**Felix's pics are easier to generate on pixai compared to Allmer so here's another pic~ . .. ... .... Ace and I stood in tense silence, the weight of Felix's offer still hanging in the air. I glanced at Ace, waiting for him to say something, but the quiet stretched too long. Then, just when I was about to speak, Ace surprised me.

"I'll be your mate. Leave him," he said quietly.

I blinked, not sure I'd heard him right. "What?" I gave him a sharp look, reading his face. "Please, I know you don't mean it." I rolled my eyes. Ace was trying to be noble, but we both knew this wasn't what he truly wanted. If he had meant it, he wouldn't have waited until now to say something.

"You're seriously considering Felix's offer?" he asked, sounding bewildered.

I shrugged. "Honestly, it's not a bad deal. The only problem is that he's a jerk, and that's a major turn-off."

Ace opened his mouth to argue again, but we were interrupted by a faint chuckle from above.

"Heh."

Ace glanced up, his eyes narrowing. "Time you came down," he called, and sure enough, Iker came leaping down from a tree branch above us, landing lightly on his feet. So, he'd been eavesdropping the whole time. Not surprising.

I crossed my arms, already irritated. "You got anything to add, or are you just here to get on my nerves like the rest of them?"

Iker smirked, his eyes lingering on my face, rather lingering on the earrings I'm wearing, relaxed posture screaming that he wasn't taking any of this seriously. "Just that Felix's offer will be better than ruining someone's future chances," he said, his eyes flicking pointedly toward Ace.

Before I could snap back, Iker turned and walked off leisurely, as if he hadn't just added to the confusion swirling around me.

Ace, clearly irritated, stepped closer. "Ignore him. And ignore Felix too. I'll stay with you during the winter. It's not a big deal."

He was trying so hard, and it touched me. But his hesitation was obvious, even to me. I could see the conflict in his eyes. He didn't want to make this kind of commitment, not like this, not now. And I didn't want to force him into anything that wasn't truly his choice.

"Don't force yourself, Ace. I wouldn't want that for you as your friend," I said softly. "Besides, there's nothing really wrong with Felix's offer, except maybe the fact that Allmer will be grumpy as hell when he finds out."

With that, I turned and started walking back toward the bonfire. Ace didn't follow. I could feel his inner turmoil pulling him in two directions, but he needed time to sort that out.

As I approached the bonfire, Felix was waiting, leaning against a tree with his usual smug grin plastered on his face. He caught sight of me and broke into a little sing-song tease. "Fine choice~"

I rolled my eyes at him, trying to ignore the sinking feeling that I'd have to deal with his insufferable personality for the next few months. Before I could head to the nearest bonfire and finally sit down to take a breather, Felix grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Come with me. I want to introduce you to my family," he said, his voice brimming with arrogance and pride.

I blinked in surprise. Introduce me? He was going all-in on this little charade. It made no sense. If he didn't plan on sticking around, why parade me in front of his family like I was some prized mate? But before I could ask, my path was blocked by the last person I wanted to see.

The girl-Felix's supposed admirer-stood there, a scowl plastered on her face, her pack of males looming behind her like a protective barrier. The air was thick with hostility as she sized me up. I could almost see the rage simmering beneath the surface.

"You'd better know your place, feral filth," she spat, her words dripping with venom. Her eyes flicked to the males behind her, emboldened by their presence. They stood tall, backing her up.

I felt a surge of anger rush through me. These males, Felix, everyone had been pushing me around, and I'd had enough and now she again wants to pick on Allmer? I needed to release the frustration building up inside me.

I took a step forward, matching her glare with one of my own. "This filth's feral could tear all of your males apart in a minute. So if you want to keep your little entourage intact, I suggest you watch your mouth."

Her face twisted in fury, clearly not used to someone talking back to her. But I wasn't backing down. If she thought I'd roll over and submit, she was in for a rude awakening.

She took a step closer, her chest puffing up like she was preparing for a fight. "Felix will come to me," she hissed, her eyes filled with malice. "You're nothing but a temporary distraction. A joke."

I smiled coldly. "Newsflash, sweetheart: Felix is mine now, whether you like it or not. So back off."

Her eyes flashed dangerously, and I could see the flicker of doubt in her expression. She was used to being the one in control, the one others feared. But now, she was faced with someone who wasn't going to shrink under her intimidation tactics.

Her face twisted with irritation, and she shoved me hard enough to make the surrounding onlookers gasp. But I held my ground, meeting her stare with unwavering confidence. Enough of her antics.

"Back off before you make a fool of yourself," I said, voice steady and low. "Because from where I'm standing, you already look ridiculous."

"Shut up bitch!", She raised her hand to slap me, but I caught her wrist mid-air, gripping it tight enough to let her know I wasn't playing. "Try that again, and you'll regret it," I said, my voice dripping with quiet menace. The girl struggled, trying to yank her hand out of my grip, but I only tightened it, feeling her wrist tremble under my hold. Her face twisted as she tried to free herself, the flash of fear behind her eyes quickly masked by anger, but it was too late. The moment I saw it, I knew I wasn't letting go.

She muttered something under her breath and tugged harder, her skin turning red where my fingers pressed into her. I felt a surge of strength in me I didn't expect-I'd been surviving on little more than fruit for the past month, and yet here I was, holding her so firmly that faint bruises were beginning to bloom beneath my grip. It surprised me, the power I still had, but I wasn't about to back down.

She gritted her teeth, her voice trembling. "Let. Go."

I leaned closer, dropping my voice to a cold, deadly calm. "Why should I? You think you can just march over here and try to push me around because of some male? Trust me, you picked the wrong one to mess with."

Her expression wavered, her confidence cracking. The whispers around us grew louder as onlookers realized I wasn't letting her go, and her face flushed as she caught sight of her supporters standing a few feet back, doing nothing. Even her males were hanging back, looking at the ground or glancing at each other, clearly unwilling to get between female's fight, knowing there's a 4 striped and feral backing me up. The humiliation on her face deepened, and I saw the first hints of true desperation in her eyes.

"Felix isn't yours, just leave him and go to your snake" she said, her voice faltering.

I tilted my head, letting a slow, mocking smile spread across my face. "You think I care about Felix? Do you think I'm here to fight over him?" I leaned closer, my tone dropping even lower. "I don't care what you think you deserve. But Felix is mine now, and I'm not going anywhere. So if you want him back, you'd better be prepared to crawl."

Her face reddened further, the anger and embarrassment mixing into something close to panic as she tried once again to pull free. I squeezed just a bit tighter, enough to make her flinch. "Look at you," I said, letting the contempt drip from my words. "Weak. Can't even stand up for yourself."

That seemed to break her. Her eyes flicked to Felix, hoping he'd step in, but he only crossed his arms, watching with that infuriating smirk. His gaze turned to me for a second, and I caught the faintest hint of surprise mixed with something I couldn't place-admiration, maybe, or even pride. Whatever it was, it just added fuel to the fire inside me. This felt good. Releasing the pent up emotions felt good.

Her desperation spilled over, and with one last pull, she finally yanked her wrist free, stumbling back and rubbing the bruises I'd left. She looked at me, her eyes wide with fury and defeat. "You'll regret this," she spat, her voice shaking with humiliation.

"Oh, I doubt it, run along and find someone else to obsess over." I replied smoothly.

She was speechless, her jaw clenching as she fought back the tears threatening to spill. She gave a single furious huff, and without another word, turned and stormed off, pushing through the crowd that parted for her. The whispers around us grew, filled with a mixture of shock, awe, and amusement.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, the adrenaline still coursing through me. Felix turned to me, that irritating smirk still on his face.

"Well, that was fun. You're fiercer than I thought," he teased, leaning in slightly. "I might actually enjoy these next few months."

I shot him a look. "Don't push your luck."

His smirk widened, and he chuckled softly. "And already claiming me, huh? I didn't expect you to be so possessive so soon, love." Though he was brushing it off, even though it was dark, I could see his face had turned a dark shade of red.

I shot him a glare. "Shut up."

"But I didn't think you'd go that far."

I shot him a cold glare. "Didn't think I'd go that far? You have no idea how close I am to losing my patience with you, too."

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Easy there." Before I could respond, he slipped his hand into mine, pulling me toward the bonfire. "Come on. After a performance like that, you deserve a real introduction to my family."

As Felix pulled me, I couldn't ignore a small pang of guilt. Maybe I had gone a bit too far. But I knew all too well how females like her operated here-this wasn't just about Felix. The way she'd arrived with her entire group of males in tow, primed to humiliate me in front of everyone, spoke volumes. She'd wanted to make an example out of me, to show that an outsider like me had no place standing up to her. I'd merely chosen the only language people here seemed to respect. In this world, a display of strength wasn't just survival; it was a necessity. And now, maybe, with the bruises to remind them, she and everyone else would think twice before picking a fight with me-at least for a few months.

. .. ... .... **Just wanted to thank each one of you who regularly reads, likes and comments on the chapters! Love seeing your comments and what you all think :))) And THANK YOU SO MUCH. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS STORY HIT 150K. FOREVER GRATEFUL><