Chương 21: 21 - Stupid Bird (2.06k words)
After finishing my business in the washroom, I moved to a less noticeable corner of the house and slumped to the ground for a rest.
Earlier, I could barely lean against Nivi's wooden bench and table in the dining room. Afraid it would not support my weight and break apart, I had to keep an uncomfortable position that took a toll on my bones and muscles.
My hands and feet touched the ground gently, feeling the strain in my body relax a bit. My wrists and ankles were red and sore, not yet used to the new load.
I didn't have many options. To roam around free, it was either these weights or the drugs that would suppress my powers. I often attempted to escape as soon as the weights lost their effects, but Vick would always manage to find me.
I took advantage of his feelings to get away a few times just to see him get into trouble with my father. Vick wasn't naive; he probably knew what he was doing all along, perhaps even intentionally letting me think I could outsmart him.
My father introduced several potential fiancés to me along the way. Still, only Vick managed to stay by my side without losing his sanity, which says quite a bit about his own level of craziness.
What made him even more annoying was his willingness to embrace pain, whether his own or someone else's, in order to get what he wanted.
Whatever beastman he was, he had to be a hella smart and twisted one.
Sensing a stir in the shadows, I quickly stood, only to find myself suddenly cornered against the wall by Muir. His arms framed me on either side, leaving me no way out.
I met his looming presence with a raised eyebrow. His attempt to intimidate me with those stunning blue eyes didn't even make me flinch.
Muir's face loomed closer, his eyes narrowing as he leaned in. "All you do is mock me, ridicule me, push me to become violent, just like those two you've chosen. Does it make you happy, seeing me this miserable? What more do I need to do for you to accept me like you do them?"
I maintained my composure, "I don't want anything, especially not from you...a stupid bird."
"You're playing a dangerous game," he whispered, his voice tinged with threat.
I chuckled softly, our hot breath caressing each other's lips, "Am I? Seems to me like you're the one who's getting played."
The intensity in his gaze could have melted steel, yet it only served to amuse me further.
"You underestimate me," he snarled, "Why did you give Nivi the necklace I gifted you?" he demanded, as if intimidation was the only way for me to take him more seriously.
"To prove a point," I replied, "It's to show you why Curtis and Vick never bother with gifts. They know better."
"Their words never seem to reach you until they do this," he paused, his nose brushing against mine, inhaling my scent deeply while attempting to control himself, his voice a hushed murmur, "Don't push me to demonstrate it."
Leaning forward, I gave a quick peck on his lips-more a stroke of audacity than affection ─ pretending to wrap my arm around his neck. I then swung it down hard, my weights striking his shoulder, "Stupid pigeon," I taunted as he fell to his knees with a painful groan, "Really, what can you possibly demonstrate with those pathetic feelings you've been nursing for me?"
I watched him stagger with a groan, grabbing his shoulder. His face was concealed from me.
My laughter cut through the tension. "Oh, come on, Muir, surely you've realized by now? I'm far from the woman you want, even further from the one you need. You're chasing a mirage, hoping to quench your lust that will only leave you more parched."
I turned away, leaving him behind with his emotions laid bare.
· · ──────── · ⊱❈⊰· ──────── · ·
As I made my way back to Nivi to break the news about leaving this village, she intercepted me with a determined grip, pulling me aside with a look of urgency in her eyes.
"Yaya, why didn't you tell me it was a gift from Muir?" she whispered urgently, returning the pearl necklace I had given her during dinner, "Listen. Winston should appear in the Beast City in just a week. I can't risk you stumbling onto him and running off with him along the way like Curtis and Muir too. Stay with me until we reach the Beast City. At least until we meet Winston, please."
"Excuse me? The Beast City?" My reaction must've been a sight to behold ─ my eyebrows practically reaching for the sky as I stared at her like she'd just suggested I start a cheese farm on the moon, "That's the last place I want to visit."
"Please, please, please," Nivi pleaded, "It'll just be one week. You won't even notice. Please?"
I shook my head, "Nope."
"What will it take for you to say yes? Except for me taking your males, and breaking up with mine, I'll do anything. I don't care what it is, I'll do it," she continued, expressing her crazy obsession with Winston.
I was intrigued by the possibilities, my lips curving into a sly smile. "Really? Anything?"
She nodded, her expression serious. "Just name it."
I looked at her momentarily, a wicked smile on my face. "Very well," I said. "Refrain from having physical intimacy with your males. I don't want to walk around listening to you guys making love without touching each other either, so keep them at a distance until we part ways."
Nivi's jaw dropped.
I shrugged, "Take it or leave it."
"Ugh," Nivi grumbled, "You're such a pervert."
"Says the girl who sleeps around with three men," I smirked.
She looked like she wanted to protest, but she wisely decided not to. "Fine, but can I still kiss them? Just a little?"
"Nope."
Her face fell. "What about a little hug? Nothing too sensual. You know, just to say hello or goodbye. Is that okay?"
"No. Absolutely not."
"You cruel sadist." She glared at me, "Not even if one of them is going out to hunt?"
I shook my head, a smug look on my face, "Is Winston not worth a little bit of suffering?"
"Fine!" Nivi said, grumbling under her breath, "What did I do to deserve this?" she sighed.
"You just invited a female with three deprived campers, to join a trip with a female who's got three happy lovers. How do you expect me to make my campers happy and content besides sacrificing my body and my sanity? Of course, it's to make your lovers as miserable as they are."
"..." Nivi's jaw dropped again, "Wait...three?" Her eyes darted to the tree, where she noticed Muir making his way to join Curtis and Vick, "Did you have a change of heart and actually accept-"
Dismissing her words, I walked away, "Men, I swear, are worse than weeds in a garden. No matter how many you try to get rid of, they sprout up right beside you," I cursed under my breath as I twirled the illuminating pearl necklace around my finger.
· · ──────── · ⊱❈⊰· ──────── · ·
"You two," I muttered to Curtis and Vick, "are always conveniently absent when I need actual saving, aren't you?"
I plopped into Victor's lap, hoping my weight would crush the boneless thing between his legs.
"..." Vick almost choked on his saliva as he caught my weight before I could crush his legs, giving the indifferent Muir a curious glance. "Why aren't you sweet-talking Nivi anymore? Did the charm finally wear off, or did you run out of honeyed words?"
Muir's stance was detached, arms crossed, as he leaned against the tree with a cool demeanor, "I know you are both desperate to get her more males. If you want to fight, just say so, but we all know you need me alive and in top form."
"Oh?" Vick remarked, his gaze shifting to me, "I can't believe I've doubted your allure even for a moment, Precious. But then again, it was Nivi's lovely charms it was up against."
Muir's gaze drifted to Vick, who had pulled me closer, his face pressed into my hair. It finally dawned on him that it was Vick who took advantage of his primal urges, using his lust as a weapon to bend him to his will-a warning I had tried to convey to his little pigeon brain all this while.
But really, what did I think? Trying to go against a male's lust? Love could turn to hate, while lust could only be sated. In retrospect, Muir had finally understood that it wasn't love that had kept him tethered to me ─ or he knew all along and just tried to salvage his pride as a respected eagle.
Despite Muir's earnest attempts to demonstrate the depth of his feelings, he ended up proving just the opposite by warping his view of me, and quite spectacularly at that. At the end of the day, it was the raw, carnal desire that coursed through his veins-not love.
Even when confronted with my challenging character and Nivi's vibrant personality, his mind probably remained fixated on a more primal image: me ─ a female ─ writhing seductively on the pelt he had laid out inside the cave. Basically, the blood in his brain would transfer to his dick whenever I was around ─ killing all his reasoning.
"I'm going to accompany Nivi to the Beast City and stay there for around seven days," I announced, feeling the weight of exhaustion taking over me.
Feeling my fatigue, Vick wrapped his arms around me even tighter, "That is amazing news. Shall we buy a house and settle down there, while we are at it?"
"We have a house," I said, "It's in Flame City."
I could almost hear their brains grinding at my joke. After all, the Flame City was a lawless and dangerous place, with the most ruthless criminals lurking in every alley.
Vick was the first to recover, turning toward Muir, "How much does it cost to buy a house in the Beast City?"
Right now, Curtis was the only one loaded with cash. Vick and I were dirt broke. Muir's situation? No clue.
"It's around a hundred crystal pieces," Muir replied, "and it depends on the size. If you're talking about a big one, it'll probably be around two hundred. But as long as you have a female, the Beast City will provide you with a place to stay."
Curtis and Vick shared a knowing glance before turning to me with expressions that practically shouted: Welcome to the usefulness club! It's finally time for you to make your contribution.
"A house," Curtis muttered, "we have to get a big one."
"Yeah," Vick agreed, "I never planned to stay houseless forever."
"We will need sturdy furniture for Yaya, one that can withold an elephant," added Curtis, immediately taking my weight into consideration.
Drifting off to sleep in Vick's embrace, I listened as they began discussing what kind of house they could afford with my stunning looks and how many rooms would be enough to accommodate all my future suitors.
It irked me to no end that Vick had once again achieved his objective by 'coaxing' Muir to join us.
Known for being tight-lipped about his trust circle, it floored me how Vick opened up to Curtis so freely, all because of the spousal mark he gave me-which symbolized a bond and trust that went beyond the ordinary.
If Muir desired a spot within Vick's exclusive circle, which, by the sounds of it, would give him a free pass to me too, he'd be required to gain Vick's trust by marking me like a feral. The natural method he initially thought would be possible was simply never an option.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Curtis is gradually evolving into the most adorable and innocent member of our group. It will be even more apparent in the upcoming chapters. ✌️😁
With Muir joining the group, Yaya's decision to sleep in Vick's embrace was probably the safest choice she had made in a while.
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