"Where are you taking me?" I asked, looking over Thalen's shoulder. He stepped outside of the building we were in and onto he streets. It was the first time I had seen proper signs of civilisation.
The streets were lined with numerous commercial and residential buildings, typical of any modern city. The building is constructed of wood and stone. I saw people with various types of ears and tails walking, some of which were recognisable.
Something immediately stood out, making me realise why the guys kept talking about me being "too beautiful" or "weak". The women around here all seemed to be as muscular as the men, some even more. Everyone, even the teens, appeared to be quite strong and muscular. While all came in various shapes and sizes, one thing was in common: every single person was muscular.
Wow, this is like a bodybuilder city or something. I have never seen so many muscular people in my whole life.
Everyone could not keep their eyes off us. The entire street watched Thalen walk with a stupid grin on his face and a weak woman hawled over his shoulder.
We finally reached a house that seemed to be significantly more luxurious than the others. It was made from more sturdy materials and featured well-decorated designs. A worker quickly opened the door for him, and we entered the residence.
"Master Thalen, you have returned..." A young kid meekly stared at my body, hung with a face full of defeat," Is this a prey?"
"No," Thalen corrected the child, unable to hold back his grin, "This is my mate." Thalen continues to walk through the residence.
"Y-your mate?" the kid's voice was laced with surprise as he chased us, "But... she is so squishy... she looks so weak."
I glared at him and bared my teeth, "Say that one more time, kid! Call me squishy and weak one more time! I will show you a world of pain!" I tried to wiggle out of Thalen and try to grab the kid in front of me.
"She may look weak, but she is strong in many other ways, Jai. Never judge a beast by their skin." He paused for a second to think, then turned around, instructing Jai. "Get some clothes for her... something a little bigger than yours. There are still some of my clothes from my youth in the storage, get me those. I will be at the river at the back."
Jai gave a quick nod and scuttled away into the house.
"River? What, why are we going to a river?" I was confused by the sudden change of destination.
"To clean, of course. I can't let you stench up my house with the smell of other males on you, can I?" Thalen repositioned me, pulling me off his shoulder. His grip tightened around my waist as I came face-to-face with him. "I know you may not have the body, but you have a very enticing face. No woman in the Lion clan can compete with that beauty of yours, and there are other Lions like me who will sacrifice to bond chance of a strong beastwomen for such beauty."
Thalen kept his intense gaze fixed on my face a he continued walking. His strong arms held me comfortably without breaking a single sweat. He lowered his head and nuzzled into my neck and gently nibbled on the bond mark he had placed.
"Who knew a kid I saved would turn out to be such a prized female?" He was now staring at me with my face flushed. My heart was beating so fast that I couldn't even count them. I was so stunned by his act of intimacy with no hesitation that I couldn't even push him away.
While the beastwomen were muscular and rugged, the men in this world seemed impossibly handsome, usually sporting long hair. As a self-proclaimed lover of handsome faces, I could not help but be infatuated by his primal allure. My breath became heavy as I felt an intense fire begin to rise inside me.
Am I just embarrassed due to my lack of interaction with men?
I argue with myselftrying to deny my attraction to Thalen.
Maybe it's just the rush of saving people in this strange world after escaping a near-death situation. I can't... I can't be crushing on a man who just decided to claim me as his own when I was passed out and mark me... right?
Thalen noticed my eyes examining him. He knew that look all too well. A smug knowing grin looked back at me. His lip lifted up one side, revealing a dimple that increased his already intense attractiveness even more. It was unnerving, as if he could read my mind.
"W-why are you looking at me like that?" I stammered out, flustered by his restless gaze that refused to move from mine. Even though I was embarrassed, something stopped me from looking away.
He did not reply to my question, but as we approached the lake, I finally noticed the massive, forest-like garden he had in this house. A river ran through it, and the flowers and smaller animals were scuttling around.
Still holding me tight, he dipped his feet into the river. The shallow freezing, cold water reached his knees. I was instantly jolted out of his hypnotising gaze as the icy cold water touched my toes.
I screamed and instantly wrapped myself tighter around him. I was practically climbing his body now in an attempt to avoid contact with the chilly water.
"It's freezing! Are you trying to kill me?" I shriked, my voice high-pitched in shock.
Thalen raised his thick brows at me, as he always did when he was in disbelief.
"You human species are very weak." He stated flatly, "If you can't handle this much, how do you survive?"
He sighed at this new information. Still, to accommodate me, he walked out of the water
"What do you mean by how? That should be my question. That water is crazy cold. I could have gotten hypothermia or something. Still, I can't get my wound wet, so either way, I am not getting in there!"
He placed me down gently onto the dry ground. The immediate loss of heat from his body was shocking. I instantly started to shiver violently at this. It was getting dark, and the air was getting colder. Watching me, Thalen starts to untie the belt of his clothes.
"W-woahh!" I cried out in shock, covering my eyes with my hands. "What are you doing?"
Thalen did not say a word. The only sound I could hear was the sound of his exhaled smirk and the rustling of his clothes. Unable to resist the curiosity, I took a little peek through my fingers only to see a pile of heavy cloths being thrown towards my face, blocking my vision.
"I'm just giving you my clothes to keep yourself warm." He teased. Thalen was already waist-deep in the river when I uncovered the clothes from my face.
For a second, I sat there with my mouth open, frozen in place, not due to the cold but the sight in front of me. Thalen's dark, bare skin was a beautiful, rich umber in colour. The scars that contrasted with his skin were rough and rugged. But they bore witness to his battles and his strength in surviving them. His long black hair fell so elegantly on his exposed back.
It was only when he submerged himself in the water to clean himself thoroughly that I snapped out of it. Despite the cold wind slapping my face, I felt my face grow hot.
His scent lingered on the clothes I wrapped myself in. I gripped it tight around me. My body boiled as if starved and wanting something. I looked away from where Thalen was in the river and fanned myself with my hand.
What is wrong with you, Ivy!
I scolded myself.
You have seen plenty of naked men before in surgery. It's just a chunk of meat on bones... and well-defined muscles... that just seem to dip in all the right places...
Realising I was completely off track again, openly lusting over this man who was a stranger, I smacked my cheeks, bringing myself back into reality.
Just then, the kid, Jai, came back with my clothes. He threw a bottle towards Thalen, who used it to oil his hair. The customs of this world piqued my curiosity.
It's pretty strange. They are like animals eating raw meat, but they are into cleaning themselves and making sure they smell good with oils. Yet Lions, from what I know, do not bathe like this and hate water. Up to what level are they similar to humans, and what is their beastly part? It's quite an interesting species.
The doctor part of me starts to ask questions about the physics and the existence of the beastpeople. How do they morph? How is the human body able to process raw food? Then it dawned on me.
The deer... if animals transform into humans... do they just eat... beast people? They are not the same species... but... that just feels so wrong.
"Hey... Jai... can I ask you a question?" I start to bite the nail on my thumb. He nods and waits for my question, "The... deer... um... do you guys just want all beast people... does it not feel weird?"
Seeing what I was trying to say, he could not help but laugh, "Oh! Miss, it is not like that. Low-intelligence animals are not beastpeople. Like rabbits, goats, pigs, and buffalo, among others, are just animals. We do not really eat Beastpeople, but some tribes do. It's not looked upon greatly." He had a scared look on his face for a second, then went back to his smile, "That deer was just a deer. You have my word."
I sigh in relief. Just then, I hear splashing coming from the direction where Thalen was bathing. As if instinctively, I turned my head to look his way, but my hands thankfully moved quicker to cover my eyes.
That was a close one! Stupid brain, why are you so hellbent on watching that man come out of the river... fully... naked.... Arrgghh!!!!