I nuzzled against Kotetsu's thick fur around his neck, taking in the unique musk scent.

Noticing some movement from the Altai Wapiti, I remained unresponsive, indulging in the post-passion lethargy and warmth instead.

I moved my rostral tip to his cheek, examining the intricate patterns on his massive antlers while letting my nose gently brush the tip of his ear. Unexpectedly, Kotetsu reacted as if shocked, bolting upright into a semi-reclining position. He stared at me with wide eyes, his mouth slightly open as he panted.

I had no idea what had just happened, so I froze in place, staring back at him.

"Sorry," Kotetsu said awkwardly after a moment, relaxing back down and resting his right arm over his brow to cover his eyes. "I dreamed about scenes from my boot camp."

"Oh," I cautiously moved closer, ensuring he didn’t mind being touched. "I thought you were joking before."

"The essence of a joke is like cooking—it needs a dash of truth as seasoning," Kotetsu murmured, his voice low. "And usually, it's salty."

Attempting to embrace Kotetsu’s sturdy chest, I hoped to offer some comfort. The Altai Wapiti was simply too large, so I had to lie on his chest to accomplish it. Listening to the frantic rhythm of his heartbeat gradually steady, I noticed a subtle dissonance amid the rise and fall of his breathing.

"I can’t sense any emotional fluctuations from you," I said almost to myself, surprised I hadn’t realized it earlier. "Do you shield yourself even when you’re asleep?"

"It’s a habit of mine. Hamp is pretty sensitive, so I try not to disturb him," Kotetsu replied, maintaining his position with an arm covering his eyes. "Most herbivores tend to do this."

"That’s quite thoughtful." I tried recalling if Tadao had ever done the same but couldn’t remember. "But how do you manage to put up a shield unconsciously while sleeping—"

Kotetsu suddenly flipped over, pinning my wrists with one hand and straddling my chest. A two-tone electronic beep sounded near his neck, and I realized, in that instant, the Altai Wapiti had fastened a collar around me.

"Now is not the time for this kind of lesson," he seemed to have no intention of stopping due to my breathless whimpers but continued to tighten the collar. "Today's load is a bit small. It seems that someone is very naughty and secretly takes care of themselves very well! Do you think I won't notice?" I can feel Kotetsu's other hand reaching towards my lower body, and the itchy touch makes my hair stand up. "It seems that I have indulged you for too long. It is my fault that I did not give you an appropriate punishment." The pain from being pinched gradually accumulated, making me instinctively want to arch my body, but Kotetsu pressed hard. "But when it comes to accountability, I'm more inclined to...how should I put it," Other times, I would have screamed out due to this level of severe pain, but the tight collar around my neck prevented me from speaking out. "Trace back to the source."

His expression ignited a fiery desire within me, making me yearn to let Kotetsu do as he pleased with me. Yet, the sliver of Rationalism I had left tugged fiercely at my ears, yelling at me to snap out of it.

"Arrogance of the strong!" I finally managed to wrestle down the urge to give in, forcing the safeword out from my throat.

Kotetsu immediately released me and unfastened the collar.

"Was it too tight?" he asked, his fingers brushing against my carotid artery. Perhaps because it was my first time using our safeword, he seemed slightly anxious.

"I'm fine," I replied, taking a moment to catch my breath. "I had meant to bring this up earlier, if only you hadn’t gagged me suddenly."

"Are you about to confess to something?" Kotetsu chuckled softly, clearly amused.

"No, and I’m not secretly taking care of myself." It took every ounce of willpower to keep from averting my gaze out of embarrassment.

"Oh," Kotetsu’s grin widened further, clearly entertained. "The little wolf pup had a fling..." He abruptly paused, as if a realization dawned on him. "That Nyx."

"Yes," I said, trying to sound composed. Ideally, Kotetsu would feel more at ease about this situation, but I needed to make things clear. "I’d like you to call him Aether."

The Altai Wapiti didn’t respond immediately, and his expression remained unreadable. I had no choice but to continue.

"Basically, we’ve established a relationship," I said in as neutral a tone as I could manage, watching for any changes in Kotetsu’s expression. But as before, there was no discernible shift, nor any emotional fluctuations emanating from behind his unyielding shield. "I haven’t talked to Aether about us yet..." I thought I saw his brows furrow slightly. Though the crease smoothed out quickly as if nothing had happened, it made me instinctively pick up speed. "...I wanted to make sure first that you wouldn’t mind."

"Mind what?" Kotetsu tilted his head slightly to the side.

"A polyamorous relationship," I said, trying to project confidence but unable to stop my voice from dropping in volume. No matter how smoothly it played out in my head, bringing it up in reality didn’t make it any easier.

The Altai Wapiti seemed unprepared for this response, appearing momentarily stunned. He slowly tilted his head to the other side, locking eyes with me.

"I thought you preferred us to have more... casual arrangements." Kotetsu’s brown eyes bore into mine, and I forced myself not to look away.

"I don’t want to become strictly exclusive, but I’d like us to be..." I hesitated for just an instant before saying the word. "...lovers."

Kotetsu, as before, betrayed nothing through his body language or emotional waves. Only a few seconds had passed since I’d finished speaking, but the fear of saying the wrong thing and ruining everything made me so anxious that I felt the need to blurt something—anything—to fill the silence.

"I understand if your interpretation of the relationship differs from mine, and I’m not trying to pressure you. If this is just me overthinking or misunderstanding, you can absolutely—" I nearly bit my tongue as Kotetsu firmly gripped my rostral tip.

"Allow me to interrupt your ten-minute self-doubt speech. This is the worst confession I’ve ever seen—and I’ve spent half my life in the Navy Academy," the Altai Wapiti said with a sigh, his tone exasperated enough to make my ears burn. But I noticed his grin slowly growing wider. "And yet, for such a ridiculous question, I can’t seem to find a reason to refuse. Probably because the influence I’ve allowed you to have on me is far greater than I expected." Kotetsu chuckled to himself, as though recalling an amusing memory. "So, I suppose I have no choice but to accept your proposal."

The sound of rustling caught my attention, and I realized the tip of my tail was wagging furiously, brushing against the sheets beneath us.

I wanted to hug Kotetsu in excitement to express how I felt, but his response was to grip my rostral tip even tighter, pinning me back down and prompting a helpless whimper from my throat.

"However, we still have some serious matters to take care of." The Altai Wapiti put on the collar for me, patted my cheek twice, then inserted his thumb into his mouth, forcing me to open my mouth wide. "You'd better grit your teeth, my little wolf." Contrary to his advice, the pressure across each canine kept pushing deeper into my throat. I tried to control my tremors and gag reflex while gasping. "This will definitely hurt, a lot." Kotetsu showed his teeth and smiled even happier than before.