The journey back to Ming Tao’s home was quiet. He did not say one word to Mira. He did not even look her way one bit, it was just cold silence.

Mira swallowed. The silence was killing her. "I am starving." She uttered, trying to make the air less awkward between them. "I also have not had the splendour of having a bath since I rushed to follow you to the meeting, so, care to join me?" This was a trap. Mira remembered how Ming Tao acted when she mentioned wanting to have a bath in the lion clan when her legs did not work so this was pure bait.

She looked at him with a smug smile. Ming Tao seemed out of it. He did not even spare her a glance. Mira nudged his hand with her elbow. This caught his attention straight away.

"Huh?" He asked.

"I said I’m hungry." Mira stated.

"Oh. I will have the people prepare something for you to eat. Fruits, I take it?" He responded.

She was hungry for food, but right now, she was hungry for a different kind of food. For meat. Preferably long and thick and attached to the body of a living being. A male living being that could shift and be in human form. "Fruit will be nice. But I am hungry for something else?" She bit her lower lip.

"Tell me what you want, I will have it sorted." Ming Tao said.

Mira begged to roll her eyes. How did this man not get it?! "I want to have a bath. Join me?" Mira said instead since he was being slow. They still headed to his home, Mira had no idea where it was so she just followed him.

"I will have a beastwoman show you your assigned river to bathe in. Then we can talk about what you crave to eat."

Mira’s brows twitched. She walked in front of Ming Tao and stopped him from moving. She held his fur coat on both sides then pulled it forward. Ming Tao’s body followed the pull. His face landed right in front of hers. "I want to mate with you, for goodness’s sake! How do you not get it?" Mira raised her voice.

"Oh." Ming Tao worded.

Oh? All he had to say to that was oh?! OH??!! Mira frowned. "You do want to mate with me too, do you not?" She asked. Now she was not sure if he was purposely ignoring the signs or was genuinely dumbfounded, if it was the latter, her pussy would educate him.

Ming Tao stood up straight, this made Mira’s fingers grip on his fur falter and she let go of it. "I do. Just not right now."

A gong drummed in her head. Ming Tao just refused her sex? This beast man who was her husband just said no to being between her legs? Was it even possible for a horny driven beastman to not want to hit? Mira could not understand.

"Why?" She asked. "I was sure a moment ago, you wanted to devour me."

Ming Tao swallowed. That statement was true and he felt like a fool refusing to do the one thing he craved but he had other things to worry about. And mating with his wife right now was not one of it. "You guessed that wrong." He lied.

"Then why did you tell me to move in with you?" Mira questioned as quickly as he stated that.

"I gave you a choice. You chose to." He said.

"And why did you kiss me in the lion clan if you did not want more? Why all the teasing since I arrived here?" She barked at him immediately after, not giving him a chance to catch his breath after the words he said.

Ming Tao took in a deep breath. Here goes another lie, he thought. "I was only checking to see if you still hated me. I’m sorry."

This made Mira’s breath hitch. Was he being fucking serious right now?? He was just playing mind games all along? Why did he take her side then, why did he offer his protection then? What was his angle in all of these? All these thoughts begged to leave her mind and come out in words but she could not utter a single thing no matter how badly she wanted to.

"Will you. . . Will you ever touch me?" Mira asked. She did not know why that was the only thing that left her lips in that moment, but it made sense to question it.

"I will."

"Out of obligation to your duty or because you actually want to?" This question hit Ming Tao hard. Of course he wanted her. Of course he craved her in his bed. Of course he was holding himself from not doing the things running through his mind to her at this very moment but her freedom to live in his clan as voted by the council depended on the effectiveness of her solution to their food supply chain. His mind should not be revolving around breeding when a matter as dire as this was on the table.

And what if he mated with her and it distracted her from accomplishing this thing called farming? What if he fed her with his baby and then she had to leave the clan right after? And worse, what if he did not know she bore his child early to stop her from leaving if she did in fact fail? All of these things were reoccurring thoughts that made him take a step back on mating.

"I do not want to answer." Ming Tao professed. He did not want to lie, he had already told too many lies and it was killing him inside. He hated lying to her so much.

"No. Answer me right now, Ming Tao!" Mira fumed. She pointed her finger at him and poked on his bare chest.

Ming Tao felt his body stir. Even that slight touch got him wanting to feel her fingers again. Mainly on his member. His attraction to her during the period he was self improving skyrocketed and it was insane. Now all he wanted was her. Just her. The past behind and only her. Ming Hao held her hand gently. "No. And you will say no more about this." He said. His voice was calm yet firm. "Join me inside if you are still willing." With that, he walked away, leaving her alone.