She’d only sized him up from afar before, but now she was experiencing his presence with her entire body.

Chase Shaw’s arms completely enveloped her. His muscles were flexed and taut, locking her in an embrace as unyielding as hard iron, leaving her no room to struggle.

Zoe Pierce stood rigidly, the hot breath on her shoulder and the man’s intense presence threatening to swallow her whole.

Chase Shaw’s embrace made the difference in their sizes starkly apparent. He was panting like a wild animal, and his tan skin was a vivid contrast to her own fair complexion.

Her spiritual power trembled as it made contact with his raging own. Glancing at Nathan Lockwood’s inexplicably dark expression, Zoe Pierce called out uncertainly, "Chase Shaw?"

’I never imagined this. Only our second meeting, and I’m already in Chase Shaw’s arms.’

’This wasn’t what Nathan Lockwood told me. Didn’t he say they were cold to Omegas?’

"Soothe me... hurry..." A hoarse, deep voice, like shifting gravel, rasped out the two words. His chest vibrated slightly with the effort.

Zoe Pierce’s spiritual power had already entered Chase Shaw’s spirit sea. It was a churning tempest in there, a chaotic mess that sent out sharp, stabbing pains at the slightest provocation.

Zoe could only proceed slowly.

Slowly, she smoothed out every strand of his spiritual power, but she felt Chase Shaw’s arms tighten around her.

’Help me,’ she thought. Her back was pressed flush against Chase Shaw’s chest. She could even smell it—a scent of pine wood beneath the stench of blood.

The pine scent was tinged with a crisp cold, like the fragrance of a pine forest after a snowfall.

But in the next instant, Zoe realized what it was. It was the scent of Chase Shaw’s pheromones.

His canines pressed against her shoulder, as if he might bite down at any moment.

Zoe looked helplessly at Nathan Lockwood, then stammered out, "Chase... are you feeling any better?"

Chase Shaw had never felt such relief. The constant, needle-like pain in his head finally eased for a moment. He instinctively pulled the person in his arms tighter. "More..."

She had soothed more than half the spiritual power in his spirit sea, but one part remained incredibly stubborn. It seemed to sense Zoe’s approach and refused to yield.

"Chase, let her go. You only need to hold her hand to be soothed." The scene was an eyesore, and Nathan Lockwood’s voice was low as he reminded him.

But Chase Shaw turned a deaf ear. Sensing someone approaching, he instantly looked up, his eyes still feral. He then scooped Zoe Pierce up and retreated, sitting down with his back against a tree.

Zoe Pierce felt like a large doll.

Chase Shaw was like a child refusing to share a toy, holding her in a death grip.

Not until his raging spirit sea was completely pacified did Zoe feel the arms around her begin to relax.

But he didn’t let go.

In fact, Zoe had even grown somewhat accustomed to the chaotic mix of scents on him.

"Chase? Chase?" Seeing that his spirit sea had calmed but he still hadn’t let go, Zoe couldn’t help but call out, trying to get him to release his grip.

She turned her head to try and push him away, but was surprised to see his eyes were closed.

Chase Shaw had fallen asleep while holding her.

Strands of his hair fell across his forehead. Those once-frightening eyes were now closed, and his breathing was even and calm.

Seen like this, the man’s nose was straight and prominent. His mixed heritage gave his features a deep, sculpted look. The flecks of blood on his face only added a strange, ineffable charm.

She froze for a second, then quickly averted her gaze.

’Damn it. Watch your step, Zoe. Watch your step.’

’She had absolutely no intention of seducing any of them.’

Zoe Pierce tried to get up, but to her surprise, every time she moved to stand, she felt the arm wrapped around her body abruptly tighten its grip.

She glanced back in disbelief and saw the man’s brow furrow for an instant. The moment she stopped struggling, his expression visibly relaxed again.

"Nathan, I can’t get out..." Zoe pleaded, looking at Nathan Lockwood for help.

While Zoe had been soothing Chase Shaw’s spiritual power, Nathan Lockwood had gone to check on Ethan Grant.

Like Chase Shaw, his mental state was also poor; his spiritual power was flaring wildly out of control. If it continued, his wristband would soon send an alert and summon a teacher.

The blood on him wasn’t just human; there was also the more acrid stench of Xenobeast blood.

Nathan Lockwood focused, deep in thought. ’Something’s wrong. Chase isn’t one to use his spiritual power so recklessly.’

’In fact, because his spiritual power is so prone to rampaging, he always uses physical force to resolve a situation if he can. Something must have been extremely urgent to force him to use it.’

Hearing Zoe Pierce’s cry, Nathan Lockwood whipped his head around.

He also saw that Chase Shaw had passed out cold.

’If he remembered correctly, Chase Shaw had always struggled with insomnia. He had hereditary headaches, and though he always slept on his stomach, it was only because that was the least uncomfortable position.’

’And yet now, this man who found it so difficult to sleep had passed out just like that, leaning against a tree while holding Zoe Pierce.’

When Zoe Pierce saw Nathan Lockwood turn to look at her, her eyes lit up. She quickly demonstrated how Chase Shaw refused to let go.

Nathan Lockwood’s brows knitted together so tightly you could have crushed a mosquito between them.

"Give me your Space Button first." Compared to Chase Shaw, Ethan Grant’s situation was clearly more urgent.

Since Zoe couldn’t get free, and he needed to ask some questions, he had to stabilize Ethan Grant’s condition first.

Zoe Pierce tossed him the Space Button without a second thought. She watched as he took out the White Mallow Flower they had just picked today and shoved the whole thing into Ethan Grant’s mouth.

His movements were rough, completely devoid of any gentleness.

Zoe Pierce winced just watching.

It was a stroke of luck for Ethan Grant. He was the one who had led Zoe Pierce and Nathan Lockwood to the flowers, and he had even picked them himself. Otherwise, with Chase Shaw refusing to let go and Zoe unable to get free, he would have had no way to calm his spiritual power on his own.

Once Ethan Grant was temporarily stabilized, Nathan Lockwood walked over toward Zoe Pierce and Chase Shaw.

The oppressive wave of spiritual power had subsided. It no longer inspired the urge to retreat or even feel agitated. All of Chase’s spiritual power seemed to be properly contained.

Zoe Pierce’s eyes followed him. Her pretty face looked even paler now, and the color had drained from her lips.

It was obvious she was exhausted.

Nathan Lockwood reached out to pull her away, but he didn’t expect Chase Shaw’s newly calmed spirit sea to start fluctuating again.

Zoe felt the fluctuation and immediately let go of Nathan’s hand. "I can’t. The moment I try to leave, his spiritual power goes out of whack."

Nathan Lockwood crouched in front of them. He lowered his gaze, taking in how Chase Shaw sat with his knees bent and arms wrapped firmly around Zoe Pierce’s waist.

It was as if he were guarding his territory.

He sniffed the air and caught a faint scent of pheromones.

Chase Shaw was indeed guarding his territory, treating Zoe Pierce as if she were his own Omega and marking her with his scent.

"Well, now. What’s all this? Quite a lively scene." A familiar, teasing voice drifted down from above the cave. The playful lilt was so distinctive that no one needed to look to know who it was.

A man leaped down from a high ledge of the cave. After taking in the scene, he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes. "Whoa. Zoe Pierce, you’re really something else."