Chosen Mate Of The Beastmen Empire

At noon, after lunch, sunlight streamed through the hanging flower gate into the courtyard, warming everything until it felt. like your bones might melt. Nyx lounged lazily on a low couch, teasing the wolf cub with a grass.

A few maids finished their tasks and gathered around her, stitching while stealing glances at the majestic wolf. Kellingtown had wolves too, but they were scrawny little things-nothing like this impressive beast.

It looked so big and fierce, with a mouth full of sharp fangs glinting coldly like it could snap someone's throat in one bite. Yet, when it lay at Nyx's feet, it fawned over her like a puppy.

The maids, who hadn't seen much of the world, couldn't quite put it into words- they just quietly marveled at how amazing Nyx was

After tiring of pouncing on the grass, Nyx pulled a ball she'd sewn from her old clothes out of her sleeve and tossed it far across the yard.

In a flash, the gray wolf cub bolted after it like a gust of wind, its sleek form vanishing out the gate. It came back quick, the toy dangling from its mouth. And it wasn't alone-someone followed behind. Spotting that tall, broad- shouldered figure, the maids shot to their feet, too nervous to keep slacking off.

They'd gotten over their fear of the wolf since it didn't bite randomly, but even knowing the general wouldn't kill without reason, they still couldn't help feeling spooked.

No mystery why-his presence was just too intimidating. It's amazing that Nyx managed to tame a beast like that.

Nyx stayed sprawled out, not bothering to move. She had no intention of getting up to greet her guy, just flicked her eyes up at him and gave a lazy ware.

Right away, the wolf cub's tail wagged like a blur, and the general's eyes lit up with a clumsy, eager grin. "Nyx, I got you a gift."

"Oh: Clothes?" Nyx's gaze landed on what he was holding. "Let me see.

Maybe some local Kellingtown specialty outfit. When she shook out the fabric, Nyx realized it was a sharp, practical set- narrow sleeves, cinched wrists, super crisp.

Erik had even matched it with shoes-a pair of long boots with simple cloud patterns stitched on. No extra frills, but she could tell the craftsmanship was top- notch, with serious care put into the materials and stitching.

"Why'd you suddenly think to get me this?" Nyx asked, running her fingers over it with interest.

She didn't need to try it on to know it'd fit perfectly. She hadn't gained or lost weight these past three months, and Erik had measured every inch of her a million times before-he knew her sizes like the back of his hand.

Thinking of that, she narrowed her eyes and shot him a knowing look. She thought, "He's not cooking up some naughty plan to try new tricks with me, is he?"

Ever since the Emperor back at the palace got a taste of role-playing he'd gone wild with it, always roping her into new roleplays.

One day it was a power-hungry minister forcing himself on a favored consort, the next a pure-hearted guard secretly comforting a lonely noble, then some priest claiming to use his energy to exorcise her.

Teenage males had endless stamina and greed to match-Nyx could barely keep up. She'd finally escaped out here for some peace, but had the other guy at home quietly picked up bad habits too?

Erik had no clue why she was eyeing him like that. He got nervous and started stammering, “I—I got you, uh, a horse?

12:15 Sun, 16 Mar

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The old garrison commander in Kellingtown loved fine horses and had offered him

a few choice picks when he arrived.

Erik usually didn't take gifts and had plenty of horses already, planning to send them back untouched. But then he spotted a gentle, adorable foal and couldn't resist.

He remembered Nyx riding a white horse to see him off before the campaign-her cool, heroic figure burned into his mind, haunting his dreams.

He couldn't fight the selfish urge, kept the foal, and sent some gold and silver as payment, treating it like he'd bought it himself. After getting the horse, he made a bunch of riding outfits for Nyx-this was just one of them.

"A horse?" Nyx's eyes sparkled. "What kind? Where is it? Take me to see it now!"

She scrambled up in a rush, all excited, but then felt a weird ache in her waist. Her smile froze on her face. Erik was quick on his feet, catching her before she flopped back onto the couch and scooping her up in his arms.

They locked eyes, both going quiet. Seeing her clench her little fists tight, the general's heart started pounding like a drum.

He'd hesitated so long to give her the gift because he was scared she'd get mad again after the excitement wore off. After all, it was his fault she wasn't feeling great and couldn't ride a horse anytime soon.

With maids and servants gawking from all sides, Nyx couldn't keep her cool. She shoved at his rock-hard chest. "Put me down."

Her feet hit the ground, but her legs felt like jelly. Her face twisted for a split second before she forced it back to normal, strolling into the room like nothing was wrong. She shut the door and glared at the culprit. “I'm not touching you again until we're back in Hilltop City."

The cold, ruthless Nyx laid down the law, sentencing her unruly male to abstinence. Even when he gave her those pitiful, rain-soaked-puppy eyes, her heart stayed stone-cold.

But when night rolled around, she couldn't bring herself to actually kick her partner out. She left half the bed for him like always.

Erik dutifully warmed up the covers, trying to make up for his sins. Still, holding her soft little body, he was too wound up sleep all night. He really wanted to kiss her but didn't dare make a move.

In the end, Nyx took pity on her guy. After freezing him out for a day or two and seeing him squirm, she let him off the hook. This time, Erik learned his lesson- every move gentle and measured.noveldrama

The next morning, Nyx felt fine, no discomfort at all, so she gave her obedient male plenty of warm smiles. Before breakfast, she fed the wolf first, setting the basin on the ground and saying, "Wait a sec."

Grayball had been a greedy eater since it was a pup. Its green beast eyes locked onto the meat, practically drooling, but it held back because of her command.

"Go ahead." With Nyx's okay, it finally dove in, pouncing on the food. "Slow down, slow down," Nyx said, patting its head. It obediently eased up on the chowing.

Erik watched from the side, amazed. "Nyx, you're incredible. You've got it trained like a dog."

This wolf cub was a wild handful-not only did it ignore him, but even famous dog trainers couldn't handle it. Teaching it to wait and eat slowly had been a bust; it stayed a beast through and through, scarfing down food and snapping at anyone who

tried to take it.

But it'd turn so tame in Nyx's hands. Nyx looked at the cub, clearly starving but keeping its manners, and suddenly chuckled, "Yeah. Wolves are pretty well- behaved."

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Take this dumb Pale Wolf-tell him to go hungry, and he'd actually sit there starving like a good boy. Two days of that, and he'd turn totally docile. That's Canine males.

If it were cats, the situation would be completely different. They wouldn't stand a single meal without meat.

But then she thought of the Snow Wolf back home, with eight hundred tricks up its sleeve. She coughed and thought, 'Guess it wasn't really about being canine

She glanced up at her goofy Pale Wolf again, feeling a little extra fondness. "You free today?"

He nodded, and she stood up, satisfied. "Then take me to see the gift later. It'd been a while since she'd ridden a horse-she wanted to stretch her legs. Since Erik hadn't explained it clearly, Nyx assumed he'd gotten her some dashing, heroic steed. When they got to the stables and she saw it, her jaw dropped. It was a squat little foal.

Obviously super young, like a fluffy golden cloud-full of life, with big, round, pure eyes that darted around curiously. The second it spotted Nyx from afar, it trotted over excitedly, clip-clopping its tiny hooves. So cute.

Nyx couldn't help reaching out to pet it, then shot her partner a mock-annoyed look. “It's so little, and you didn't tell me sooner?" If she rode it, it would be child labor.

Erik rubbed his nose, looking sheepish. When he held Nyx, she felt so light he barely noticed her weight-figured a foal could carry her no problem.

Since they were already out, even if she couldn't ride yet, Nyx didn't want to head back. She played with her little foal for a bit, fed it some treats to get it used to her smell and voice, and bonded with it.

Leaving the stables, with plenty of daylight left, she decided to wander around. Sitting in the carriage, she lifted the curtain to take in the scenery. Erik played coachman for her.

Kellingtown's climate was warm and humid, with lush greenery, tons of mountains, and water everywhere-beautiful views. all around. Too bad this era hadn't figured out tourism yet, and the place had been plagued by barbarian raids for years, leaving the locals struggling.

Nyx's mood dipped and rose as she gazed into the distance, then pointed suddenly. "What's that over there?"

It looked like a fortress-high, towering walls on all sides, solid and heavy, giving off a suffocating vibe.

Erik followed her finger and frowned. "That's the prison for serious criminals."

It mostly held high-ranking barbarians or die-hard rebels now-key figures from

the uprising, waiting to be shipped back to Hilltop City for the Emperor to deal

with.

"Monka's in there too," Erik said, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Used to think he was spineless, but turns out he's got some guts. Arlong's crew grilled him for two days and still couldn't crack him."

A coward who'd break at the first scare, yet he wouldn't rat out his foster father no matter what. Funny thing was, that foster father he adored so much had ditched him to save his own skin the second things got hairy.

Nyx sighed a little, "I want to take a look."

Erik gave her a disapproving look. "There's nothing worth seeing in there," he

said, choosing his words carefully. "Since they're hardcore criminals, interrogation gets messy." Nyx might end up with nightmares if she saw it.

They went back and forth for a while, but Erik couldn't talk her out of it. Grumpy,

he drove the carriage toward where she wanted to go.

A sentry up in the watchtower spotted the general's carriage from a distance and reported it to the boss right away. By the

time the carriage rolled up to the gate, a bunch of soldiers and jailers were already lined up to greet them.

Seeing the general himself sitting up front driving, the warden's legs went weak, and he dropped to his knees 'G-Generat

Why is the general playing coachman? Is there someone in the carriage? Who could make the general drive for them? The Emperor himself, maybe?' Everyone stood there shaking, hearts pounding with the jitters of facing some big shot. When the curtain twitched, they all held their breath, heads too scared to look up.

Keeping their eyes down, they caught a glimpse. The general personally lifted the curtain and reached in to help and hug -'Hug?' Realizing something was off, they jerked their heads up, eyes wide, practically drooling in awe.

Even in a sleek, practical outfit with her hair tied high, no one could mistake Nyx's gender. That moonlit face was like a fairy's-too perfect to belong down here. "Greetings to the general and madam," the head guy said, leading the salute, and the rest followed in unison.

"General." The warden couldn't help butting in. "Why'd you bring madam to a filthy place like this?

Beyond the rusty iron gate was a damp, gloomy tunnel, reeking of rot and decay.

No daylight, just the dim yellow flicker of torches. Nyx's pale, delicate face glowed

in the torchlight, totally out of place here.

Erik didn't even want her shoes touching this ground. He'd been holding her since

they got out, letting her sit on his solid arm like he was her human mount. Nyx gave an embarrassed smile to the guy leading the way. "We were just passing by, and I got curious."

Mid-sentence, a loud bang rang out-a sharp crash that startled her out of

nowhere. Erik's face darkened instantly, and he patted her back to calm her

down.

"Those damned animals!" The warden's expression soured too. "We haven't questioned them yet today-guess their skin's itching for it!"

Nyx traced the sound and squinted into the dark. After a bit, she made out a few figures slamming their shackles against the cell door, shouting in a language she couldn't quite catch, though it was obviously curses.

They were barbarians captured two days ago, knocked out at the feast. Full of resentment, they cursed the traitors to a bad end and Erik for fighting dirty. After two days of interrogation, seeing their archenemy Erik show up-and with a woman in his arms-they let loose a string of filthy insults.

Erik understood barbarian tongue, and the last trace of emotion drained from his

face. Even though Nyx couldn't, he still covered her ears with his hand.

"Cut out their tongues," he said.

The warden flinched at the general's tone, bowing and mumbling agreement before signaling the jailers.

"Erik?" A dry, raspy voice croaked from deep in the cells.

Nyx might not have caught much else, but she perked up at her partner's name, tapping Pale Wolf's arm to check it out. Unlike the fired-up barbarians from before, this cell held a half-dead guy, slumped like a puddle of mud on the floor.

He wasn't speaking barbarian either-just stiff, awkward official speech. "It's really

you."

Erik ignored him, turning to Nyx. "That's Monka."

He was old enough, no heroic vibe, and just average-looking-not worth Nyx's

curiosity.

"Bringing a pretty lady here for what? Gifting her to me?" Monka's eyes landed on Nyx, and he wheezed out a laugh. "You sure know how to spend big. Aren't you

worried you'll lose your wife and your plans, and we'll end up with the All-seeing Eyes too?"

If those traitors hadn't handed over the All-seeing Eyes, neither he nor his foster

father would've trusted them so easily or fallen for the trap. Erik had the guts to risk a priceless treasure-they'd lost fair and square. "What's the trick this time? A honey trap?" He eyed Nyx's soft, flawless face, sneering. "They say you don't care for beauty- guess the rumors are half-baked!

Your woman's real pretty, but even if you let her sleep with me, I wouldn't bend the knee or sell out-"

Suddenly, a sword was pulled out, its cold gleam flashing into Monka's eyes, shutting him up

fast.

He'd meant to rile Erik up, hoping he'd cut his tongue out too for a quick death to dodge more torture. But when the blade actually hit his neck, he shook like a leaf, all bravado gone.

Nyx's face stayed calm the whole time, unbothered by the loser's taunts. She smoothed her hand over her partner's chest, calming the raging Pale Wolf, then looked down and said coolly, "Don't you know yet? I'm the one who had the All- seeing Eyes made. And not just that one.

"I've got dozens of them on hand now. Using one as bait's no big deal. Even if the plan flopped, it wouldn't matter."

"What'd you say?" Monka looked like he'd been hit by a freight train, freezing up

in a daze. He scanned everyone's faces, desperate for a hint of a lie, but found nothing-pure despair.

'No, no way. If that is true, what does that make me-treasuring that All-seeing Eyes like some priceless gem, losing sleep over it, only to end up a prisoner because of it? A total joke, right?' he thought.

After a long, stunned silence, he lost it-crying, laughing, screaming like a lunatic, babbling in barbarian tongue, and smashing his head against the wall. Mental damage hit harder than physical blows. Arlong couldn't pry Monka's mouth

open with all his tricks, but once he cracked, he spilled tons of useful stuff just

muttering to himself. Within days, scouts tracked down Monka's foster father. Sure enough, the barbarians who'd escaped that day had rallied around him, following his orders.

"They're still hiding in Misty Ridge, but in a sneakier spot now-cliffs shooting up to the clouds on both sides, just a narrow path for one person, blocked with rocks and guarded day and night," the scout reported to the general, scratching his head over that steep, tight ravine.

A natural fortress like that-tight as a drum-no amount of troops could bust in by force. It'd have to be brains over brawn. But the same trick wouldn't work twice.

The barbarians had just been burned bad-they weren't letting their guard down anytime soon.

Nyx listened nearby, quietly hooking her finger around Erik's palm. "I've got a gift for you too."