Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Two

Three days went by quickly. I observed the males in the group each day and showed favor to those that seemed capable but none felt quite right. The young wolf always hovered nearby, waiting for when I might ask something of him. But I gave no further indication that I might chose him. My perception of the tiger Winston had changed slightly. He rarely spoke and he remained stoic but he was attentive to the females' needs. He would stop when we appeared tired and hunted regularly so we would not be without bountiful meals. He would deftly remove any perceived threats to our safety and kept the other males from being too aggressive in their advances. My back would still drip with cold sweat when he was near me, but I could ignore the instinct to cower or flee for the most part. I did not fear that he would prey upon me any longer.

When we finally entered the City of Beasts, a crowd had already gathered. Winston's roar, announcing our arrival was deafening and I could feel the reverberation through my body even after he had closed his jaws. The orange tiger I was currently riding on was behind Winston on his left. Similarly, the other females were riding their mates at the front of the column just behind the tetra marked beast. All looked as nervous and scared as I felt.

We were led through the city's main street past the gawking residents to a towering building made of stone with a large stage set in front for all to see those who stood upon it. Four imposing males sat at the top. Each one exuded authority and confidence. Everyone knew of the four kings of the city but I had not expected to be greeted by all of them at once. When we arrived at the foot of the Dias, we females were told to dismount and follow Winston up.

We held onto each other as we tentatively ascended the wide stone staircase and huddled together as Winston greeted the kings. The respected ape kind stepped forward and the crown hushed to hear his words.

"Winston, thank you for bringing five females this time. You are a true hero to us all. A bonfire banquet will be held in celebration for the new females, so please join us."

Winston barely replied with a snort. His tail lazily swishing behind him as he sat proudly on his haunches. The Ape king then addressed the crowd.

"The new females will choose their males on this first day. Everyone will compete on the stage. Good luck on winning!" The crowd cheered at his words but the ape kind signaled once again for quiet.

"But," He pointed a finger at me, "This fox female and her mate had been captured by scorpion ferals. Her male partner was killed and Winston saved her. She will automatically become Winston's partner."

My stomach twisted and all of a sudden, I couldn't get enough air for a full breath. My head rang with the sound of a high-pitched bell and a feeling of Déjà vu lay over the scene in front of me like a heavy shroud. The dream I had forgotten started playing again in my mind and I suddenly understood why this all felt familiar.

This place, these people, this exact scene had existed as words on a page. It was all part of a webnovel I had read and loved when I had been a human. In another world, in another life, my current reality had been my greatest fantasy.

I looked up at Winston who was now standing tall and naked in front of me. The other females had backed away from beside me and all eyes were on me as though waiting for me to say something. I knew this moment. Knew that I had been asked if I would take him as my male. Knew that I would cower, cry and refuse him. Knew that doing so would lead him to a fate of catering to a female who was just as foreign to this world as my own soul had been.

With that thought, I looked out at the crowd, my eyes searching for the telltale red of a feral's scales and his mate, Bai Qingqing. Before I could locate them however, Winston had taken my silence as refusal. "Very well. Nevermind." He said and started to turn away from me. The sound of various people in the crowd snickering could be heard, mocking the tiger who had always been refused by females for his intimidating appearance. My head was still trying to wrap itself around the situation but my body reacted on instinct. I reached out for Winston before he could shift and run away, my hand grabbing his tail instead of the hand I had been aiming for. With a start, he turned back to face me. His eyes were wide and a blush was blooming on his masculine face. I released his tail as quickly as I had grasped it. I could feel the heat in my cheeks mirroring his.