6. A nineteen years old girl

Her world was crashing down. Precious watched closely as Chris reached for the chair, intending to pull it out for her to sit. However, her mind was elsewhere, consumed by insecurity about her surroundings. The thought of sitting and eating with them, with the beasts, overwhelmed her. It felt absurd, like asking food to watch people eat food.

The reality hit her like a wave, and panic engulfed Precious. Tremors wracked her body as if a storm raged within the room. The panic attack made her feel nauseous, and she had to open her mouth wide to catch her breath.

Veronica, Lucas, and Chris sensed her fear, and they were honored in a peculiar way that she was afraid of them. They were, after all, beasts, as Edgar often reminded them. However, despite their beastly nature, they all respected and deferred to Edgar, and they didn't want to make Precious uncomfortable in his presence. They knew that one misstep could lead to an unfortunate outcome, something they desperately wished to avoid.

Abandoning the idea of pulling out the chair, Chris approached Precious, whom he internally perceived as a fragile creature. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, attempting to convey reassurance. However, the moment his hands touched her, she immediately tensed up.

"How many times do I have to tell you, little human? We cannot harm you because Edgar owns you. So, please relax," Chris calmly informed her, looking into her eyes. He patiently waited for her to regain composure before speaking again.

"Hey!" a melodious voice called out from behind Precious, capturing her attention. She turned around to face the woman whose voice it belonged to.

Veronica, a woman with piercing gray eyes, cupped Precious's face in her hands. Tears welled up in Precious's eyes as she realized she was being touched by the beasts. Would they devour her?

Just as Veronica was about to calm her and assure her of her safety, Lucas's pet tiger entered the room.

At that point, Precious had reached her breaking point. She saw the tiger approaching behind Veronica, searching for its owner. Her head throbbed, and a sudden dizziness washed over her.

Once again, Precious's gaze fell, surrendering to her helplessness. Perhaps it was her fate to perish at the hands of these beasts.

"Hey!" Veronica paid no attention to the tiger as she realized what was troubling Precious. Shaking her head with the same patience as Chris, she gently slapped Precious's face, causing a slight sting. Precious looked up, startled.

"Pull yourself together!" Veronica exclaimed, her eyes wide with frustration. Chris and Lucas were satisfied with Veronica's firm approach to the overwhelmed girl. Precious was overreacting, acting as if the world revolved around her. She wasn't the first child to be separated from her parents' home.

However, thoughts of Edgar compelled them to telepathically warn Veronica about her actions. Veronica listened but chose to ignore their warnings, facing Precious with a harsh demeanor.

"Listen, little girl, we aren't particularly fond of humans. But for some foolish reason, Edgar went against our nature and decided not to torture you. We specialize in tormenting humans, so you should be extremely grateful that you're an exception!" Veronica scolded, her widened eyes sending a shiver down Precious's spine.

Tears streamed down Precious's beautiful blue eyes as she stood frozen in place. She released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding since she saw the tiger. With a heavy heart, she held her head and slowly made her way to the chair that Chris had pulled out for her. Physically and mentally drained, she felt lost and couldn't process what to do next.

The overwhelming flood of events crashed down on Precious's mind, pushing her to the brink of sanity. She let out a sigh, feeling the weight of it all.

"Listen to me, girl! You're not the first child. You're nineteen! Most girls your age are married and don't complain or act like children!" Veronica exclaimed, her voice stern. "Whether you accept it or not, you belong to Edgar, and once he reveals himself to you, you'll understand the true meaning of torment."

Precious looked up at Veronica and noticed a sudden transformation in her appearance. She seemed older and less appealing, but the change quickly reverted, returning her to her previous state. Precious despised the way this beauty spoke to her. Despite her fear and trembling, she defiantly glared back at Veronica.

"Why would someone have a tiger as a pet?!" Precious directed her question to Lucas.

"You can call him Clint. He's clingy, so I named him Clint because of the spelling, you get it?" Lucas explained, his approach differs from Veronica's aggressive tone. "He doesn't harm anyone, trust me." He stood up and guided Clint towards Precious.

Precious attempted to jump out of the chair, but as Veronica crossed her arms with a look of disgust, Chris went behind her and gently held her, reassuring her. "It won't hurt you," his voice soothed her more than his words. Precious glanced over her shoulder to look at him, and suddenly, he appeared radiant in her eyes when he smiled.

"He's handsome!" she thought to herself. Her pupils dilated as she stared at him, wondering how she hadn't noticed his attractiveness before.

However, Chris, a beast who had transformed into a snake earlier, captivated Precious despite his true form. She couldn't help but be attracted to him, even though he was a serpent. A smirk formed on her lips.

To her surprise, Rainey from nowhere suddenly scratched Chris's face, shocking Precious. "Rainey!" she exclaimed, standing up and disregarding the approaching tiger. She cradled Rainey in her arms. "What has gotten into you?!" she scolded the mischievous feline.

Chris grinned from behind her, while Rainey glared at him. Could it be that the cat was jealous? Rainey responded by licking himself.

"Were you jealous?" Precious asked playfully.

"He's definitely jealous," Chris interjected, recapturing her attention. When she looked back at him, she noticed that the scratch on his face had vanished.

Precious's eyes widened in astonishment. "Your...," she pointed at his face.

"I'm a beast, remember?" Chris chuckled.

"Ah... Yes," she nodded, glancing back at Rainey. "You don't need to be aggressive towards him. He's not like Veronica," she expressed her dislike for the beautiful lady.

Veronica chose to ignore her comment. "Please don't harm anyone," Precious pleaded, addressing Rainey, who strutted away with a sense of pride.

"I wonder what happened to him. He doesn't seem to be one to behave this way. I'm sorry, Chris," Precious said, lifting her hand as if to touch his face. However, Lucas, who was holding his tiger, suddenly understood what was happening.

The white bunny was enchanted by Chris and was slowly developing feelings for him. Furthermore, Chris had been exceptionally kind to her, which was out of character for him. Recognizing the budding affection, Lucas interrupted, cutting in on their moment.