"Em… sir, I'm not—"
"So I'm lying?" Ore's father cut him off, his glowing red eyes narrowing dangerously.
Tolu panicked, his words stumbling out. "No, no! I meant… we're just dating, we aren't married yet."
The man leaned forward, his annoyance palpable. "A wolf only chooses a mate once. Unless the partner dies."
Tolu's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes," the man answered, his tone sharp as a blade. "Don't tell me you were planning on abandoning her after having—" He cut himself short, the very thought igniting fury in his expression.
Tolu's head shook violently. "No, sir. I'd never do that. I truly love her."
The man's glare burned into him, and then came the words that nearly made Tolu's heart stop:
"Leave. And never see her again. This is your only chance."
A heavy silence fell. Tolu sighed, lowering his head. "I can't, sir. You can beat me up or even kill me… but I won't leave her." He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable blow.
Instead—
A deep, booming laughter filled the room.
Tolu's eyes snapped open. Ore's father was laughing, clutching his stomach as if Tolu had told the best joke in the world.
"I knew she chose right," the man said, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye. "Although I didn't approve at first…"
"You were… joking?" Tolu asked, still stiff with nerves.
The man leaned back with a grin. "Yes. But I mean every word. You're going to marry her sooner or later. Marking another wolf is basically marriage. Isn't that obvious?"
Tolu blinked in shock. "Aren't you angry she chose too early?"
"Why should I be? Wolves are loyal creatures. Subconsciously, you're already your own pack—you'll choose each other before anything else. Besides, it's common to choose early. Wolves prefer going through life with a companion."
Tolu hesitated, then asked quietly, "What if I got her… pregnant?"
To his surprise, the man remained calm, almost casual. "Then I'll reprimand you, but the bills? That's nothing. Packs and wolf families are always rich. Strength won us wars against humans, and the spoils became businesses. Now, most wolves live wealthy. That's just the way of those who live within the Veil."
"The Veil?" Tolu echoed.
The man smirked. "That's a story for another day. What matters is this—take care of my daughter. Never hurt her. Or I'll come for you myself."
"Yes, sir," Tolu said quickly, bowing his head.
The man smiled faintly, turning his attention back to the glowing television screen. Dismissed, Tolu left the house, exhaling a long, shaky sigh of relief as he stepped into the cool night air.
Still, as he walked away, a chilling thought ran through his head: What if the man changes his mind and decides to "take care of" me for distracting his daughter?
Inside, Ore's father smirked knowingly, as if he had plucked the very thought straight out of Tolu's mind.
---
On his way home, Tolu pulled out his phone to distract himself from the thoughts running wild in his head. A notification popped up—several unread messages from Leke.
Leke: Guy where you dey?
Leke: Amaka just drop something hot for my ear o
Leke: We need to talk, e no fit wait.
Tolu frowned. After everything that had just happened, "juicy gist" was the last thing on his mind. Still, he typed back:
Tolu: On my way home. What's up?
Almost immediately, Leke replied:
Leke: No fit yarn for chat. Let's meet where we met last time.
[TLN "No fit yarn for cha" means can't say it on the chat.]
Tolu let out a tired sigh, shoving his free hand into his pocket. Home could wait a little longer. If Amaka was running her mouth again, it could mean trouble.
Tolu: Alright. I'll be there.
He slipped the phone away and kept walking, his thoughts circling. What could she possibly have said this time?
After a while, Tolu suddenly felt a presence behind him. His instincts flared, and he quickly turned—only to see Ore standing there, smiling warmly. Relief washed over him, and he couldn't help but smile back.
They moved toward each other, hugging tightly before their lips met in a soft kiss.
"Well," Tolu muttered with a faint grin, "your dad was… friendly."
Ore chuckled, brushing her fingers lightly against his arm. "You're in one piece. That's better than most of the others who've faced him."
Tolu's face stiffened at her words, but before he could respond, she added quickly, "I'm just kidding. Lighten up."
He exhaled, shaking his head with a weak smile. "You could've told me… that wolves only choose one mate in their entire lives."
Ore tilted her head, eyes sparkling. "Are you sure you thought it through?"
"Yes, I did," she answered before he could even continue. Her voice was steady, filled with a rare vulnerability. "And I want to be with you for the rest of my life."
Tolu's expression softened, and his indigo eyes glowed faintly as he smiled. "Then I'm not leaving either."
They leaned in, kissing once more, longer this time. When they finally pulled away, Tolu chuckled. "Now… tell me all the things you discussed with my dad."
Ore smirked, slipping her hand into his as they began walking together, the night air cool around them.
---
After a while, they were almost at their destination.
Tolu broke the silence with a mischievous grin. "You know… your dad said it's not a big deal if you get pregnant."
Ore instantly blushed, her cheeks hot.
Seeing her reaction, Tolu decided to push further. "I was thinking… since we're basically married…"
Without missing a beat, Ore cut in, still flustered but trying to sound bold. "No problem. But I just want four. Nothing more."
Now it was Tolu's turn to freeze, his face turning red.
Ore smirked in triumph. "My, my. There's no way I'll let you tease me without fighting back."
Tolu could only scratch the back of his head awkwardly, smiling.
He looked up ahead and spotted Leke already at their meeting spot, waving at him from a table.
When they reached, Leke raised an eyebrow. "Took you long enough. And… you brought Ore?"
Tolu shrugged casually. "We ran into each other."
Leke leaned forward, lowering his voice, his grin sly. "Well…"
Tolu frowned slightly. "Well what is it?"
Leke's grin widened, but he didn't answer immediately—just tapped the table twice with his fingers as if signaling. The silence stretched, heavy with something unspoken. Ore tilted her head, suspicious.
The look in Leke's eyes said enough—this was about a girl… maybe even more than one.
---