Chapter 141 She’s Trouble

"Thank you," Okami replied cheerfully.

Kage’s jaw dropped. He stared at his friend in disbelief before throwing his hands up in exasperation. "That wasn’t a compliment!"

"I chose to receive it as one."

Kage leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "For crying out loud, Okami, you’re a werewolf! An Alpha, no less. Have you forgotten what that means? Werewolves are supposed to be proud, dominant, and assertive. We’re not supposed to let a human woman use us like some convenient tool simply because, for some reason, our clan head wants her."

Okami’s smile faded slightly.

Kage continued before he could interrupt.

"And I’m telling you, that girl is trouble. Did you see the way she humiliated the Crown Princes and somehow managed to turn the entire Elite Circle upside down in a single evening? She doesn’t seem to care whose toes she steps on, and you’re sitting here acting as though she’s given you the greatest gift in the world just because she leaned against you!"

"Hold up. Hold up!" Okami raised both hands. "First of all, any Starlight slander will not be tolerated in my presence."

Kage stared at him. "Starlight slander?"

"Yes. You heard me correctly."

"Are you actually serious?"

"Deadly." Okami leaned forward, his expression growing animated. "Second, what exactly has being all proud, dominant, and assertive gotten any of you? Let’s review the situation, shall we? Beatrice flaunted her superiority and got slapped. Sera got a tray smashed into her face from being petty. The Crown Princes have spent their time throwing their weight around, and look how well that has worked out for them. And you?"

He paused, narrowing his eyes at Kage.

"I’m still not entirely sure what happened to you at that swimming complex, but whatever Starlight did, you practically ran to hide. And somehow, the CCTV footage became a matter of great interest to certain people."

Kage’s expression darkened.

"Don’t bring that up."

"Oh, now you don’t want to talk about it?" Okami asked innocently. "Interesting. Very interesting. I wonder why."

"Okami."

"I’m just saying, I’m going to find out what happened there eventually. You can count on that."

"Keep your nose out of my business."

"I’ll consider it."

"You won’t."

"No, I won’t."

Kage dragged a hand down his face.

"I’m surrounded by idiots."

"Spoken by the greatest idiot himself."

Kage shot him a murderous glare, but Okami merely settled deeper into the couch, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. "Look, all I’m saying is that sometimes you need to stop acting as though every interaction is a battle for dominance. You can’t keep throwing your weight around and expecting everyone to fall at your feet. Sometimes, you have to mellow down. You have to be patient, show people that you can be trusted, and occasionally act like a gentleman."

He pointed towards himself. "Like me."

Kage let out a disbelieving laugh.

"You? A gentleman?"

"An exceptional one, actually."

"You were dancing in the corridor like a lunatic less than five minutes ago."

"Yes, because Starlight exchanged numbers with me."

Kage’s laughter died abruptly. He straightened, staring at Okami as though he had just announced that he had conquered the entire empire overnight.

"Wait. You already have her number?"

Okami grinned from ear to ear, practically glowing with satisfaction. "Of course! I told you I’m going to win this pursuit."

"Unbelievable," Kage muttered, shaking his head. "I can’t believe I’m watching you lose your mind over a woman who has probably already figured out how to manipulate you before you’ve even figured out how to flirt with her."

Okami gasped, pressing a hand to his chest as though Kage had wounded him deeply.

"Your faith in me is truly touching."

"I’m serious."

"So am I. I’m deeply moved by your concern for my romantic future."

Kage glared at him again.

Okami only chuckled before his expression settled into something more thoughtful.

"Look, being a werewolf doesn’t mean you have to behave like an arrogant brute every time you’re around humans. If I want someone like Starlight to like me, I need to give her a reason to. I need to show her that I’m someone she can rely on, someone who will stand beside her instead of trying to control her."

For once, Kage didn’t immediately have a sarcastic response.

He studied his friend for a moment before asking, "And what happens when the Crown Princes decide they’ve had enough of you?"

Okami’s smile diminished.

Kage leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Did you see their faces tonight? Mikhail and Nikolai looked ready to tear you apart. If Starlight hadn’t been there, at some point I was convinced you wouldn’t have walked away from that gathering with your throat intact."

Okami remained silent.

"Those two aren’t going to forget what happened," Kage continued. "They might have left without doing anything tonight, but that doesn’t mean they’ve accepted it. They’re the Imperial Princes, Okami. They’re used to getting what they want, and judging by their reactions, they’re very serious about Starlight."

He shook his head. "Do you honestly think they’ll sit back and let you pursue her without making your life miserable?"

Okami slumped into the couch, letting out a long breath. "I don’t know."

Kage raised an eyebrow. "You don’t know?"

"Yes, I don’t know." Okami turned his head to look at him. "And I don’t care. Whatever they decide to do, it doesn’t change what I want."

His expression softened as he thought about Starlight. "I want her, Kage. I want her to look at me and smile because she wants to, not because she’s trying to get something out of me. I want her to feel comfortable around me. And if letting her use me for a while gives me the chance to earn her trust, then so be it."

He shrugged.

"Besides, when I first decided to pursue her, it was because of the order. I thought it would be interesting to see whether I could win over someone the imperial twins has their eyes on. But after tonight, it’s become more than that. I want to know her. I want to understand her. I want to be someone she can turn to without worrying about what I’ll demand in return."

His gaze grew more determined.

"And the Crown Princes don’t own her. Starlight is her own person, and she can choose whoever she wants. If she chooses me, then there’s nothing they can do about it."

"And if she doesn’t?"

The question hung between them.

For the first time that evening, Okami’s grin disappeared completely.

He looked down at his hands, turning the thought over in his mind before answering.

"Then I’ll try to accept it, but it’ll be hard."

Kage studied him, apparently surprised by the response.

Okami lifted his head, meeting his friend’s gaze with an earnestness that had been absent from his face all evening.

"But I’m not going to give up before I’ve even tried. I’m going to give her a reason to choose me. And if she never does, at least I’ll know I didn’t let fear stop me from trying."

Kage stared at him for several seconds before leaning back against the couch.

"Goddess, I wish I could be happy for you."

Okami snorted.

"I mean it." Kage folded his arms. "I wish I could be happy for you, and I wish I could share your enthusiasm, but I’m sorry. I can’t. That girl is dangerous, and you’re already so far gone that I’m not sure you can see it."

"Coward," Okami exhaled, sinking further into the couch.