The World of Beasts: She's Got Their Hearts novel Chapter 64

"What?"

Analise's hand trembled. "Are you saying Sean killed their mother, and even in her final moments, she was still protecting him?"

"Yes. Scott's mother said Sean was his only brother. She believed his involvement with the Reclaimers was because he'd been deceived by the wrong people. Even as she lay dying, she held his hand tightly, refusing to let him go. She was afraid Scott would come after him."

Analise fell silent.

After a long pause, she asked, "What about Scott's father?"

"He's still alive, but he's devastated by his wife's death. His mental state is fragile, and he's currently staying in the Stormclaw Alliance hospital."

Finlay's ears twitched as he rested his wolfish chin on Analise's shoulder.

"That's not very optimistic," Analise murmured, her mood heavy.

Resting her eyes for a moment against Finlay, she wondered if someone as sunny as him must have come from a happy family.

"Wolfie, how's your family?" she asked, reaching out to scratch his chin.

"Hmm... It's just... You know, like you saw the other day. A small two-bedroom apartment," Finlay said, lowering his chin closer to Analise's fingers.

"I mean your parents. Your mother and father. They must be very loving, right?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she felt Finlay tense beneath her fingers.

Analise withdrew her hand and sat up straight.

The next moment, Finlay shifted into his therian form and pulled Analise into a tight embrace. "They're both gone. They died over a decade ago."

Analise's throat tightened as she felt the slight tremble in his body.

At a loss for words, she simply held him closer. After a moment, she finally said, "You must have had a hard time all these years."

Finlay tightened his grip around her.

She regretted asking those questions. Why did everyone seem to have such tragic pasts?

And yet, she couldn't help but wonder how Finlay had grown up alone without parents and managed to remain so carefree?

The therians of the therian world were no kinder or more righteous than humans.

Class distinctions still existed. Otherwise, lower-class planets wouldn't exist.

"Can I be your partner?"

Analise hesitated for a moment as she seriously considered the question.

After all, her mindset was still rooted in her human era.

Even though polyamory was accepted in the interstellar therian world, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was some kind of fickle heartbreaker.

But she hadn't done anything yet, had she?

Still, the attraction between her, Finlay, and Scott was undeniable.

Analise didn't want to ignore her own feelings.

And then there were Karl and Gideon. Especially Gideon, whom she had only met today.

There was something strange about him, as if he had known her for a long time.

But how could a mad scientist possibly mistake one person for another?