Toriko: Gourmet Chat Group - Chapter 250 - 249: A Meteor Starter, As a Sign of Respect

Maria is a werewolf of the Veilwood Pack, where every woman is born with a gift. But with her twenty-first birthday drawing near and no ability to call her own, her family arranges a marriage that feels more like a cage than a future.On the run from a fate she refuses to accept, Maria narrowly escapes a predator who wants to claim her for himself. Shaken and desperate, she stumbles into the arms of another man whose eyes burn with recognition—her mate.But the predator is still out there, and he wants Maria just as much.Torn between the mate who awakens her heart and the danger that tempts her into the shadows, Maria finds herself desired by two men who will stop at nothing to claim her.Love, obsession, and destiny intertwine, and her choice could cost her everything.

In the vast forests, towering mountains, and the wide seas, mythical creatures spread across the wide world. Some are large and terrifying, while others are small and gentle; half of them enjoy harming humans, while others wish to help them.No one knows exactly when they appeared. Some say they existed before the human race emerged, while others claim they appeared alongside the first humans in this world.Their forms and abilities vary, and different races deal with them differently. Some despise them and consider them monsters, while others revere them. Yet everyone agrees on one thing: it is best not to attempt to meddle with them.Everyone, that is, except for one person.

The life of the underworld was something Ashley had dreamed of escaping all her life. Born as a bastard from an affair between an underworld kingpin and a prostitute, Ashley was meant to die even before she was born. The only reason she survived was that her father thought she was a boy.From a young age, she understood that if she wanted to survive in this world of violence—on top of her father’s wife and daughter’s schemes—she had to be useful.So, she made herself a promise: one day, she would escape this world.Ashley almost succeeded… until her father found her again and thrust her into a marriage of convenience with his rival, Dominion, in his beloved daughter’s place.Everyone in the underworld knew Dominion.They were cruel, organized, and simply spawns of evil. And the man who stood above that power, Luciano, was said to be downright diabolical. Just their name alone could make anyone tremble.And this organization was where Ashley now had to survive.To make matters worse, the marriage also came with a child — Luciano’s mute heir.Forced to become the wife of one of the most violent and powerful underworld organizations, and the mother of its future leader, Ashley made a vow.“No matter what, I’ll escape this place!”But she would soon realize it wouldn’t be as simple as that. Not when the feared members of Dominion clung to her feet, begging,“Madam, don’t go!”And when the mute stepson finally spoke, “Mommy, if you’re leaving, please take me with you.”Finally, her diabolical, obsessive, and utterly territorial husband said,“I’ve packed our things. Where should we go?”