Rory was bent over the Gravicar’s cramped bathroom sink, knuckles white as she gripped the edges for support.
Another wave of nausea ripped through her, seizing her stomach with rciless force. She retched violently, the sound bouncing off the walls of the tiny space, reverberating like a cruel echo that seed determined to haunt her. Each heave felt endless, a tidal wave of pain and disgust that made her knees wobble and her vision swim.
Behind her, Jasper prowled the room like a caged beast, pacing in tight, agitated circles. His usual calm, unshakable composure had crumbled completely, leaving only raw anxiety etched across his face. He ran a hand through his hair, lips pressed into a thin line.
"Rory, are you really okay?" he demanded, his voice tight with urgency. "We should get you to a dical center. Right now."
Guilt gnawed at him relentlessly, a slow burn he couldn’t escape. If I hadn’t insisted on that al... if I hadn’t dragged her there... Each thought pressed heavier on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
"I—ugh..." Rory gagged again, her shoulders trembling violently as another wave threatened to undo her completely. She gritted her teeth against it, sweat prickling at her temples, hair clinging damply to her forehead.
Minutes crawled by, each one stretching longer than the last, until the worst of it finally subsided. Slowly, she straightened, swaying on unsteady legs, her face pale and drawn. With a weak, trembling hand, she waved him off, though her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.
"I’m fine," she muttered, though the word sounded hollow even to her own ears. "That... that beast at was just... disgusting."
The so-called Eighteen Feast of Beasts might have looked exquisite, plated like a work of art ant to awe the eye, but the taste had been a full-on assault.
Each bite was worse than the last: tough, rancid, and aggressively foul, like fish fernted for ten thousand years, lingering on the tongue and clawing at the throat. The stench had hit her the mont it touched her lips, rushing straight to her head, leaving her dizzy, disoriented, and violently ill.
Even now, the mory made her stomach churn, a sharp reminder of culinary horrors she hoped never to endure again.
Back when she was poor, she’d never eaten food prepared by an interstellar master chef—but even raw beast at from the wild had never been this revolting. How could anyone ruin food so thoroughly?
And to think that grotesque pile of sludge—sothing no sane person would willingly eat—had cost two billion star coins.
Daylight robbery didn’t even begin to cover it.
Jasper watched her tremble as she recovered, his guilt deepening. He quickly rummaged through his bag and pulled out a bottle of fruit-flavored nutrient fluid, holding it out to her.
"Rory, try this. It tastes better."
The Gravicar was fully automated and lacked a kitchen—this was the best he could offer.
She was starving after everything. Rory accepted the bottle and drank it in a few quick gulps. Compared to that abomination of a al, the nutrient fluid tasted heavenly.
After catching her breath, she glanced up at him, baffled.
"Jasper... seriously. None of you actually think that food tastes good, right?"
Despite its flavor, people still lined up to eat it. She couldn’t understand why.
Jasper gave a crooked, rueful smile. "You’re right—it’s awful. But compared to raw beast at or nutrient fluid that only keeps a therian alive, it’s considered the best option we have."
Long ago, therians had eaten beasts whole. But as beasts evolved, their flesh beca increasingly inedible unless heavily processed—or reduced into nutrient fluids extracted directly from the at.
Understanding slowly dawned on Rory.
She reached up and gently brushed Jasper’s cheek, her voice softening. "If you ever want sothing different to eat, tell . I’ll teach you how to cook—or make it for you myself, if I have ti."
Her chest tightened at the thought of the life he’d lived. What kind of existence has he endured all these years?
Before long, the Gravicar ca to a smooth stop in front of a towering structure in the comrcial district—the Interstellar Hunter Alliance Tower.
Jasper had originally planned to take her back to rest, but Rory insisted on seeing the legendary headquarters for herself.
Hand in hand, they stepped outside.
Rory tilted her head back, eyes widening as she stared up at the colossal skyscraper that pierced the clouds.
"Jasper... is this entire building yours?"
The tower seed endless—hundreds of floors soaring upward. Every sign in sight bore the sa emblem: Interstellar Hunter Alliance.
"Does this whole district belong to the Alliance?" she asked incredulously.
Jasper chuckled softly. "You’ve misunderstood."
He t her gaze, smiling faintly. "This building isn’t mine anymore. It’s yours."
He gestured toward the surrounding towers. "Those too. All of them belong to you now."
After bonding, everything owned by the male transferred automatically to the female. In return, the female provided a monthly allowance.
Rory’s eyes went wide. "So... I’m rich now?"
There were more than twenty towers—and the grounds surrounding them were lush with herbs. The sa rare plants she’d paid a billion star coins for earlier were growing freely here, thick and abundant.
"Rory," Jasper asked quietly, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice, "do you like it here?"
Facilities on A-49 were limited. The Alliance had done everything possible to make this place comfortable.
"I love it," Rory replied instantly.
How could she not?
She’d done absolutely nothing—and yet, thanks to the Beast God gifting her a mate, she now owned an entire cluster of towers. It felt so unreal she half-expected to wake up laughing from the absurdity of it all.
"Jasper," she said sincerely, "you’re incredible."
He flushed and shook his head. "I’m really not. The Interstellar Hunter Alliance isn’t even the top organization."
It was only second place.
"No," Rory replied, smiling warmly. "To , you’re the best."
Her words made his ears burn red.
"Co on," she urged, tugging his hand. "Take inside already."
Still blushing, Jasper nodded and guided her through the massive doors of the central tower.
What greeted her inside stole her breath away.
Instead of cold steel corridors, she stepped into a living ecosystem—lush greenery, softly glowing plants, and the distant cries of beasts echoing through the space.
Walking inside felt less like entering a building... and more like stepping into a thriving forest, alive and breathing all around her.
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