Kaelith choked on the drink he was currently swallowing.

Had he heard that correctly?

Like carbonation exploding through a shaken drink, pure joy surged violently inside him.

Just moments ago, he had been standing there, trying to ignore how much the scene between Silas, Lucien, and Mirabelle had twisted something inside his chest.

But now:

Mirabelle wanted to dance with him.

Him.

Not Silas.

Not Lucien.

Of course, he knew perfectly well that he was only an excuse to escape the other two.

But honestly?

Who cared?

If she fled toward him, then he didn’t care what she was fleeing from.

He would take everything she was willing to give him.

Like the sea parting before a ship, the beastmen shifted aside as Mirabelle walked toward him, while a storm seemed to rage behind her.

Without even looking, Kaelith shoved his glass into the hands of the nearest beastman.

Fastening his attention entirely on her, he barely noticed who ended up holding it.

Almost dazed, he watched Mirabelle actually approach him.

The blue dress flowed around her body with every step, while the lantern light shimmered across the snakeskin scales woven into the fabric.

And she was smiling.

Not that polite noble smile.

A real one.

Almost conspiratorial.

His heart slammed so hard against his ribs that he was convinced everyone nearby could hear it.

For one brief moment, Kaelith completely forgot how to breathe.

Or think.

Or speak.

Then he stepped toward her.

Meanwhile, Mirabelle walked away from the concentrated male drama feeling deeply satisfied with both herself and the world.

She wasn’t some object men could argue over.

And if they insisted on talking over her anyway, then they could continue the discussion without her.

That was when Mirabelle truly looked at Kaelith for the first time that evening.

Before now, she had only ever noticed him somewhere between everything else.

As loud.

As provocative.

As the hyena with provocative comments and even worse timing.

But now, from a little distance and beneath the warm lantern light, the realization struck her completely unprepared.

’Oh.

He’s beautiful.’

Not in the elegant, nearly untouchable way Lucien was.

And not like Silas either, whose attractiveness carried something dark and predatory beneath it.

Kaelith looked... wild.

As though someone had forced a storm into human form.

His black hair fell in heavy, slightly messy strands past his shoulders. One side had been shaved down to mere millimeters, exposing the tattoos crawling along his neck beneath.

The markings spread across his skin like spilled ink — over his throat, collarbones, and both arms.

She could even make them out faintly beneath the thin white fabric of his shirt.

The patterns didn’t look refined.

Nor noble.

They resembled old tribal markings instead.

Like something born beside firelight and blood.

The rolled-up sleeves of his white shirt exposed strong forearms where muscles flexed visibly with every movement. Instead of the formal jackets worn by most noble males, Kaelith only wore a dark vest hanging loosely enough to reveal part of his chest beneath.

It should have looked unfinished.

It didn’t.

On him, it looked deliberate.Rebellious. Forbidden.

His hyena ears twitched constantly, alert like a wild animal’s, while his long spotted tail swayed excitedly behind him.

And then there was that grin.

Crooked.

Mischievous.

As though he stood exactly one bad decision away from causing a social scandal.

Several females nearby watched him covertly.

Not only because of his appearance.

But because of the energy he radiated.

Kaelith didn’t look like a man who cared very much about appearing noble.

And somehow, surrounded by males trying so hard to appear perfect...

that made him dangerously attractive.

He stepped toward her and held out his hand.

Without hesitation, Mirabelle placed hers into it.

The moment their skin touched, a spark jumped between them.

Electricity shot up Kaelith’s arm and struck him straight in the heart.

Almost painfully, he became aware of just how close she was.

Completely ignoring etiquette, the lynx female whispered:

"May I have this dance?"

A crooked grin spread across his face.

"that and anything else you want."

His voice carried a rough warmth, like laughter beside a campfire.

With those words, he pulled her against him.

And somehow...

he even smelled like warmth.

Like sunlight heating stone after a long night.

His scent wrapped around her instantly and had an unexpectedly soothing effect on her senses.

Let the other two argue.

She was here to have fun!

The hyena beast had a loose, fluid dancing style that simply swept her along without demanding concentration from her at all.

With every movement, she felt his muscles shift beneath his clothes as his body brushed against hers.

They moved effortlessly through the sea of dancing couples, slipping between bodies and flowing music as though Kaelith had always known exactly where she needed to be.

Mirabelle barely had to think at all.

She simply moved with him.

And somehow...

that felt dangerously nice.

’So dancing could feel like this too?’

Suddenly, the lynx female found herself thinking that a life with him might feel exactly like this.

Easy.

As though he would somehow make sure everything fell into place at exactly the right moment.

That she would always end up in the right place at the right time.

But the very next second, those thoughts dragged her sharply back to reality.

Back to the forced partner selection.

Back to the fact that she was trapped inside a foreign body in a foreigen world.

A/N: OH MY GOD ???!!!

I HAVE A CONTRACT

I’m genuinely freaking out right now.

Like actually sitting here feeling like I might have a heart attack (╥﹏╥)

Thank you for every comment, every Power Stone, every reader screaming with me over fictional beastmen at 2am.

It still feels unreal that so many people are reading this story from all over the world.

Seriously. Thank you. ♡

WHAT IS HAPPENING ??? (」°ロ°)」