Chapter 54 - Idiotic LIAR

Chapter 54: 54 - Idiotic LIAR

(Moyu’s POV)

I rejected the female without a second thought and turned my attention to the males, who had questions about the forest’s state.

"Some of our males reported a coldblooded female," a bear beastman said, stepping forward. "Her head male was looking for males to join their pack. Do you know anything about that? A few thought of joining..."

"No," I replied, fast, before they could get any ideas. "She had caused the primal outbreak, and she is dangerous. Stay away from her, and tell anyone you meet to do the same."

The males nodded, not questioning my words.

"I thought so. Who would want to join a coldblooded? I always said it was a trap," the male added. "Thank the skies we have you to warn us. We will spread the word and make sure no one falls for the female’s tricks."

They thanked me for my service as I told them about the movements of other coldblooded I had noticed in the area and advised them to be on high alert.

With that, I left the bear village and flew over the forest again.

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The rain began to pour harder, making my flight more difficult and my mood worse. Cold drops hit my wings like stones, making them heavier and slowing me down.

I had to find shelter before the storm worsened. I spotted a large tree with a thick trunk and a hollow inside. It looked dry enough, so I landed near it and tucked my wings close to my body.

I sat inside the hollow, leaning my back against the wall.

Did no nice female exist in this world? Was I doomed to never find a mate of my dreams? Or was I being too picky?

I sighed and rubbed my face. My ears picked up a commotion outside. Defensive growls and snarls. I peeked out of the hollow and spotted the female facing off against a group of beastmen.

She successfully chased them away with my death... my death! So that’s why she stole my cloak! She wanted to use it to scare away others. And it worked!

Who in their right mind would slander their own reputation?! If she didn’t care, why did I?! She could have just embarrassed me by saying she rejected me, but she chose to claim that she killed me for. rejecting. HER!

A LIAR! Shameless, insane, idiotic LIAR!

I wanted to pull my feathers out in frustration. She killed innocent beastmen. I kept reminding myself of that. And she would not hesitate to do the same to me if I stayed with her.

As soon as the rain calmed, she left the tree and had Kurus lead her toward the bear village I had visited a few days ago. I followed them, keeping a safe distance.

This female... She made Kurus scare the living daylight out of the villagers! And when nobody (but me) was watching, she actually dropped a stash of cores next to the beastmen, who had fallen asleep thanks to Kurus’ venom!

They were the ones who had received the bear beastwoman’s mementos. Did she recognize the mementos of the fallen beastmen from the primal outbreak? She must have.

Then she stole the skins and furs from the village’s storage and left, shouting elite patrol warnings. There were no elite patrols beside me, and I was hiding behind the branches of a tall tree.

"Sorry, buddy," Vick appeared behind me out of nowhere. I could barely react before he kicked me in the back and sent me flying toward the bear village.

I crashed into the ground, making a huge hole in the soft soil. The impact knocked the air out of me, and I coughed, struggling to breathe.

The beastmen stirred and lifted their heads. "Patrol! We are under attack!"

I stood, wincing at the pain in my back, and looked around for Vick and the female. They were gone.

The villagers cheered and celebrated their good luck. "They ran away when they saw you! You are our savior!"

They made me the hero of the village, the one who brought back the cores and saved the males from the coldblooded’s attack.

I had no time to entertain them as I rushed to take off in the direction Vick had kicked me, my eyes scanning the area. I was no hero. I was an idiot who followed a female who didn’t want me. She gave me the glory I didn’t earn, and I didn’t know what to do with it.

The next days were a blur of me chasing her and her males, trying to catch up, and failing every time. She was always ahead, always out of reach. They needed less sleep than me, and their stamina was unbelievable.

They didn’t seem to care about the weather, the terrain, or the danger. They just kept moving. I couldn’t take it any longer and dropped in the middle of her path, panting with exhaustion. My wings hung low as I shifted into my human form, too tired to hold it anymore.

A flicker of hope sparked within my chest as she bent down before me. I wondered if, just maybe, she might offer me a hand.

Instead, she picked up a pebble between her thumb and forefinger. She tossed it from one hand to the other. The pebble sailed back and forth, up and down, taunting me.

"Is there a law of how many NOs a female must give before a male gets the message? I plan to visit your superiors, and tell them of your ’persistence’, so they can deal with you."

The words hit me like a slap across the face. No, not a slap. It was more like a beak to the gut, twisting and tearing. I felt like my own hope was eating me alive. I wanted to dig a hole and hide in it until the shame went away.

"Who says I’m here to...to court you?" I said, trying to salvage my pride. "You pose danger to the Beast Kingdom, and I... I have a duty to stop you."

"By mating me?" She arched an eyebrow, and I dropped my gaze.

"Mating you?" I repeated, feeling the scorching heat creep up my neck and onto my face as I searched for a way out, without sounding too desperate.

I needed to return to being an elite patrol, composed, firm, and respectable, and I needed to do it FAST.

"I would rather mate a primal beast than you. I’m here to prevent you from causing more trouble."

My words came out harsh. I almost convinced myself I meant it.