05 - Awakened Trauma

Under the ethereal glow of the moonlight, Curtis and Nivi stood opposite each other. Despite his usual confidence, there was a vulnerability about him now, a side of him that seemed as rare as the scene unfolding."I haven't shed my skin yet," Curtis began, "but when I do, I want to give it to you-if you'll have it." The offer, symbolic of his deepest affection, hung between them like a sacred vow, "You are the most beautiful female I have ever seen. You are gentle and kind, and I took a liking to you the moment I saw you," he confessed, his words simple yet profound, carrying the weight of his sincerity.Meanwhile, a short distance away, I had made myself comfortable under a palm tree on a makeshift bed crafted from fur, and tried to block out the world for a brief respite. Nivi had accepted our situation faster than I could blink. She was adamant about taking in new males as fast as possible so she could protect us both from similar threats.In her interactions with Curtis, she exhibited a fearlessness and a warmth that seemed to effortlessly captivate his attention, contrasting sharply with my own more guarded demeanor.I had braced myself, half-expecting Nivi, to succumb to Curtis's charm and leap into his arms, accepting his proposal, but I knew it wouldn't be possible right now."I can't accept," Nivi whispered, her words slicing through the night's calm — my calm, "You've already bonded with Yaya, and it wouldn't be right for me to take you as my own.""We didn't bond," Curtis quickly said, "Why would I want such an ugly and violent female?"Right, why would you want someone like that? "Then explain why your tail is still wrapped around Yaya's leg?" Nivi questioned, her gaze piercing through the night air towards Curtis. "Your eyes see my beauty, but it's clear your heart seeks Yaya."With those words, she left Curtis visibly taken aback as he let go of my leg. She made her way over and slipped under the fur beside me."Yaya," Nivi said, fixing me with a mock-serious glare, her voice a conspiratorial whisper as she dabbed away a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth, a lingering effect of the eye-feast she'd indulged in while admiring Curtis, "Since you've claimed Curtis as your own, I suppose I'll just have to console myself with Winston."I shot her a glare, "Claim him for yourself, and give me a break." the bags under my eyes must be practically luggage at this point, "I left him breathing just for you — so you could gaze upon your 'book husband' in all his splendor once you wake up."My gun, soaked from the sea's embrace, was momentarily useless, yet the thought of using my knives to pierce his beautiful eyes or slice across his neck while he was blindfolded crossed my mind a few times.Nivi's chuckle, light and seemingly unperturbed, cut through my brooding thoughts, a stark contrast to the dark musings that occupied my mind. What if this was the world she dreamed of living in? What if the man before me was the male she wanted to become part of her harem?I made a minor adjustment in my course of actions, such as removing his tongue, which wouldn't take away from his physical appeal — a dark thought, perhaps, but one that highlighted the threat I felt during that time."Don't ever scare me like that again," Nivi implored, her voice quivering as she wrapped me in a tight embrace, tears threatening to spill from her eyes when she took in the bruises on my face. She leaned in closer, her words a barely audible whisper, "In the novel, Curtis forced himself on Bai QingQing when she rejected him. I thought you also rejected him, and I began to expect the worst," her voice broke."This would have never happened if you woke up a bit earlier," I teased, trying to lighten the mood, my words laced with humor, "I could've caught up on some much-needed sleep while you two were busy making me an auntie to a litter of snake eggs."Nivi pinched my arm playfully, "It could have been worse." As she spoke, she cast a glance upwards, where Curtis now stood over us, his presence casting a shadow that felt as sudden as it was imposing."Can you take us to a nearby village or a city?" Nivi asked him, "I don't want my friend's face to be marred by permanent scars, and I would like her to be seen by a doctor."She knew this novel like the back of her hand and was already making plans on how to obtain all the capture targets.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·The scene shifted, and the mood lightened with Nivi's presence, "Yaya, this is so fun. Come on, you have to try it."I glanced upwards to find Nivi, a picture of delight, perched high in Curtis's arms.Curtis gave me a raised eyebrow, almost as if he was expecting me to give in and request to be carried around as well. His expression was that of a challenge and seemed to taunt me, daring me to embrace the whimsy of the moment just like Nivi had.I was curious about whether winning every single male's loyalty was truly as straightforward as it appeared, but this was not the time to test the waters."Achoo," I sneezed, politely covering my nose with a napkin. "Maybe later. I don't want any of you catching my cold.""Females are so weak," Curtis's mutter barely reached my ears as he commented, "You fall sick too easily."Despite the sharpness of his words, his actions belied a different sentiment. He reached over and, with surprising gentleness, lifted me by my backpack to place me securely on his tail."Your skin is cold. It's only going to make my symptoms worse." Feeling the cool, scaly texture beneath my hands, I couldn't help but retort, "I thought you hate females who use you for their benefits, so why are you carrying Nivi around as if you are her chariot? Because she is beautiful and kind...unlike the rest of us?"Curtis, upon hearing my comment, didn't miss a beat before retorting, "There's a difference between needing support and exploiting it, something you seem to confuse. Nivi's kindness and beauty are undeniable — but it's her respect and gratitude that set her apart from the rest of the females."I winked at Nivi as if saying: See? He is genuine about you.At this, Nivi pinched the side of her temples. She seemed a bit reluctant about accepting Curtis as a part of her harem because he called me ugly and violent, but isn't it good? It only means he has eyes only for her.Whatever it was about the snake tail wrapped around my leg, I mentioned the game of hide and seek Curtis really seemed to hate. What about the kiss? Well, it was me who kissed him first, so it didn't count.So hurry and mate with him, Nivi! Doesn't the spousal mark mean the male can only stay by his female's side until death?When Nivi reached out to grasp Curtis's head, tilting forward to plant a kiss, Curtis deftly dodged her advance.This maneuver led Nivi to throw a note in my direction, something we used to exchange a lot in highschool: Don't be QingQing and pair up with Curtis, at least take him in as your plaything. If I don't secure Winston and Harwy for myself, I'll make sure you end up as Curtis's next meal.Caught off guard by her implication, my mouth twitched involuntarily.'Nivi, Curtis is definitely into you, but it looks like you've just awakened some deep-seated kissing trauma I've given him.'╔═══ Author's note ════╗Yaya, you've got to step up your game, or Nivi's going to start believing you're a bigger disaster than QingQing. 😱╚════════════════╝