50 Short Separation

After a brief introduction, Carl's eyes were glittering while looking at Jessica because she was the walking epitome of a miracle for him.

Jessica also got comfortable around the new member of the family because she never felt any hostility from the new member she was introduced to; instead, it was quite funny to see a grown boy blush every time they made eye contact.

Just as they were sitting in the harmonious family atmosphere, Jessica's stomach suddenly grumbled, drawing everyone's attention, including herself.

"It looks like all that running tired you, Jazz. Let me go and hunt something for you," said Ell as he nuzzled his face against Jessica's.

Just when he was going to take his beast form, Carl said, "Jessica, I came empty-handed, so I'll go to hunt," and with this, the guy with a golden halo instantly turned into a big golden lion and ran into the jungle.

Ell just shrugged off his shoulders and went inside the cave to start preparing the meal.

Levi, who was sitting with Jessica on his lap, suddenly asked, "Jessica, do you like Carl?"

Jessica turned her head a little to see the determined eyes of Levi, just to give a sigh.

She rubbed Blaze's head, who was in his beast form, while saying, "Levi, you know the best that I can't, and I really don't want to accept someone whom I met just now as my mate, even more when the other person has still not expressed his feelings."

Because of the details about how relationships work in the beast world given by the three guys, she knew that, as a woman, liking a male is more akin to accepting the fact that you are sexually attracted to that very guy, and she was definitely not that sexually frustrated, at least because of the three guys that were by her side.

"But he will definitely ask you to be his mate in the future," suddenly replied Blaze, who turned into his beastman form.

"Then I'll give him a reply in the future too," she replied while adoringly ruffling Blaze's hair.

Within a pretty short span, Carl came back just to find everyone inside the cave. He went inside while holding a big leaf package and two deer he was dragging from his other hand.

Ell took the leaf package and put the already cut and cleaned meat inside the stone wessel that was boiling with some salt, herbs, and spices that grow nearby and were collected by the family, with some that were grown solely by Blaze based upon the description given by Jessica about the spices and vegetables found on earth.

Seeing everyone else, Carl also sat down together with everyone on the big, spread-out fur with a low-level table in the centre.

Ell meticulously placed the food for Jessica in different bowls and plates, having each different dish sauté vegetables and vegetable soup, while he himself picked up the bowl of meat stew and fed it to Jessica.

All the males ate the barbecued meat while Jessica finished her vegetables and was about to get up when Carl suddenly said, "Ell, where is rice?" making everyone stupefied except Jessica,

Seeing the abnormality on everyone's face, she was about to ask what happened to them when Ell suddenly stood up from his spot, leaving his food, and grabbed Jessica's hands as he started apologising while bowing his head. "I'm so sorry, Jazz, that I forgot something this important. I'll go right now and bring the rice. I can't believe I forgot such an important thing.".

Jessica instantly cupped Ell's distressed face and asked in a worried tone, "Eleanor, calm down; it's just rice; you don't have to make that look just for something unimportant, and there is really no need for the rice."

Seeing the interaction in front, calm stood up as he said, ''I'll bring the rice" and was about to set off when Ell grabbed his shoulder and said, 'Carl, you need rest; you just came back, and it will take me the least to make a tour."

Carl indeed stopped and nodded in understanding, but Jessica was holding onto Ell's hand with a worried face. Looking at her, Ell instantly hugged her and picked her up in his arms as he took Jessica into his room.

The inside of the room instantly lit up with the flames, and in the centre of it was a low-level bed identical to Jessica's.

Ell sat down on it while hugging her and said, after giving a peck on her lips, "Jazz, you may not know, but it's a custom for males to provide for their mates whatever they are capable of, which proves their worth and status. Me being a prince cares a lot about it, and from the beginning it was a fault on my side to forget, as unlike other females, you never pestered anyone of us for something, but just this one time, let me go" while cupping her face with his big hand gently.

Jessica showed a bit of a troubled face, but she leaned her face towards his palm as she said, "Fine, but promise that you'll come unscathed and..." She kissed his palm as she continued, "Try to come as soon as possible" in a low tone.

Seeing his mate this worried for him, Ell couldn't help but feel all happy and proud inside, so he said while moving his head forward for a kiss, "I promise to come back as soon as possible; after all, I still haven't mated with my Jazz." and his lips touched Jessica's, but before he could've deepened the kiss, Jessica spoke up, "Let's get married when you come back," looking at his beautiful, fiery ruby eyes, which were looking at her with the most doting expression.

Hearing the words, the world suddenly stopped for not only Ell but for the other males too who heard those words. Ell froze up for a moment, but the next second he kissed the person in his arms with his eyes tearing up because that person, who suddenly became his whole world, finally said they would be true mates.

Seeing Ell kissing her this passionately, Jessica can't help but feel relieved because finally she was sure about her feelings after realising that just in a short span of time, the guys became an important part of her life, so important that she didn't want anyone of them to leave her, and with this, she decided that this was the time she wanted to officially become their mate.

Ell bid his bye to Jessica in his beast form in the lawn and was about to fly when Jessica suddenly hugged him from his neck as she whispered "I'll miss you" and gave a peck on his beak.

Ell, who felt his decision waver, gently nudged Jessica and flew into the sky with a long, excited screech. Jessica looked at his magnificent red figure disappear in the sky and finally went inside the cave.

"Jessica, are you fine?" asked Blaze while hugging her from behind while Levi sat down beside her with her hand in his.

Looking at their saddened expression, Jessica instantly nodded and smiled because she knew that her mood always changes the mood of the guys, and she definitely doesn't like them showing any kind of worry on their beautiful faces.

She leaned on her back as she said, "Don't worry, I'm all fine, and aren't my other fiances here?" with a smile, making the two guys near her finally smile, but this serene scene suddenly got interrupted when a loud crashing sound came, which drew everyone's attention just to see Carl having a bewildered expression after accidentally spilling a big stone bowl filled with water.

Seeing Jessica looking at him, Carl instantly started apologising, just to see her laugh as she said, "This is the fifth time this bowl has fallen down. I already told Blaze that it's base is not levelled, but he just never believed me~" while giving Blaze a smug.

Carl gave a troubled smile when Jessica continued, "And Carl, why were you apologising? This is your house!" just to see him nod.

That day and evening went pretty fast, with Carl satisfying his curiosity about Jessica, who was more than happy to reply to all his questions. That day, since Ell wasn't there, three guys started quarrelling about who would get the opportunity to cook dinner for the matriarch of the house.

Yes, females were the matriarchs in the house, and this rule was even followed in the royal household because even if Carl's father was the king of the beast city, the decisions of the family were taken by his mother, the female, and after her, this authority was given to the head male, who was Blaze's father, who also happens to be the royal witch doctor.

(Present)

"Blaze, move aside; you can't even roast meat, lest you cook Jessica a whole meal," Carl said as he looked at Blaze, who was sitting at the spot near the stone fire place.

"Excuse me~ you may not know, but I've learned a lot more than just roasting, and Jessica loves my cooking, right fiancé!" Blaze instantly replied and looked towards Jessica excitedly in the end.

Jessica, who was controlling her laugh, nodded just to see Blaze looking proud.

Carl looked in disbelief because, firstly, he doesn't believe his brother, and more so when he saw Jessica's expression of appreciating him even without any reason. Secondly, he won't leave any chance to make a good impression in front of the female whom he has decided to pursue.

"Why don't you both cook and let Jessica and me decide who is a better cook~" suddenly said Levi, who got 'knock out' of the commotion when the two cats altogether told him, "You hate fires, Levi!".

Levi was sitting beside Jessica while eating the berries with her while seeing a males' quarrel unfold in front of him with interest. Hearing the proposal, which sounded like a competition for the felines, both Carl and Blaze picked a pot for themselves to cook in.

Since Blaze already occupied the stone stove, Carl made a makeshift fire place with the help of stones outside and ignited the flame with the help of flint stones.

Just when he was blowing the ambers to ignite the fire, he heard Blaze calling Jessica. He slightly turned to look at him, asking her to tie his hair up, which made Carl wonder because it's not like their hairs hinder them this much, and he never bothered, but seeing how Blaze looked amused getting his hair done by his mate, he wondered if he could do it too or not.

Leaving the pot on the fire that ignited, Carl started tying his hair by himself but just couldn't do it like Jessica did. After trying many times and not getting the desired result, he decided to give up and focus on cooking when a voice said, "Should I help tie your hair too?"

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I really apologise for abruptly vanishing in this manner. I just couldn't get my two finished chapters back from the erased draft, so I didn't feel motivated to rewrite them. This caused me to put off writing altogether, which is what caused me to procrastinate. But a month ago, when I logged back and saw so many comments from my readers.... I can't tell how much it made me feel like I should start writing again, but for some reasons I was scared. I don't know what that feeling was, but I just couldn't write and could not even reply to any one of the comments. But, since the year has ended, I just felt like I should make a new beginning without any fear that could lead to any kind of regret, so here I am.

your author, all ready for any kind of support and accusations because I just love you guys a lot.