Capítulo 36: 36 - Improved Mood For The Sake Of Others (2.44k words)
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Vick's name comes from the word "Wicked," in case you were curious.
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One month later...
I didn't make much fuss for another month, not because I was plotting some grand escape, but because, let's be real, I knew there was no escaping my father's control. He could powerboost the Flame City and bring destruction to this whole world and let me watch it from the comfort of my room as punishment.
In his view, his drastic actions would have been a direct response to my drastic behavior. He wouldn't care if it broke me. Every consequence would be a result of my actions, and I should have foreseen the fallout.
His twisted scheme would have morphed me from this world's savior into its greatest villain. To avoid an even worse fate, I had no choice but to accept the existence of a city filled with rapists instead of wiping it out of existence.
I knew there were other paths to achieve my goals, but why should I seek other's help if I, alone, was enough? The old fossil relished in limiting my powers, clipping my wings to ensure I couldn't soar too high on my own, taking pleasure in watching me move people around like they were disposable chess pieces instead.
Well, joke's on him ─ I did not plan to be his source of entertainment anymore. Not a chance. But here I was, finding myself in the same predicament again.
Tantrums were exhausting. Every fit of anger eroded my vitality, leaving me feeling empty inside, yet I still put up a small fuss every week when I thought about the facts above.
My tantrums didn't impact the trio as I thought they would. Instead of acting buthurt and scared, they faced each meltdown with a bucket of tears ready, as if they were prepping for a sappy movie marathon.
So, in an attempt to improve my mood ─ and likely for the sake of others ─ I tried to be more productive, like trying to kick Muir and Curtis out of the house to be more useful for at least fifteen days a month. I mean, anything they did around the house, Vick, Me, Tony, or heck, even Bai could handle. Them just hanging around was driving me up the wall.
For god's sake, one was a wild eagle, and the other was a feral snake, not domestic dogs.
Stuck with someone 24/7 was tough enough, but if they were going to be in my space all the time, they should brace themselves for becoming as irritating to me as Vick.
What's even the point of this tattoo-like tracker they've slapped on me? Sure, you can break a regular beast-man's mark, but not a feral's. The only way to turn them into a rootless bird and rootless snake was by killing myself. Was that really what they wanted, huh?
The mark allowed them to track my position. They would be on my tail the moment they realized I was somewhere I shouldn't be. So, instead of playing guard dogs, they might as well hit the road, power up, and learn how to stay connected without needing to be glued to my side.
Vick agreed under the condition that Muir and Curtis would take turns, and the duration was lessened to six days, leaving one day for all of us to bond together. (He probably agreed to it because they still didn't find a good male for me. According to them, the Beast City and its surroundings had zero.)
Curtis couldn't hide his reluctance to part ways. He wrapped me up in a hug so tight it bordered on suffocation, lifting me off my feet. "I'm going to miss you every moment," he murmured, rubbing his cheek against mine. His voice was heavy with emotion, echoing louder in his tight embrace.
"Make me miss you too," I said, feeling the wetness of his parting kiss on my lips.
We've been trying this out for a month already, and it was making them more bearable to look at whenever they returned after a trip.
The one who stayed back with me and Vick would also be more bearable to be around since he was busy most of the day and only came to me for a hug, a kiss, or I would give him a quickie, depending on my mood, before he scattered out of my sight.
· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·
On their first night of return, we would chatter non-stop inside the master bedroom.
"What was the colossal like?"
"How fast did you take it down?"
"What moves did you use?"
"Any interesting finds on your trip besides the crystals?"
Even Curtis, typically more reserved, would vividly share his adventures, plopping down a pile of crystals on the table as casually as if he were unloading groceries.
Muir had mentioned that his good relationship with the leopard kingdom had been strained because of Parker, so he had been working with the other kingdoms lately. There were some signs of the Ape and Tiger King trying to influence him into going against Nivi and her powerful males. There were some hints that the Ape King didn't like Curtis either.
Vick shot Muir a look, one eyebrow arching, "Muir, you don't plan to dethrone a king without having a better royal disaster ready to take his place, do you?"
Muir glanced at Vick, his tone serious, "You should consider taking over the Ape King's position. You have the knowledge and charisma to rival his divine gift. As The King, you will have access to an army of single beastmen. We'll train them to be stronger so they can better protect our territory and our females."
I had been playing with the grapes, throwing them into the air and catching them in my mouth. I stopped chewing to look at Vick. "We must not introduce war to a world that has never known it, Vick."
"Sorry, buddy," Vick leaned on the table, his voice a low, enticing murmur, "The only empire I desire to conquer is the wild, unexplored territory of Yaya's heart. Let's just see if Nivi will successfully create an alliance with the ape king and the rest of the kings first. We'll decide the rest later."
I think Vick had already connected this world with the novel Nivi had talked to me about, especially after Winston's appearance.
Just because he wasn't physically by my side didn't mean his access to modern spying equipment wasn't in full swing. Honestly, it was a relief not to have to endure his presence 24/7, and it probably gave him the freedom to do as he pleased, too.
I've been pondering whether he had found himself a side chick. Did he engage in some sexual activities with her while he eavesdropped and observed my life through advanced equipment? It was a kinky thought; the idea of him using others as my replacement made my core hot.
I knew Vick was very popular among both genders. All my sisters loved him and wanted him to be their fiance instead of mine, insisting that I was an ungrateful bitch. Nah, I didn't have a bad relationship with my sisters. It was "Go choke on Vick's dick and my father's blood if you crave these two things so much, for all I care" type of relationship.
I first came to love Nivi's rants and storytelling because of how they must have annoyed the heck out of Vick, and also the main reason I didn't push her away at the beginning as much as I should have. His ears must have bled from listening to a little girl's one-sided views and opinions that clashed so much with his.
Nivi's ranting was hilarious, and I would always encourage her to keep going by asking her for more details. She was a smart little girl who could hold onto details very well.
Her storytelling became more eloquent, her opinions more thought-out and logical, and in no time, I was no longer listening to a kid's babble.
I was listening to a wise and knowledgeable woman, and sometimes, I couldn't help but interrupt her with a question or a comment.
Sometimes, Vick would show up in my room and start a monologue about the things I've talked with Nivi about, as if trying to connect with me in the same way.
He didn't seem to care about my relationship with Nivi, playing it cool ─ until he cracked open the CEO romance book Nivi recommended to me. Suddenly, his face would become a live theater of emotions, from disbelief at the characters' build to full-blown outrage at the absurd plot.
"I'd rather read a phonebook than subject myself to one more page of this crap," he would scoff, before launching his own ranting, about a chiseled adonis who fell for a poor girl whose most defining trait was her ability to trip over flat surfaces into his chest. "Though," he'd continue, "if you were to stumble into my arms like that, I must confess, I wouldn't mind catching you at all."
It was just a made-up story, and look at how many opinions and emotions it could evoke in various individuals.
It was a game of wits, and I didn't play it. Vick wasn't stupid enough not to know that. Yet, he never gave up, and he would always be disappointed at the end of the night.
Leisurely selecting another grape, I redirected our conversation to another topic, "Muir, have you managed to inscribe my message onto the walls of the Beast City with Curtis as I showed you the last time?"
Muir nodded, the air thickening with his question. "Why aid the Ape King at all? Why lend him more power?"
I let a cold smile play on my lips, "Aid him? Hardly. A king should bleed for his kingdom and sweat for his sovereignty. We're not empowering him; we're chaining him to his obligations, making him a slave to his duties. Let the crown weigh heavy on his head. Let it be a cruel reminder that his throne is not a seat of comfort but a throne of thorns─"
Curtis tilted his head, "Yaya, that sounds worse than death."
I tossed a grape into the air, silencing my own blabbering with it. It seems I got a tad carried away with myself.
"I never thought of it like that before," Muir gave Vick a deep gaze, probing the depths of my words, "You wanted us to find a place far away from Camel Hump Valley, where we can have the best view of the whole Beast City. Is there a reason behind it?"
"Did Yaya's words send shivers down your spine as well?" Vick whispered, acting dumb as he rubbed his arms to warm himself up.
Noticing how I was no longer focusing on questioning him, Curtis opened his luggage. "Yaya, I made you a new outfit. The material is very smooth to the touch," he announced quietly, presenting me with a dark green silk garment, "Allow me to help you put it on."
Laying in my bed lazily, I allowed him to take off my current clothes.
"Does it fit okay?" He asked after putting it on, appreciating the sight from all sides.
"Yes. It's very comfortable." I said, feeling like I was wearing a cloud, a very thin and snug one. "But you should know that I like seeing nice outfits on you more than on myself."
Curtis smiled, "I made a matching set for myself." He pulled another outfit from his traveling luggage and changed into his human form.
He slid the smooth silk fabric over his head and the harem pants over his legs. His movements were sensual, his muscles flexing slightly as he put on a pair of leather bracelets.
He knew how to tease me, and he wasn't even trying. He was just naturally seductive. Or could he be possibly seducing me intentionally?
I looked at him, and my gaze landed on his groin area. His fingers tugged slightly at his pants, showing the alluring V line above his crotch. Below, the fabric was tented and slowly stretched by his growing erection.
He had been watching me closely, and his lips tugged up into a knowing smile when he saw the direction of my gaze.
"Come to bed." I purred and in a blink of an eye, he was by my side.
Muir and Vick seemed content watching Curtis and I make out and pet each other as they shared a bowl of wine.
"The idea that two ferals would go to such great lengths to assist me in winning over their female was beyond my wildest dreams," Muir admitted, allowing himself a small smile. "I felt important and special like never before. It was a strange feeling but not unwelcome."
Vick, with a light laugh, took a massive gulp of the wine, "Well, I'll be honest. I never thought I'd ever be a matchmaker, especially for a woman I'm in love with. But life's weird, huh? Without you two, I'd still be a permanent resident on her ignore list."
I think Muir found a sense of belonging with us. No matter what dark schemes he shared with us, he was embraced just like another quirky neighbor.
"We all share a very similar scent now," Muir remarked, "It mask our pheromones a bit and makes you two more bearable."
"Mm..." Vick took a deep breath, "It's a good and familiar scent."
I took a whiff and found that the four of us smelled almost the same. It was a combination of the soap we had used and our unique smells we had rubbed on each other during our sparrings and sex.
Curtis and I had all night, and there was no rush. Vick and Muir joined us after a while, and we ended up making out together until dawn.
It might not have been the peak of passion, leaving us all wanting more, but it certainly sent our oxytocin levels through the roof.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
They are all growing on each other. 🥹
Curtis is already learning how to make Yaya hungry for him with his new seduction skills. I think this is the greatest difference between him and his ancestors. He can make his female want to mate with him first, instead of him having to initiate the intimacy. It doesn't make him feel like he is forcing himself on her. 🥹
Muir is observing closely, using Curtis as his guinea pig. 🥹
Vick is just happy that Yaya no longer treats him like an air particle, lol. 🥹
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