"Where did your feathers go?" Analise had no interest in witnessing a jealous brawl, so she quickly changed the subject.
"They''re right here." Gideon pouted and pointed to the braids hanging beside his
ears.
"You braided them into your hair?" Analise leaned in for a closer look and finally spotted the soft ck feathers twined into his strands.
Since both were dark, they were nearly invisible without close inspection. "Ana, do you want toe with me to the Shadowhawk Alliance?" Gideon grinned as he hovered near Analise, deliberately making subtle movements. He intentionally blocked Fiy and Scott, who were trying to approach.
After all, the whole point of male rivalry was topete with others!
"Gideon! Why you " After being nudged twice and blocked repeatedly, Scott finally lost his gentlemanlyposure.
"What? Ana hasn''t said anything. What''s your problem? You want a fight?" Gideon turned around with a nk expression.
But the next second, he switched expressions like a seasoned performer, tugging on Analise''s arm with a pitiful look. "Ana, look at him..."
Analise was rendered speechless.
She could feel the exhaustion kicking in.
Surprisingly, Fiy-usually the clingy one-was unusually quiet.
Analise looked over and saw him furiously typing on the screen at an extreme speed. If the interface had a physical keyboard, he''d have probably smashed it by
now.
Well then, it was time to consult the strategist again.
"I''m tired. You guys can fight if you want. I''m going to bed." Analise turned around and headed to the smaller starship Fiy had piloted earlier.
"Fiy, get over here and drive," she called out.
"Coming!" Fiy turned off the interface and followed her in.
Two envious and resentful res followed him until the hatch shut.
"Mr. rke, since when did a researcher like you get so close to Ana?" Scott sneered. "You''re even addressing her so intimately. Are all members of the Shadowhawk Alliance as shameless as you?"
"Oh,e on, Commander Hopkins." Gideon snorted. "You think courtship requires dignity? Besides, she probably just forgot. Once she remembers me..."
Gideon intentionally trailed off, then grinned smugly as he walked to the console. "Commander Hopkins, are you staying behind so you cane with me to the Shadowhawk Alliance?"
Scott pressed his lips tightly together and quickly exited Gideon''s starship.
Scott might not be as good as Fiy at winning Analise over, but there was no way he would lose to Gideon, who just appeared out of nowhere, would he?
The image of Analise letting Gideon hug her without protest unsettled him.
Back on his own ship, Scott didn''t start the engines immediately. Instead, he was anonymously seeking on his interface.
Previously, other Cosmoseek users had given him a lot of advice. He''d hesitated to follow them, but now...
"If you''re confident about your physique, learn from that guardian you mentioned. Females can''t resist a strong, well-built male."
"You''re a tiger therian, right? You can
shift into your full form to win her
over. The saying ''a tiger''s tail is off-limits is an outdated one from
the human era. It sounds more like a joke she made. Maybe you misunderstood her."
"Tiger tails are pretty simr to cat tails. Females love them. You need to be bolder."
Scott read thosements again and again before finally reaching a decision.
Back on the main vessel, he took the initiative to go to Analise''s cabin.
At that moment, Analise was holding Fiy''s tail.
Fiy''s face was bright red...
Maybe it was instinctive male rivalry, but the first thought in his mind was that he was being provoked.
Only afterward did he unwrap his tail from Analise''s wrist and ask Scott what he needed.
In this situation... Scott hesitated.
Suddenly, an old message he had read came to mind.
"If you want to court a female, throw away your pride, even if you''re a
firstOf you won''t loosen up, how
could she ever fall for you?
It was as though he had just had an enlightenment. He walked up to Analise,
grabbed her hand, and ced it on his fuzzy ear.
"Ana... Could you touch my ears and tail too?"