09 - Snake Meat Skewer (1.36k words)

Under the soft glow of the evening light, we found ourselves gathered in Harvey's lush garden. It was just the four of us: me, Harvey, Nivi, and Curtis, encircled by the flickering flames of a fireplace that danced and swayed, casting playful shadows on our faces.After I spread my legs for Curtis this morning, he underwent a complete transformation in his behavior towards Nivi. It was as though he suddenly found himself no longer in need of her tips to win me over."Open your mouth and show me your tongue, Yaya."I cast a sidelong glance at Curtis while the savory aroma of grilled snake meat filled the air. "My tongue?" I echoed, and with a casual air, I complied, extending my tongue slightly for his inspection.Curtis's eyes lit up, that possessive gleam unmistakable as he caught sight of the spousal mark. "Yaya," he murmured, his voice heavy with a sense of ownership, "I don't want you to take in another male. I want to be your first and also your last mate.""Okay," I simply shrugged and continued savoring my snake skewer, his words washing over me like a breeze that failed to stir the leaves. His declarations felt oddly weightless, just like another series of sounds lost in the noise of my world.Nivi couldn't help but roll her eyes at Curtis, probably gagging inside at his arrogance, "And who's going to look after Yaya while you're hibernating or hunting?"Curtis, momentarily caught in thought, finally answered, "She can stay with you during winter. I'll find some strong males for you to consider as mates and offer them emeralds in return for their protection." He said as if the chance of a mated male to cheat on his female was zero. He glanced dismissively at Harvey, treating him like an afterthought, barely worth noticing. "The mate you chose is completely useless."Oh, by the way, Nivi's attitude towards Curtis took a total 180 too."Say it again?" Nivi bared her small fists, "Harvey has powers that brute force like yours could never match," she spat out. Her initial sympathy for Curtis likely evaporated.Harvey managed a strained smile, though his voice betrayed a hint of bitterness. "Curtis is right, Neveah. I'm not strong enough to protect you on my own," he admitted, the words tasting like ash in his mouth, "You should take in more males. Parker is the leopard's king's son. He is only seventeen, yet is already considered the strongest beastman in the Camel Valley."Harvey's strengths lay more in healing than in combat. The sting from Curtis must have been harsh, especially in front of Nivi, whom he admired."Don't mind him, Harvey. He's all talk, just wait until he realizes that it's not up to him to decide whether Yaya takes in more mates," Nivi started, her voice firm. Her gaze shifted towards me, "Yaya, are you just going to sit back and let Curtis walk all over you with his whims?"Responding to her worry, I raised my snake skewer towards Curtis's lips, offering him a bite. "If Curtis is willing to fund my bodyguards, why should I sacrifice my body for males I don't even care for?"I could see a flicker of discomfort cross Nivi's face, likely a reaction to the cold expression I couldn't hide.Honestly, I could never understand why Nivi liked to read about other people's love stories so much. But now, I had a chance to see such tales unfold before my eyes. I imagined myself in the role of the good aunty, watching a beautiful woman bask in the company of several handsome men, each eagerly vying for her attention.Taking a bite, Curtis's sly and stealthy tail attempted to coil itself around me, which made me tighten my grip on the skewer and push it deeper into his mouth, causing him to choke and spurt blood.Harvey gasped, his eyes widening in surprise, while Curtis began coughing furiously, pulling his tail away. "Are you alright?"My breath hitched as I dropped the skewer like it was a hot coal.Curtis finally caught his breath. His eyes looked a little darker than they had a moment ago, his mouth slightly parted. I could see a faint outline of his tongue, licking the remains of saliva on his lips.I looked at Harvey and found him looking at me, his mouth ajar, his eyes filled with shock.I raised my brows questioningly. "What?"Harvey's lips were still parted, he tried to say something but words wouldn't come out. He looked a little shaken."Breath, or you're going to choke, just like Curtis," I teased him before standing up, "Thank you for the lovely meal, Nivi. I'll be taking my leave for the rest of the evening.""Yaya?" Nivi suddenly called out."I'm sorry, Nivi," I grabbed my backpack, "I'm sorry. I don't think I can continue doing this. I don't need a mate, I don't need love, I'm happy with just having you as my friend," I muttered under my nose as I left the garden in haste.Without a word, Curtis followed after me, his presence marked by a cold, detached silence.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·As I strolled outside the village with Curtis, an unmistakable bubble of space formed around us, the villagers discreetly stepping aside or turning away.Curtis, with his feral demeanor, and I, features marred with scratches and bruises, clad in unusual attire, became the center of avoidance. Whispers fluttered like leaves in the wind, quick glances were stolen only to be averted when our eyes sought theirs."Do you regret putting the spousal bond on me?" I asked, my eyes wandering over the shadowy expanse of the forest ahead.Curtis's response was icy, his tone detached. "Is that why you sliced my neck immediately afterward? Because I claimed you as mine with my mark?""I mean, after getting such a power kick, it felt almost rude not to use it on you after what you've put me through. Couldn't you choose another place though? Hadn't my face suffered enough?"After I saw my reflection in the mirror, there was no point holding onto his scale anymore, which made me kick it away in frustration.With such high senses, Curtis knew that I wasn't in a good condition. (I personally tested his tongue). He knew his presence caused me to be on high alert. If he truly was fond of me as Nivi had claimed, he would have given me the emerald earlier.Snakes like him were vengeful, and after I bit off his tongue, he let me suffer for three whole days before he decided he was done with whatever he intended.It was clear he was playing games, fully aware that Nivi was my Achilles' heel. With the legacy of his ancestors, Curtis should possess wisdom beyond most beastmen. The fact that he didn't have a female by choice meant that he wasn't affected by reproduction desires like most beastmen."I should have choked you to death with that skewer," I muttered, "But I didn't want Nivi to think that I'm the bad guy again, so deem yourself fortunate that you've escaped my claws again."Curtis chuckled, a sound so rare that I had to look up at him to see if it was real, "She's got this adorable idea that not all ferals are bad. I admit she would have been a great mate, but I've already made my decision after three days of thinking it through."He used his tail to get near my legs which instinctively made me leap into the air to avoid it. See? He was having great fun, using his tail as my skipping rod."Yaya," he said softly, almost teasingly, "Once we reach my place, let's seduce each other like we did this morning again."╔═══ Author's note ════╗Now, we finally know how Yaya was able to take down Curtis despite her bad condition, she used his own power (from the spousal mark) against him. 👀And she finally decided to separate from Nivi, so let's see what she has up her sleeves next. 👀╚═════════════════╝