Why Am I In the Beast World?!

Chapter 13- Unknown Proposal

Vadon POV

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       'I have a year to leave the village.'

     Vadon thought himself naïve to think the Chief would wait to meet Audre. Of course, once word spread that a new and mateless female had been brought into the village, the Chief would strike fast.

     She had even brought her mates, Calian and Ryker, as a warning to him. Calian was a six-ringed wolf beast-man. Not only was he the strongest male in the village, but he was also the head of the village guard. Ryker was right under Calian in strength with five rings. And although Calian outmatched Ryker in strength, no one in the village could compete with Ryker in speed and stealth.

     With them making sure that Audre stays in the village, it won't be easy to leave with her, and he could be sure that Ryker would always be keeping a close watch on them.

     Vadon looked down at the little female he was holding in his arms. She looked back up at him with questioning eyes.

     "Does the Chief want me to gain mates? Is that what the mating rites ceremony is?" His little female looked so worried.

     Vadon was touched, that Audre did not seem to want to accept any other mates, but he was also angered that anyone would cause his little female to feel troubled.

     "You don't have to worry about the ceremony," he assured her as carried Audre back into the tree hole and laid her on the grass bed.

     "But the Chief said that the ceremony would start soon! I'm not even sure what the mating rites ceremony is." Audre said as she held her hands in her lap and frowned at the ground.

     Vadon had seen her do that a lot in the short time he's known her and found that she did that when something was troubling her.

      Vadon moved to sit next to Audre. "The mating rites ceremony is when males in the village showcase their skills and fighting prowess to a female. After which the female chooses which male or males will become her mates."

     "Why is it that the Chief is in such a hurry?" Audre asked.

     "Well, it's because the village hasn't had an available female in many years. No male has been able to get a mate in quite a while, so unease is growing throughout the village. Some males have even tried to assassinate some of the females' mates in order to give themselves a chance to mate."

     Vadon knew he was being selfish to try to keep Audre to himself when she was the hope the village males were waiting for, but it was in the nature of all beast-man to be selfish when it came to their mate. None of them would ever willfully choose to share their mate if it could be helped. It felt so wrong that males greatly outnumbered females. Almost like it was a curse on the world that they had simply grown used to over time.

     Vadon sighed. "It's not only this village that has this problem but many villages and tribes have the same issue as well. That's why attacks from wandering beast-men have grown so frequent."

     "I didn't know that things were so dire here," Audre said. "That's why the males in the village looked at me that way."

     "If you want, we can sneak out of the village if you don't want to attend the ceremony." It made Vadon nervous to ask this of her and he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye. He would be heartbroken if she said that she wanted to stay.

     But to Vadon's delight, a huge smile spread across Audre's face. "Really! You can get me out of the village!"

     "Yes! Well, it won't be easy but yes!" Vadon felt giddy with excitement. He could barely describe the happiness he was feeling at this moment.