Chapter 574: Building a Home Together (II)

Rose also grew close to the children in the village. Whenever they gathered outside to play, she would sit beneath the large oak tree with them. Using a small wooden stick, she wrote letters and simple words in the dirt, patiently teaching them how to read.

The children laughed whenever they got the words right and pouted whenever they made mistakes. Rose never scolded them. Instead, she praised every small improvement, making learning feel like a game.

Before long, the children began running to her house every morning.

"Miss Vielle!" they would call excitedly in front of her house. "Can we study with you today?"

Rose opened the window and looked at the children waiting outside. A gentle smile appeared on her face, but she slowly shook her head.

"I’m sorry," she said softly. "My husband isn’t feeling well today, so I need to stay home and take care of him."

The children gasped in surprise. "Mr. Osbert can get sick?!" one of them exclaimed.

"I thought he was as strong as a mountain!" another child said, eyes wide with disbelief.

Rose couldn’t help but laugh at their innocent reaction. "Even the strongest people can get sick sometimes," she said gently.

The children looked at one another before nodding seriously. "Then we’ll come back tomorrow!"

"And tell Mr. Osbert to get well soon!"

"We’ll pray for him!"

Rose smiled warmly. "I will. Thank you."

She watched as the children waved goodbye before running off together, their cheerful laughter slowly fading into the distance.

After closing the window, Rose let out a soft sigh. She then carried a bowl of cool water and a clean cloth back into the bedroom.

The moment she stepped inside, she noticed Edmond’s breathing had become heavier. His face was flushed, and beads of sweat covered his forehead. Even though the weather was cool, his body was burning with heat.

Rose frowned in worry. "Edmond?"

Edmond slowly opened his eyes. The moment he saw her, his expression changed.

"Stay away from me," he said hoarsely.

Rose blinked. "But you’re sick."

"I’m not..." He clenched his fists, forcing himself to look away from her. "...It’s my rut."

The words caught Rose by surprise. She had heard that werewolves and lycans sometimes went through periods like this, but she had never seen one herself.

Edmond took a slow, shaky breath. "I’ll be fine if you leave me alone for a while," he said, his voice rough. "Please... don’t come any closer."

Oh.

Even Primrose had never seen her husband go through his rut with her own eyes.

In her first life, Edmund had always taken Dr. Celdric’s medicine to suppress it. In her second life, they hadn’t lived together for a full year, so he had probably never reached his rut.

Because of that, this was her first time seeing him like this.

His face was red, his breathing was uneven, and he looked like he was using every bit of his strength to stay in control.

Strangely enough... seeing the always calm and dependable Edmond so flustered was... truly interesting.

Rose looked at him with concern, completely unaware of the thoughts running through Primrose’s mind.

She slowly walked to the bedside and reached out to touch his forehead.

The moment her fingers brushed against his skin, Edmond let out a harsh breath. "Rose..."

His golden eyes snapped open, and he quickly caught her wrist. His grip wasn’t painful, but it was firm enough to stop her from touching him again.

"I told you..." he said through clenched teeth. "Don’t come any closer."

Rose frowned. "But you’re burning up."

"It’s not a fever."

"I know."

She gently squeezed his hand instead of pulling away. "But you’re still suffering."

Edmond lowered his head, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. Every breath felt hotter than the last. The sweet scent drifting from Rose only made it harder to think.

"You don’t understand," he muttered.

"Then explain it to me."

He fell silent. [How can I explain to her that every instinct inside me is screaming to hold her? To kiss her? To fu—DAMN IT! You stupid wolf! Control yourself!]

After a long moment, he finally spoke. "My rut makes my instincts stronger," he said in a low voice. "If you stay here... I don’t know how long I’ll be able to control myself."

Rose suddenly stood up. For a brief moment, Edmond thought she had finally listened to him and was about to leave.

Instead, she walked to the bedroom door and locked it. Then she made sure every window in the room was tightly shut before quietly returning to his side.

She leaned down until her lips were close to his ear. "Then you don’t have to control yourself," she whispered.

She smiled softly. "Everyone in this village already believes you’re my husband. So... why don’t we make that true?"

She slowly turned to face him, meeting his blue eyes. "Edmond..." she said gently. "You can mark me as your mate."

Edmond stared at her, his blue eyes wide with disbelief and hunger. His chest rose and fell in heavy, ragged breaths. The scent of her—warm, sweet, and so achingly close—wrapped around his senses like chains he no longer wanted to break.

"Rose," he rasped. "You don’t know what you’re saying. A mark... it’s permanent. Once I do it, there’s no going back. You’ll be tied to me, to this wolf side of me, forever."

She didn’t flinch. Instead, she cupped his fevered cheek with her palm, her thumb brushing gently over his flushed skin. Her touch was cool against the heat rolling off him in waves.

"I know," she whispered. "I want it. I want you. All of you."

The last threads of his control snapped.

With a low growl that vibrated through his chest, Edmond surged upward. One moment Rose was leaning over him, the next she was beneath him on the bed, his body caging hers with careful strength. His hands trembled as they framed her face, thumbs stroking her cheeks as if she were something sacred and fragile.

"You’re sure?" he asked one final time. His blue eyes looked at hers desperately.

Rose smiled with certainty. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down until their foreheads touched. "I’ve never been more sure of anything."