My Beastmen Vol. 1

Ch. 2

 A few days go by, and I'm adjusting well. Damien has been teaching me all about the Beastmen culture. I even learn more about their language. It is hard to remember everything since I can't take notes. Damien is good about quizzing me on it every day.

I sit up and stretch my sore muscles. It's difficult to adjust from a soft bed to a bed of leaves and grass. As I stand up, I notice something by the mouth of the cave. I get closer and see it's a bundle of fruit wrapped in a large leaf.

I feel Damien's presence behind me. "What do you think?" He asks sniffing the fruit.

"Someone is interested in me, any idea who?"

He sniffs a little more. "No one here from the village."

I kneel and look through the contents.

Suddenly he grabs my wrist hard. "Whatever you do, don't accept it."

I look at him, confused. "Why?"

He looks into the woods, fixated on something by the trees. "Fox."

I yank my wrist away and push the fruit aside. "What's wrong with them?"

He sits beside me, still eyeing the treeline. "For as long as I can remember, the Fox clan has been known for charming females. Once they have them close enough, they'll mate. But, once the kits are born they kill the female. After that, they take all she has. They mostly try to target wealthy females."

"Then why target me?"

"They could sense that you're a potential breeder. The Fox Clan can rarely produce females, they're dying off. Most of the clan have gone feral, finding whatever female they can find."

"Feral? Like, wild Beastmen?"

He thinks for a moment. "In a way, I guess. They kidnap females and in most cases force them to be spouses. Don't worry I will protect you no matter the cost."

It shocks me to hear that. No one has ever said that to me. "Thank you, that means a lot."

I glance over and see a light blush on his face.

Maybe he does like me, a little bit anyway. I scoot closer to him and lay my head on his upper arm. (I'm too short to reach his shoulder.) I feel his muscle stiffen, but he doesn't move.

"I know this isn't...comfortable, but once you have your cycle we need to mate." There's pain in his words, but I understand why.

"I see, would you feel better if I told you I didn't know what I was doing?"

He chokes on some water and look's at me shocked. "You've never mated before?"

I shake my head. "In my world, we were more focused on working to survive. Right now my world is struggling, almost fighting between males and females."

"You must be strong."

I smile weakly. "I can be, I have to be strong even when I can't be."

We are silent for a long time, listening to the summer breeze flow by. There's a smell to the breeze. "It's gonna rain."

"I must go hunt, stay here, and don't eat the fruit."

I nod and go into the cave, I can take a nap while he's gone. I'm still adjusting to always being outside. I sit on our makeshift bed, made of leaves and what I think is hay. We even traded some extra hide for a blanket, so I could stay warm. No matter how cold it gets Damien never sleeps next to me. I don't blame him, especially since he doesn't like girls.

Once I get comfortable, exhaustion hits me and I fall asleep.

I wake to paws on the rocks of the cave. "Damien? Is that you?" I sit up and rub my eyes awake. As they adjust I notice a small dark figure close by.