"We'll leave in half an hour!" the wolf leader's voice echoed, jolting me awake. Annoyance brewed within me; he seemed unfazed by the presence of the rescued women, probably already having a mate of his own. I rose from my leaf bed, still in a daze, struggling to adjust to the morning. Opening my eyes felt like an ordeal, compounded by the fatigue from the previous day. Another day loomed in this peculiar world.

After a river wash and a breakfast of strange-looking fruits, we embarked on our journey back to the City. The other three women had seemingly decided on whom to choose as their mates, those men transformed into their wolf form and ready for the women to ride on their backs. One wolf, perhaps out of kindness or an attempt at courtship, offered me a ride. Just as I considered accepting, Ace's voice intervened, "She can ride with me." The other wolf graciously withdrew. This surprised me; Ace hadn't shown interest in any of the women the previous day. I decided to be direct; confusion wouldn't help in this already perplexing world.

Before Ace could shift, I halted him, extending my hand to signal him to stop. "You're not trying to court me, are you?" I asked, feeling awkward but needing clarity. His lips quirked into a mischievous smile. "Do you want me to?" My brows furrowed at the unexpected response. Seeing my confusion, he clarified, "Don't worry, I'm not. Just making up for being rude and touching you without permission yesterday." It made sense, and I appreciated the honesty. "Well, do you want a ride, or do you plan to walk?"

"Walking is an option!?" I asked with a glimmer of hope. The idea of their beast forms still unnerved me, especially since I was even wary of pet dogs, preferring to observe them from a distance. "It sure is if you intend to walk continuously for a week," he teased. Deadpan, I shot him a look. At this point, it felt like he was just amusing himself. "Get on now," he declared, transitioning into his beast form.