Chosen Mate Of The Beastmen Empire

(13)

Nyx nodded. Remembering that Zayne seemed more reserved now, she transformed into her beast form. A small, milk- colored rabbit emerged from under the clothes, her round eyes full of expectation.

Zayne was so stunned he almost forgot to breathe. After a long silence, he managed to maintain his composure and firmly refused. “No.”

Originally, he hadn't planned to move Nyx to this smaller cave so soon. But seeing her eagerly eyeing his herbs, he couldn't let her stay in the larger cave where he stored his medicinal plants.

What if her goal is to steal the herbs? Once she gets what she wants, will she run away?' he thought. Zayne's expression darkened. He would make sure she never succeeded.

Nyx tilted her head, watching Zayne's changing expressions, and scratched her cheek with a paw in confusion. “Can I really not sleep with you?" she asked softly. "I'm scared living alone."

She was making an excuse to stay close to Zayne, but she was also genuinely a little scared.

Although the Beastmen lived in a tribe, their homes were spread out. Once night fell, the cave would be eerily quiet, and outside would be pitch black with no one in sight.

When he looked at the pitiful little rabbit, Zayne's resolve wavered. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to suppress his softening heart. "Don't worry, it's safe here. There's nothing to be afraid of."

As soon as he finished speaking, the little rabbit, rejected again, burst into tears.

Zayne panicked. His mind went blank, and without thinking, he rushed over, scooping Nyx into his arms and gently stroking her fur. "There now."

"I'll do as you say.” He abandoned his principles. "I'll do whatever you want."

All his resolve crumbled. He sat on the bed, placing the little rabbit on his lap, and spoke in a near-pleading tone, "I'll stay here with you, okay?"

This wasn't the first time Zayne had seen a female cry. But it was the first time he felt his heart ache.

The little rabbit in his arms was soft and trembling with each sob. At that moment, Zayne felt like the worst person in the world. He was wrong. He shouldn't have bullied her, shouldn't have forced a timid little rabbit to live alone in this cold, abandoned cave.

"I'll stay with you,” he repeated in a low voice. “Wait for me. I'll go get my things."

After much coaxing, Nyx finally stopped crying. She buried her face in Zayne's muscular chest, secretly smiling in triumph.

With the sleeping situation resolved, the only issue left was the soreness on her feet. The injuries from her human form still existed in her beast form.

During her fake crying and rolling around, she had accidentally aggravated the wounds, and her hind paws were now throbbing with pain.

Remembering the question she had been interrupted from asking earlier, she quickly asked again, “Zayne, do you have any medicine that helps wounds heal faster?"

If he didn't, she could make some herself, but it would take time. She was sure Zayne had some ready-made ointment. As expected, Zayne did have some. But this made him wary again.

'Medicine for external wounds? Is this her goal?' he thought. He hadn't expected Nyx to ask so directly, catching him off guard. If he didn't give it to her, he was afraid she might cry again. If he did, he worried she might run away.

13

"What do you need that medicine for? He narrowed his eyes, holding the little rabbit up to his face to carefully observe her. expression

If she really needed it, he wasn't opposed to giving it to her. But in exchange, this little rabbit had to stay by his side and belve

Nyx answered truthfully. “My feet are sorenoveldrama

Afraid Zayne wouldn't believe her, she rolled over and transformed into her human form, sticking out her feet for emphasis.

The sight of her pale, delicate feet immediately caught Zayne's attention. Nyx curled her toes, showing him the red marks and abrasions. Instantly, Zayne felt his heart tighten.

"When did this happen? Was it on the way back?" He stammered, his words jumbled. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Thinking about how he had walked ahead, leaving her with only his cold back, a wave of guilt washed over him, drowning Zayne in self-reproach.

He didn't care if Nyx was dressed or not, nor did he care about propriety. He knelt before her and gently took one of her feet

in his hand.

Her tender skin seemed as if it could be squeezed to release water, like someone who had been pampered and never endured hardship. Yet now, streaks of red marred its surface, piercing Zayne's heart.

I'm sorry," he said hoarsely, bowing his head in apology.

It was all his fault. He blamed himself for not thinking things through, for making Nyx walk such a long distance. He also blamed himself for being careless and not noticing her injuries sooner. And yet, he had still been suspicious of her, delaying giving her the medicine.

"It's okay Nyx retracted her foot and shook her head. "It's not your fault. It's my own problem, not yours."

No one would have thought that an adult female could get sore feet from walking such a short distance. In the tribe, this was practically unheard of. Even across the entire continent, you wouldn't find another fragile creature like her.

Nyx was simply stating the facts. However, her reaction seemed to Zayne like she was disappointed in him and trying to distance herself. It felt as if a hand had gripped his heart, making it hard to breathe.

He didn't dare dwell on it further. He quickly stood up, fetched a large amount of medicinal ointment from the main cave, and carefully applied the best one to Nyx's wounds.

The cool, soothing sensation of the medicine eased the burning pain. Nyx lay back on the bed covered with animal pelts, transforming back into a little rabbit. When she looked up, she met Zayne's slightly pitiful gaze.

"What's wrong?" Nyx asked, confused.

Zayne's usual imposing aura had weakened considerably. "Do you still want me to stay with you?"

In just half an hour, the situation had completely reversed. This time, it wasn't Nyx insisting he stay-it was him anxiously waiting for her to decide if she wanted him.

Nyx nodded like a chick pecking at rice. “Of course.” She had fake-cried to get this far, after all.

Zayne felt as if he had been granted a reprieve. Afraid Nyx might change her mind, he hurried to the main cave to gather his belongings.

There weren't many items, but they were scattered and lacked proper containers. Zayne made several trips back and forth, not finishing until sunset.

07:43 Fri, 7 Mar

*83%

Before bed, he still felt uneasy. After tossing and turning for a while, he couldn't help but ask again, “Nyx, do you still want me to be your mate?"