Wanderlust Beastkin, Beauty and the Beastkin-Chapter 26: "Help Out"

"I guess I’ve just outgrown him, and honestly, he’s my only option for a beastkin mate. His personality? Not exactly my type, but hey, not everyone can snag a peak alpha male, right? She shot a look full of heart eyes at Titus. "If I were to hand Sam over to you, you wouldn’t be rushing to find another male anytime soon, would you?" She noticed how cozy Titus was getting next to me again.

"Come on now," I said with a playful grin, flicking my wrist as if to brush off the idea. "I’m far too much of a novice to handle more than one guy at a time. That’s precisely why I was hoping for a quiet beastkin; I tend to get all tongue-tied around males, particularly the ones who seem a bit daunting. Honestly, I should be the one asking you for some guidance."

"Oh?" she said and sat up straighter.

"I can’t help but admire how your males manage to work together so smoothly without a single grumble. It’s honestly impressive! You’re adorable and charming, yet you’ve somehow orchestrated this bustling household into a well-oiled machine. It’s a remarkable feat, and I definitely plan to take notes for my own future endeavors." I raised my cup to her in honor and said, "This junior here really looks up to you."

There was a slight blush on her face, "as you should. Are you sure that you want Sam though? He’s boring and surly. He acts like an old male."

"If you’re willing to hand him over, I would be grateful."

She playfully tapped her finger against her lips, flashing me a sly little smile. "Oh, I could, but honestly, what’s in it for me if I just hand him over without a price?"

"I don’t quite see it that way. If I had to deal with Sam, I’d be off the market for a while. You’ve mentioned he’s a bit of a grouch, so I can only imagine how busy he’d keep me. Plus, it seems like you’d rather not have to deal with him anymore, which is totally understandable. I mean, is he even giving you the attention you deserve? I really have no interest in a predator beastkin, thank you very much. But hey, if I were single and still looking for a partner for my awakening ceremony, wouldn’t it make sense to consider a guy who’s clearly got a crush on me, even if I’m not feeling it?"

I shot a glance at Titus, making sure she caught on. Our eyes locked, and I ducked my head, letting a hint of nervousness show. It was all a charade since I’d already had my awakening ceremony and had a mate and a servant male, but she didn’t need to know those little details. Plus, when I leave this village, guess who’s going to be my guide?

"You know how it feels to be stuck with a mate you never really wanted," I said softly, trying to sound timid and a bit scared. I glanced at him again, ducking my head as he inched closer, practically invading my personal space.

"Yes! I totally get what you’re saying. As females, we really should have each other’s backs!" She suddenly jumped up, yanked my hand, and dragged me away from the table. "I understand what it feels like to be stuck with some guy you have zero interest in, so of course, I’m going to help out another female in the same boat." The other ladies at the tables were practically gaping at her, clearly not used to her sounding so kind. She cleared her throat and shot them some side-eye, making them quickly look away.

"I need a few of you to go find Sam so I can hand him over to my new little friend here. I was going to ditch him eventually anyway, so he might as well be useful. I could have offered you some other guy in town, but since you’re so keen on a prey beastkin, Sam should work just fine for you. One female’s trash is another’s treasure, right? He’s just my leftovers, and honestly, why should I be selfish? Just remember, I did you this favor, so don’t even think about trying to take what’s mine," she said, shooting a glance at Titus. freёnovelkiss.com

"I would never even consider taking what’s rightfully yours." I shot her an innocent glance as she met my gaze, feigning ignorance about the promise she was hinting at. I’m not one to snatch her partners away, but I’m certainly free to show interest in men who she has no claim over. She’s got more than thirty men at her beck and call, and who knows how many more are lurking in the shadows or on her radar. Yet, despite this impressive roster, she still finds herself yearning for those who couldn’t care less about her. Sam was even coerced into being her mate.

She scoops up all the men for herself and parades them in front of the other local women, despite not really caring for most of them. Seriously, how greedy can one individual get? She’s not particularly interested in them herself, but she definitely doesn’t want others to have them either. The only reason she’s planning on giving up Sam is because she doesn’t want me to get Titus and she’s trying to hint that she considers him her property. Well, she can’t just claim someone without their consent but I guess she’s never learned that lesson. She was probably biding her time to blackmail him since he isn’t showing any interest in her.

She hooked my arm with hers and practically dragged me away from the table, putting some distance between us and that glaring Titus. Then, she leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Honestly, I’m a bit worried about the way Titus is eyeing you. You know how those lion beastkin can be—fierce and all that, plus he’s an adventurer. Not exactly the safest company for you right now. I think it would be best if you took off with Sam to a nearby town for a few weeks. I can even help with some travel funds to get you started. Meanwhile, I’ll keep Titus busy; I mean, I have plenty of guys around me already, so I’ll be just fine. Sisters stick together, right? I’m totally willing to make this little sacrifice for you."

"How generous and thoughtful," I said.

She flashed me a smile and gave my arm a friendly pat as we strolled beneath the twinkling lights strung through the trees. The night was undeniably beautiful, with a gentle breeze and a delightful ambiance, but oh, the company was just dreadful.

After a few minutes of painfully dull conversation where she attempted to size me up and subtly lay claim to Titus, a couple of guys swaggered in, bringing Sam along with them. They wore smug grins, boasting to Sam that he was no longer needed because their girl had a thing for predator beastkin. It was clear they were more riled up than he was, throwing weak insults his way, but he just looked bored, yawning openly as he trailed behind them. Their faces turned crimson when they realized their attempts to provoke him were falling flat.

As they arrived, I caught the way she gazed at Titus, a look so intense I felt dirty just witnessing it. It was painfully obvious that her feelings weren’t mutual, and she was drooling as she stared at him. I mean, come on! Spit was literally dripping from the corner of her mouth, and she was rubbing it across her face while ogling his crotch right in front of her mates. There was no subtlety here; she was practically a cartoon character with hearts in her eyes while intensely panting. A chill ran down my spine, and I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting to witness that cringe-worthy display any longer. I’m so glad that I’m not her type.

"We brought Sam," two of her mates said with pleased looked on their faces. I don’t know what this girl was thinking, Sam was clearly better than the both of them combined but whatever, it makes this much easier for me.

"Oh, darling, my new friend Perla has made a little request for me to hand you over to her, and honestly, I couldn’t care less. I’ve decided to be oh-so-kind and let you go since you’re just taking up space in my life. So, what do you say? Ready to be handed off to her?"

I noticed a slight glimmer in his eye but his facial expression remained impassive. "One female is just like another; you’re the boss, so do as you please."

She shot me a smirk before turning her gaze back to him. "Honestly, he’s a total snooze. Why not take these two instead?" She gestured toward the pair of rat beastkin in front of Sam. I wasn’t entirely sure what they were, but with those twitchy ears, pointy faces, and those long, slithery hairless tails that looked like giant fleshy worms, I felt a wave of revulsion wash over me. Touching them? No thanks, I’d rather not.

"Nah! We ain’t lookin’ for some lame, weak female with no aura! You’re the only decent female in this whole village and even the ones nearby!" one of the rat males shouted.

"I ain’t settling for some prey beastkin! You’re the only one who’s good enough for me!" the other rat beastkin yelled.

I can’t believe I got rejected so loudly by two little rat beastkin! Not that I was interested, but seriously, they made it clear that I was totally off their radar. My pride took a hit as they screeched about how I was beneath them, all while singing the praises of Pamala like she was some kind of goddess. They said that I wasn’t good enough to lick the bottom of her dirty foot. They even went on about her "dirty feet" more times than I could count, which honestly cracked me up. I mean, who knew foot hygiene could be such a hot topic? They were both a real sight—ugly and dim-witted, a truly unbeatable combo that somehow made them feel superior to me and Sam. I had to stifle my laughter while Pamala soaked up their chaotic praise, which was rapidly spiraling into incoherent gibberish. I kept reminding myself to keep a straight face and not roll my eyes or laugh.

"Oh, sweeties, just breathe. I’ll keep you around, but you better keep me happy, or you might end up like poor Sam, you know?" She said with a sweet little smile that was anything but innocent. They both knelt down and clung to her legs, while she playfully tousled their short gray hair.

One of the rat guys said, "Nah, we ain’t stopping, we’re all about making you happy!"

Then the other guy jumped in, all eager, shouting, "I’m ready to make you happy right this second!" Then he went for her skirt, starting to lift it. She kneed him in the face, and he went down like a sack of potatoes, rolling around on the ground.

"Oh sweetie, we can totally get to that later. Right now, I’ve got way more important things to do."

Phew! I was seriously about to grab some bleach for my eyes if she let that go on any longer! I mean, how clueless and inappropriate are the guys she’s into?

"Sam, darling, why don’t you walk over here? I might just let you go, but only if Perla agrees to give you a little mate mark beforehand. How cute would that be?"

Coming Next Time: Improvising a Plan