Bambi and Cleo stood atop the hill, looking down at the beauty of Cove Woods. It was the first functional settlement Bambi had seen since the meteor struck, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and admiration for the place.

 

Cleo smiled and leaned against the nearby tree, taking in the view with Bambi. “Impressive, isn't it?” she said, breaking the peaceful silence. 

 

“You know what, it actually is,” Bambi said, his mouth still open. “I can’t even argue with you on this one.”

 

Cleo turned around to walk down the hill. “You can get a better look up-close. Come.”

 

Bambi nodded before following her. He didn’t want to be an annoying guest but his curiosity got the better of him. “Soooo, Where exactly is this place?” he asked, gesturing towards the bustling town below.

 

Bambi couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and amazement at the sight before him. This was the first functional settlement he had seen since the meteor struck, and it was unlike anything he could have imagined.

 

“This is just me guessing, but there’s no way you built this all alone, under the span of one year,” Bambi guessed. “Were these cabins always here? Wait, that’s not even the important question. How on earth does this even work? Where did you even get these many people? Surely you didn’t Adam and Eve this place, did you? And also about the-”

 

Cleo cut in, deciding to only answer some of his questions. “Me and my daughter.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“We built this,” Cleo nodded over to the town they were soon going to reach. “Along with a couple other survivors. We didn’t know what to do or where to go after the meteor struck, but we had an Alpha.”

 

Cleo took a long, deep breath before saying, “All eyes were on me, along with my daughter. And, as the only mature Alpha, I took the role of the leader, and led everyone to build this into what it is now.”

 

“And, in honor of my work,” Cleo chuckled silently. “They decided to name this cove after my last name.”

 

“Your last name is Woods?” Bambi said, before skipping over a couple of rocks. “And the barrier? Was it you who set that up?” he asked, remembering the strange feeling he had when he stumbled upon Cove Woods. “Since you’re the only one who has barrier powers.”

Bambi stopped for a moment. “I assume.”

 

Cleo nodded. “And, you assume right, my bright, little mule.”

 

“Yeesh,” Bambi stepped forward, looking at Cleo before shaking his head in a disapproving way. “Harsh.”

 

Cleo only rolled her eyes. What a childish fellow. “I set the barrier up to keep the town hidden. Anyone who tries to pass through will feel the need to go somewhere else, or if they possess a strong trait, I'll invite them in.”

 

Bambi's eyes widened in realization. “Wait, so you're the reason a lot of people wandering around the Woods went missing.”

 

Bambi admired Cleo's determination and strength, but he couldn't help but wonder how she managed to gather so many people to follow her. “No, before that, how long did it take you to even gather so many people? It couldn't have been easy to invite them to come here,” he asked, sarcastically. 

 

Cleo scoffed at his accusation. “I didn't kidnap them, stupid little mule. After all, I didn't kidnap you. All I offer is a safe place for people with potential to grow and thrive.”

 

But of course, Bambi took this as a chance to tease her instead. “Aww, so you think I have potential?”

 

Cleo just sighed, clearly not amused by his antics. “Walk faster. I want you to meet my daughter.”

 

Bambi stopped in his tracks. “Wait, wait, wait. Cleo, I appreciate you inviting me here, but I'm not going to offer myself to your daughter or something, if that's what you're hoping,” he blurted out, feeling a little flustered.

 

Cleo stopped and turned to look at him, her expression unreadable. 

 

“....”

 

“....”

 

After a long moment, she finally spoke. 

 

“She's 14.”

 

Bambi felt his cheeks flush. “Oh. . .um. . .my bad. I didn't mean…” he trailed off, feeling embarrassed.

 

Cleo put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “Let's continue our walk, shall we?” she said, leading the way down the paved road towards the town center.

 

For some reason, Cleo not calling him a stupid mule this time actually hurt more than if she did it.

 

They continued walking until they reached the bottom of the hill, where a grand wooden circular entrance with the words “Welcome to Cove Woods” written above it greeted them. 

 

“What a grand, and welcome entrance,” Bambi quipped, before trying to see beyond the entrance where he could see a bustling town center filled with people going about their daily tasks. 

 

Something felt warm about the scenery. Bambi gripped his bag tightly. 

 

Bambi had to admit it. Cleo had truly managed to build a thriving community in the heart of the woods. He couldn't help but wonder if her incredible capabilities had been passed down to her daughter as well.

 

Lost in thought, Bambi began to play a game in his head, betting against himself on whether Cleo's daughter was also an Alpha. But before he could come to a conclusion, they were greeted by a rough male voice.

 

"Welcome back, Alpha," the voice said, addressing Cleo.

 

Cleo looked forward and said, “Oh, Bob.”

 

Bambi couldn't help but snicker at the name "Bob" in his head before the man continued, "How's the guard duty?"

 

"Nothing new this week," Bambi heard Bob reply before he suddenly felt a gaze on him. Then, the rough male voice spoke again.

 

"But perhaps that might change," he said, his words laced with intrigue.

 

Curiosity getting the better of him, Bambi looked up to see the owner of the voice. And to his surprise, Bob had a ridiculously handsome face that made Bambi feel a sting of jealousy. He was also incredibly ripped, a fact that was evident even through his baggy clothes. Bambi couldn't help but think that if only he had a chiseled, manly face like Bob.

 

But before he could dwell on his envy for too long, Bob continued speaking. His words sent a jolt of shock through Bambi's body.

 

"A female..." Bob said before suddenly sniffing the air. His eyes widened in disbelief as he exclaimed, "A male omega?!"

 

Bambi groaned at that. “Not again.” Before he went forward to the guard man, realizing that he was pretty tall, at the very least a head taller than him, but still, he had to do this.

 

So, while being as sarcastic as possible, he smiled wider than the sun before holding out his hand, “Nice to meet you, old guard dude.”

 

“This male omega?!” Bambi copied Bob’s shock. “Is named Bambi. I hope we get along.” 

 

Cleo only face-palmed herself at his little joke. 

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