Chapter 122: Chapter 114: She Has the Scent of His Glands on Her
Alex patiently waited for her response.
But regardless of whether she responded, they had grown much closer today.
That was enough.
The room was dark and silent. Gu Ning and Alex’s soft breaths intertwined, imperceptibly creating a thick, humid tension.
The darkness amplified all of Gu Ning’s senses. The sound of their breathing, the beat of her heart... With the slightest movement, she could hear a distinct rustling.
Sharing a bed with a male Beastman, every movement and sound created an atmosphere that was both intimate and awkward for Gu Ning.
A sliver of distance still separated her and Alex, yet she could feel the astonishing heat radiating from his body.
Gu Ning was used to sleeping curled up, holding something, and disliked sleeping with her body ramrod straight. The moment she bent her knees, they brushed against Alex’s thigh. She quickly straightened her legs again.
This tense, sweltering atmosphere gave Gu Ning the urge to throw off the covers.
What she didn’t realize, however, was that Alex had her almost completely encircled in his embrace.
One of his long arms rested on the bedding above her head, while his other hand hovered behind her waist. Whether she wanted to move backward or forward, she was within the circle of his arms.
Alex noticed she seemed interested in his tail, so he laid his thick, long wolf tail over her legs. The tail swept back and forth gently, as if of its own accord, drawing all her attention.
Then, he discreetly and slowly pressed his palm against the small of her back. The warmth of his hand seeped through her loose inner layer of clothing, warming her skin.
Gu Ning, who had been holding her breath for too long, finally let out a long sigh. At the same time, she heard Alex let out a deep exhale of his own, his even hotter breath fanning across her forehead.
Gu Ning’s composure, which she had just regained, was once again thrown into turmoil.
’This can’t go on,’ she thought. ’Either we get the licking over with, or we just sleep without all this awkwardness.’
’I can’t just kick Alex out of bed and make him sleep on that small sofa.’
’This is his home, and he’s taken such meticulous care of me these past few days. He’s been helping me this whole time.’
’I do have some decency, after all.’
’Besides, he’s only sleeping with me to help mask my scent.’
Gu Ning tried to convince herself again. After a long moment, she looked up at Alex. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and she could vaguely make out the contours of his face.
’Is he asleep?’
Gu Ning hesitated for a moment before calling out to him in a small voice, "Alex."
"Hm?" Alex’s calm reply came at once.
Gu Ning: "...Are you... asleep?"
Alex: "Not yet."
Gu Ning paused for a moment, then shifted her body, scooting closer to him.
Alex’s breathing slowed even more, as if he were afraid the slightest sound would scare her off.
Following her movement, he gently adjusted his hold, naturally gathering her into his embrace.
Their bodies were now pressed together. Gu Ning’s forehead and the tip of her nose rested against his hot, solid chest, and her face and ears began to burn with heat.
Alex placed a hand on the back of her head and gently stroked her hair, as if calming a frightened little animal, trying to ease her reluctance. "We don’t have to do anything," he said. "If you really can’t sleep like this, I’ll go outside."
Gu Ning was silent. ’We’ve already come this far, let’s just do what we have to do. I just want a good night’s sleep.’
Alex didn’t make any other moves, simply holding her. "When you asked me about Zone 5 today," he said, "was there something you were worried about?"
Surprised that he would suddenly bring it up, Gu Ning looked up at him. If he hadn’t mentioned it, she would have forgotten.
’I thought that giving me Cook’s contract was his answer to my question.’
’As for bringing any Mixed Breeds other than Cook, since he didn’t say anything, it probably meant I can’t.’
’I didn’t want to cause him more trouble right now. I figured I could ask again later, or try to find another way to bring Barto along.’
’Although Barto didn’t look like he needed my help.’
"Don’t worry, I’ll take you to the Central Green Area. The route is rather long. We’ll have to pass through the 16th District, Zone 11, and Zone 9 before finally reaching Zone 5. We’ll rest for a bit in Zone 5, then continue on to the Central Green Area."
Alex looked down at the female in his arms. At this distance, he could see her face clearly. Her wide, round eyes were gazing right back at him.
"The Central Green Area is the safest place on the Central Continent. There will be other females there; you’ll like it." Alex deeply inhaled her scent, suppressing his own selfish desires. "However, adult females leave the Central Green Area as they age to settle in other zones. If you like Zone 5, you can choose to settle there directly. It’s all up to you."
Listening to his deep, reassuring voice, Gu Ning whispered, "Thank you."
After saying this, she hugged him back.
Just as Alex thought she was simply expressing her gratitude, she began to nuzzle her head into the crook of his neck.
He froze.
Gu Ning nuzzled against Alex like a little animal. When he neither moved nor made a sound, she grew bolder. After nuzzling one side of her face against him, she turned to nuzzle the other side. Finally, she grabbed his tail and rubbed it against her skin a couple of times.
Alex: "..."
"...Is this... enough?"
Gu Ning asked earnestly, "Can... you still... smell... my scent?"
A sigh, laced with amusement, sounded from above her head.
Then, a large, hot hand slid behind her neck and cupped it gently.
Alex leaned in close, his lips brushing against her forehead as he whispered:
"May I?"
Gu Ning felt the soft touch of his lips. She was silent for a moment, then said, "I... haven’t... bathed... in days."
Alex had told her not to bathe if she could help it, as it would wash his scent off of her.
’I don’t really get it,’ she thought. ’I wear his clothes every day. Even if I wash his scent off me, I can just put his clothes back on.’
But even though she didn’t understand, she had listened to him and hadn’t bathed, only giving herself a quick wipe-down where she felt most uncomfortable.
"Wait a few more days," Alex said, understanding her broken sentence. "You can wash after Kloer and the others move out."
She carried the scent from his glands, and a bath would wash it all away.
’The only other option is for her to let me lick her entire body again, which is the most effective way to suppress her own scent.’
’But I know she couldn’t accept that right now. It would probably just scare her.’
’I’ll just have to be patient and wait.’
Hearing Alex say it would be a few more days before she could bathe, Gu Ning stiffened her neck and tilted her head back in resignation.
’Go on, lick me. Let’s get this over with so I can finally sleep.’
Seeing her movement, the corners of Alex’s mouth lifted into a small smile. Cupping the back of her head, he bent down and began to delicately lick her face.
