Chương 104: 104 - Snuggles (3k words)
3rd person POV
"Are you not happy with your mates?" Lia asked.
"Happy. Do you mean mating?" Yaya asked, "My males are good at mating."
"..." the group blinked, their faces flushing and eyes wide, "We were referring to your feelings. Your emotions."
"Feelings? I'm fine."
"How about we teach you how to express your feelings? You know, it would make them happy to know what's on your mind." Lia offered, "And then we can teach you how to make your males listen to you."
This female was a bit dumb but also kind of cute, so the group circled her and began teaching her how to tame her males.
"You get them to do whatever you want if you threaten them with a mating ban," said a mermaid, "Don't tell anyone, though. It's our secret."
Yaya nodded, "I'm good at keeping secrets."
"You get them to agree to everything if you cry and call them names," said another, "It makes them feel bad. It works for me."
Yaya nodded, "What names should I use?"
"Uhhh... Like 'you are the worst male ever!' or 'I can't believe you're treating me this way!'"
"I tried something similar, but they just laughed and ignored me," Yaya replied, and the girls gasped. "They even use it to be mean at me."
"Oh no, she can't use that method."
"What can she do then?"
"I don't know. We don't have the same males, so we can't be sure."
"I'm open to any suggestions," Yaya asked, "If they are happy, I'm happy."
"Huh? Why would you want them to be happy? You should want them to be miserable. That's what a female is supposed to do. It's a way to get back at them for the suffering they are putting us through."
"Oh, I see," Yaya nodded, "Their misery will then spread to your males, too. Got it. It's to make all males miserable. Good strategy."
"That's not what I said!" the girl shouted, picturing The Scorpion King and Merfolk King punishing their underlings, which would eventually reach their males—and then impact them too.
"No, no. I understand."
"No, you don't! That's not what we want!"
"But it's their fault," Yaya said.
"Yes, but─"
"Males are responsible for everything," Yaya continued.
"Yes, but─"
"You should be happy when they are suffering," Yaya finished.
"No, no, no!" the girls wanted to claw their faces off in frustration, "You can't use those methods! You can't! It's bad. Very, very, very bad. So bad. You will be a horrible female if you use those methods."
Yaya tilted her head, "But it will make me happy."
"NO! BAD!" the girls were now jumping up and down, waving their arms in the air, "Don't ever do it. Promise us you won't!"
"But I want to be happy like you. I'm fine with being bad if that's what it takes."
"NOOO!"
Yaya took a step back, startled by their reaction, "Did I say something wrong?"
The girls were shaking and holding their heads. What do they do now? There was no way to teach her their ways without turning her into a nightmare of a female.
"Just be nice. Okay?"
"Nice," Yaya repeated, "But I'm not good at being nice."
"Then let us teach you!"
"Okay, I'll try."
"You'll try?"
"If they don't like me being nice, then I won't be nice."
"You'll go back to your old ways?"
"Mmm."
The girls sighed. "Fine. Let's just keep trying," they said, "So, first of all, smile. That will make them happy."
"I need an example."
"Like this," the girls smiled at Yaya.
"I see. I'll try it," Yaya said, turning around as if waiting for something.
The girl's jaws dropped when the Scorpion King and a wolf beastman stepped out of the fog. They were shirtless and barefoot, their hair disheveled, and their muscles glistening with sweat, dirt, and blood.
They knew the Scorpion King loved to challenge others to duels, but they never saw him this serious...this focused. The wolf beastman looked just as intense, his fangs bared.
They stormed toward the girls and grabbed Yaya by the arms. They dragged her into the mist while the Scorpion King mumbled something about her licking their wounds since it was her fault that they ended up fighting.
"You know, stopping us would be a good start," Mitchell grumbled, holding onto Yaya's arm, "I'm bleeding for you, and this is what I get? Unbelievable."
Bart wiped his face with his forearm, "We're bleeding because of each other. She has nothing to do with it."
"Oh, shut up," Mitchell scoffed, "You are spoiling her too much."
"No, you are spoiling her too little," Bart bit back.
"I wanted to stop you, but I was too scared," Yaya stammered, "I didn't know what to do, so I tried looking for help," she said, making them choke on air.
They looked her over, then exchanged looks as if to confirm that it was their female who had just spoken.
"Is she sick?" Mitchell whispered.
Bart shook his head, "I don't think so."
"Then what in the devil's bones is this?" Mitchell asked, gesturing toward her.
Bart's gaze shifted to Yaya, "Maybe pregnancy is affecting her more than we thought."
Mitchell lifted her veil, squeezing her cheeks between his palms, and stared at her eyes, "Are you feeling unwell? Sick? Dizzy? Does anything hurt?"
Bart squinted his eyes, "Do you need to vomit? Are your muscles sore? How is your mood?"
"I feel great."
"That's it. She's sick. We're going back," Mitchell stated.
"Now," Bart nodded, "Before she gets worse."
"No, I'm fine!" Yaya called out as they ignored her and continued to drag her toward the fog, "Please, believe me. I'm fine! Why won't you listen?" she stumbled and then clutched at the air in the girl's direction, "Help...me..."
Bart covered her mouth with his palm, "You heard her. She needs our help."
"Yeah," Mitchell said, "She's probably hallucinating. Her temperature is higher than usual. She needs to cool down. Let's give her a cold bath."
"A nice, cold, bath. Sounds perfect."
"Very, very, cold." Mitchell yelped, his arms flailing around, trying to catch her in his arms, "Ouch! She's burning!"
Bart shouted in pain, his face pale as he shook his hand, "We're not dying today! Run!"
"Run for your life!" Mitchell yelled and quickly picked her up, "Ughh!"
The two beastmen ran and disappeared into the fog.
"..."
"..."
"What. Was. That?"
"She was asking for our help," Lia pointed out, her brows furrowed, "We should save her," she continued, "Before her males make her do something that will hurt her."
"Like what?"
"I don't know! Something bad!"
"You're right. She is not safe with those males," one of the mermaids said, clenching her fists. "I remember when I traveled the ocean with her and Gold. Gold treated her worse than me, yet she didn't dare complain."
"How horrible!"
"But what can we do? Did you see that wolf beastman? He took in the rootless from the City of Flames and established a City of Forbidden behind the mountains," one of the girls said, her voice trembling.
The male had striking long hair in a half ponytail, a beautiful shade of silver blue. It was rare for beastmen to grow their hair this long since it would make many females jealous, and they wouldn't want that.
"Is that true?" Lia asked one of the males.
"Yes," the scorpion male responded. "The rootless started to refer to him as their Beast King. Nobody knew his true identity until the incident with the Ape King happened. He is the eldest son of the Wolf King and the older brother of the current Wolf King. Many think the Tiger Queen came to the resort mainly to halt his rise to power."
"We came this far. We can't just go back empty-handed," Lia said, determination shining in her eyes, "Let's try asking the Tiger Queen for help. The Tiger King is famous for saving many females from the ferals and rootless. We should seek her out next."
· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·
Meanwhile...
Mitchell glared at the snickering female in his arms, the vein on his temple throbbing, "Stop laughing and hold on tight."
"Mhm," Yaya hummed, her laughter continued, "There's nothing more cute than a bunch of pretty girls trying to play heroes against the big, bad, guys. I wonder if they will try to save me from your evil clutches. I mean, from my good boys' clutches." She patted his back," My sweet, silly, little things. Hahaha."
"..." Bart watched on helplessly, "At least, she's laughing."
"Laughing?" Mitchell grumbled, his grip tightening around Yaya's waist, "You call this laughing? She's driving me insane. I want to smack her. So hard."
"I know the feeling," Bart sighed, caressing her head, "She's just playing with us. Let her have her fun. I don't mind being a fool for her sake."
"I do mind. I refuse to be someone else's laughingstock. Stop. Laughing. I said. Stop." Mitchell pinched her cheeks and pulled, his lips holding back a grin, "Do I make you happy? Yes? Say yes. Come on, say yes. Do you love me? Do you want me? Do you crave for me?"
"No, no, and no."
"..." Mitchell's eyes twitched.
Bart laughed, "You shouldn't have asked, you idiot."
"I'm going to throw you off the cliff," Mitchell warned, his fingers pinching her cheeks, "I refuse to be the only idiot. We are all idiots in this relationship, and I am not accepting any less than that. Got it?"
"Mmm," Yaya said, wrapping her arms around his neck, her legs circling around his waist, her body leaning into his chest. "Got it."
"...What are you doing?"
"Snuggling," she answered.
"Huh?"
"I want a snuggle."
"A...what now?"
"A snuggle."
"You...want a...snuggle," Mitchell repeated slowly, his brain refusing to process what was happening. "Okay," he said, his body tensing, his breathing ragged, "You can have a snuggle."
"Thanks."
"Welcome," he choked out, wondering what she had up her sleeves next. His eyes shifted toward the wolf just in case, "If I die, I'll come back and haunt you."
Bart's eyes widened, "Wha─"
"Pfft," Yaya snorted, her shoulders shaking.
Bart and Mitchell looked down, their jaws shaking. If they laugh, it would be a dead giveaway.
Mitchell mouthed toward Bart: How dare she be this adorable, huh?!
Bart mouthed back: It's going to be a disaster if she starts to act like this before others.
Mitchell's face fell, his heart sinking at the thought of anyone witnessing his female acting so lovely. It would be like putting her on a platter and offering her to others. He couldn't allow that.
Mitchell glared at the wolf, his expression clearly saying: Why are you looking so smug for, asshole? It's me who made her laugh.
Bart narrowed his eyes: You are a joke, yes. She is laughing. Not with you. But at you.
Mitchell's barred his teeth at him: I'll beat you up once she is done making fun of me.
Bart raised his chin: You can't even hold her without wanting to die of happiness. Weakling.
Mitchell's lips pulled back into a menacing smirk: You can't even kiss her without begging her for permission.
Bart's face heated up: You can't even stand next to her without looking constipated.
"It's so quiet," Yaya mumbled.
Mitchell and Bart snapped out of their bickering, and their heads turned toward her.
"Too quiet," Yaya said, lifting her head and staring at the skies. "Something is coming."
The sky was clear, with no traces of clouds. Yet, the wind carried a heavy sensation. They waited for a while, taking in the silence of the jungle, when the scent of danger began to reach their noses.
A creature so large that its wingspan blocked out the sun flew above the trees. Its scales were a mix of red and gold, and its claws were deep black, as if dipped in ink. Its tail was bright red, and its head was crowned by two small horns.
"A dragon," Yaya whispered, her gaze following the beast's movements.
Her presence merged with the surroundings, but it didn't stop Mitchell from pulling her close and shielding her from view.
An eagle was flying by the dragon's side. Vick rode Muir's back while waving his arms, pointing in the resort's direction.
Romeo trailed behind and quietly landed when he spotted the trio. "He is looking for the Tiger Queen," he said, wiping the dirt from the boys' cheeks and fixing their messy hair. "Tales of her amazing feats have been spreading far and wide. He's heard a lot about her and her males, so he is coming here to check her out. If his standards are not met, he won't waste his time on her."
"Shoo. Shoo," Mitchell slapped away Romeo's hands when he gestured for him to hand over Yaya, his hold on her tightening, "It's my turn to hold her. I didn't get to spend any time with her because of the competition between the Flame City females, so shoo."
"I'm going to hide her somewhere safe until the dragon is gone," Romeo explained, "Just in case he gets interested in meeting her."
"What standards were you talking about?" Bart asked, "The Tiger Queen has many good qualities. Which ones is he looking for? As long as she doesn't have them, there's no reason to hide her."
"He is interested in the Tiger Queen's beauty. Her charm. Her courage. Her intelligence. Her skills. Her knowledge. Her experience. Her talent. Her personality. Her manners. Her wit. Her style. Her ability to fight. Her ability to tame her enemies. Her ability to be a good mother. Her ability to make others follow her lead. Her ability to inspire others. Her ability to protect. Her ability to defend. Her ability to─"
"Alright, stop!" Mitchell cut him off, quickly handing Yaya to Romeo like a sack of potatoes, "We get it! You are saying that our female's ability to piss off people might blind the dragon's rationality."
"Exactly," Romeo's smile disappeared when he almost fell over, her body feeling heavier than a rock, "..." He struggled for a moment before finally getting her into a comfortable position in his arms.
"You killjoys. What about my front-row seats for the unfolding drama?" Yaya wrapped her arms around Romeo's neck and laid her head on his shoulder, the weights around her wrists dangling lazily.
Carrying her around was her boys' favorite form of resistance training, and she didn't mind becoming a personal dumbbell from time to time, "And here I thought I was going to be saved by a bunch of pretty girls. Why does a flying lizard have to ruin my day?"
"Of course, you will have your front-row seat, Princess," Romeo chuckled. "Karrak will record it for you, okay? He's the best at it. Now, let's go."
Yaya waved her hands toward Mitchell and Bart in a come-come motion. They approached her, and her palms patted their faces, "My silly, silly, boys. You better not embarrass yourself in front of a dragon. That's my job. Only I can make you look stupid."
"..."
"..."
"I will never live this down, will I?" Mitchell groaned, watching the pair disappear in the sky, his fingers running through his hair, "Those qualities Romeo just listed...is it strange that I could picture our foul female possessing all of them? The image is too vivid. My head hurts."
"She could lack all those things, it doesn't matter. It's the way she makes me feel," Bart said and started to walk, "It's her, the person. I fell in love with the person, not the qualities. And I'm still falling in love. Everyday. More and more. Deeper and deeper. We are the most illogical choices a female could have ever made. What are we doing right?"
"We match her," Mitchell's lips curled, his mind drifting, "If I catch you praising our wife in public again, I'll punch you. Cloud Nine should never be renamed into Cloud Ten. Ever."
"I want to be able to do that, you know," Bart said, the corners of his lips turned up slightly, contrasting with the weight of his feelings. "I want to express my feelings openly. I want to say it loud and clear: that I love her. For that, I need to be strong—strong enough to fend off the world."
Mitchell shot Bart a sidelong glance before looking ahead. Bart was ambitious and fiercely competitive. For a wolf to become a head male in a household entire of tiger beastmen, he had to keep up with the most sought-after female and ensure her demands were met—he could have surpassed most kings if he had the time to spare. Unfortunately, Rosa was no average female; she kept dragging him to hell and back, pushing him further and harder toward his downfall.
Skaris did not have the same urge to rise higher than others. Born into a below-average household, his path was clear: be useful and contribute to society. If lucky, a female might choose him as a servant, and he could serve her males for extra points, hoping they'd allow him to share a room with her. While Bart built a city, Skaris was content with household chores, waiting for Yaya to return from her trips.
Curtis loved to travel and explore new areas. He usually traveled with Yaya, but when she couldn't, he would go alone. He had a lot of free time, so he didn't mind collecting whatever she needed. The treasures he brought back were often helpful for her research and experiments.
On the other hand, Muir managed Cloud Nine's affairs, oversaw the security and protection measures, and maintained the peace and order of the resort. He was very thorough about everything, especially the resort's reputation and status.
Vick managed YaYa's harem. He ensured the males didn't get any bright ideas, inviting everyone to regular meetings and briefings and keeping a close eye on their behavior. He also oversaw transactions in the marketplace and coordinated remotely with Romeo on various matters regarding the Empire.
Bart, Mitchell, and Gold warded off potential attacks, causing others to think twice before approaching.
Karrak was the only one who never left Yaya's side. It began to suit the boys since they could get updates and have him relay their words to her when she decided to wander outside.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
I had so much fun writing this chapter. I love seeing Yaya's childhood playfulness returning. 😁 Remember when she'd blow kisses to the courtesans? Don't you also find her "cute" when she is in a good mood? 😁
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