Leon hadn't really intended to do anything else to his "lamb" today.

Not after the high-tension display the night before.

He knew that if he overstepped again, Lucien would probably start treating him like a literal plague.

Reluctantly, Leon withdrew his hand from Lucien's leg and helped him sit up.

He adjusted the hem of the silk robe with a level of care that felt almost mocking.

Before letting him go, Leon leaned in and pressed a firm, lingering kiss against Lucien's cheek—the kind that squished the soft, rounded skin of his face.

Lucien wanted to scream.

"You're such a hypocrite," Lucien grumbled, his face heating up.

After a quick lunch, Lucien refused to stay a second longer.

He made it clear that if Leon didn't drive him back to the dorms immediately, he'd just call an Uber.

Leon had no choice but to drop him off.

When the car pulled to the curb, Leon tried to lean in for a parting kiss, but the boy was faster than a rabbit.

In the blink of an eye, Lucien had vanished into the building.

Leon sat in the driver's seat, narrowing his eyes and mentally grinding his teeth.

Thump!

The dorm room door was flung open and then slammed shut with enough force to rattle the frames.

Lucien's roommate—Jamie, or "Honey" as he often called him—was sitting on the sofa playing video games.

He looked over in horror. "What's wrong? Were you chased by a pack of dogs?"

"Close enough," Lucien muttered vaguely. "I was chased by a wolf."

Jamie's eyes went wide. "There are wolves here? No way. Is the city's security really that bad?"

Lucien collapsed onto the sofa in an exhausted heap, closing his eyes.

"You have no idea. It was terrifying."

Jamie glanced at him, his gaze sharpening as it landed on the vivid red mark on Lucien's neck.

He let out a low, knowing cackle. "Oh, I see. A lecherous wolf."

Lucien's eyes snapped open.

Seeing the look on Jamie's face, he immediately clutched his collar to hide the mark. "It's not—"

"Oh, please. You should have started dating ages ago," Jamie teased.

"So, what's he like? Tall? Handsome? Does 'The King' live up to the hype?"

Lucien pouted. "We aren't dating yet. He's still in the 'evaluation phase'."

Jamie raised a skeptical eyebrow but didn't say a word.

Lucien's face felt like it was on fire.

"I'm going to my room. Don't call me for dinner."

"Right. Get some rest," Jamie said with a wink.

Lucien almost tripped over his own feet.

He fled into his room and buried his face in his pillows, groaning into the fabric.

It's all Leon's fault! All that biting and gnawing!

Just then, his phone buzzed.

Thinking it was Leon, Lucien answered without looking, his tone sharp. "What!"

There was a pause. "Lucien?"

It was Lily Zhou, the drama club director.

Lucien sat up, his voice immediately turning polite. "Oh, Lily. Sorry, what's up?"

Lily was calling about a mandatory group dinner for the international students.

Lucien's first instinct was to say no—he hated forced social interaction.

But Lily was persistent.

She talked for nearly ten minutes, explaining it was just their rehearsal group and that he'd never attended one before.

Lucien's head started to ache from the verbal onslaught until he finally caved.

"Great! I'll send you the address. Don't be late!"

After hanging up, Lucien checked his unread messages.

Leon had been busy:

Leon: Baby, I miss you. Leon: Can I pick you up tomorrow? Leon: The parrot learned how to do a backflip. Leon: I can do a backflip, too.

Lucien originally planned to ignore him, but eventually, he sent a short text mentioning the group dinner.

Leon replied instantly: I'll pick you up after.

Lucien huffed. No!

He didn't reply to any of Leon's follow-up messages.

The dinner was held at a restaurant near campus.

Lucien timed his arrival perfectly, slipping into a quiet corner of the private room.

When Lily arrived, she had to scan the room twice to find him.

"Lucien, why are you sitting so far away?"

"It's all the same," Lucien said innocently.

"You're right about that."

Chen Fang—the guy from the beach—walked up and sat directly next to Lucien with a smirk.

Lucien looked away, completely over it.

Chen Fang ignored the cold shoulder. "Why didn't you come to rehearsal today?"

Lucien bit his lip.

The "rehearsal" he'd had at Leon's apartment was still vivid in his mind.

"I was busy," he snapped.

To hide the marks on his neck, Lucien was wearing a high-collared white knit sweater.

It made him look like a soft snowball.

Even with his face set in a frown, he was devastatingly cute.

Chen Fang stared at him for a long beat before leaning in.

"By the way, why did I see you coming out of the dressing room with Leon the other day?"

He was fishing for an awkward explanation.

But Lucien just met his gaze with cold indifference.

"Chen Fang, you seem awfully invested in my personal life."

Chen Fang stiffened. "I consider you a friend. It's normal to care."

Lucien let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

Chen Fang's expression darkened.

"Oh, about Leon," Lucien said casually.

"I told him my clothes were glow-in-the-dark and invited him in to see. Satisfied?"

Chen Fang looked like he wanted to explode.

Lucien ignored him. The guy is mental, he thought.

Despite Lucien drawing clear boundaries back at the beach, Chen Fang kept pestering him.

The dinner was miserable.

The second it ended, Lucien grabbed his jacket and bolted for the door.

"Lucien!" Chen Fang chased after him. "I'll give you a ride."

Lucien's patience was officially zero.

"Why would I want a ride from you?"

Lucien tried to walk past him, but Chen Fang grabbed his wrist.

"I need to talk to you."

Lucien flinched as if he'd been touched by a stray zombie.

"Don't touch me!"

Chen Fang's mask finally slipped.

His tone turned icy and venomous.

"What, is the 'Little Young Master' too high and mighty to be touched?"

Lucien froze. Wait. What did he just call me?

Seeing him stunned, Chen Fang doubled down.

"I can't touch you, but Leon can? Do your parents know you found a foreign boyfriend?"

"You're pretty impressive—getting exiled and still managing to land on your feet."

"What? Did you see how much money and power Leon has and decide to climb into his bed as fast as possible?"

Lucien stood paralyzed, his head spinning.

Chen Fang reached out to grab him again.

Before he could make contact, someone caught his wrist in a crushing grip.

In the next heartbeat, Chen Fang was flung back like a piece of trash.

He slammed into the door, coughing violently.

He looked up, ready to rage, but the sight of the massive man standing next to Lucien made him go silent as a mouse.

Leon looked down at him, his eyes like ice.

"You touched him?"

Chen Fang turned pale, unable to speak.

Leon's fury was a physical weight in the air.

He stepped toward Chen Fang, but Lucien grabbed Leon's wrist.

Leon frowned, looking down. "Baby?"

Lucien's lips trembled. He looked shaken. "Leon, let's go."

Leon stared at him for a few seconds before nodding.

Lucien hurried into the passenger seat of the car, and only then did he feel like he could finally breathe.

Chen Fang knew who I was.

Lucien had almost forgotten that the original host of this body was an exile.

But Chen Fang had asked where he was from back at the beach.

Was it intentional?

Could he tell the "soul" inside had changed?

Suddenly, he felt a warm hand on his cheek.

Leon was cupping his face gently. "Baby, what happened? Talk to me."

Lucien blinked, coming back to reality. "Nothing."

Leon's brow furrowed. It didn't look like "nothing."

He didn't push, though. "Let's go back to the apartment near school."

Lucien hesitated, then nodded.

He was scared.

Being with Leon made him feel anchored.

By the time they reached the apartment, he felt better.

If Chen Fang was going to cause real trouble, he would have done it already.

Leon reached out and ruffled his hair.

"It's late. Go take a shower and get some sleep."

Lucien looked at him and suddenly crooked his finger, beckoning Leon closer.

Leon, surprised, leaned down.

Lucien stood on his tiptoes and pressed a quick, soft kiss to Leon's cheek before spinning around and sprinting into the bedroom.

Leon stood frozen in the living room.

They had shared intense, breathless kisses before, but this was the first time Lucien had ever initiated anything.

It was just a peck, but it sent a jolt through him.

Recalling the sensation—damp and soft, like a small animal pressing against him—Leon let out a low chuckle.

He walked to the bedroom door and knocked.

"Baby, I need a shower, too. Let's go together."

Lucien grit his teeth.

I knew I shouldn't have been nice to him.

Give him an inch, and he takes a mile.

How did I forget that Leon is a stinking wolf?

Unfortunately, by the time he realized his mistake, Leon had already sauntered into the bathroom.

They were standing under the same showerhead.

It's fine. We're both guys. It's like a locker room, Lucien told himself frantically.

Back in college, everyone showered together!

He tried to keep his eyes closed, comforting himself.

Just think of him as a roommate. Yeah. A roommate!

Wait—if we're roommates... doesn't that mean we have to live together?