Momo glanced at Lex first, then quietly dismissed the idea. No, not him—he’s too slow.

His gaze shifted to Yanai and Setan. One had just given Mother flowers, the other ran faster... how was he supposed to choose?

After a moment of indecision, he turned to Nina for help. "Mother, which do you think is better—Uncle Yanai or Uncle Setan? I can’t decide. Can you choose for me?"

Yanai and Setan both looked at Nina with bright, expectant eyes.

Pick me.

Lex, already eliminated, sighed inwardly. Ah... how enviable, having four legs.

Nina didn’t hesitate long. She smiled at Momo. "Choose Uncle Yanai."

It was better for her to keep a bit of distance from Setan.

Momo nodded. "Okay, then I’ll choose Uncle Yanai."

Yanai was overjoyed. Nina had chosen him!

Setan, on the other hand, felt a flicker of disappointment. Why didn’t she pick me? It seemed he would have to try harder.

With a reluctant sigh, he stepped back.

Once the teams were set, Nina quickly laid out the rules.

"The adults will do the running, and the little ones will catch the frisbee. After all the throws, the team that catches the most wins. Got it?"

The males and children all nodded in understanding.

"Alright," Nina said, lifting the frisbee. "Get ready to start."

Yinny perched on Kith’s head. "Father, you have to run fast later."

Kith replied calmly, "I know."

Didi stood atop Finch’s head. "Silly father, you better run faster, okay?"

Finch flicked his tail with a faint smile. "Don’t worry. Our fox clan is naturally quick."

Linny sprawled across Aviel’s head. "Bad father, if you dare lose, I’ll tell Mother you secretly hid—"

Before he could finish, Aviel swiftly grabbed him and covered his mouth. "Alright, alright, I get it. Now be quiet."

The other beast husbands shot Aviel knowing looks.

That dragon must have been hiding a private stash behind Nina’s back. Just wait—we’ll make sure she hears about it later.

Momo coiled atop Yanai’s head. "Uncle Yanai, you have to run fast, okay? I want Mother’s reward."

Yanai stretched his limbs, loosening up. "Don’t worry, Momo. I’ll make sure we win."

He wanted Nina’s reward too.

In fact, there was still a reward she had yet to give him from before... he would have to find a chance to collect it.

The thought alone sent a flicker of excitement through him.

Mimi sat on Dian’s shoulder, leaning in to whisper into his ear. "Uncle Dian, even though we don’t have as many legs as them, Mother said she’d give us a little advantage. So you don’t have to rush to the front, okay?"

Dian’s eyes lit up. "Mm, I understand. We’ll definitely win the reward."

A warm sweetness spread through his chest.

Nina is really too kind to me.

Shushu nestled on Mino’s head. "Papa Mino, do your best, okay? At least don’t lose to that big bad wolf."

Mino nodded. "Don’t worry. I won’t lose to him."

Sunny crouched on Sal’s head. "Papa Sal, we’re the fastest. We have to get first place."

Sal’s lips curved slightly, confidence clear in his voice. "Of course. First place is ours."

How could a leopard possibly lose when it came to speed?

The other beast husbands rolled their eyes inwardly.

Shameless leopard.

Off to the side, Viann and the others cheered the children on.

Seeing that everyone was in position, Nina raised the frisbee in her hand. "Ready?"

"Ready!" the males and children answered in unison.

"Then let’s begin!"

Nina flicked her wrist and sent the first frisbee sailing through the air.

The males shot forward like arrows released from a bow.

Their speeds were nearly identical, but Sal edged ahead by a fraction. Sunny caught the frisbee first.

Sal lifted his chin smugly. See? I’m the fastest.

The others scoffed. It’s still too early to celebrate.

For the second throw, all the males except Dian arrived almost at the same time. This time, it was up to the children.

Several of them leapt into the air at once, all reaching for the frisbee.

With a swift whoosh, Linny snatched it first.

Aviel raised a brow. This little rascal actually had an advantage in this game.

The third frisbee landed near Dian. Mimi quickly grabbed it, hugging it close, her eyes curving into happy crescents.

After that, Nina began throwing the frisbee more randomly.

Some were caught by those closest, others were intercepted mid-air by the fastest runners. Everyone competed fiercely, the pace growing more intense with each round.

Finally, the last frisbee soared into the sky.

Once again, the males reached it at nearly the same moment, and the children jumped up together to seize it.

This time, Shushu got there first. He clamped the frisbee in his mouth as he descended, but his landing was off.

He dropped straight onto Yanai’s head.

A heartbeat later, Momo landed beside him and glanced over. "Shushu, Papa Mino is over there."

Shushu blinked, then looked down.

...How did he end up on the big bad wolf’s head?

He stomped on Yanai twice for good measure before hopping back over to Mino.

Grinning, he said, "Papa Mino, we got the last frisbee!"

Mino smiled warmly. "Mm. Shushu did great."

With that, the game came to an end.

The males returned with the children, and they began counting their catches.

In the end, Linny and Sunny tied for first place, while the others all came in second.

Nina handed out small prizes to each of the children—things they loved.

Clutching their rewards, the little ones were all beaming with joy.

Sal slipped an arm around Nina’s waist. "Nina, what about our reward?"

Nina laughed softly. "What kind of reward do you want?"

Sal leaned in and lightly nipped at her ear. "We’ll collect our reward tonight."

Aviel took her hand in his. "Don’t you dare go back on your word, Nina."

A faint blush spread across her cheeks. "We’ll talk about it tonight."

Aviel and Sal both glanced at the sky, wishing night would fall faster.

The other beast husbands looked on with a trace of jealousy.

Next time, we’ll definitely win.

Lex, Setan, and Idir felt a quiet sense of regret.

Sigh... we didn’t even get the chance to compete.

***

Joyful moments always seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Before long, night descended.

After returning, Odian heard all about the competition.

Later that evening, he pulled Nina aside, wrapping his arms around her from behind, his tone faintly aggrieved.

"Nina, I didn’t even get to join the game today. I want a reward too."

Nina covered his hand gently. "You worked hard today. Of course you get a reward. What do you want?"

Odian leaned close to her ear, his voice low. "I want to join tonight."

The tips of Nina’s ears warmed slightly. "...Alright."

Odian immediately scooped her up into his arms and carried her toward the small tent Sal and the others had already prepared.

"Then let’s start now."