American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 316 McCormick's Choice (Seeking monthly votes, sob sob)

A few days later, at dawn, the two-kilometer-long private runway at the Giant Rock River Heritage Ranch welcomed its first heavy-duty visitor under its new owner's rule.

A Bombardier Global 7500 business jet with sleek lines and a wide wingspan landed silently in the morning light and taxied smoothly to the apron next to the temperature-controlled hangar.

This was a top-tier charter flight that Lin Yu-an booked urgently through CAA, which was more than enough to meet all their family's needs for this trip.

“Sir, all luggage and child safety equipment have been loaded.” Security supervisor Sean O’Connor stepped forward and reported respectfully, “Mike Johnson and I are also ready.”

Mike Johnson is another core member of the security team; although taciturn, he is an extremely skilled driver.

The two of them will be responsible for ground security for this trip to Alaska, and most importantly, to safely drive the whiskey and honey back to Wyoming.

"Thank you for your hard work." Lin Yu'an nodded, then turned to look at his family members who were walking from the main house.

Arya and Emily pushed a double stroller, the two little ones curiously examining the huge iron bird in front of them, their eyes filled with a light of exploration.

"Are you ready, my explorers?" Lin Yu'an smiled and opened his arms.

“Anytime, Captain!” Arya and Emily answered in unison, their faces showing anticipation for their important appointment.

Once aboard the plane, the luxurious yet tranquil cabin had already been transformed into a mobile, airborne nursery.

Soft carpets, a constant temperature, and a pre-arranged baby cradle and toys ensured the two little ones' absolute comfort during the long flight.

With a deep roar from the engine, the plane soared into the azure sky, heading towards the distant northern land that holds countless stories.

After nearly four hours of high-speed flight, the Bombardier Global 7500 business jet truly lives up to its reputation as the flagship of the modern era.

It cruised at near-sonic speeds at an altitude of 40,000 feet, transforming the continuous Canadian Rocky Mountains and vast ice fields below into a magnificent panorama slowly flowing outside the window.

As the plane began to descend slowly, and the captain's gentle voice came through the communicator, the plane had landed smoothly at Anchorage's private airport.

As the cabin door opened, a familiar blast of cold air rushed out, and Lin Yu'an saw that McCormick was already waiting by the tarmac.

She was wearing a smart dark blue windbreaker, her long golden hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and her face showed a hint of nervousness and anticipation that she could not hide.

When she first saw the two equally beautiful women behind Lin Yu'an, each holding a delicate baby, smiling as they walked towards her.

McCormick felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart, and all words seemed inadequate at that moment.

“Hello, Dr. McCormick,” Arya extended her hand first, her smile sincere and warm, instantly dispelling the faint awkwardness in the air. “I’m Arya, and you’re even more beautiful than you look in the photos.”

Emily smiled and stepped forward, gently shaking her hand: "Hello, I'm Emily. Thank you for everything you've done for December and Amber."

There was no scrutiny or hostility as she had imagined, only familial warmth and gratitude. McCormick's tense nerves instantly relaxed, and she awkwardly replied, "Hello... welcome to Anchorage."

That evening, in a private room at a top restaurant in downtown Anchorage, what was perhaps the most important and surreal conversation of McCormick's life officially began.

Lin Yu'an considerately took the two already sleepy babies to rest in the suite next door, leaving the entire space to the three women.

Arya didn't beat around the bush; she got straight to the point, her frankness catching McCorz off guard.

“McCoz, we’re here today to have a formal talk with you as family.” Arya looked at her, her blue-green eyes filled with sincerity.

“We know you are a very good girl, and you must be able to feel that Lin… he likes you very much.”

McCormick's body stiffened abruptly, and his hand holding the water glass paused in mid-air for half a second.

She instinctively wanted to deny it, forcing a slightly stiff smile: "Arya, I think... there might be some misunderstanding. Lin and I are just... very good friends, because of December..."

“We’re friends, but we’re more than just friends, aren’t we?” Emily gently interrupted her, her voice soft yet seemingly able to see right through her.

“We’re all women, McCormick. We can see the undisguised light in your eyes when you look at him; it’s not the look you give a friend.”

These blunt words instantly shattered all of McCormick's attempts to feign innocence. She lowered her head somewhat awkwardly, avoiding their honest gazes, her fingers unconsciously tracing the cold surface of the glass.

Seeing this, Emily's tone softened even more: "We're not saying this to embarrass you. On the contrary, we want you to know that our family may be different from what you traditionally believe."

"It is not based on possession and jealousy, but on love and trust complementing each other."

McCormick finally looked up, his intelligent blue eyes filled with deep confusion and disbelief. "I don't understand... sacrifice? How is that possible? Shouldn't love... be the only thing?"

Arya readily admitted, "You're right, McCormick. You may not know that my upbringing and the family values ​​I received from a young age are quite different from most people's."

Seeing the confusion in McCormick's eyes, she decided to reveal her deepest background, which was also the greatest sincerity she could show McCormick.

“My family has a Mormon tradition,” Arya said calmly. “In the world I grew up in, a powerful and capable man had more than one wife and together they built a large and harmonious family.”

"This is not only accepted, but is even seen as an honor and a responsibility."

Arya didn't give her much time to be shocked, and continued to explain in a statement of fact: "I'm not saying that I completely disagree with the traditional one-husband-one-wife family."

"However, the concepts I was exposed to from a young age have indeed made my understanding of family and love different from others."

Her gaze softened, as if it had traveled through time and space back to that sun-drenched Montana farm.

“I have seen how my mothers supported each other like sisters and raised us together. I have seen how my brothers and their wives transformed their small families into a large family full of love and strength.”

"Therefore, for me, the core of love is not possession, but sharing. The meaning of family is not a closed world for two, but a community of life that can continuously absorb love, share love, and become stronger as a result."

She reached out and gently placed her hand on McCormick's hand, which was resting on the table, her eyes becoming incredibly sincere.

“When Emily came into our lives, I chose to accept her instead of being jealous. It turned out that I made the right choice. Emily’s arrival did not diminish our love; on the contrary, it made it even stronger, making our home more complete and warmer.”

Arya paused, her gaze fixed intently on McCormick.

“I saw how Lin told you and her story. He was very relaxed and admired you. Your pure and selfless persistence is a world he has never encountered before. It fascinates him and makes him respect you.”

“You showed him another possibility in life, a purer value that transcends survival and wealth. Your presence made him richer and more three-dimensional.”

Arya's words were no longer empty philosophical preaching, but a sincere sharing based on her unique upbringing and personal experiences.

With an irrefutable logic, it presented McCormick with a completely new, seemingly unconventional yet real family model, instantly shaking up McCormick's deeply ingrained and singular belief.

McCormick listened, her brain processing the massive amount of information at lightning speed. For the first time, she realized that there really were people in this world who understood and built families in this way.

This made her thoughts, which she had previously considered "crazy" and "impossible," seem to have a basis in reality that could be understood and discussed.

Arya picked up the conversation, her voice becoming incredibly serious: "We don't want you to fall into unnecessary speculation and pain because of a lack of understanding. So we want to tell you that the door to our home is always open to you."

This straightforward invitation struck McCormick like a thunderbolt into his mind.

She jerked her hand back as if she had been burned, her face filled with panic.

“No…no, this is too crazy!” She shook her head, her voice trembling. “I…how could I…you are so good to me, you are his wife, the mother of his children.”

“What am I? An intruder? A vandal? I can’t do it…”

“We’re not asking you to make any decisions, nor are we putting any pressure on you,” Emily said, her voice filled with empathetic tenderness as she looked at McCormick, who was completely lost in self-doubt and confusion.

"We just want to give you the right to choose."

She moved from her seat to sit next to McCormick and gently took his cold hand in hers.

“When I first met them, I felt like an intruder, just like you.” Emily’s eyes seemed to travel through time, back to that past filled with uncertainty.

“But Arya told me that home is not a narrow door that can only be entered by one person, but a harbor that can be continuously expanded for those who love you.”

She looked into McCormick's eyes and said, word by word, with absolute clarity, "So, what we want to give you today is the right to think carefully about your choice."

"Whether or not you are willing to accept such an imperfect husband who can be as slow as a block of wood at times, two sisters like us who may be a bit troublesome, and a family that is about to grow bigger and bigger."

These words, like a warm torrent, instantly shattered all of McCormick's psychological defenses.

"Imperfect," "troublesome sister"... these self-deprecating yet incredibly sincere words completely shed all her defenses and inferiority complex.

What she felt was not charity, but a sincere invitation that was equal and tinged with a touch of self-deprecation.

Looking at these two equally outstanding and dazzling women, there was no hostility, scrutiny, or pity in their eyes, only complete sincerity and acceptance.

All the confusion, struggle, and self-doubt she had endured alone found an outlet for understanding and solace at this moment.

Tears, which she could no longer hold back, streamed uncontrollably down her blue eyes.

"I...I don't know..." Her voice trembled with tears, filled with confusion, "I never thought...you would...I thought you would hate me..."

Arya and Emily smiled at each other, then sat down on either side of McCormick, embracing her gently like true sisters.

“Silly girl, how could we hate you?” Arya gently patted her back, as if comforting a wronged child. “We are only happy for him that he has met such a good girl like you.”

Emily gently comforted her, "Take your time, there's no rush. Give yourself some time, and give each other some time too. Whatever your final choice is, we will respect it."

Arya let go of her, wiped away her tears, and a bright smile returned to her face.

"Okay, darling, don't cry. Today's topic isn't about making you shed tears." She winked playfully. "Now, let's go see our two good children who also need a home!"

The next day, in the familiar quarantine facility of the Arctic Biological Research Center, the heavy iron door was pushed open once again.

December, who was lazily lying on the artificial iceberg, idly fiddling with a red rubber ball with her giant bear paw, suddenly raised her head the moment she smelled that familiar scent.

Its size has changed dramatically in the past few months. At six months old, it weighs over 150 pounds and can almost reach the waist of an adult when it stands up.

Beneath its thick, white fur lies a muscular physique that is beginning to reveal smooth muscle lines.

His once round face has begun to elongate, revealing the unique, slender snout of a polar bear. He has shed his last bit of baby fat and is now resembling a young beast with the makings of a king.

When it saw the figure that haunted its dreams, its obsidian eyes instantly burst forth with a dazzling light, like a supernova explosion!
"Ouch——!!!"

A long howl, no longer childish but instead carrying the deep and penetrating power unique to young bears, resounded throughout the entire venue.

Its massive body leaped down from the artificial iceberg, which was more than two meters high, with an agility completely disproportionate to its size. Its four large bear paws dug a string of snowflakes in the snow, and like a runaway white tank, it charged towards Lin Yu'an without any regard for anything else!
Little Amber, who was curled up at the foot of the iceberg and dozing off like her older sister, was also awakened by the sudden noise.

It raised its fluffy little head somewhat blankly, its blue eyes filled with bewilderment.

It didn't understand what was happening, but it could clearly feel the overwhelming, intense emotion of happiness emanating from the older woman beside it.

It saw Sister December rush towards the tall man, making a sound it had never heard before, a sound so joyful.

In its somewhat dull but pure world, the logic is very simple: whatever makes my sister happy must be the best thing in the world!
So it immediately stood up unsteadily, took its little legs and followed closely behind December, running and trying to imitate her, making a series of babyish "woof woof" sounds, as if cheering for its sister's charge.

Lin Yu'an smiled and opened his arms, catching December who had crashed into him like a cannonball. The force of the impact made him take a half step back, and the heavy weight made him truly feel the little one's growth.

It snuggled into his arms with all its might, rubbing its furry head against his chest, making satisfied gurgling sounds in its throat, as if it wanted to release all the longing it had accumulated over the past few days in this moment.

Little Amber, following closely behind, saw her sister hugging the two-legged creature and eagerly went over. Imitating December, it rubbed its black and yellow striped head against Lin Yu'an's leg.

It wasn't very strong, but it tickled Lin Yu'an, and kept making ingratiating humming noises.

Lin Yu'an was completely melted by the enthusiasm of the two little ones. He hugged December's thick back tightly with one hand, while squatting down with the other hand to gently stroke Amber's soft fur.

"Alright, alright, my two darlings, I know you missed me."

Just then, Arya and Emily walked in. Their faces were filled with shock and amazement as they watched the already sizable beast so docilely nestled in Lin Yu'an's arms.

December peeked out from Lin Yu'an's arms, curiously observing the two strangers who exuded a pleasant scent.

It could sense a similar aura of kindness from them as Lin Yu'an, which made its innate vigilance relax considerably.

It jumped down from Lin Yu'an's arms and walked steadily to Arya and Emily's feet.

Its enormous head reached just to their thighs. With its wet, black nose, it first sniffed lightly on Arya's trouser leg, then tilted its head back and let out a curious "Awoo?" sound, as if to greet them.

Arya was startled by this sudden closeness, but when she saw December's clear and pure eyes, her nervousness instantly turned into affection.

(End of this chapter)