The World of Beasts: She's Got Their Hearts novel Chapter 35

Analise reached up and gently pinched one of Scott's therian ears. They were warm—different from Finlay's, but still soft and familiar. Finlay's ears were sharp and pointed. Scott's, on the other hand, were more rounded.

"Why did you reject me the first time?" Scott's voice was tight, uncertain.

This should've been a happy moment, but remembering how Analise rejected him made him feel strangely upset.

He was clearly better than Finlay and his brother. He felt like he was reliving the same incident again. Scott couldn't help but feel anxious.

And yet, the warmth of Analise's arms and the soft heat of her hand on his ear made him wonder if this moment wasn't quite the same, after all.

Analise glanced down just in time to meet Scott's gaze as he tilted his head upward. His eyes were filled with helplessness.

It was the first time she had seen Scott like this. He had always come across as calm, composed, polite, and rational. But right now, he looked so fragile.

"Humans aren't allowed to have multiple partners. Even if the women in this world were allowed multiple mates, it still takes balance. And back then…"

Analise trailed off as she stared at Scott's good-looking features. She just blurted out the words before she could stop herself.

Realizing what she'd just said, she quickly turned her gaze away and refocused on softly massaging his ear.

Scott got the message but still pushed gently. "Back then what?"

She smiled and said, "Vera was right. I showed up out of nowhere. You must've had your doubts about me."

"I did," Scott admitted, nuzzling his head deeper into her arms. "But from the first time I saw you, I wanted to protect you."

"The day Finlay first mentioned you—your first day in Stormclaw Alliance—I was suspicious. I thought maybe another alliance had left you in the forest on purpose.

"The Apex Tournament was coming up. So, I suspected maybe you were planted to slow down Finlay or someone else in the alliance. It wouldn't be the first time a female was used to distract strong males, to stop them from competing."