Chapter 270 - 242: We’ll Live with You
Chapter 270: Chapter 242: We’ll Live with You
Wanai unhurriedly moved the barrel of his rifle, settling on the figures loitering at the mouth of the alley. "They’ve cordoned off the entire street. Your hired idiots have been spotted. You’ll probably need to send more men. Or, you could pay me more, and I can still give them some cover."
"The Beastman patrol is thirty meters away."
"Twenty-five meters."
"Twenty meters."
"Fifteen..."
The Beastman on the other end of the line was silent for a few moments before cursing, "You’ll get your money!"
Wanai glanced at his terminal, his tone cool and detached. "Pay up first."
"Ten meters left."
"Nine..."
As he said the word "nine," Wanai’s terminal vibrated.
Seeing the credited amount, Wanai pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"BANG!"
The bullet struck the glass window of a room on the fifth floor of the building where the motorcade was based.
The loud noise immediately drew the attention of the Military Department Beastmen, who all looked toward the source. The Beastmen at the mouth of the alley, who had been pretending to be loitering pedestrians, seized the opportunity to slip away.
Just then, Gu Ning, having enjoyed a comfortable bath, finished putting on her undergarments. She wrapped a bath towel around herself to keep her wet hair from soaking her clothes, then happily slid on her slippers and pushed open the bathroom door.
The moment the door opened, she froze in the doorway, the happy smile stiffening on her face.
The living room was filled with Beastmen. Bartok was present, as were the other three captains.
At the sound, the Beastmen all turned to look at her.
Gu Ning’s gaze swept over them and landed on Philinos.
When they had left Windsor, Philinos hadn’t joined their motorcade. Vine had said he was providing rear security.
He looked travel-worn. His combat uniform was torn and stained, and snowflakes dotted his head and shoulders. He must have just gotten back.
"WOOF!" Cook, who was sprawled on the floor gnawing a meat bone, saw Gu Ning emerge from her bath. He started to charge toward her, tail wagging, only to be expertly snagged by the back of his collar by Barto.
’The pup got filthy on the road, and his paws and mouth are covered in grease. If he rubs against Gu Ning, she’ll have bathed for nothing. I should at least let her stay clean and comfortable for a couple of days.’
"All done?" Leo, the only one sitting on the sofa, tilted his head back to look at Gu Ning. Sniffing the air, he said, "Why didn’t you scrub harder? You still have Vine’s wolf stench on you."
Gu Ning shot the pup a look, saying nothing. ’Even if I scrubbed my skin raw, I’d never get this smell out completely.’
’Even if I can’t smell it myself, I now understand just how strong the scent from their so-called glands is.’
"Don’t worry, let me take over." Leo opened his arms to Gu Ning. "Come on, I’ll lick you clean."
Barto said, "Don’t even think about it. If you dare touch her, I’ll..."
"You’ll what?" Leo draped his arms nonchalantly over the back of the sofa. "Kill me? For her sake, I let what happened last time go. You’d better not pull that again, or I won’t be so courteous next time. And then, it won’t be certain who kills who."
Barto said coldly, "You’re welcome to try."
"Both of you, shut up." Gu Ning cut in, stopping the dog and the fox from being at each other’s throats. She said sternly, "No. Beastmen. Are allowed to fight! Barto."
"And you." Gu Ning walked over and wagged a finger at Leo as if he were a puppy. "Talk nicely. No arguing, no fighting. Best if you just keep your mouth shut."
Leo lowered his gaze to the slender, pale finger the little female was poking into his shoulder. He felt his mouth go instantly dry, as if all the saliva had evaporated.
’Without the cover of Vine’s glandular stench, the little female’s own scent is much more distinct.’ Waves of fragrance drilled into his nostrils, almost enough to make him ignore the lingering wolf smell.
"So if you say no, it’s no, huh?" Leo’s tone softened involuntarily. He lifted his eyes to the little female’s face. His mouth started watering like crazy, and he quickly swallowed, but it still felt dry. He wanted a drink.
Leo stared at Gu Ning’s face and unconsciously licked his lips. He was thirsty, but he wanted to drink from *her*.
The thought flashed through his mind, and Leo froze for a second.
’Drink from her? How would I do that?’
Leo’s gaze drifted over the little female’s soft, round face before finally settling on her red, petal-like lips.
At some sudden thought, a rush of heat shot to his head, and his ears instantly turned red.
Seeing that the pup had quieted down, Gu Ning ignored him and turned to Philinos and the others.
"Is something wrong, Captains?" Gu Ning asked, looking at the two tall, silent captains in front of her.
Vine snapped out of his daze. "We’ll be staying here with you for the next couple of days."
Gu Ning: Huh?
’Wait, didn’t the general rent enough houses for everyone?’
"For your safety," Vine told her. "An unknown force is tracking us. A moment ago, a sniper hit a fifth-floor window."
Gu Ning looked up at him, astonished.
’A sniper rifle? Who are they trying to kill? It can’t be me, can it?’
Gu Ning looked at the room full of Beastmen and their expressions. ’Yeah, it probably is.’
Then she put two and two together. ’It’s possible someone found out about my identity as an "outsider." Barto said the Beastmen of the Beast Alliance are very hostile toward outsiders.’
A chill went down her spine.
"Don’t worry, we’ve boarded up all the windows," Vine said. "But just in case, you can’t leave our line of sight."
Gu Ning looked to Barto.
Barto was silent for a moment before turning to leave. "I’m going to check on the little fox."
As soon as he was gone, Gu Ning immediately felt awkward facing the three remaining captains.
’Well,’ she thought, ’the house is pretty big, and it has heating. They can just make pallets on the floor and sleep anywhere. It could fit five or six Beastmen, even a few more.’
"We’ll just sleep in the living room," Vine said.
"But you can’t close your door," Leo repeated Vine’s earlier words. "You can’t leave our line of sight."
"I’m going to take a shower." Vine handed Gu Ning’s terminal back to her. "There’s a signal here now. The general tried to contact you. You should call him back and let him know you’re safe."
Gu Ning paused for a moment before taking the terminal.
She was wearing Cook’s terminal on her wrist and had almost forgotten that her own was with Vine.
"Don’t answer any unfamiliar calls," Vine added suddenly.
Gu Ning was puzzled. ’Unfamiliar calls?’
After saying this, Vine walked over to his backpack, squatted down, and pulled out a clean change of clothes and his toiletries before heading to the bathroom.
"Hurry it up in there!" Leo yelled at Vine’s retreating back. "I’m next, so don’t even think about cutting in front of me."
"Here."
Philinos handed the backpack he was holding to Gu Ning.
Gu Ning took it, pleasantly surprised. ’Isn’t this my backpack?’
Most of her things had been in the SUV she’d been riding in. She had thought they were lost for good.
"I could only retrieve this bag," Philinos said.
Everything else that carried her scent had been scavenged by those Mutant Species.
Gu Ning thanked him happily, "Thank you, Bird Team."
’It’s amazing he got the bag back at all.’
Hearing her thank him, the corner of Philinos’s mouth twitched slightly. "You’re welcome."
"I’m going on patrol now," he said, after staring at her face for a moment.
Hugging her backpack, Gu Ning said, "Oh, okay."
Philinos asked, "Is there anything you want me to bring back for you?"
Gu Ning shook her head.
Philinos pressed, "What would you like?"
Gu Ning: "...Nothing, really."
Philinos was about to speak again when Leo cut in, "Bring me back a few roast chickens."
Philinos shot him a cold glare, then turned and left.
That left only Gu Ning and the two pups in the living room.
Gu Ning instantly felt more relaxed. She sat down on the sofa, clutching her bag, and opened it to check its contents.
Cook sidled up next to her, licked her cheek, then licked his paws before nudging his head onto her lap.
Gu Ning smiled and patted the good pup’s head. Whenever she was busy with something, Cook was usually good about not bothering her.
Leo saw the other dog’s move and scooted closer to Gu Ning. He "casually" draped an arm behind her, leaning in close to her head. "What’s in the bag that’s so precious?"