Visha woke up to find herself lying in Uri's arms.
He was sitting against the cave wall, his intact arm wrapping her closely.
Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. She continued to pretend to be unconscious.
She didn't intend for it to happen, but she was feeling really overwhelmed. She heard them mention Beast Continent before, but she never really took it to heart. To her, it was simply the name of a place. She's heard weirder.
But knowing they literally transform into beasts. That was definitely not a part of the plan. Then she remembered what had happened between the three of them earlier. Her little heart kept doing flips. Not because she was afraid or disgusted.
But because she liked it. Even after knowing what they were, she genuinely couldn't find it in her to be disgusted. Whether at them or at herself.
It's not something she can say she accepts right away. But she is already here, and it is something she needs to get used to if she ever decides to stay.
There it was again, the thought that she might want to stay.
She had her own world to return to, and staying shouldn't be a part of the plan. Coming here in the first place wasn't a part of the plan.
She could admit to herself that it didn't matter where she stayed. That's why she signed up for the job in the first place. She didn't have any family, and moving around was easy.
She had no reason to want to leave this place. It offered a new start and people I wanted to connect with, even after knowing them for a little more than a day.
She didn't know why she felt this way. And she wasn't prepared to question it.
She knew it was her stubbornness that made her want to go back.
Even as she lay here in Uri's arms. Even though she was embarrassed. She felt safe here. In the arms of a man she barely knew.
"How long are you planning to play dead?"
She could hear the amusement in his voice.
"Shut up."
A chuckle escaped his lips. She glared at him. He kissed her forehead.
"Sorry."
His smile disappeared. Visha didn't like it, but she didn't say anything. She reminded herself again that she had not known him long, so she shouldn't be so accommodating.
She scrambled up, not responding.
That's when she noticed that everyone was in the cave. The mixed mood made her wonder what had happened. She saw Uri walking over to Xeno and hesitated slightly before walking over.
"What's wrong with everyone?"
Xeno looked at her with a pained expression. Visha kept looking between the two of them, waiting for one of them to say something.
"After you gave Kit to me and fainted...some people think we should leave."
Xeno's voice was no more than a whisper. Because she was close, she could hear what he said.
"Leave, why?" What does my fainting have to do with anything?
"They said that Kit is cursed, and he's trying to spread his curse to you."
She looked closer at the people in the cave. She noticed they had been split into two factions. There wasn't much space in the cave, so the division wasn't obvious at first.
From a large group of fifteen people, not including Visha, seven were on the left side. On the right side, six people stood together. Two people she assumed to be Xeno and Kit's parents because one of them was holding Kit. The other was Nimo and what she assumed were his parents.
She didn't include Uri and Xeno.
Visha couldn't help but release a bitter laugh. She specifically said she was fine because she realised it might lead to contention if she fainted after finding out about Kit. Yet, here it was, still happening.
I guess even if they are beasts, they are still prejudiced beasts.
She walked over to Kit, not caring about the eyes on her. She held out her hands towards Kit, looking at the woman holding him.
Kit had his face cradled in his mother's neck. She knew he was crying.
Guess I wasn't out for that long.
"Do you mind if I hold him?" She waited for permission. The woman nodded.
Kit looked over at her as his mother tried to put him in her arms. Seeing it was her, he held on to his mother even more. His eyes were wet from tears he tried not to shed.
"It's okay, Kit. I didn't faint because of you. I promise."
Her soft voice carried through the cave. She made sure everyone heard.
It took a bit of coaxing, but she was finally able to get him to let go of his mother. In her arms, she could feel him trembling. He still wasn't sure of himself. But she would fix that soon.
She walked back to Uri and Xeno, who had been watching the whole thing. She wiped his little face. Wiping the tears away in the process.
She sat down while they continued standing.
"Kit, can you do me a favour?"
His wide eyes looked at her, not sure what she wanted, but he still nodded.
"I want you to roar for me. You're a tiger, and tigers roar. I want to hear your best roar, then I'll tell you a secret."
His confused eyes looked at her as if asking why he needed to roar. She didn't say anything else. Only nodding as encouragement.
As if building his courage, she saw him puff out his chest.
He opened his mouth, and a little kitten mew came out.
She couldn't help laughing; it was so cute.
"Cute. Try again. This time, think about your big brother. You've heard him roar, right?"
Vish and Kit turned to look at Xeno. Kit nodded, looking more determined now.
He tried again. This time it was better. Although not exactly like his brother. It was better than the kitten mewling before.
Visha kissed his cheek, Only to see him being taken away by Xeno.
"Don't kiss males."
She rolled her eyes and stood up.
"Give him back, I need to tell him a secret. He did what I asked, so I need to keep my promise."
Visha whispered in Kit's ear. His little eyes went wide, and he smiled. She put him down, and he ran back to his parents with his short legs.
Xeno and Uri's eyes went wide when they heard the secret. Even if Visha whispered, with their hearing, they could still hear what she said to Kit.
They watched Visha acting as if she didn't just turn the world upside down.
They were sure other beastmen in the cave heard. The cave isn't that big. As for the females in the cave that didn't hear, someone would tell them.
Instead of making a big deal about it. Visha walked out of the cave. The two followed behind shortly after.
"Visha, wait!" Uri called out to her.
She only turned around when they were some distance away.
"I guess since you ran after me like this, you heard."
Nodding, Xeno was about to open his mouth when Visha stopped him.
"Let's not talk about that. We need to close the cave and stop the wind from coming in. Help me find a stone big enough to cover the cave entrance. Not too big, I don't feel like suffocating."
With that, she walked away, not caring if they were behind her. Her thermal clothing and the animal skin created a clash that only she could pull off.