Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Twenty-four

The caiman didn't taste as bad as I thought it would. I remembered a little about how Bai had eaten floating beasts and loved them. Granted, neither I nor the snake feral could cook like she can.

After Kit and I had our fill, I cuddled him into my arms and leaned my back against the tree. I winced as my knee protested being bent.

The snake noticed. "Tsk. Your wounds...females heal too slow." He looked displeased with that fact. "Tell me, how did you end up in my lake anyway?"

"We were caught up in a flash flood." I said flatly.

"I see. Seems you are as unlucky as you are slow to heal. What were your mates doing, not protecting you?"

The snake had already seen my mates' marks so there was no reason not to tell him. "My tiger mate was away hunting. My leopard mate was with me, but he was swept away by the water." The thought of Harvey made my chest feel tight. I knew he was still alive because his mark was still clearly on my skin. But I had no way to tell how injured he was or how far away the water had taken him.

"And the kit's father? What happened to him?" Beastmen, especially ferals weren't the type to tiptoe around touchy subjects. If they were curious about something, they would ask.

"Killed by scorpions a few months ago." I replied just as bluntly. Though my heart tried to climb my throat, I willed it back down. Kit was asleep, but he already knew about his father.

Kit had known about his father from the time he'd been able to communicate with me. Beastmen grew quickly and there was no reason to hide it from him. In this world, death could come at any time for any reason and Ryan had died honorably.

The snake shrugged, unbothered. "Well, since the other two are still alive, they'll find you soon enough." He stoked the fire and threw on another log.

So far, the snake seemed very different than most ferals. He was especially different from Curtis who had kidnapped Bai the moment he found her interesting. He acted as though he had no worldly desires and only wished to converse with me. He reminded me of the grandpa who had lived next door to me in the other world.

"What is your name?" I asked, letting curiosity get the better of me.

"Lance. And yours female?"

"Bailey." I yawned. Exhaustion was beginning to take me again.

"Sleep, Bailey. Nothing will harm you. Not even me." Said the snake. And strangely, I believed him.

I woke to the sound of something heavy being dropped at my feet. It wasn't quite dawn yet so I could only make out the shape of something person sized.

"Bailey? If you're awake, can you tell me if this one is yours? If not, he can be breakfast." Lance's voice brought me out of my drowsy state, and I looked closer at the dark lump that must be a beastman.

It was a feline. He was covered in blood, his fur matted with it. His paws looked like ground hamburger. But underneath all the gore, I could see the familiar spots of a leopard.

"HARVEY!" I placed Kit on the ground and immediately cradled the leopard's face into my lap. He was breathing hard and his eyes were closed. Kit whimpered and started to lick one of the many wounds on his front legs. "Harvey, open your eyes." I said desperately. I needed him to talk to me, to tell me how to help him.

"I guess that answers my question. But why would such a pretty female such as yourself settle for a no-stripe? If your other mate is also such a weaking, it's a miracle you're still alive at all." Lance spoke to himself more than to me, so I ignored him.