My Wild Beast-Chapter 98: Her First Step (1)

Nova blinked at him, taking a little longer to respond. But what did Atia expect when he woke her up from a blissful nap. His words registered slowly and the dull ache between her legs and the tightening muscles in her lower back and hips added to the suddenly restless energy brewing inside of her from lazing around for so long. It was early afternoon, a few hours since Yoa had left doing gods’ knows what and she’d been napping away, drooling and possibly snoring while Atia had played the berimbau.

She needed to move her body, and Atia’s suggestion was perfect. She didn’t want to waste the whole day curled up like a spoiled cat, especially since her Serakai was the island’s guardian.

Nova quickly agreed, and Atia’s sombre expression which hadn’t left since Aiyana stormed off, lit up, his golden-green eyes brightening with a cheeky smile.

Atia hopped off his hammock gracefully, even with his size while Nova tripped, almost tangling her foot through the netting and falling face first into the wooden ground. Or she might have. If it wasn’t for Atia’s quick reflexes and had tossed a pillow, landing directly under her, and cushioning her face.

"It must have been quite a night," Atia mused and laughed outright when Nova glared at him but her cheeks had flushed a deep red which didn’t help.

Nova pushed herself off the ground with a huff, though the haze from the night before hadn’t yet fizzled away. Would she feel so loved up all the time? Perhaps. Did she hate it? Not really.

As long as she could still function daily then she found no issue with it.

Alright, maybe faceplanting the ground from the hammock wasn’t the best impression after her wild night with Yoa. But she was certain with or without having the best night of her life with her Serakai, she would have fallen onto the ground. Hammocks were so comfortable and relaxing but getting in and out of it was dangerous.

Well, dangerous to normal people which she was, unlike the beastly men she was surrouned by.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Walking barefoot across the rooftop of Atia’s treehouse, Nova stretched her arms overhead as she stared at the targets crafted into the trees far across from them. A few arrows had been left lodged in the bark. Large bows lined up along the side of the wooden guardrail. She couldn’t help but admire their craftmanship and the little markings trailing along a few.

While Nova admired them, Atia was moving around, leaping across some of the treehouses and branches. When he finally returned Nova followed his gaze. A few tree stumps stood as makeshift targets, set against thick vines that would stop any stray arrows from flying off into the jungle. A few were dangling in front, others, remaining on branches. They were all at varying angles and distances.

Nova’s fingers hovered over a few feathers on the arrows piled together in a leather quiver. Atia moved to grab the smallest bow. Though what appeared to be the right size for him, was giant for her. But it was smaller than the bow he’d used that first day they hunted together.

The bow he handed her was carved from pale wood, the curve elegant and worn from use. It was beautiful. When Nova lifted it, she immediately felt the weight strain her arm. He’d held it like it was lightweight, but it certainly wasn’t!

"Try to draw it," Atia said, stepping back with arms crossed, looking like a stern teacher.

Nova planted her feet like she’d seen in movies, lifted the bow, and pulled.

The string barely moved.

She exhaled and tried again. Her arm trembled slightly, her grip awkward. The string twanged and snapped back with no arrow. She flinched and withdrew her fingers with, cursing beneath her breath. It was like she’d been whipped on the fingers! Why did she want to learn this again?

Atia snorted softly. "Graceful."

"Shut up."

"Try again. Grip the string with your fingers like this," he stepped forward, demonstrating with exaggerated patience.

Nova mimicked his hand placement, adjusted her stance, and drew again. This time, the string came halfway before she released too early, the strain on her arms still too much. Atia didn’t comment, allowing her time to adjust to it.

Once Nova began pulling the string all the way back, her shoulder blades shaking from the resistance, Atia offered her a few arrows. Each time she pulled back that arrow, her entire body was taut like the string between her fingertips. And when she tried to aim for the closest target, the arrow either fell short or veered far from it.

Sweat formed along her brow, her arms aching already. "I’m so weak," she muttered, frustrated.

"And you will grow strong," Atia said simply from behind. Then like a general in an army, Atia clipped in a firmer tone. "Again."

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Yoa’s paws thudded against the earth, racing against himself, shooting across the land so he could return to Nova as soon as possible. He might be quick, but those nearby couldn’t sense him until he was almost on top of them, or beneath them in the underbrush of the forest. The birds ruffled their feathers in panic then annoyance, the monkeys scrambled away seeking higher advantages as he burst through the brush.

He continued without disturbing most of them until it was too late. It didn’t matter. His mind was filled with scenes of last night and this morning, and for the first time in his life, he felt a little burdened by his duties. He didn’t want to leave his mate but this was his duty.

Yoa could never turn his back on it. Even when storm clouds gathered in his spirit, he moved with urgency, wanting to complete his tasks before the weight grew heavier. But haste was no excuse for carelessness. One misstep, one forgotten duty, and the balance of Tayun could break.

There was a rhythm to all things. There was a guardian for a reason. If one thing fell out of place then the tribes could fall to ruin. Besides his sacred duty, Nova’s easy acceptance soothed him as well.

The sounds of the waves hit him first before the smell and taste of salt and brine flittered through the air as the jungle disbanded and white sandy beaches stretched before him followed by the turquoise waters.

Sea birds cried out, squawking as they fled the ocean where they had been floating and lazing in the sun. Yoa’s paws stilled in the sand as he watched them burst from the waves, one after another, startled and rising in a line before a large wave thundered onto the shore. Usually something like that wouldn’t hold his attention.

But the direction of the birds, the size of the wave that was unnatural with the calmer waters of the island today made his fur slowly rise and the end of his tail twitch in anticipation. Something wasn’t right here.

More birds diagonally from him in the deeper waters mirrored the first lot. All of them startling and flapping their wings rapidly, trying to get away from something in the water. Yoa started stalking forward, his golden eyes set on the area. His ears capped down.

The turquoise waters slowly faded into black.

It wasn’t shadowed from the clouds or something above, nor churned by a storm, but black like the ink from a squid, bleeding through the surf, staining the turquoise shallows into something unnatural. A slow ripple disturbed the surface, too smooth to be wind, too deliberate to be anything natural.

It was the Akhlut, and it was hunting.

The sound of children’s laughter rang out suddenly. Far too cheerful for the darkening water.

Yoa’s head whipped to the side, ears pricking up. A young boy and a girl raced across the sand playing tag. Yoa sprang forward, leaping in front of them just in time for an unnatural wave, far too big for the calm waters, rolled in and crashed against the rocks near them.

Water surged over his paws, soaking into what had been dry sand. As it rushed back, it dragged with it a trail of inkiness. Yoa snarled at the children, and they screamed, fleeing in terror, unaware of the true monster that had almost snatched them.

Yoa grunted, eyes trained on the vibrant green leaves still swaying where the children had sprinted past. Once he knew they wouldn’t return, he stalked towards the water, listening, smelling, and feeling

the wrongness of the inky water washing over the sandy shore.

A growl ripped from his chest, loud and visceral, as he watched the blackened waters pull away like the sea itself was being dragged into the throat of some unseen beast. Unseen but Yoa knew what the beast was. Without wasting a moment more, he charged into the waters, hoping to get a better look at the Akhlut.

A shiver trickled down his spine as he splashed through the shore, the water growing bitingly cold. His breath whooshed out sharply in shock, and his muscles froze. Move. Move!

Yoa kicked into action, ignoring the cold that didn’t belong in Tayun’s warm seas. He dove under and swam powerfully towards the darkness trying to escape him. He squinted through the shadows darting across the edges of his vision. Flickers of fins and scaled movement flashed across his vision before vanishing entirely.

Yoa was left in the turquoise waters, the heat returning while his heart still drummed to a wild beat, warning him of the risk he’d just taken in order to gain a better sighting of this sea creature that can walk on land.