Chapter 8 It Didn't Bite Her

"Midas, cut it out," Tessa mumbled, turning over and pushing the furry mass away. Midas was the cat owned by her boss at the company where she worked—a large, orange tabby with a plump, solid build and a haughty temperament. It looked down on everyone at the office equally, whether leaders or employees and even its owner himself held no special place in its eyes. The only exception was Tessa. Midas loved clinging to her, camping out at her workstation every day—rolling around, rubbing against her, and attempting to lure her into rubbing its soft belly, all of which seriously affected her productivity. Luckily, since it belonged to her boss, Tessa didn't get her pay docked for the distraction. On the contrary, she even got a raise for winning the "prince's" favor. More than once, her boss had privately asked her for tips on how to make Midas cling to him instead. Tessa could only shrug helplessly. She seemed to have a special affinity with animals. It wasn't just Midas who liked her. As a child in the countryside, she had often been excluded by her cousins and the other kids, leaving her to spend her days with various animals instead. From chickens, ducks, and stray dogs to squirrels and foxes in the woods, they all seemed inexplicably fond of her. The most startling incident had been when she encountered wolves in the mountains. Yet, those fearsome creatures had acted like nothing more than oversized puppies around her—and she'd even gotten to pet a chubby wolf pup. Wolf fur wasn't soft, though—it had a rough, slightly prickly texture. Kind of like Midas right now… Wait, you're a cat. Your fur is supposed to be soft; why does it suddenly feel coarse? And you're awfully heavy! I get you tabbies are on the heavier side, but you're SOLID! What have you been eating lately? Before she could think further, a large, furry mass pressed down on her chest, nearly knocking the wind out of her. Even with her sleep-fogged brain struggling to function, the sensation jolted her wide awake. Her eyes flew open, locking onto a pair of glowing beast-like eyes in the dark. Her heart nearly stopped. You're not Midas! Wait, right, I've transmigrated to another world. I can't possibly find Midas here. Staring in shock, Tessa took in the creature before her. A massive body, solid muscles, and a mane thick and long enough to be visible even in the dark—there was no mistaking it. This was a young, powerful, and incredibly strong male lion. Its head rested against her chest as it quietly watched her. Back on Earth, Tessa had never even visited a zoo, so her knowledge of lions came solely from TV shows. But she was certain—this one was far larger than any Earth lion. It probably wouldn't even need to use its sharp fangs. A single swipe of its paw would be enough to leave her half-dead. Pale with fear, her entire body went cold from the tension. For a long moment, neither of them moved as they stared at each other. Gradually, Tessa realized that the lion didn't seem to have any intention of attacking her. Hesitantly, she reached out and pushed its head off her chest. Good—you don't bite. Encouraged, she mustered the courage to sit up and get out of bed. The lion immediately leaned closer, following her closely with slow, deliberate steps. Its glowing eyes never left her, locked onto her every movement. Even if it didn't bite, having a lion trailing behind her was nerve-wracking enough. Tessa searched for Alexander and Jacob, only to find that both were nowhere to be seen. The sprawling villa was eerily empty, leaving only her and the lion. Is this the end of me? Then, a sudden thought struck her as she remembered a possibility. "Are you a therian? Alexander? Jacob?" she asked. However, the lion didn't react, merely yawning lazily. Tessa waved a hand in front of its face. "Hey, can you understand me?" This time, the lion's response was swift—but not the one she wanted. Its eyes locked onto her hand with an excited gleam, and a low, eager growl rumbled in its throat. Startled, Tessa quickly pulled her hand back. Never mind. It really does seem to be an animal, not a therian. With that, Tessa headed to the kitchen and took out a piece of fresh-looking meat, deciding to appeal to the lion's appetite. If she could feed this hungry intruder, the threat to her life would drop significantly. But lo and behold, the lion didn't even spare the meat she placed on the floor a glance. With no other option, Tessa cautiously picked it up and held it out. The lion leaned forward to sniff but still showed no interest. It had its sights set on something else. "Ah!" The lion's rough tongue swiped across her hand, making Tessa shudder. For a moment, she thought her hand was about to disappear, but the lion merely licked her and tilted its head curiously as if puzzled by her startled cry. After being frightened several times in a row, Tessa's nerves suddenly hit rock bottom and bounced back. Emboldened by the absurdity of the situation, she did something utterly reckless—she reached out and touched the lion's belly. So, it's a full lion. No wonder it has no interest in the meat. An animal's belly was its weak spot, rarely exposed to others. Under normal circumstances, anyone daring to touch a lion's belly clearly had a death wish. Yet this lion had an unusually good temperament. Not only did it let Tessa touch it, but it also rubbed its mane against her shoulder, purring in a deep, rumbling sound. Tessa, growing bolder with each stroke, gradually regained the confidence she'd had back in the village when she'd played with cats, teased dogs, and even raised snakes and wolves. Really, what's so scary about a lion?! Since the lion hadn't touched the meat, tossing it away would be a waste. She washed it, trimmed off the outer layer, and returned it to the fridge. Then, she pulled out her HoloCore to contact Alexander and Jacob and ask where they were, but before she could type a message, the lion's large head suddenly shoved against her, knocking her hand aside as if to stop her from sending the message. "Stop it, quit messing around!" Tessa twisted and dodged, trying to avoid the lion's playful interference, but it chased after her, its eyes gleaming with mischief. They tumbled back into her bedroom, where the lion tackled her onto the bed, and the two of them rolled into a tangled heap. Her message never got sent. Instead, she ended up playing an impromptu game of chase with the lion, running and dodging until she was completely out of breath. Eyes squeezed shut, she lay there panting heavily. As she rested, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep with one arm draped over the lion's body. The lion lay quietly beside her, watching over her as she slept. … Morning came. Tessa opened her eyes, her thoughts gradually falling into place. Reaching out beside her, she found nothing. Rubbing her eyes, she got up and glanced around the room—no sign of the lion anywhere. Had it all been a dream? After mulling it over, Tessa concluded that she must have dreamt the whole thing. After all, what kind of lion would randomly break into someone's house in the middle of the night? It was too absurd. After washing up, she stepped into the kitchen and found Jacob cooking oatmeal for breakfast, but there was no sign of Alexander. "Good morning. Where's Alexander?" "Morning, Tess." Jacob offered her a gentle smile. "Major General Lyon had a mission and left for the base early this morning. Don't worry—it's nothing dangerous. I'll be here with you." He had decided that, for her peace of mind, it was better not to mention Alexander's loss of control. Last night, he had spent the entire night outside searching for Alexander in his lion form, but to no avail. The lion was incredibly difficult to track, constantly outmaneuvering the search team. Otherwise, Jacob wouldn't have left Tessa alone to help with the search. He had only returned home at dawn, weary and covered in dust, to find the broken window still unrepaired. With a sigh, he dutifully fixed it, thankful that Tessa had still been asleep. Otherwise, he would've had a hard time explaining the situation. Tessa suspected nothing, cheerfully moving closer to show Jacob how to add ingredients to the plain oatmeal, resulting in a hearty bowl of oatmeal with crispy bacon bits and shredded cheese. She also fried two sunny-side-ups to go along with it. They had just started eating when Jacob's HoloCore beeped. A message informed him that a lion had been spotted nearby and that, as the closest responder, he needed to investigate immediately. "I'm sorry. Something urgent just came up…" he said, searching for an excuse. "Is it a rescue? An emergency? Don't worry, go ahead." Tessa reassured, assuming Jacob had an urgent case to attend to, which, for a doctor, was pretty ordinary. Jacob had never met such an understanding and easygoing young female, and his heart swelled with gratitude. Lowering his tall frame before her, he earnestly thanked her, showering her with praise. Bowing his head, he pressed a kiss to her fingertips in a gesture of respect and admiration. Mortified, Tessa wished she could crawl into a hole. These male therians are way too over the top! Seriously, too much! They treated her like fragile porcelain—ready to shower her with endless praise for the smallest things. Even though they had cooked the meal themselves, just because she provided the recipe, Alexander and Jacob had practically declared her a culinary genius. And now, simply allowing Jacob to leave for work had him acting as if she'd granted him a great favor. After much effort, she finally saw Jacob out the door. Breathing a sigh of relief, she returned to her breakfast, casually scrolling through her HoloCore as she ate—until a sudden crash echoed from Alexander's room. Her heart leaped into her throat. No way… Could there be burglars in this interstellar world? And they just happened to break in while I'm home alone? Before she could send a distress call, heavy footsteps swiftly approached the dining room. Gripping her fork tightly, Tessa held her breath. It's coming! It's getting close… Then, a familiar lion's head poked into the dining room.