06 - Troublemaker (1.5k words)

I slid off Curtis's tail as soon as he offered me a perch, choosing to walk instead. I kept a steady pace behind him, ensuring both he and Nivi stayed within sight.Blending in wasn't easy, but Nivi's advice stuck. The earthy-brown cloak draped over my shoulders helped. My backpack, now wrapped in animal leather, was less conspicuous too.Crafting a makeshift slingshot from a branch and a rubber band, I set out to catch small birds. Nivi swore some tasted like chicken and even laid eggs. While scanning the sky, I noticed a few persistent predators tailing us."There are eagles following us," I said, motioning to the shadows circling overhead."Eagles?" Nivi's interest spiked, her eyes darting skyward to where my gaze lingered."The Beast City's guards," said Curtis, "They probably think I've abducted two females."They were probably afraid to approach us because of the four stripped feral by our side.Catching Nivi's eye, I silently asked if she thought Muir might be one of the eagles. She frowned slightly, unsure. Without a word, she stepped aside, announcing she needed a "bathroom break."As Curtis waited for her, I couldn't resist stirring the pot. Taking aim with my slingshot, I shot a pebble in his direction. "What's the matter? Afraid of kissing now?"His head snapped in my direction, but I wasn't done. Flashing my teeth in a feral grin, I bit down hard on my own tongue, just enough to prove my point."Afraid?" Curtis bared his fangs at me in an attempt to intimidate me, his voice lowered to a threatening growl, "You should be the one afraid to kiss me. Don't think I won't tear your lips off just because you are a female.""Female this. Female that. If you keep on saying that, I'm going to make a necklace out of your fangs and wear it," I threatened him back.I had a habit of threatening whoever threatened me first. It started with my pathetic attempt to rebel against my father's influence, which had somehow carried over into my everyday life.I was simply bad with men, and they were bad with me. I could not even remember when I had started this bad habit. Perhaps it began from my need to assert my superiority over them?Curtis scoffed, not taking my threats seriously, which made me pull the string. A pebble flew across the air and hit him right between the eyes. The sound he made was somewhere between a hiss and a yelp, and his face instantly contorted with pain.I had no idea why I had chosen to provoke him. He was, after all, a four-striped feral that could tear my limb apart. But there was something about him that seemed to be calling out to me, and I could not stop myself from summoning the dangerous part of him."Do you want another one?" I asked. "If you hate me, then stick to hating me. Stop the undeci­sive flirting with two people, you stupid lizard." I silently chided. "Just focus on Nivi, and don't involve me in your love triangle."(Lizard because he was currently a snake with limbs.)Curtis looked at the ground, his fingers tracing the mark the pebble had left on his forehead, and when he lifted his head, his eyes were bloodshot, and his pupils contracted into a pair of thin slits.His shift was immediate, almost animalistic. Every move he made felt measured, but not in a human way ─ there was nothing graceful about it. It was raw, predatory, the kind of intensity that made the air feel heavier. Bloodlust radiated from him, thick and suffocating, like the pulse before a storm.Before I could react, he was there. His fangs sank into my bottom lip, quick and savage. The sting came first, then the flood of warm, metallic blood. It wasn't just about pain. This was something else ─ an act meant to claim."Aaaaghhn," I screamed, but it was muffled by his mouth. His eyes met mine, and I could see his shock when he felt my lips moving. He had not expected me to respond.I saw it flicker in his eyes ─ a twisted spark of lust, a need to dominate, to lose control, to take, to surrender, only to take again. It wasn't just desire. It was chaos, and I wanted to watch him drown in it.I could feel the war raging inside him, the line between predator and man blurring. Did he want to kill me or fuck me? Maybe both. But the need to claim me, to prove his dominance, drowned out his instinct to hunt. It was going to destroy him, and part of me wanted to see it happen."Yaya!" Nivi's voice cut through the tension like a blade, jolting me back. She must've finished her so-called bathroom break because she came charging back into view, eyes locking onto the scene. Curtis was still pressed against me, his weight heavy, his body too close.Without hesitation, she snatched up a rock and hurled it, her aim sharp. "Get off her, Curtis! You can't just force yourself on her!"The rock didn't hit him, but it was all the excuse I needed. A dark grin tugged at my lips as I tightened my grip on the knife hidden in my hand. I swung it in a clean arc toward his neck, aiming for the soft flesh."Argh!" His blood spurted out, staining my face as I straddled his chest, looking at him from above, "You should be careful about the way you threaten me next time. I might just cut your dicks off and put them on my shelf as a trophy."The poison from my knife had already begun to work its way through him. Curtis's face twisted in agony, his breath ragged, pulse slowing as his eyes glazed over.I could see the fight in him, but it was fading. "I'll give you the antidote if you behave," I teased, barely holding back a smirk at his desperate attempt to maintain that strong front.Leaning in, I whispered, "Wrong answer." I let the words linger, enjoying the flicker of unease that sparked in his eyes.With a swift movement, I grabbed his hair, forcing his mouth open. I poured a bitter, crushing mixture of antidote and water down his throat, watching him choke and gag on it. "There," I said coldly, "That should keep you from dying."In the dark corners of my mind, I couldn't help but savor the shift in him ─ the bravado slipping away, replaced by fear. It was a rush, seeing him break.There's a peculiar satisfaction, a sort of dark delight, in watching the facade of his arrogance crumble, replaced by the dawning realization of his own vulnerability.It wasn't just about power. It was about turning things around. Curtis had learned the hard way who he should've picked."Yaya, are you alright?" Nivi asked, helping me up."I'm fine," I said, regaining my composure."You're covered in blood.""It's not mine," I assured her with a lie, wiping the blood off my face."..." Nivi looked at me, and I could sense the silent fear and worry in her eyes."Curtis will only suffer with me," I patted her shoulder, "I know you want him, and I have no intention of fighting you for him.""How do you know that?" Nivi's eyes widened, a hint of blush forming on her cheeks."It's easy to tell.""Is it?""Well, yes," I replied, "How could I not when you practically eye-fuck him every time we stop for a rest?"Nivi's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, "Are you sure?"I could almost hear her thoughts, silently conceding that I might have just outdone QingQing in the 'troublemaker' department, "Absolutely sure.""Okay," Nivi replied, her eyes drifting back to Curtis, "You still carry that grand distaste for men, even for the eye-candy specimens like him?"I nodded silently, my ears drooping in an exaggerated display of a wronged puppy.Nivi sighed, "Just promise me, Yaya. Once I accept a mate, you'll shelve your reign of terror no matter how much it seems like I'm suffering. I will deal with them myself, alright? They are not cut out for the horror show like the one you've unleashed on my cheating ex," she urged, her tone mixing seriousness with a plea, "The males in this world are different."I paused for a second, not refuting her words, "I promise."Nivi smiled at me, the kind of smile that I could never say no to. "Thank you, Yaya.""You're welcome," I replied. Discreetly slipping away, I found a tree to lean against. I pulled out Curtis's scale, which should be enough to neutralize the poison he had inflicted on my lips with his fangs.Tossing the scale into the grass, I pulled out a mirror and looked at my disheveled state. Even if I managed to evade death at the hands of a feral beast, the looming threat of infection still hung over me like a dark cloud.Why am I doing this?I kicked the scale further away.Why the hell am I chasing danger when I should be kicking back, enjoying my new life like Nivi?I buried my face in my knees, pulling them tight against me, while my feet tapped an anxious rhythm on the ground.Look at the disaster you've turned your kid into, you absolute asshole.╔═══ Author's note ════╗Is there anyone you are shipping Yaya with? 🤔Or do you think she's better off solo for the sake of all malekind? 😁╚═════════════════╝