Beastly

Chapter 2

"The answer is still no." She repeated, taking a few steps away from the beastman. "I'll be fine on my own."

"But you are a female, you cannot hunt on your own." He said as though it were obvious, "You cannot survive on your own."

She wanted to snarl, but instead kept walking backwards in the direction of the City. Keeping her voice steady Hariel replied, "I've been on my own for over four mon- moons. I'm still alive and healthy, meaning I don't need a male."

Instead of being put off by her very dismissive attitude, the panther looked more intrigued and fascinated with her.

"You are strong then." He said honestly, and damned if that wasn't flattering to hear even if only slightly. "No female I have seen would be able to do the same, but I am a four-marked beastman and I can protect you from colossals and other animals."

Colossals, that was a word she didn't know. The name in and of itself meant it had to be either massive or dangerous – or worse, both. Not wanting to seem ignorant of something that was likely basic knowledge, Hariel stored that bit of knowledge away and continued her slow movement away from the panther.

"Again, I've been fine on my own. More than anything, I don't want a male- let alone a stranger."

The panther noticed the growing distance and took long steps toward her, closing the space she had made between them, "My name is Ren." He said with a small but kind smile, "What is your name, female?"

"First, don't call me female- it's debasing, and secondly why should I tell you?"

He looked adorably confused at her response and annoyingly took a step toward her for each that she took away from him. "But that is what you are? Perhaps you would prefer to be called beautiful creature instead?" Hariel could tell he was trying to be charming, but all she felt was annoyance.

"Still debasing." she deadpanned.

The panther looked even more lost at her responses, but she refused to give him even a modicum of hope that she was interested.

"Then what should I call you?"

"Nothing, I don't want you to call me anything and to please leave me alone."

Ren shook his head but his eyes glinted in determination, "No, it is too dangerous to be alone. I will stay with you and guard you. You will change your mind, I am sure of it."

On reflex, Hariel's eyes narrowed but aside from straight up attacking the beastman she didn't have many ideas on how to deter him any further – and she wasn't even sure that attacking him would do much aside from annoy him. She remained silent and stared him down for a moment, looking for any weakness but finding none.

"Fine." She said finally, "You can come along with me but I'm not going to...ugh, I'm not going to mate with you."

His smile was wide but became a bit sharper; the canine tooth becoming more prominent and glinting in the sunlight, "I will change your mind." Before she could retort with another denial, Ren shifted back into an overgrown panther and slid between her legs forcing her onto his back while she scrambled to balance herself rather than faceplant into the dirt.

"Wha-what are you doing!?" Hariel demanded while she gripped his fur for support.

"It will be faster this way!" was his immediate response, "We will be there before you know it!"

Hariel would never admit to the short high-pitched scream that left her throat when he started running at what she could only assume was his top speed. She held her body close to the panther, her thighs burning as she kept them clenched to his side. The trees and shrubbery around them blurred as he moved through the unkept paths toward the City of Beasts and she couldn't tell how long he kept her astride as they moved but after some time, Ren slowed down enough that she could relax her body enough to sit up and look at their surroundings.