Chapter 271: No expectations.

Suddenly, he stopped and pulled his lips from hers. "Not here," he said hoarsely. Their first time should not be in the mud.

Zyra understood what he meant, and so did Beauty. Before she could give an order, the system teleported them to a tree house on the edge of the town. It was empty. The floor was lined with dry soft furs, and the light of the moonlight made it almost romantic.

"Here," she whispered suggestively, tightening her legs around his waist.

A part of Zyra screamed that this was a bad idea. But she had died once before, with many regrets. With this second chance at life, she did not want any regrets, just in case she died again.

"Are you sure?" Hunter asked her. He cursed himself for asking the question.

She kissed him in response and opened the door to frantic kissing and groping. The strength they had used to battle was put into ripping each other’s clothes off. The softness was used to explore each other’s bodies. But as the frantic urgency gave way to intimate closeness and he began to move inside her, Hunter felt a sudden barrier_ a subtle tightness that made him freeze instantly.

His breath caught in his throat. He looked down into her flushed face, his eyes widening in complete realization. She was a virgin. All her bold moves and wild energy had just been pure, unfiltered passion for him.

"Zyra, love_" Hunter gasped, his heart aching with a sudden, deep tenderness.

She wrapped her arms around her neck, silently urging him to keep going. As if that was not enough, she ran her tongue along his tongue and kissed it.

Slowly, she shipped away at his restraint. His movements became slow, deliberate, and endlessly gentle. He held her weight off the floor, leaning down to lay soft, reassuring kisses on her forehead, her cheeks, and her trembling lips as he entered her carefully.

"I’ve got you," he whispered sweet, soothing words against her ear, his voice trembling with emotion. "Just breathe, my love. I’m right here_ I’ve got you."

Zyra let out a soft gasp, her fingers tightening on his shoulders as the slight sting quickly melted into a warm, overwhelming sweetness. Surrounded by his scent and his careful gentleness, she opened up to him completely. The rhythm became a sweet, intense dance, fast when their passion overflowed, and tender whenever he paused to gaze down into her eyes. It was intense, raw, and sweeter than anything either of them had ever known.

When the storm of passion finally quieted down, they lay side by side on the soft fur under the dull moonlight. The quiet breeze cooled their skin as leaves rustled outside. Hunter held her tightly against his side, her head resting comfortably on his chest.

He turned his head, kissing the top of her hair, a tinge of worry still in his tone. "I’m sorry_ if I hurt you at first."

Zyra snuggled closer into his warmth, a soft, completely satisfied laugh escaping her lips. "You didn’t. I enjoyed every bit of it_ and I’m so glad my first time was with you."

Hunter’s face lit up, a bright, helpless smile spreading across his lips. He squeezed her tighter, feeling like the luckiest man in the entire world. How had she managed to be so lucky as to be the first man for her? Now, he just had to make sure that he was the last.

After resting for a little while longer, laughing and whispering silly things under the dim light, they sat up and dressed themselves. Zyra adjusted her clothes, her cheeks still holding a faint rosy glow, while Hunter helped button up her outer collar with gentle hands.

She put away her torn clothes, blushing fiercely the whole time. Zyra cleared her throat, trying to regain every ounce of her dignity, and told Beauty to teleport them back to Beast Valley.

Beauty giggled softly. [Host, in case you were wondering, I saw nothing.]

Zyra’s face flared red. "Just take us home!"

A flash of light enveloped them, and they were instantly teleported right into the living room of the main house. The moment the light faded, they realized they were not alone. Dozens of eyes were locked onto them. The entire household was in the living room watching a movie. The heavy silence in the room lasted for exactly two seconds.

Aunt Denea was the first to speak. She blinked, looking the couple up and down with wide eyes. "Good heavens, did you two fight a feral beast on the way back?"

They were a complete mess. Dry mud was smeared in Zyra’s long, tangled, hair. Dirt was smeared on their arms, and Hunter’s shirtsleeves were torn. Even worse, Hunter’s shirt was practically wide open because every single button had been ripped clean off during their engagement.

Achilles threw his head back and laughed loudly, slapping his knee. "Hahaha! Cousin Hunter and sister in law, you must have had a great evening? Looks like we’ll be hearing the cry of a baby Kaelion running around the courtyard very soon!"

Zyra felt heat rise from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears. She let out a small, embarrassed squeak, said good night, turned on her heel, and rushed straight up the stairs to her room, her face buried in her hands.

Nanny Rosita immediately stepped up and spanked Achilles on the back of his head with a heavy wooden spoon. "Watch your filthy mouth!" she scolded, glaring at him. "The couple is married, young and very active. There is nothing wrong with what they did or did not do. You on the other hand should be ashamed of yourself! Instead of teasing your cousin and changing girls like underwear every week, why don’t you copy Hunter and find a good, decent girl to marry?"

Nanny Rosita’s scolding only made everyone roar with even more laughter. Achilles rubbed the back of his head, groaning like he was in pain while everyone pointed and made fun of him.

Hunter growled, a low sound in his throat, and stepped forward to shield the stairs. "Enough!" he barked, glaring at the room. "You’re making my wife feel terrible! We are legally married, so even if something happened, nothing new has occurred! Mind your own business!"

Without waiting for their teasing replies, Hunter marched straight into the kitchen. He quickly whipped up two large plates of steaming food, grabbed two cold soft drinks from the fridge, and carried everything upstairs to their master bedroom.

Inside, the room smelled like fresh lavender. Zyra had just finished taking a hot shower. She was wearing full, thick pajamas that covered her from her neck down to her ankles, sitting on the edge of the bed and quietly combing her wet hair.

When Hunter stepped in and closed the door, she looked up at him with a gentle smile. "Oh, thank goodness. I am completely famished."

"Here," Hunter said softly, setting a plate and a drink on her nightstand. "Eat up. I’m going to wash off the dirt."

While Hunter took his shower, Zyra dug into her meal like a starving animal. By the time Hunter walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and a fresh set of sleeping clothes on, her plate was completely spotless, and the drink bottle was empty.

Hunter sat down on his side of the bed, towel in hand. He looked at her closely, his chest feeling a little heavy. "Zyra_ do we need to talk about where we stand now? You know_ what just happened between us_"

Zyra paused, she could feel excuses coming. She raised one hand in the air to stop him right there. "Hunter, listen," she said, her voice completely calm and relaxed. "We are both adults. I’m not going to force you into anything, and I’m definitely not expecting anything extra from you just because of today. What we had was just sex. Nothing else." With that, she pulled the heavy covers over her shoulders, turned her back to him, and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, I am honestly exhausted."

Hunter froze, sitting on the edge of the bed as if he had just been hit by a surprise thunderbolt.

Just sex? Nothing else?!