67 - Welcome Back (3,3k words - approx 15 min read)

Skaris's POV Inside the cave - Before Yaya's departure to the ocean...The first thing I noticed about Dear, was how much taller she was than other females. The first time I touched her, I felt the hard muscles flexing underneath my touch. It was the perfect balance of hardness and softness.She had a body that was beyond the boundaries of what should have been possible. A female shouldn't have legs that long and muscles that defined. The line where her hips ended and her stomach started was the most arousing sight that I've ever seen. It was the perfect curve that just seemed to flow into the other.When she removed my blindfold, I almost lost control of my emotions and my mind.Grey eyes, the color of storm clouds, looked like they had been sapped of the life that should have resided within them. Yet they were so mesmerizing, so entrancing that even the most beautiful sunset would pale in comparison.I had to put back my blindfold because she was too overwhelming, so overwhelming that I could feel my sanity slipping.Her beauty was not normal. It was unapproachable. It was like it had no place in this world, like it didn't belong.I get why only strong, confident males became her mates. I'm sure no average male would dare to pursue her with any hope of success. Just the pressure from the expectations one would be under if they wanted to approach a female such as her would probably be enough to crush a male's spirit. Even now, standing before her, I found myself lacking. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it didn't matter.Even the most beautiful of flowers eventually wither and fade away.Even the strongest of trees fall when struck by lightning.Nothing lasts forever, and I couldn't help but wonder, who would be the one to cause her beauty to perish?The very thought made me feel angry.I found myself kissing her lips and pressing her against the cave wall.I could feel my anger turning into despair.My despair turning into hopelessness.Hopelessness turning into madness.Madness turning into determination.A part of me wanted to save her from her darkness, yet a deeper, more consuming part craved for her to devour me, to pull me into her abyss and never release me.It's only after I've lost everything, that I realized, I never really had anything at all.So what if I lose her too?It doesn't matter.The only thing that matters, is the fact that she will be the one who will destroy me.The thought was so relieving, it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my chest.It felt so good, to choose your fate, to decide on the outcome yourself, even if that outcome will ultimately be your downfall.I'm glad, I'm glad that it's her, I'm glad that it's Dear, who will be the reason behind my end and also the reason for the liberation of my soul.I couldn't stop myself from kissing her, to strip off her garments, and caress her soft legs.I couldn't stop myself from smiling, from falling."I hope you are not going to destroy the mood with your mushy words again," she said as I entered her.I smiled in reply. It felt good, being inside her. It felt really good. Then, I whispered in her ear, "Dear, I want you to break me."She tensed at my words, and her body froze."Please break me." I continued whispering in her ear.I could feel her insides clenching around my length, "If you break, how am I going to keep you?" she asked as I started moving inside her."You can put me back together," I replied, "Like you do every time."She laughed, and I shivered in delight. "I can do that," she agreed, "I can certainly do that."We didn't speak after that, except for our quiet groans and moans. I kept the mood going for as long as possible, but eventually, I still destroyed it. I could feel her getting annoyed as I showered her with my "mushy words", could feel her starting to frown, and could feel her losing control. It was the only time I felt that I had the upper hand, and the only time I didn't feel like I was the one losing myself.I felt her hand on my throat, squeezing, cutting off my air supply. My heart sped up, beating erratically. My lungs screamed, burning as I struggled to draw breath. I could feel her darkness coming, could feel myself fading. I gasped for air, as I came, harder than I've ever did before.Dear removed her hand from my throat, letting me breathe again, "You really cannot shut up, can you?"My smile grew bigger, so wide that my cheeks hurt, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it." I got on my knees, and buried my mouth between her legs. It's my favorite way to be shut up, and it's her favorite way to make me.None of her males wanted to allow her to enter the Flame City. But I made up my mind to make her wish come true. I'd get so strong that it wouldn't be Flame City that was feared, but us. Until then, I'll serve as her eyes and ears.I could always tap into my spousal imprint and listen to what was happening on her side. So, no matter how apart we were, I could be there with her. Even though she was quiet most of the time, I could listen to the sound of her surroundings and be a part of it.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·Yaya's POVOnce we reached the ocean, Bart started a campfire. Curtis jumped into the ocean for a little soak while Muir rested beside me.Together with the cubs, we began to bury Muir's body with sand. They used their little paws to dig the ground under him, while I used a sea shell to scoop the sand. I wondered if they missed their mommy, but they seemed happy and carefree."You must be a very fertile and beautiful female for all these powerful males to follow you. It's the only logical explanation," Mitchell sat down on the sand, rubbing his wrists, and then stretched his back and shoulders, "I mean, I only saw one stripless and two four-stripped males so far. I don't know where that blindfolded fool is hiding stripes, but he must have at least four since my beast pressure didn't work on him. Then there is this Vick..."I continued to scoop the sand as he continued his outer monologue."I guess it makes sense. You are the first female I have ever seen with a body covered from head to toe. If you didn't have those two things, would you still be able to keep all those males? I wonder." As if sensing that I was listening to him, he leaned back and rested his head on the sand, but before he could do that, I threw a shell at him, motioning for him to become more useful and help the cubs with burying Muir."I will pass. It's boring and too much of a hassle," the scorpion said dismissively, "And I'm not your slave. I won't do your bidding even if you order your males to beat me up. If you want me to help you, you must give me something in return.""I won't drown you, even if I can.""Ha-ha. That's not a prize. It's a threat," the scorpion waved his hand."I'll teach you how to swim then.""Really?! Okay!""Yeah," I said, teleporting Curtis to my side, "Toss him into the ocean.""No, don't do that," Mitchell said, "I want a better offer!""Too late."Curtis grabbed his tail and threw him into the ocean."You foul female!" the scorpion cried as the wave swallowed him.I scooped more sand, pilling it on top of Muir, then patted the surface to flatten it.Curtis returned from his little soak and demanded to be buried too.I started to scoop the sand as he lay down. The cubs helped me."He won't drown, will he?" asked Bart, his mouth twitching as he watched me and his cubs burying Curtis next to Muir."He probably will if you don't save him," I told him, reaching out my hand. I asked for the soul stone around his neck, "To prevent him from stealing it from you. Give him a few swimming lessons while you are at it, and... don't go easy on him."Bart looked at the ocean, then at me, and then back at the ocean. He handed me the soul stone, stripped his pants, and jumped into the water.A few moments later, I felt a shadow looming over me, and then the sound of spitting water. Mitchell's skin was paler than before. He looked like he was half dead."You," he pointed a shaky finger at me. "You," he croaked and flopped onto the sand, "Does my misery bring you joy? Do you feel better now? Are you entertained?!""Yeah. Entertained. Amused. Cheered up. I'm in a really good mood," I said, throwing a sea shell at him, "You?"Mitchell snatched the shell and started scoping the sand, hissing with every scoop, "Never been better. This is exactly what I had planned. Yes." He scooped more sand and began to bury himself. Two cubs joined in, enthusiastically helping him, but he ignored them. "I've grown up believing that females are the cause of all the pain and suffering in the world, yet whenever someone brought some back to the Flame City, they always seemed weak and helpless. They would scream, cry, beg, and then faint. You are the first case where I thought: So this is the female they've been speaking about. One that gets rid of males when she gets bored or doesn't find them useful.""Do you think I deserve to be kidnapped to the Flame City and die under the torture of other males?" I asked and patted the last pile of sand on Curtis' body.The cubs were having fun, so they dragged Bart to join the fun too, tugging at him to lay down on the ground so we could bury him as well.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·By the end of the day, four handsome heads were sticking out from the sand, and I was sitting on the sand, caressing the exhausted cubs. The sun had set a while ago, and the stars were sparkling in the sky.Mitchell didn't answer my question, and I didn't bother to ask again. He was probably going to use his 'I don't have desires, and I'm not affected by the things that happen around me' card again."Hey, female," Mitchell called out after a while. He began to speak even louder when I didn't respond, "My father will probably start looking for me soon. So, I'd appreciate it if you let me go. It would spare you a lot of trouble. He is not someone you can handle. He is a powerful beastman who can destroy the whole Beast City without breaking a sweat. You don't want to anger him.""Will your father be able to defeat that in order to drag you back to the Flame City?" I nodded towards the dark, where the water was stirring.Thousands upon thousands of mermen emerged from the waters, armed with tridents and crossbows. Their hair fluttered in the wind, while battle scars and fresh wounds adorned their formidable forms. They looked like a force of nature, ready to crush anything and everything in their way.Bart scrambled to his feet.Muir and Curtis also woke up and joined him, dusting the sand off their pants.Mitchell's mouth gaped open as he watched them, and then closed again, unable to say anything."I see you've already received your gift," Vick's voice boomed through the night as he wrapped his arms from behind me, and then pulled me up, pressing my back against his chest, "And you've taken care of it nicely. Good girl."I leaned back against him and took a deep breath, savoring his scent. He smelled like sea breeze and saltwater, yet the familiarity of his scent managed to calm me down, "Welcome back," I whispered."It's good to be back," he said and nuzzled the back of my head."He," Mitchell's face contorted into a frown, muttering, "Did he just...No, no, no," he shook his head. "That's not possible. It can't be. There's no way."The mermen parted ways, creating a pathway for a figure walking toward us.The man had long, blond hair tied into a ponytail. His golden eyes were cold and hard, and his pale face was void of any emotions. Clad in a robe that whispered of wealth and power with every subtle movement, he stopped right before me and kneeled down.Gold eyes were looking at the ground humbly as he spoke, "Before all gathered here, I pledge myself as your guardian beast. As the stars guard the night sky, so too shall I protect you. From this moment forth, I am both shield and sentinel, forever at your side. I shall stand against all who dare to threaten your peace, and I will uphold your cause with every breath in my body. This I vow to you, and may the lightning strike me dead if I break it."Vick chuckled and released me, pushing me forward, "Go on. Take what's yours," he said as I held back not to evade his slight nudge, "Don't leave him hanging."Gold's fingers clutched his trident slightly as he waited for my answer."I thought I made my intentions clear," I said, taking his chin in my hand, tilting his head up. "Can't you just follow our initial deal? I don't need you," I said, turning his chin in the mermen's direction. "You belong to them. They are your people, your home."Gold looked up at the mermen.Some mermen dropped pearls from their eyes, while others clutched onto their spears as they began shouting, "We no longer want Gold as our tribe leader! He will just take away our right to mate again!""Yeah! Just become her guardian already, and leave!""That's right! How could you choose to serve a land female? You are a disgrace to the merfolk!""Yeah, you better run and live with the landwalkers, so that you don't get in our way!""That's right. You will be happier with her...Ouch!""Stupid, what are you saying?!" A merman knocked the speaker on the head, "Do you want to ruin the plan?! Shut up, stupid!"Gold's face twitched. I could see the veins popping on his forehead and the muscles in his jaws clenching, which caused the mermen to shudder in fear.If anyone wondered why Bluepool was so eager to assist me with everything, Gold said he would appoint him as the new tribe leader once they returned. Gold would no longer be a tribe leader, but an elder."Why don't you become Vick's guardian or something? He helped you win your fight, so shouldn't you be serving him and not me?" I asked and stepped away from Gold, giving him the space he needed.An elderly merman with four stripes stepped forward, "We lost two thousand males, and another fifty thousand got injured, but the rest are unharmed. Despite being outnumbered, the other side was no match for our superior strength, speed, and coordination, all thanks to Gold's leadership. We would have easily won even without your male," he said, "Yet, Gold still insisted on becoming your guardian even though it wasn't part of the initial deal, so you should at least show some respect to him."Gold frowned at the merman's words, "Don't speak to her in such a tone again. I made the decision. It's my responsibility." His voice was cold and commanding, leaving no room for argument.It seemed like the boot camp they had been running for the last few months had paid off. I asked Curtis, and even he would have a hard time handling all those mermen now, so I could imagine how terrifying it must have been for the other tribe.The mermen continued to shout their hearts out. They didn't seem afraid to speak their minds, but I was sure that it wasn't as simple as it seemed.I cracked my fingers and rolled my shoulders before sending a fist in Vick's direction, who had just started to snicker. He easily caught my hand, then intertwined our fingers together, "Let's not fight over petty stuff, Precious. We've been apart for far too long. Let's just focus on catching up," he said, bringing my knuckles up to his lips, "Shall we?"I could still see the amusement dancing in his eyes, and a part of me wanted to kick him for it, but I refrained. There were too many witnesses. I couldn't afford to embarrass him now.Vick's attention switched from me to stunned Mitchell, sizing him back up, "Not bad. Not bad at all," he nodded his head, "It will take a while to reach my current level, but it's nothing impossible." He raised the soulstone he managed to steal from Bart earlier, "What do you think, Precious?""I don't want you to do it," I said, walking toward the ocean. I told the boys to stay back and watch over the cubs as I had some unfinished business with the mermen.l already knew where Vick was going with his words. He knew I had a way to keep him alive, yet he still refused to mate with me through the years, so there had to be another reason.Vick hated his body, his origins, his race, and everything related to it. So, when an opportunity presented itself in the form of body possession, he wouldn't even think about letting his current go.I loved his body thought. With all its imperfections, flaws, and ugliness, I couldn't help but admire the perfection it carried. That's why I would prefer him to keep it.Mitchell eyed both Gold and Vick, as if sizing them up. He looked at Gold's four stripes on his chest then at Vick's bare face and torso, and then his brows knitted. He turned his head and looked at the ocean. He looked at hundreds of thousands of mermen waiting for their next orders. Then he turned back and looked at me, "Who are you really?"╔════ Author's note ═══╗So many of you reacted to Skaris's thoughts, which I didn't plan to write at first, but here they are.I told you it pays off to comment, didn't I? 😂PS: It was supposed to be a snippet, a few sentences only, and I ended up going overboard.🙈At least we know how Skaris recovered from YY's beauty so fast. He realized it was a temporary allure that might not last forever. He knew that life could end at any moment for either of them, but it didn't scare him. He liked that his end would be tied to something important─his relationship with YY─rather than some old scars and past traumas.Why do I suspect that Mitchell isn't actually YY's gift but Vick's? It seems like Vick is keen on learning about body possession from his daddy dearest and is only using Mitchell as a bait to lure daddy out to the ocean.🦂YY's totally messing with Vick's plans, intentionally or unintentionally, lol. He was supposed to be the MVP, the mermen's salvation. Instead, the mermen were forced to build a canal and fight their own wars, haha. The only one who feels indebted to her is Gold. 🤭Is anyone shipping YY with Gold, I wonder? 🤦╚═══════════════╝