I kindly request you to include my new book, "Zombie Apocalypse: Necromancer" in your libraries.
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{Chapter: 362 Leisure Time}
Sif's arms tensed with divine grace, her Asgardian strength surging as her heroic spirit radiated outward. With a sudden motion, she swung the fishing rod like a weapon of war. The ocean roared in response, and from its depths, a massive six or seven-meter-long shark burst forth into the air.
"It's so big..." Jane gasped, her eyes wide in disbelief, marveling as the great beast soared through the sky above them.
Bang!
The shark crashed down behind them, landing with a heavy thud on the beach and kicking up a cloud of sand and dust. The ground trembled slightly as its tail flailed, carving trenches in the earth.
Sif blinked, surprised. Jane, meanwhile, was practically glowing with delight.
"I actually caught a shark! I'm amazing!" Jane grinned, her hands raised triumphantly as she turned to Sif.
Sif crossed her arms but gave a small nod, allowing a rare smile to grace her lips. "Yes. You win. This round."
Right then, William arrived from the nearby forest, a dozen plump hares slung over one shoulder and an equal number of pheasants tied together in his other hand. He looked like someone who had casually gone for a walk and stumbled into a feast. His expression brightened when he saw the huge shark flopping on the beach.
"You girls really went overboard, huh? A shark?" he asked, half amused, half impressed. "That's... that's actually insane."
"I caught it," Jane announced proudly, practically bouncing on her heels. "Well, Sif helped me reel it in. But it's my shark!"
"You're incredible," William said, his voice warm and teasing. He gave her a dramatic thumbs-up, his usual roguish grin dancing at the corners of his lips. "Absolutely legendary, Doctor Foster."
Jane beamed, momentarily lost in the glow of his praise. Her smile softened, and she looked at him like he was the only thing in the world that mattered. "You really think so?"
William took a step closer, leaned in slightly. "I know so."
From the side, Sif scoffed quietly, folding her arms across her chest and turning slightly away. Her eyes, however, lingered longer than they should have on the two of them.
William turned toward the shark and drew a knife from his belt. "Alright, time to prep this beast—"
"No!" Jane cried, rushing over. She waved her arms like a frantic mother hen. "Don't you dare hurt it! We're not eating it!"
"Then... why catch it?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"Because it was awesome!" Jane said. "But that doesn't mean I want it dead. Put it back in the sea!"
William raised an eyebrow, looked at Sif, who shrugged as if to say Don't look at me. Then he sighed theatrically and slid the knife back into its sheath.
"Fine, fine. No shark meat today. For you, my lady, anything." He walked toward the shark and, with a mighty kick that could shatter boulders, launched the enormous creature through the air and into the ocean.
The water exploded where the shark landed, a mighty splash echoing out like a cannon shot. Jane's mouth fell open.
"You're insane!" she yelled. "You'll kill it with a kick like that! Couldn't you have just... I don't know, dragged it back?"
William grinned. "That was soft power, darling. Delicate and respectful."
"You call that soft power?" Jane muttered. "I swear, trying to reason with you is like reciting Shakespeare to a rock."
Sif rolled her eyes. "He only listens when it suits him."
"And yet, you're both still here," William said smugly, summoning a gleaming open-air kitchen with a wave of his hand. Polished counters, cutting boards, a grill — the works. "Come on. It's feast time."
Jane blinked. "Wait... you brought an entire kitchen with you?"
"When you travel with style, you don't compromise on meals," he said with a wink. "I was hoping for bear meat, to be honest, but this island's fauna is disappointingly bear-less. We'll make do with hares and pheasants."
"That's more than enough!" Jane said, eyeing the massive pile of game. "And the fish we caught, too!"
William patted his stomach. "Don't worry. I'll make sure nothing goes to waste."
"Glutton," Sif muttered under her breath.
They worked together gutting the game and fish, cleaning, chopping, seasoning. Jane worked at William's side, smiling every time their fingers touched, sneaking glances at him as he roasted meat over open flames. The smell of sizzling rabbit and roasting pheasant filled the air, and even Sif found her mouth watering.
"Gurgle..."
William raised a brow, then turned slowly. "Whose tummy is making music?"
Jane's cheeks turned crimson. "Not me!"
He tilted his head and smirked. "You sure? Sounded like a love song coming from your direction."
"Ugh, fine!" she snapped with mock indignation. "I'm hungry! It smells amazing. Happy now?"
"Ecstatic," William said, holding out a hlaf golden roasted rabbit. "For the lady with the strongest stomach rumble."
His eyes lingered on her, filled with quiet affection as they continue to work.
Sif noticed.
She turned away abruptly, masking something behind a sharp frown. Hatred? Jealousy? No. Not that simple. Her jaw tightened as she chopped vegetables too forcefully, a faint crack forming in the cutting board.
"I still don't get why someone like you would follow someone like him," Sif said, her voice low.
Jane looked over, lips stained with grease, but her eyes serious. "Because when I'm with him... I feel alive. Even when he's infuriating. Even when I hate what he does. I still love who he is."
"Even if he's a monster?" Sif asked.
Jane stared at the fire for a moment. "Then he's my monster."
William didn't speak, but his eyes flicked toward Sif, and for just a moment... he looked guilty.
Sif turned her head away, concealing her expression behind a curtain of golden hair. "Idiot."
"Which one of us?" Jane asked with a half-smile.
Sif didn't answer.
The fire crackled. The scent of roasted meat swirled with sea salt and ash, and night began to settle over the island — a momentary peace, with undercurrents of affection, tension, and things left unsaid between gods, mortals, and monsters.
"Okay, I can't take it anymore—I'm so hungry. It smells way too good," Jane groaned, her voice full of dramatic urgency as she practically lunged forward. "Give me the roasted rabbit in your hand!"
William barely had time to react. "Wait—!"
But it was too late.
Jane had already taken a massive bite of the steaming, golden-brown roasted rabbit. A second later, her eyes widened in alarm. "Hot! Hot! Oh my god, it's so hot!" she shouted, fanning her mouth wildly as she spat out the piece of rabbit meat, her cheeks puffed from the burn.
Without missing a beat, William pulled out a bottle of chilled Nongfu Spring and handed it to her with a smirk. "Here. Nongfu Spring—'has a little land,' as they say. A man's basic pursuit."
Jane snatched it gratefully and downed it in one long gulp. Then she exhaled in relief and let out a soft moan. "Aahh... that's so much better."
William arched an eyebrow. "I told you to wait. Why so eager? Give it here." He took the roasted rabbit from her, gently turning it in his hands as he brushed on a layer of special butter that shimmered under the firelight. Then he carefully sprinkled cumin over it with the precision of a seasoned chef.
Jane didn't answer right away. She simply stared at him, her lips parted slightly, watching his every move with a gaze full of adoration. There was a softness in her eyes, the kind that spoke of years of affection taking root in a moment. In that moment, with the firelight dancing on his face, William looked like the only thing in the world that mattered.
He blew gently on the rabbit and held it out to her. "Here. This time, go slow."
Jane's smile bloomed like a sunrise. She took the rabbit gently from his hands, her fingers brushing his on purpose. "Thank you, William," she whispered, her voice warm with love. She took a slow bite this time, savoring the tender, flavorful meat. "Mmm... it's delicious. William, you're amazing."
William chuckled, already picking up another hare to season. "If it's good, eat more. We've got enough to feed an army."
Off to the side, Sif crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, watching them with a storm brewing behind her composed expression. The ease between Jane and William—it needled her in places she didn't want to acknowledge. Why was he always so gentle with Jane? So... doting?
As if sensing her thoughts, William looked over and held out a rabbit leg toward her.
"Here," he said casually. "Can't have a warrior like you starving."
Sif blinked, startled. "You're giving this to me?"
"Of course." William flashed that annoyingly charming smile. "You'd collapse in battle without meat."
Sif opened her mouth to respond, but Jane jumped in with a grin, "You better take it, Sif. When William gave me the rabbit just now, you looked like you were about to stab me with your eyes. Don't glare at me anymore, okay?"
"I was not glaring at you," Sif snapped, her cheeks flushing.
"Really?" Jane said sweetly, tilting her head.
Sif huffed and snatched the roasted rabbit from William, refusing to meet his gaze. "I'm not thanking you."
William gave an exaggerated shrug. "No need. You belong to me anyway. Why would I expect thanks from someone who's already part of my life? My job is to make you happy."
"I don't belong to anyone. Especially not you," Sif muttered, but her grip on the rabbit tightened. Her voice sounded firm, but there was something brittle underneath—like a truth she was afraid to face.
William leaned closer, his voice low and teasing. "Keep telling yourself that. You can fight it all you want, but deep down, you know—you've already fallen into my world. There's no getting out."
Sif turned her face away, biting into the rabbit to mask her turmoil. The moment the flavor hit her tongue, her eyes widened slightly in surprise. Damn him. It was good. Really good.
"Well?" Jane asked, smiling with genuine curiosity. "Isn't it delicious?"
Sif swallowed hard, then replied stiffly, "It's... edible."
Jane giggled. "Wow, the food in Asgard must be next-level if that's your idea of 'edible.'"
"You better pace yourself," William interjected, wiping his fingers on a cloth. "There's still pheasant and fish. If you overdo the hare, you'll miss out."
Then, to the amazement of both women, he picked up two whole hares and devoured them in minutes, reducing them to clean bones with shocking speed.
Jane stared at him in disbelief. "You're like a black hole for meat."
"A starving beast," Sif muttered under her breath, sipping her wine.
"And now," William said dramatically, producing a fine bottle of red wine from seemingly nowhere with a bulge light, "a toast to this glorious, chaotic, delicious moment."
He poured three glasses with flair and handed one to each of them.
Jane extended hers toward Sif. "Come on, Sif, drop the frost-giant attitude. Let's toast."
Sif sighed heavily, but after a long pause, she clinked glasses. "Fine."
"Cheers!" all three said together, their glasses colliding with a soft, musical chime.
William was the first to drink. He downed the wine in one gulp and licked his lips with a roguish grin, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "Ah, that hits the spot. You know... this wine has just the right touch of fire. If someone drinks too much, they might start saying things they shouldn't... or doing things they can't take back."
Jane leaned against his shoulder, wine glass in hand. "Well, if I end up drunk and doing silly things, I hope it's with you," she murmured, eyes full of warmth.
William tilted his head and smiled down at her. "Then I'll stay by your side and be your silly partner."
Sif turned away from the sight, jaw clenched. She took a long sip of her wine, letting the bitterness on her tongue mask the one in her heart. She couldn't understand why it hurt—why seeing them like this made her feel like she was unraveling.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. She hated him.
Didn't she?