Chapter 129: Caught in the Act {ii}

But just as she was gathering her courage, a strange sensation suddenly appeared along her spine.

It started as a faint warmth.

Then it became hotter.

Much hotter.

Sora’s body stiffened.

She instinctively turned her head.

"What is this?"

The burning sensation traveled from the base of her spine upward, making her skin prickle.

Ace immediately noticed her change in expression.

"Kaelira?"

He stepped forward.

"What’s wrong?"

Sora didn’t answer.

Her attention was completely focused on the strange sensation spreading through her body.

It felt almost as if something was awakening inside her.

Her breathing became slightly uneven.

Ace’s expression turned serious.

He reached out to steady her.

"Are you hurt?"

Sora finally shook her head.

"I... I don’t know."

She had never experienced anything like this before.

The burning sensation intensified.

For a moment, she wondered whether this was related to her ability.

Or perhaps the system had something to do with it.

But before she could ask, another thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

Could this be the opportunity she had been waiting for?

Sora slowly looked at Ace.

Ace was already standing close enough that she could feel his breath.

His colorful outfit still looked ridiculous.

His cave was unexpectedly clean.

And his expression was filled with genuine concern.

For some reason, Sora suddenly found herself unable to laugh at him.

Perhaps she had been looking at him too narrowly.

She had only been thinking about how to capture him.

But now, for the first time, she wondered what Ace himself was thinking.

Ace noticed her gaze and softened slightly.

"Kaelira."

His voice was gentle.

"I’m here."

Those simple words made Sora’s heart tremble.

She lowered her gaze.

Maybe this really was the right moment.

She took a slow breath.

Turning around, she saw that Ace had somehow slipped a hand beneath her clothes and was rubbing her back. This tiger really couldn’t wait even for a moment.

Ace leaned closer, his breath brushing against her skin as he tried to kiss her again. At the entrance of the cave, the red feathers on his ridiculous outfit fluttered wildly in the night breeze, making Sora feel as though she were getting intimate with a brightly colored turkey.

She frowned and tried her best to ignore it.

But she really couldn’t.

Her hand instinctively reached toward the feathers, and she began tugging at them, desperate to get the absurd outfit out of her sight.

Ace noticed her struggling with his clothes and immediately misunderstood her intentions. A smug smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"You really are in a hurry," he teased. "I’ve never seen such an impatient female."

Sora’s mouth twitched.

Hurry?

If only he knew.

She wasn’t trying to hurry anything along. She was trying to remove the most offensive outfit she had ever seen.

"I’ll show you my prowess soon," Ace declared confidently.

Sora silently rolled her eyes.

Why does this tiger have so much confidence?

Yet, despite his ridiculous personality, the moment that followed proved that Ace was not foolish at all.

Although moonlight filtered into the cave, the interior remained dim. Ace lit a small fire, and the warm glow immediately illuminated the stone walls.

He pulled Sora down beside him.

Before she could fully react, their outer garments were set aside one after another. Ace’s expression gradually became more serious as he looked at her, the playful arrogance disappearing from his eyes.

Sora felt her heart beat faster.

The rustling of the dry grass beneath them echoed softly through the cave.

She suddenly felt nervous.

Meanwhile, outside the wooden houses, no one knew what was happening inside the distant cave.

Near Sora’s house, Lukan stood beneath the trees with a handful of purple mulberries wrapped carefully in broad leaves. He approached the door and knocked gently.

"Kaelira, are you there?"

There was no answer.

Lukan waited.

Then he knocked again.

Still nothing.

His gentle expression gradually became puzzled.

He had brought the berries because he remembered how much Sora liked fruit. He had even selected the best ones while hunting.

Why wasn’t she answering?

Before he could knock again, Lucas appeared from the path.

Lucas was still thinking about the cake he had eaten earlier.

The soft texture and sweet flavor had been unlike anything he had ever tasted. He had spent most of the afternoon thinking about it and had finally decided to ask Sora whether she could make another one.

When he saw Lukan standing outside the house, he raised an eyebrow.

"Lukan? You’re looking for Kaelira too?"

Lukan turned toward him.

"Yes."

Lucas glanced at the closed door.

"Then why haven’t you gone inside?"

Before Lukan could answer, Xavier approached from the opposite direction.

He was carrying a large clay jar filled with milk.

The moment he saw Lukan and Lucas standing together outside Sora’s house, his expression darkened slightly.

His eyes moved from one person to another.

"What are you all doing here?"

Lucas shrugged.

"We’re looking for Kaelira."

Xavier’s gaze fell upon the closed door.

He immediately sensed something strange.

Before he could say anything, Damien walked over with his arms folded across his chest.

The bear beastman looked at the three males gathered outside and gave them a strange look.

"Don’t waste your effort."

Lucas frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Kaelira isn’t here."

The words left everyone silent.

Lucas blinked.

"Then where did she go?"

Damien didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he tilted his head slightly and sniffed the air.

A faint scent lingered around the wooden house.

Then another scent became noticeable.

Damien’s eyes narrowed.

A tiger.

His lips curled into an amused smile.

"Perhaps she’s gone to catch someone cheating."

Lucas froze.

"Huh?"

Lukan’s expression also changed.

Xavier’s grip tightened around the clay jar.

"Who?"

Damien merely shrugged.

Xaiver stared at him for several seconds before realization slowly dawned on his face.

"Wait..."

He sniffed the air again.

This time, the scent was unmistakable.

A strong tiger scent lingered around Sora’s house.

Xaiver’s eyes widened.

"That damned tiger!"

Without another word, he vanished.

Lukan and Lucas exchanged a glance before immediately following.

"Hey!" Lucas’s voice echoed from ahead. "Where are you going? Wait for me! I want to go too!"

Damien watched the three figures disappear into the darkness.

He shook his head.

These people always acted as though they were above everyone else whenever romance was involved.

Yet the moment something interesting happened, they were always the first ones to rush over.

"Tch."

He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"They pretend to have such great self-control."

His eyes gleamed with amusement.

"But when something actually happens, they’re worse than anyone."

After thinking for a moment, Damien smiled.

This did seem rather interesting.

"Should I join them?"

The next instant, his figure disappeared.

Inside the cave, Sora had no idea that several beastmen were already racing toward her location.

She was too busy dealing with Ace.

These two really are hopeless when it comes to romance.

When she had been with Xavier, she had thought the snake was already wild enough.

But Ace was on another level.

The tiger’s hands were constantly moving, his strength overwhelming her at times. It was a strange combination of warmth and pressure that left her flustered.

Sora couldn’t help comparing it to kneading dough.

If he keeps going like this, I’m going to turn into a lump of dough.

Ace, however, was completely unaware of her strange thoughts.

He genuinely believed that everything he was doing was exactly what Sora wanted.

After all, hadn’t she willingly followed him to his cave?

Didn’t she keep looking at him?

Didn’t she keep touching his clothes?

In his mind, all those things could only mean one thing.

Sora liked him.

Very much.

Ace’s confidence grew.

Ace was completely unaware of the inner turmoil going on inside Sora.

He thought that if he worked hard like this, Sora would surely like it.

Previously, when Sora was soaking in the bathtub, he had been surprised by how much her figure had changed. She had a large chest and a big bottom, and every part of her looked incredibly sexy now that he saw her in person.

He found that Sora’s chest was even bigger and her bottom even rounder than the last time. What amazed him most was that Sora’s waist seemed to have suddenly become very slender. With one hand, he could wrap around half of it.

Moreover, her skin had become much fairer.

When she used to climb into bed, he had accidentally caught a glimpse of her chest and skin. Her whole body had been dark and covered with a lot of goosebumps, looking worse than a black bear.

Now, he didn’t know what she had done.

Her skin was smooth and fair—not the whitest snow, but whiter than the yellow-skinned females in the tribe. Under the dim light of the fire, her yellow body looked as if it were enveloped in a layer of matte texture, making Ace stunned.

He truly hadn’t expected Sora’s figure to have improved so much.

When he came today, he had been prepared for her to be a bit chubby. After all, he saw her every day and basically knew what her figure was like.

Who would have thought she would give him such a big surprise?

When something was much better than expected, a person would naturally be exceptionally delighted.

Ace was no exception.

His already reddened eyes became even more heated and crazed.

His hand slid from Sora’s earlobe, slowly gliding down to her soft neck, her chest, and all the way to her long thighs. Every sensation was indescribably wonderful.

Sora had been running these days, and the weight-loss effect was indeed quite good.

But this was just right.

If she lost more weight, the feel wouldn’t be as good.

It was just like some females in the tribe who were so thin that there was hardly any flesh on their bodies. For such females, Ace didn’t even need to think. He knew they would feel rough to the touch.

Just like when he hunted, those skinny beasts always had a poor taste.

For the first time, Ace felt that Sora should be a bit plumper.

Ace’s style of doing things was just like his true nature.

Like a tiger.

Sora felt that he fit her stereotype of him perfectly.

As clumsy as an ox, lacking any skill, and driven only by impulse.

However, thankfully, his physique was good.

In the dim light of the fire, seeing his decent looks, she decided to tolerate it.