I Bought the Wrong Beastman, and He Begged Me to Keep Him Chapter 07

I Bought the Wrong Beastman, and He Begged Me to Keep Him Chapter 07

Theo had been living with us for over a month.

He was the sweetest, silliest little thing.

He’d wander around the house right after a shower, barely dressed, all long pale legs and a tail swishing

lazily behind him.

He’d blink up at me with those big, liquid eyes, ears twitching.

“Miss Maren, do I look good?”

It wrecked me every single time.

“You’re so cute it’s criminal.”

His cheeks flushed, and he nuzzled into my palm.

“I like it when you pet me…”

I melted on the spot. Completely gone.

“What a clingy boy.”

“I’ll buy you anything you want.”

He rolled over, showing his belly, all warm and needy. “Only you, Miss Maren.”

Living with Theo taught me something. Not all cat hybrids ran cold.

Theo was nothing but warmth.

He pressed against my side at every meal.

Lately, he’d started asking to sleep in my bed.

“No!”

“He is NOT sleeping with you!”

Adrian finally hit his limit.

I said, “The couch is too small. He can’t sleep there.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Then put him in the guest room. I’ll take the master bedroom. With you”

I stared at him.

He was flushed from his ears to his collarbone. His voice was flat and stiff, but something possessive bled through the cracks.

“He’s not sleeping in your bed. End of discussion.”

Before things could escalate.

Theo spoke up, quiet and gentle. “The couch is bigger than the cage I had before. I like it just fine.”

My heart sank.

I turned to Adrian.

“I settled it with the agency. They’re not taking you back. You’re free now. Completely.”

“You always pushed me away. I know you don’t want that kind of closeness.”

“Letting go is the right thing to do.”

Adrian’s head snapped up. “I pushed you away because…”

The rest of the words died in his throat.

He bit down on his lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

I was so tired. “Why do we keep torturing each other like this?”

Something in those words broke him.

The glass in his hand shattered.

The shards cut into his palm, but he just clenched his fist around them, shaking, like the pain didn’t register.

“Torture? You’re calling it that now? Then why did you kiss me? Why did you do all of that to me in the first

place?”

‘Maren, just stop. Stop trying to give me up.”

“I’m never leaving!”

After that, I stopped bringing up the swap.

We stayed under the same roof, trapped in place.

He still cooked for me, still did my laundry. Still fought me for the remote.

Like nothing had changed.

But whenever Theo curled up beside me or nuzzled against my hand, I could feel Adrian watching from

across the room. Silent. Burning.

Spring bled into summer.

The nights filled with thunder and rain.

Adrian showed up at my door, clutching a catnip pillow.

“Maren, I’ve been working out for the past two months. I put on more muscle.”

“I’m in better shape than him…”

He paused, then added, stiff as a board.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m just scared of thunderstorms, and I want to sleep in here.”

Then.

He noticed something shifting under my blanket.

His whole body went rigid.

His face twisted.

He crossed the room in two long strides and ripped the blanket back.