Perla’s Perspective
I was honing my bubble magic, combining it with my fishing skills to create a delightful spectacle of bubbles around the fish while they swam. Once they reached the shore, I would pop the bubbles, and I was thrilled to see my collection growing. Oliver stood beside , cheering enthusiastically, his sparkling eyes and wagging tail adding to the charm of the mont. anwhile, Titus had his lion’s tail possessively wrapped around my waist, a reminder of our bond. It still puzzled how the males in this world seed comfortable sharing, as I couldn’t fathom remaining calm if another woman were to drape herself around Oliver.
Occasionally, I caught Oliver casting envious glances at him, but I was determined not to let Oliver think he could monopolize my attention. After all, Titus is my fated mate, and I had already shared an intimate mont with Oliver. I must remain firm in my decisions; I won’t allow either of them to think they can pressure into anything I’m not ready for. There will be no guilt trips or rushing —this is my journey, and I will choose who I want to be with on my own terms.
After a thorough conversation with Titus, he’s still a bit sulky, but he’s co to terms with my wishes and has chosen to respect them with only a few minor grumbles. I made it clear that his complaints would only irritate and wouldn’t sway my decision; in fact, it might even push back our intimacy because I simply won’t tolerate being pressured into it.
"I believe that should be sufficient fish for us," I remarked, eyeing the impressive stack of fish that Oliver was wrapping in coarse cloth. It’s unfortunate that Milo isn’t here to craft us so baskets. I can only imagine how well he and Oliver would hit it off. I find myself missing Milo, and now that my anger has subsided a bit after my talk with Deity Duarte, I’ve started to feel the absence of Kai as well. Perhaps we should think about relocating to another village once we’ve completed our mission to save Elara. We could seek out a fresh start sowhere new. I have no desire to remain in a place filled with past grievances, where we must constantly be on guard for hidden threats. It would be ideal to find a peaceful village that doesn’t practice the snatching ritual. The thought of raising a daughter in a place where she could be taken from , or forced into taking a mate that she doesn’t want, is simply too distressing; it’s such a primitive custom.
After Oliver and Titus finished gathering the fish, the three of us made our way back, with Oliver effortlessly carrying the catch. It was quite impressive how strong he was for his size, especially since he wasn’t typically seen as a fighting beastkin. He managed it all with ease, a result of the males deciding that I should always be accompanied by a strong male. This ant allowing Oliver to handle everything on his own while ensuring Titus’ hands remained free in case of any threats. Given the violence and harshness of this world, it’s no surprise that there’s a shortage of won.
As we approached the fire, we found Sam, who had laid out a collection of fruits he had gathered on a cloth nearby. So resembled plums, others looked like grey-blue pears, and there were also round red cherries that were twice the usual size. They appeared absolutely delectable, especially after surviving on dried at and hard crusts for what felt like an eternity. Sam noticed my hungry gaze and patted the blanket he had spread out, inviting to sit beside him while gesturing toward the fruit. I realized I hadn’t given him much attention, despite the mark on his neck and the way his previous mate had treated him. While he was visually appealing, his personality was a bit rougher than I typically preferred. Nevertheless, he deserved my consideration, and I owed it to our relationship to give it a fair chance. His younger brother, however, was much more my type. Yet, with my limited experience with n, it was likely that my preferences would evolve as I got to know more of them.
I settled down next to him, leaving a comfortable yet respectful distance between us. I wanted to avoid giving the impression that I was pushing him away, even though I appreciated my personal space when I wasn’t entirely at ease with soone.
"So, Sam, what do you enjoy doing for fun?"
He took a brief pause as I picked up a small red fruit, identifying it as a Sweet Crimson Berry. It was supposed to be sweet when ripe and perfect for desserts. I took a bite, and it tasted like candied cherries, a delightful treat that brought back mories of candy. It was especially enjoyable since I hadn’t tasted anything reminiscent of sweets since the clear crystals Elara had given . A wave of sadness washed over at the thought of her absence, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she was okay. I had to get her back soon; it was essential.
"I like to draw with charcoal when I have the free ti and I enjoy cooking."
I straightened up at that. "Oh, really? What do you enjoy drawing?"
His face flushed as he looked down at his feet. "I draw beastkin in scenes with their families and I like do draw landscapes...and sotis flowers. It’s not all that useful of a skill but it brings so joy. Sotis Oliver brings various plants and has draw them so that he can put up notices to avoid or request certain herbs. So I suppose it isn’t completely useless."
He shrugged it off, but I could see the spark in his eyes as he spoke about his art, making him all the more charming.
"Do your horns feel burdenso?" I inquired, reaching for another piece of fruit and quickly sinking my teeth into it.
He chuckled in response. "Is your hair heavy? Is your head heavy? I’m used to the weight of my horns although I suppose to soone else they would seem heavy, they are made from ivory and quite large."
I squinted as I examined his horns more closely; they were ivory. "It’s surprising that your previous partner didn’t remove them to sell."
He chuckled again. "Ah, had she known that they were ivory horns she likely would have. A rare few of my kind have ivory horns, only the bighorn sheep with high mana concentrations in their bodies, luckily she had no idea."
"So why tell ?"
"You wouldn’t cut off my horns, so why not tell you?"
I reflected on it and realized that I would never remove soone’s horns without their consent, unless, of course, it was my child’s horns that needed a little tidying up. The idea of having a baby with horns is quite peculiar, isn’t it?
"I genuinely wouldn’t do that; I’m just taken aback that you were aware of it."
"You’ve already demonstrated what kind of female you are in the ti that I’ve known you. I’m very pleased to know that my little brother will be well loved in your care and am willing to do my best to honor our relationship though I’ve never been an outwardly affectionate type, I do intend to try to please you."
I exhaled softly, sending a few rebellious strands of hair fluttering away from my mouth. My fingers felt sticky, so I hesitated to touch my hair just yet. To my surprise, he looked at with such warmth in his eyes as he gently tucked my hair behind my ear. It struck how incredibly handso he was when his expression softened like that. A sudden urge surged within to keep that tender look just for myself, away from prying eyes.
"Please, don’t let anyone else see you like that," I blurted out, not even realizing I was going to say it.
He blinked in surprise, then a radiant smile spread across his face, illuminating the space around us. My cheeks flushed as a wave of jealousy washed over , imagining so other girl catching a glimpse of his captivating expression. How mortifying.
"I’ll rember that," he replied, inching a bit closer, and this ti, I didn’t pull away.
By the riverbank, Titus was busy cleaning the fish, while nearby, under a makeshift shelter crafted from propped-up fabric, Oliver was preparing so dicines for future use. The night was serene, with only the soft chirping of crickets filling the air, and I felt a profound sense of safety on my journey back, accompanied by my protectors. If any troubleso lizard beastkin dared to approach, I knew they would handle it effortlessly. It was at that mont I sensed an odd feeling of being observed. I scanned my surroundings, but seeing nothing, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Is sothing bothering you?" Sam asked.
"No, I was just reminiscing about my first trip through here and got a bit spooked. You rember that lizard beastkin that attacked right before we t."
Sam surveyed the area with a discerning gaze, and I gently placed my hand on his arm. "I’m probably just scaring myself with mories; I doubt anyone is here."
He took another look around before exhaling deeply. "Once Titus finishes up, I’ll ask him to check the area. My night vision is practically nonexistent, especially compared to his."
Coming Next Ti: Being Hunted
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