Analise reached up and gently pinched one of Scott''s therian ears. They were warm-different from Fiy''s, but still soft and familiar. Fiy''s ears were sharp and pointed. Scott''s, on the other hand, were more rounded.


    "Why did you reject me the first time?" Scott''s voice was tight, uncertain.


    This should''ve been a happy moment, but remembering how Analise rejected him made him feel strangely upset.


    He was clearly better than Fiy and his brother. He felt like he was reliving the same incident again. Scott couldn''t help but feel anxious.


    And yet, the warmth of Analise''s arms and the soft heat of her hand on his ear made him wonder if this moment wasn''t quite the same, after all.


    Analise nced down just in time to meet Scott''s gaze as he tilted his head upward. His eyes were filled with helplessness.


    It was the first time she had seen Scott like this. He had alwayse across as calm,posed, polite, and rational. But right now, he looked so fragile.


    "Humans aren''t allowed to have multiple partners. Even if the women in this world were allowed multiple mates, it still takes bnce. And back then..."


    Analise trailed off as she stared at Scott''s good-looking features. She just blurted out the words before she could stop herself.


    Realizing what she''d just said, she quickly turned her gaze away and refocused on softly massaging his ear.


    Scott got the message but still pushed gently. "Back then what?"


    She smiled and said, "Vera was right. I showed up out of nowhere. You must''ve had your doubts about me."


    "I did," Scott admitted, nuzzling his head deeper into her arms. "But from the first time I saw you, I wanted to protect you."


    "The day Fiy first mentioned you your first day in Stormw Alliance-I was suspicious. I thought maybe another alliance had left you in the forest on purpose.


    "The Apex Tournament wasing up. So, I suspected maybe you were nted to slow down Fiy or someone else in the alliance. It wouldn''t be the first time a female was used to distract strong males, to stop them frompeting."


    Scott honestly told her everything andughed bitterly. "But the moment I saw you, my heart jumped crazily. All I could think was, I want to be your guardian. I want to be with you.


    "Even after I became your guardian, I still questioned things. You''re powerful. You have real mind essence. Why would any alliance just let someone like you go?


    "But I wanted to get to know you and get closer to you. My heart was so confused.


    "I began to read the books you read. The thought that you were from outside the Interster therian world filled me with excitement."


    Scott gently took her hand, the one she was using to tug at his ear, and looked up at her.


    "Ana, I want to be your mate, too," he said quietly.


    "I''ve been thinking about the books you read in Stormw Alliance''s library, the way you appeared out of nowhere, your mind essence. All of it proves that you''re not from here.


    "And honestly, Fiy''s probably the only one clueless enough to just ept you as some ordinary pure-human female with mind essence."


    Scott locked eyes with her, his gaze steady and sincere. "Ana, I''ll protect you with Fiy. I don''t care where you came from. I just want to stand beside you. Like him. As your mate."


    Analise''s heart skipped a beat when Scott said he knew she wasn''t from this world. She knew that Scott wouldn''t be easy to fool.


    "You haven''t told anyone else, have you?" she asked cautiously.


    Fiy had told her that information shared between Interster Alliance could easily spread.


    "Just Fiy. No one else," Scott said with a shake of his head.


    "Ana, I think our enemy mighte from the same ce you do. Interster Alliance is split, with some factions siding with the Vexoths. We can only tell people wepletely trust about this.


    "The Vexoths have been getting bolder and more aggressive. They''ve already started making robots that look like pure human females. Things are only going to escte from here.


    "I''m almost at SS-grade now, and


    maybe I''ll hit SSS-grade soon. But even then, I can''t protect you alone Fiy''s still a ways off from reaching S-grade. That''s why I''ve been thinking that we need more trustworthy people around you. People strong enough to keep you safe," Scott continued.