promise you, I will be completely fine. Nothing you say is going to change my mind. Have you forgotten that I wondered alone before I met you? The Ghost mine problem is urgent. You are the only person I trust to eradicate the problem completely."

Hunter let out a long sigh and nodded. Deep down, he knew she was right, but his heart hated every second of it. Reaching into his heavy coat, he pulled out a sleek, small velvet case and pressed it into her palms.

Zyra blinked in surprise. She smiled, clicking the latch open. Inside rested a bright, exquisitely crafted golden bracelet that shimmered softly under the room’s fluorescent lights.

Zyra’s eyes bulged. "Is this_ real gold?"

Hunter scoffed playfully, trying to mask his nervousness. "Who do you think I am? Do you think I’d give my own wife fake gold?"

He carefully took the bracelet from the box, lifted her slender wrist, and clasped the cool metal around her skin. He looked straight into her eyes, his expression deep and serious. "Never take it off."

"Never," Zyra promised softly.

Looking at his worried, possessive eyes, something warm bubbled up in Zyra’s chest. Before he could say another word, she hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him down, pressing her lips tightly against his.

Hunter froze. Shock shot through his whole body_ a good, heart-pounding kind of shock. Zyra had never initiated physical affection like this!

As she tried to pull her head back, a fierce burst of emotion swept through Hunter. He wasn’t about to let her escape that easily. He wrapped one arm tightly around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest, while his other hand cupped the back of her head, entangling his fingers in her hair.

He bent down and deepened the kiss, making it slow, sweet, and overwhelmingly possessive. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs, pouring every ounce of his worry, and longing into her. The scent of her swept over his senses, making his head spin. For a few breathtaking seconds, the wild lands, the malevolent beasts, and the terrifying dungeons completely disappeared. It was just the two of them, lost in a warm, electric haze.

Suddenly, a loud, metallic fanfare echoed directly inside Zyra’s head.

In her mind, Beauty popped up on a virtual screen, wearing a tiny party hat and enthusiastically blowing a golden trumpet with little sparkle emojis floating everywhere.

[Finally, a real kiss.... If it was not for me this relationship would not have blossomed!]

Zyra pulled back from Hunter’s lips, her face burning red, though a breathless smile played on her face. She took a quick, deep breath and whispered internally, ’Beauty, teleport us to the factory site right now before you ruin the moment any further!’

A flash of bright silver light enveloped the couple, and in the next second, the security room was completely empty.