39 - How Good Is His Hearing? (2.62k words)

3rd person POVTwo weeks later...Before leaving the study room, Skaris put on the cloth blindfold that Curtis had made for him, making sure it covered his eye area just right.Even though it hid everything straight ahead, there was this little gap, which allowed him to peek at where he was going, sort of like seeing the world with blinkers on. It was neat ─ he couldn't see much, but it was enough to keep him from tripping over anything on the path.Muir and Vick didn't want him to catch too much attention, so Curtis also made a leather sleeve that would cover the two stripes on his right arm, leaving the one on his left arm visible.Skaris took in his surroundings silently, touching and familiarizing himself with the mansion's structure. His wolf ears picked up the distant sounds of Vick and Curtis sparring, their grunts and the clash of their training echoing lightly. Not far off, he caught Muir's heavy breathing from a workout."Since Yaya doesn't want you to see her, it's only fair you refrain from casting your eyes on other females as well, lest she gets jealous," they said.Skaris started to understand why there were so few males around his new female. The few Yaya had around were terrifyingly powerful, enough to defy her orders. He didn't believe Yaya was ugly because of that, but the male voices outside the walls called her an ugly pig, who held her cub captive, and it was difficult not to imagine his female with a pig face from then on.Among her males were two ferals and a haughty eagle ─ beasts whose ranks in the hierarchy of popularity among the females were surpassed only by the least sought after: the rootless and the scorpions. Having already welcomed a rootless into her fold, he couldn't help but wonder ─ would she dare to take in a scorpion as well?Skaris also felt constant waves of anxiety from his spousal mark. Though subtle, it was always present. He had asked Yaya if there was something wrong or if there was something he could do to make her feel better, and all he received as an answer was to shut up and stop bugging her like an annoying fly.One would make you think that she was intentionally ostracizing you, but she actually treated everyone like that. She didn't talk much, but when she did, it always felt like a punch to the guts. Because she spoke so little, he found himself hanging on the edge whenever he was near her.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·When Skaris reached the common area, an alluring scent hit his nostrils. It was Bai's scent, potent enough to captivate every male in the vicinity.Amidst this overpowering allure, Skaris exerted every ounce of his strength to stay attuned to YaYa's scent. Hers was so delicate, so faint, it seemed as though she might vanish into thin air at any moment.Bai was only requested to cook dinner, with enough leftovers to last Yaya and Vick for the next day. She had other things to do than spending all day in the kitchen. At dinner, they had a system: mention to Tony what you craved, and by the following lunchtime, he'd have it ready for you to pick up at their small livestock farm.It was such a strange feeling. Skaris could sit there doing nothing, and food would be served to him even before he got hungry.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·Bai almost jumped in fright when she saw Skaris holding a dead rabbit by its ears as he lurked around the mansion. She was about to scream but managed to stifle it in her throat. "Um, where are you going?"Skaris lifted the rabbit, "I want to roast it over YaYa's side. Is there any problem?"Bai looked around nervously, "N-no, not at all.""Then, I'm off," Skaris left without another word.Bai was sweating buckets. She didn't know how Yaya could have accepted such a scary-looking male!Skaris looked intimidating, even with the blindfold. His body was lean and sinewy, his stitched skin was pale, his nails black like coal, his wolf-cut hairstyle was white like snow. She didn't like his aura; it was hostile and unfriendly. It was like he was having a grudge against everyone, especially her.Tony quickly held Bai close to his chest. It felt like she had a strong urge to cry, "He is YaYa's male, and as such, we should accept him as part of our family," he patted her back soothingly, "With Skaris here, I don't think we have to worry about anyone breaking in anymore.""That's not it," Bai said with a pout, "I'm trying to be nice to him, but he doesn't want anything to do with me. The more I try to approach him, the scarier he becomes.""Wolves are territorial," Tony said as he kissed her temple, "Maybe he is jealous of you like Curtis is. Skaris might also hate you for stealing his female's attention away."Bai nodded and sniffled, "But YaYa doesn't pay any attention to me!"Tony's smile held a knowing twist. "You see, no female would allow her males to look out for you like Yaya does. Things work differently here than in your old world. The concept of being unfaithful? It's not something we get. So think about how it feels for YaYa's males to be nudged toward another female. Bai, I know you caught feelings for Muir. But no matter how much nicer you are to him than YaYa, it won't change how he feels."Bai shook her head and buried her face into Tony's chest, guilt eating her up from the inside, "I'm sorry. I couldn't control my emotions no matter what I tried to do. It just happened."Tony sighed helplessly, "That's why you should keep your distance from YaYa's males. The more you think that you are better than her, the more you will get hurt," he said, "Let's sleep in different rooms today.""No," Bai pleaded, her fingers clenched in his chest."Qingqing, I don't wanna end up saying or doing something stupid that might hurt you." Tony took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "It's hard for me. Seeing you show your affection for Muir. You should be looking for a male who will love you with all his heart, not a male who only takes care of you because he is told to treat you as his cub. So what if Yaya treats him badly? It's not our business." He loved Bai's kindness, but it was driving him mad sometimes.Bai gave him a wronged look, "Fine. Let's sleep separately from today onwards," she said and gave him a cold shoulder.Tony hid his hurt expression, deciding to hold it in. That's what his father, who had become a head male, taught him.Bai's beauty was undeniable, and her inviting personality was impossible to resist. She could be cooking delicious meals for everyone, coming up with new gadgets to improve their lives, smiling, and offering kind words for them, but none of that would be enough to attract a taken male. Muir might wish for Yaya to be more kind like Bai at most, but he would never betray Yaya.Not once did Tony hear Muir complain about YaYa's personality like some other males in the village did with their females. Muir loved Yaya for who she was, and he loved Bai for who she was. It was not about finding someone perfect but choosing to accept and love them wholeheartedly despite their flaws.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·Overhearing Bai's and Tony's conversation from a distance, Skaris couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.Bai wasn't YaYa's real cub?This bit of news cast a shadow over his demeanor. He believed that kindness often hid deeper, often selfish motives, and it looked like Bai's situation was no exception.Unlike the cunning foxes, Skaris wasn't skilled in the art of camouflage. He was more of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of male, not really good at playing hide and seek with his true self. It was as if the darkness he carried within refused to be dimmed no matter how hard he tried to present himself as likable.YaYa's POVCurtis and Muir halted their traveling in order to get to know Skaris better, but instead of giving the wolf all their attention, they decided to enjoy my boring presence instead.I was currently sitting on top of Muir's back as he did push-ups, watching Curtis and Vick fight. I was quite passive, not engaging in any fights since Skaris joined us. I focused on training my spousal marks instead, using my slingshot to shoot pebbles at the duo as they fought. I would never get tired of their reactions when the rock would hit one of them or their surprised yelps. It was fun.Muir's arms began to tremble as he reached his twentieth push-up, and I smiled in satisfaction, jumping down to the ground. The male fell to the ground in exhaustion, panting hard.I sat down in front of him and watched his body glisten under the sun. His pectorals were bigger, and his abdominals were now showing through his skin, making a sexy eight-pack that I just wanted to touch. His arms had also gotten a little thicker. His muscles bulged a little when he flexed, and his thighs were getting more shapely, with the right amount of firmness.Muir's blue eyes looked into mine, and he smiled, making a funny face that made me snort and look away. I heard him chuckle, and then he got up.I went out of my way to request the trio not to talk about me before Skaris. I didn't want them painting a picture that might make him doubt his dislike toward me. It wasn't about him seeing me in a better light; it was about not letting their words twist his perception. They didn't seem to be happy about it, but they agreed. The next thing I knew, they started pulling faces like they were in a silent movie and trying to chat me up with a whole sign language routine they seemed to invent on the spot."I'm going to take a nap so leave me alone," I muttered under my breath, ducking my face into my knees just as Muir leaned closer, cutting off our flirty exchange with a wall of silence.3rd person POVMuir observed Yaya, who had somehow managed to fall asleep while curled up in a sitting position. When he asked Vick how she could fall asleep in such a position, Vick didn't know the answer either. He was about to scoop her up into his embrace, not caring whether he would be kicked away or not, when Skaris suddenly interrupted him."Our female told you to leave her alone. If she doesn't want you here, obey her words and leave." Skaris pointed out from the balcony, not knowing what was happening, since he couldn't see a thing. Yaya's scent suddenly became even more subtle, and he rushed here as fast as possible. He could hear Yaya's breathing, which didn't help. The only thing giving him a clue was his spousal mark, pointing straight at Muir. But that didn't tell him much about what was actually going on with Yaya.Muir shifted into his eagle form. He gently wrapped himself around Yaya in a feathery cocoon of warmth against the cold autumn wind. His beak nuzzled Yaya's hair. Her scent was slowly fading, like a predator trying to camouflage itself. And in no time, she merged with his own. "Yaya fainted," he said, voice tight.Vick suddenly stopped fighting and approached Muir. He picked up Yaya in her curled up form, and brought her to her bed without a word.Skaris felt a twinge in his heart, "What is wrong with our female?" Were they trying to trick him into sacrificing his life for his female? Make him believe that she desperately needed an emerald? Or let her use him for her crazy experiments? Was this the reason why they were treating him nicely?His first encounter with that fox female was something he'd never forget. She had just arrived in their village, and he accidentally overheard her conversation with her fox males, about how she planned to sacrifice all the single males in the village in order to get her hands on an emerald. But before he could warn anyone, it was too late; her plan was already in motion.The fox female who schemed his death appeared as his savior, unaware he knew the truth. She offered him a place in her fold and a new life, but he knew the truth behind her false appearance of kindness. He was no fool, and he refused.He still remembered the rage on her face and the way her males dragged him against his will to her."Our Yaya is fine," Vick's voice brought Skaris out of his dark thoughts, "This happens when she feels too safe.""What do you mean 'she is fine'?" Skaris's jaw clenched, muscles taut, "If she is fine, then back off and leave her alone as she asked you to."Skaris would rather be rootless instead of becoming someone male again. But he was dying, and there were also those words, which echoed in his mind: "Embrace your darkness and let it lead you to a new start - a start where you control your own fate."He could either let the darkness consume him or embrace it.He chose to embrace it.He no longer cared if his female died.He was no longer afraid of becoming a rootless.He was no longer afraid of death.He was no longer afraid of anything.So, why? Why couldn't he just run away and let Yaya turn him into a rootless? What was it about Vick's comment-that she faints when she feels safe-that irritated him so deeply?Skaris approached Vick, "I heard our female say how she would force you to eat dirt if you spill her secrets to me again, and how she's completely fed up with any more idiots trying to kiss her ass like they're begging for scraps. And how three idiots like you were already enough," his voice was sharp, a blunt statement reflecting his frustration. He couldn't understand why Yaya would want him to hate her, no matter how hard he tried.Muir and Curtis barely held back their laughter, nearly choking on their own saliva when they thought about that scene. That remark would have hit them hard if Vick weren't eagerly kissing Yaya down there right then."Wow, just how good is your hearing?" Vick was slightly taken aback, "Weren't you off to grab some food at that moment?"Vick saw the aura around Skaris shift, making him cautious. There was nothing more dangerous than an angry beast with nothing to lose.╔═══ Author's note ════╗Bai getting taste of her own medicine in another dimension in a form of unrequited love for Muir. 🤭I get it. Imagine receiving attention from a man who's both distant and caring, incredibly attractive, yet married. Knowing all too well that his wife doesn't 'appreciate' him the way she should. It's normal for such a young girl to catch feelings, even adults would. 🫣🥹Would Bai realize her mistake and apologize to Tony and treat her future males better than Yaya does? 👀Don't you find it funny how every male who falls for YaYa does so for entirely different reasons, each distinct from the other? 🤣╚═════════════════╝