Caitlyn's POV
As I stumbled my way back to the house, I ran into Leona, who was returning from a night out.
"It seems like things are taking a turn for the worse?" Leona asked tentatively.
"Why didn't you tell me I made such a terrible pizza?" I said, a little frustrated, keeping Kaisa's last comment in the back of my mind.
"That was your first attempt at making something with your own hands for Talon. I didn't want to discourage you. Besides, the pizza at least looked good," Leona replied with a small mumble as if realizing she had done something wrong.
"But it wasn't just me; Kaisa was there too, and she brought her own handmade cake," I said somewhat helplessly, then couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"How is this...possible?"
Leona's eyes widened, and she looked a little incredulous.
"It's true, and she even tasted my pizza, saying, 'It looks like Talon really loves me,' after I had been mocking her failures."
Deep frustration overwhelmed me for a moment, making me feel like a comical clown.
"I'm sorry, Caitlyn. I thought..."
Leona pursed her lips and hung her head slightly in embarrassment.
"Leona, you don't have to blame yourself. I know you didn't mean it either. I just couldn't help but feel a little lost in my heart when I realized my self-righteous cooking skills were actually a joke."
"But you just said you were mocking Kaisa's failures?"
"Exactly." I nodded with a bitter smile. "Talon tasted Kaisa's cake first and thought it was average. Then he ate my pizza and let slip that it was delicious. In the end, I tasted it myself, and it was so bad that I threw up straight away... I really don't understand why he had to put on a show in front of me and make me look like a clown."
"It seems like you're really naive," Leona commented, shaking her head somewhat helplessly.
"What do you mean?"
I asked, furrowing my brow in confusion.
"That's obviously Talon pretending that your food is good on purpose to take care of you. At least when it comes to Kaisa, you're winning. That's all the more reason why he cares more about you in Talon's heart."
Leona's words instantly opened my eyes, and for a moment, a sour warmth surged through my heart.
"By the way, I have one more piece of news."
Seeing my frown deepen, Leona spoke mysteriously.
"Okay, just tell me."
I said as I took Leona's arm and shook it gently, pleading with her.
"I was just told by Bard that the king may be hosting a hunting contest soon. It's an annual tradition of the royal family, and the person who ends up performing the best gets to have a wish granted by the king."
"A hunting contest?"
I muttered. In all this time, I had never heard Talon talk about it.
"Yes. My fear is that at the tournament, Kaisa will use the opportunity to ask the king to grant the marriage. And on that occasion, if Talon refuses, it would be disobeying the king's will, and the consequences would be unthinkable."
Leona said worriedly. After all, she is well aware that I know almost nothing about hunting.
"It's alright. The hunting contest is at least a month away. We'll start intensifying our training from now on. It might not be too late, and with so many people participating in the contest, it's not certain that Kaisa will be able to come out on top."
Leona couldn't resist reassuring me, which warmed my heart as well.
In the following days, I also started training intensively. Although I hadn't been exposed to hunting before, perhaps it had something to do with my awakened werewolf abilities. I improved rapidly during my training.
But when I raised my bow and arrow to aim at an animal in the forest, I could never bring myself to let go of the bow. There seemed to be no way I could watch a living thing dissipate before my eyes.
"Maybe I really don't have what it takes to win that hunting contest."
Once again, as I watched a nimble rabbit flee in terror from my sight, this thought sprang up in my heart once more.
"If you keep hesitating like that, you'll end up becoming prey yourself."
Just at that moment, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind me. I turned around, and there stood Talon with a smile on his face.
"What brings you here?" I frowned lightly as I looked at Talon, attempting to maintain a calm demeanor, though in reality, my insides had long since become a hot mess.
"I went looking for you and found you weren't there. Leona said you might be here training, so I came over." Talon had a smirk on his face as he slowly approached me.
"Why didn't you tell me there was a hunting contest? Did you already conspire with Kaisa?"
"How could I? I just thought that I was determined to win this match, so I wouldn't have to put you at risk anymore." Talon's face lifted into a confident smile, and for a moment, I felt like I was back to when I first met him once upon a time.
"No, I'm definitely participating in the hunting contest, and I intend to place well enough to rightfully make the king grant my request," I murmured to Talon.
"And what is your request?" The corners of Talon's mouth lifted into a smile as he slowly moved closer to me.
The mesmerizing scent of Talon's body enveloped me, causing my heart to suddenly beat faster. Subconsciously, I took two steps back, but Talon immediately wrapped his arms around my waist, his entire body fitting closely to mine.
"Be careful with your bow grip," Talon whispered close to my ear, his burning breath hitting my face and causing my body temperature to rise.
Talon's wide palm gripped my hand, his body pressing against mine, his firm chest squeezing me.
"Mmm," I responded, biting my lip softly, feeling my body slowly melting in the moment.
Immediately afterward, Talon came up to my side and flicked his tongue over his ear. My neck instantly erupted in a searing wave of pain, and another manic wolf howl surged through my body.