06 - Troublemaker

I smoothly dismounted Curtis' tail the moment he offered me a perch, opting instead to trot behind, all the while keeping both him and Nivi within my line of sight.Following Nivi's advice to blend in with the locals, I opted for a simple earthy-brown cloak. I still carried my backpack, wrapped in animal leather to further disguise it.Crafting a makeshift slingshot from a branch and a rubber band, I set out to catch small birds, inspired by Nivi's claims that some tasted like chicken and even laid eggs, "There are some eagles tailing us for quite some time now," I noted, eyeing the persistent predators overhead."Eagle?" Nivi's interest spiked, her eyes darting skyward to where my gaze lingered.Her reaction was almost comical, akin to someone who's found a new toy.Ah, what was his name? Shuu? No, Muir, that's it."The Beast City's guards," said Curtis, "They probably think I've abducted two females."They were probably afraid to approach us because of the four stripped feral by our side.I glanced at Nivi, silently asking: Do you think Muir is up there? Which she responded with an expression of uncertainty. Seizing the opportunity to check for herself, she informed Curtis of her need for a 'bathroom break.'Driven by a sudden impulse-and perhaps to stir the pot-I aimed the makeshift sling at Curtis as he waited patiently for Nivi to finish. "Are you afraid of kissing now?" To push him even further, I bared my teeth, then sank them into the tender flesh of my own tongue."Afraid?" Curtis bared his fangs at me in an attempt to intimidate me, his voice lowered to a threatening growl, "You should be the one afraid to kiss me. Don't think I won't tear your lips off just because you are a female.""Female this. Female that. If you keep on saying that, I'm going to make a necklace out of your fangs and wear it," I threatened him back.I had a habit of threatening whoever threatened me first. It started with my pathetic attempt to rebel against my father's influence, which had somehow carried over into my everyday life.I was simply bad with men, and they were bad with me. I could not even remember when I had started this bad habit. Perhaps it began from my need to assert my superiority over them?Curtis scoffed, not taking my threats seriously, which made me pull the string. A pebble flew across the air and hit him right between the eyes. The sound he made was somewhere between a hiss and a yelp, and his face instantly contorted with pain.I had no idea why I had chosen to provoke him. He was, after all, a four-striped feral that could tear my limb apart. But there was something about him that seemed to be calling out to me, and I could not stop myself from summoning the dangerous part of him."Do you want another one?" I asked.Curtis looked at the ground, his fingers tracing the mark the pebble had left on his forehead, and when he lifted his head, his eyes were bloodshot, and his pupils contracted into a pair of thin slits.His body language had shifted from that of a man to a beast. His movements were slow, deliberate, and the look in his eyes was no longer human, and I could feel the bloodlust radiating off of him.He appeared before me, sinking his fangs into my bottom lips, the taste of iron filled my mouth. It was a quick and violent act that was meant to show dominance."Aaaaghhn," I screamed, but it was muffled by his mouth. His eyes met mine, and I could see his shock when he felt my lips moving. He had not expected me to respond.I could see a spark of lust, the desire to dominate, to submit, to dominate again, and to submit once more, and I wanted to see him succumb to it.I could tell that he was torn between wanting to kill me and wanting to fuck me.He was a predator, and I was his prey, but his desire to dominate me overruled his instinct to hunt, and it was this desire that would lead him down a path of no return."Yaya!" Nivi cried out from afar, and I realized that she had just finished her 'bathroom break.' She grabbed the nearest rock and threw it at Curtis, who was still hovering over me while pressing his crotch in between my legs, "Get off her, Curtis! You can't just force yourself on her!"Now, finally, I have an excuse to get back on Curtis. I thought gleefully, swinging my knife at his neck, making sure to aim for the soft part of his flesh, where it would hurt the most."Argh!" His blood spurted out, staining my face as I straddled his chest, looking at him from above, "You should be careful about the way you threaten me next time. I might just cut your dicks off and put them on my shelf as a trophy."The poison in my knife had begun to take effect, and Curtis's face was twisted in pain. His breathing had become ragged, his pulse was slowing down, and his eyes were glazed."I will give you an antidote if you behave. What do you say?" I stifled a laugh at his brave attempt to keep his strong facade, "I leaned closer, whispering, "Wrong answer," savoring the unease that flickered in his eyes.I grabbed his hair and forced his mouth open, then poured a concoction made of crushed antidote plant and water down his throat, watching him gag on the liquid, "There. That should keep you from dying."In the quiet corners of my mind, a thrill danced through me whenever I saw the shift-from bravado to fear.There's a peculiar satisfaction, a sort of dark delight, in watching the facade of his arrogance crumble, replaced by the dawning realization of his own vulnerability.It wasn't just about power; it was about turning the tables. In those moments, Curtis' fear was my secret symphony, a melody that played to the rhythm of my own rules."Yaya, are you alright?" Nivi asked, helping me up."I'm fine," I said, regaining my composure."You're covered in blood.""It's not mine," I assured her with a lie, wiping the blood off my face."..." Nivi looked at me, and I could sense the silent fear and worry in her eyes."Curtis will only suffer with me," I patted her shoulder, "I know you want him, and I have no intention of fighting you for him.""How do you know that?" Nivi's eyes widened, a hint of blush forming on her cheeks."It's easy to tell.""Is it?""Well, yes," I replied, "How could I not when you practically eye-fuck him every time we stop for a rest?"Nivi's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, "Are you sure?"I could almost hear her thoughts, silently conceding that I might have just outdone QingQing in the 'troublemaker' department, "Absolutely sure.""Okay," Nivi replied, her eyes drifting back to Curtis, "You still carry that grand distaste for men, even for the eye-candy specimens like him?"I nodded silently, my ears drooping in an exaggerated display of a wronged puppy.Nivi sighed, "Just promise me, Yaya. Once I accept a mate, you'll shelve your reign of terror no matter how much it seems like I'm suffering. I will deal with them myself, alright? They are not cut out for the horror show like the one you've unleashed on my cheating ex," she urged, her tone mixing seriousness with a plea, "The males in this world are different."I paused for a second, not refuting her words, "I promise."Nivi smiled at me, the kind of smile that I could never say no to. "Thank you, Yaya.""You're welcome," I replied. Discreetly slipping away, I found a tree to lean against. I pulled out Curtis's scale, which should be enough to neutralize the poison he had inflicted on my lips with his fangs.Tossing the scale into the grass, I pulled out a mirror and looked at my disheveled state. Even if I managed to evade death at the hands of a feral beast, the looming threat of infection still hung over me like a dark cloud.Why am I doing this?I kicked the scale further away.Why the hell am I chasing danger when I should be kicking back, enjoying my new life like Nivi?I buried my face in my knees, pulling them tight against me, while my feet tapped an anxious rhythm on the ground.Look at the disaster you've turned your kid into, you absolute asshole.╔═══ Author's note ════╗Is there anyone you are shipping Yaya with? 🤔Or do you think she's better off solo for the sake of all malekind? 😁╚═════════════════╝