[CHAPTER 2: THE HUMAN AND THE TIGER]
"So, you are from the Zov tribe."
This guy... He's so big and tall, he's probably more than six feet seven, Bella thought to herself as she returned the glare of the man in tiger skin armor. The vile-looking man let out a guttural growl again, his enormous blade was still pointing at Bella but the sinister glare in his eyes had somehow softened.
He stared down at her with his pupils dilated, the blade in his hand slowly lowered down. There was something about her that made the corner of his devilish lips twisted into a smile. A very faint one.
That face of hers...
"... You are..."
He paused a while then started to take a step forward, resting the dull side of his large crooked sword on his shoulder. Bella reacted by lifting the heavy sword in her hand at him.
"Don't you fuckin' dare take another step!"
Bella warned fiercely and caused the man to stop in his step. His face twitched in displeasure.
"Do you even know who I am...?!"
"I don't give fuck about who you are! If you dare to take another step, I'll... I'll cut your fuckin' dick off!!"
The man bent down and tilted his head to the side in a questioning manner, didn't quite understand what she was saying. He then shot her a smirk, showing his sharp incisor. Interesting female. No one has ever dared to raise their voice at me.
The man continued to move forth. When Bella shoved the sword in her hand at the man, he caught the blade barehandedly.
"Wha..."
Bella gasped as she cast her eyes down at the man's clawed fingers clenching on the blade, blood streaming down from the cut in his palm but his face wasn't showing any reaction.
"What... are you, female?"
The man leaned down to sniff her.
I should be the one asking that! What the fuck are you?
Bella drew a shuddering breath, the man was bleeding profusely but he was calm as though the injured hand wasn't his!
"You... smell like an eagle, but you don't look like one. You don't even have wings, to begin with. What clan are you from?"
Clan...?
"I'm human!"
"What is a hew-man?"
Before Bella could even answer, the ground shook vigorously and the roaring of wild beasts could be heard in distance. The man straightened his back as he turned to look behind him. Bella turned her gaze as well when a number of big and tall man-like creatures galloping towards Bella and the crazy man with a red headband.
"My Lord! The Zov army had withdrawn!"
Bella almost shrieked when the antelope-faced man with long horns on his forehead leaped to the front row and bowed down before the one who still had his hand gripping the blade of Bella's sword. All the other man-like creatures bowed together following the antelope-faced.
"Very well. Prepare my chariot! I must head back to the Tiger Palace immediately." The orange-haired tall man tossed his large sword to the antelope-faced.
"Yes, Lord Gaharu!"
The antelope-faced lifted his face and stared at Bella, his glance then met with Gaharu's fierce glare before quickly casting his eyes down. They were all fully aware of what the female next to Gaharu was wearing-- a Zov armor, not to mention the fact that she was out of the ordinary beauty. But none of them dared to say anything. Lord Gaharu will not spare anyone who has a loudmouth. The antelope-faced then turned around to leave, four other creatures followed him.
Gaharu....? Bella turned to face the man who was still clenching the blade when he bent down to shot his awfully sinister smirk. Although he seemed vile and dangerous, she couldn't deny the beautiful face he had.
"What the fuck are you looking at?!" She snapped at him.
"This female is mine. Whoever dares to even look or talk to her without my permission will be sentenced to death!"
Whaaaaaaaaaaat...?!
"Yes, Lord Gaharu!"
All the other man-like creatures bowed their heads and responded loudly altogether after Gaharu made his announcement. He then pulled the sword from Bella's hands when she wasn't aware and tossed it to the ground.
"Arghh...! Put me down, you motherfucker!!"
Bella bounced and jolted when the tall man called Lord Gaharu carried her bridal style in his arms. She realized her butt was showing so she had to get down from his grip, or else all the other creatures there could see the crack of her ass and hole. Not to mention the menstruation blood flowing down from her vagina. Ridiculously embarrassing!
"Be... still, female."
Gaharu had no choice but to place her back down when Bella tossed and turned restlessly in his arms. He then bent down so that his face could get close to hers as his clawed fingers clasped her face, slightly pinching her cheeks,
"The more you move around, female... the stronger the smell of your heat... It is very intriguing. You would not want to mate here, in front of my troops, now would you?"
Wha... what?!
Gaharu whispered to her ear, the words he said made her blood boil but just before Bella was about to curse the man again, a two-wheeled conveyance drew by four enormous tigers that were hitched side by side, arrived in front of them. The antelope-faced that was on the chariot got off from it and bowed his head to Gaharu,
"Your chariot is ready, my lord!"
Gaharu lifted Bella with one arm and she quickly grabbed onto his neck, allowing her to sit on his forearm as he stepped on the chariot.
"Return to the Tiger Palace."
Gaharu coldly gave the order and the tigers galloped fast, pulling the chariot. Bella first thought she could jump off from the moving chariot and run away, however, the chariot was pulled so fast that she felt like another rollercoaster ride. She had no other choice but to hold tight to the beastman's neck.
*****
Tiger Palace.
She didn't know how long time had passed, probably an hour or so. In her head, numerous of unanswered questions appeared one after another.
What is this place? Who are these people? Why am I here? How did I end up in here in the first place?
Those were the primary questions she kept replaying in her head. She needs to find answers for that first.
"What the fuck is this place...? Why the fuck did you bring me here?!"
Gaharu turned his face to Bella when she started twisting and turning again in his arm after the chariot had stopped. Bella gasped when she realized the man's face was too close, her first reaction was to give that face a heavy punch. However, Gaharu didn't seem to be affected by her punch.
Even so, his face twitched in fury.
"How dare you hit me, female? Are you not afraid to die?!"
"I can hit however I like, you motherfucker! Now, put me down this instant, you useless fuck!"
Gaharu's face twitched again. He grabbed her hand that was about to land on his face for the second time,
"You...!" He gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched. He let out a low, guttural growl, "You are really something else... female."
Bella felt her butt was smacked. She turned and realized Gaharu had used his long tail to smack her on the butt. Bella tried to pull back her hand that was in his grasp but to no avail, she was no match for his strength at all. Gaharu stepped down from the chariot with Bella still in his arm and began to walk into the old-looking grey rock palace-cave on top of a huge mountain. Man-like creatures in suit armors of the same patterns stood outside the entrance, like guards.
"Let... me, go!"
The moment Bella was about to use her other hand to smack Gaharu's face again, the four enormous tigers that had pulled the chariot suddenly transformed into half naked orange haired men behind Gaharu. Bella's mouth parted open,
"Wah!"
What in the world...?!
"Lord Gaharu, welcome back...!"
As soon as they entered the palace, two rows of man-like creatures bowed down to the sight of Gaharu entering. Gaharu didn't respond, he walked in ignoring them as if the others were invisible. Bella observed as they lift their heads up only after Gaharu had walked past them.
No one dared to even turn their heads to look at Gaharu's back, Bella noticed. Bella turned to stare at Gaharu's side profile. His olive skin, perfect jawline, his striking golden orange wavy locks... He's a real hunk with perfect Titan's shoulders. If Gaharu was human, girls in her city would jump off in front of the train for this sexually attractive man, she thought.
Bella's eyes scanned around the so-called Tiger Palace. It didn't look like a palace at all. More like a creepy old cave to me, Bella thought again. It was gloomy inside, torches burning on the walls, separated about a meter from each. Yet, still gloomy. And it smelled like a cat's lair, the heavy smell of cats lingered everywhere.
Did I travel back in time? Have I come to the Stone Age era?
Tons of questions left unanswered in Bella's head. Up the stairs they went, sounds of water running could be heard from a distance. Soon, Gaharu entered a spacious room on the fourth floor. The room has no door, only what seemed like an animal skin hanging as a pathetic door curtain.
The room Gaharu had brought her to was surprisingly bright, the light from the sun shone in and a natural cool breeze blew in from a huge round hole on the wall, and Bella could see the blue sky and other dewy mountains from there. The huge window.
Though it would be more suitable to assume that the wall was severely damaged by a wrecking ball.
Gaharu then placed her down on what seemed like a bed, but hard as a rock. Nothing but a piece of animal skin on it.
"Auch! What the fuck is this place? Why did you bring me here?"
Gaharu tilted his head to the side with a questioning gaze,
"Who is this fuck you keep mentioning?"
Bella got up but Gaharu pushed her on the hard bed again, his clawed hands grabbed her by her thighs and spread her legs apart.
"Wha... What are you..."
Gaharu leaned down on her and stuck his tongue out. His eyes were fixed on the dry blood, he then licked the inner side of her thigh...
"Auch! What the fuck!! Get the fuck away, you stupid motherfucker!"
The surface of Gaharu's tongue was coarse like that of sandpaper, Bella's body moved in reflex to turn around and kicked hard on Gaharu's face. The kick wasn't strong enough to knock him and he was unmoved, but enough to make him angry.
Gaharu's face twitched again.
"You ungrateful female!!"
She may look like her, but she is not her... Yet how can the resemblance be so uncanny?
Gaharu gripped the armor she was wearing and ripped it apart like a piece of paper. He then pinned her down, both hands clenching her shoulders. His golden irises gleamed with wrath and his pupils constricted into two tiny black lines.
"No..."
Bella Montgomery was fearless-- almost fearless. But no woman ever liked the feeling of being forcefully pinned down by a man she has no feelings for, let alone a stranger.
Her arms folded to cover her bare breasts, clamping her thighs together. A single tear rolled down from the corner of the eyes that was glaring back fiercely at him.
Gaharu's chest was heaving but soon ceased at the sight of her trembling, the wrath in his eyes immediately softened when they met with her teary eyes. She was glaring at him hatefully but those eyes of hers were mesmerizingly beautiful. He had seen eyes like hers before. Irises that were so black and sparkly, they looked like the night sky filled with countless stars. Those eyes were identical to hers... Only then, Gaharu realized his claws had cut through her delicate skin. He slowly released his grips.
"How can a beast's skin be wounded so easily...? What kind of beast are you?" I did not even use any energy...
"I'm human, you bastard!"
Gaharu recalled what she had previously stated. Hew-man...?
He tilted his head with a questioning look on his face again. His pupils dilated as he stared at her.
Bella sat up, still with her hands covering her private parts. She glared at him fiercely,
"Look, I don't know whether this is a big stupid joke of a TV show or whatever this is... Though I'm sure that this isn't a prank anymore. I'm not from this world. I'm not like any of you. I'm a human, not an animal."
Bella explained. Gaharu's pupils dilated again, staring at her closely.
"Tibi show...? Prank...? What are those??"
Bella groaned loudly, rolling her eyes,
"Urghh...!"
Gaharu imitated her, rolling his eyes as well. He then laughed aloud,
"You are very funny, female."
"Quit calling me that! I have a name, you know!"
"What is your name, then?"
Gaharu leaned over to sit next to her on the rock bed, his eyes gleamed with curiosity. For a brief second there, Bella thought he was adorable. She then shook the thoughts off her mind. This guy is totally crazy, one moment he's being fierce and despicable then he's being cute all of the sudden.
"... Bella. My name is Isabella Montgomery."
The second she had finished saying that, Gaharu burst out laughing,
"What a weird funny name you have!"
What? MY name weird? You should listen to yours!
Bella restrained herself from strangling the crazy man, she knows her strength was no match for him anyway. Seeing Bella rolled her eyes in displeasure, Gaharu imitated her again and giggled. Bella groaned.
"I'm not like you. I'm a human..."
"I have never heard of a hewman clan before."
"Listen to me, bastard. Don't interrupt me while I'm still talking!"
Gaharu chuckled at the sight of Bella getting furious,
"You are very interesting."
So I've been told. Bella recalled some boys at the campus would say the same thing to her, she clenched her hands into fists, pressing her lips together, suppressing her anger.
"I'm a human! A mere mundane! What part of that don't you understand?"
Gaharu shifted his butt, leaning closer to Bella with his eyes wide full of curiosity. Bella leaned backward, still covering her body with her hands.
"Are you saying that... you are not a beast, but a different kind of living thing?" Like a goddess...?
"Yes! That's exactly what I meant!"
"But... There is no other living being in this world except us, beasts. And manoks, which is our food source."
"I told you, I'm not from this world! My world is not like this...!"
Gaharu's long tail swayed left and right as he came near to her.
"Wha... What're you trying to do?"
"Don't move, female."
Gaharu clasped her by her shoulders, he bent down as his lips aiming for the minor cuts caused by his claws a while ago. But before he could get close, Bella stretched out her hand to push his face away from her while her other hand was still covering her breasts.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing? And quit calling me that, I told you I have a name, didn't I?"
Gaharu drew in a long annoying breath, restraining himself. He believed the female when she told him that she was from a different world and that she wasn't a beast like him. She had a unique scent, very different from any female beasts he had seen. Even though in the beginning she smelled a little like an eagle, but after he had torn her armor, the smell was no longer on her. Gaharu truly believed her every word.
"Bella, is it?"
Gaharu raised his hand that was wounded by Bella's sword earlier. He licked the long cut on his palm as an act of cleaning his wound as though explaining to her what he intended to do, he then turned his palm at her face to which she immediately covered her nose,
"Phew! Your saliva stinks! No thank you, I'm good!"
"I wanted to amend... for hurting you."
His clawed finger pointed the cuts on her shoulders, but Bella firmly refused.
"An apology would be nice, though,"
She said, raising an eyebrow at him. But what she received from him was another questioning gaze.
"An apology is... when you know you have done something wrong, you apologize to the person whom you've done wrong to by saying 'I'm sorry'."
Gaharu shook his head slightly,
"I know what an apology is. However, only lowlifes bow their heads and admit their wrongdoings at us, lords. And males should neither feel guilty nor pity."
"Then why did you want to amend for hurting me, huh? Isn't what you're feeling just now was guilt because you did something wrong...?"
Her words got him taken aback. Gaharu's face twitched again. He parted his mouth and his incisors were showing, as if wanting to say something, but nothing came out.
"That was only because...!" He refrained again, taking a long breath, and sniffed hard in the air. His pupils dilated fully, indicating unexplainable excitement as he stared at the lovely face in front of him,
"Your smell is very seducing."
As soon as he said that, Bella felt the flow of red liquid rushing out of her crotch again. She clamped her thighs together. This guy is seriously unpredictable. His mood changes like every few minutes!
"Don't come any closer! Don't you have anything to... to deal with this??"
"... When this happens, you have to mate with a male." He nonchalantly explained, leaning forward.
However, Bella once again stopped him by smacking his arm really hard then lifted one leg against his chest to push him away.
"This is menstruation blood, you moron! Not estrous! I'm not on heat!"
Gaharu stared at her unblinkingly as if waiting for an explanation.
"When on menstruation period, a woman... which is also female, in my world, would AVOID sexual intercourse because it may cause a serious infection that is FATAL to both sexes."
Gaharu was taken aback, he pressed his lips together as if considering. Bella tried not to laugh, he seemed to buy it, she thought to herself.
"Now, how do you... beast people deal with this situation, other than fu-- sexual reproduction?"
"I will have the servants find you some cotton, females who do not have a mate would stuff cotton inside."
Ew...
"Then can you find me some fabrics, a needle, and threads? Needle for clothes sewing."
"Consider it done. Is there anything else you need?"
Gaharu stood and head out after Bella shook her head. He stopped a second in his pace, wondering why he reflexively fulfills her requests when she should be afraid of him instead. He turned around to voice out his anger when his golden orbs met with her big black eyes, his heartbeats fastened when she flashed a sincere smile at him. She appeared even more lovely when her eyes showed gentleness, he thought.
"Thank you, Gaharu."
Gaharu clenched his fists before he turned to leave with a grunt. Bella let out a quiet chuckle after the tiger-like man had left the room. Her face then changed austere as she got up from the rock bed and ran to the window.
Bella gasped when she realized how high the palace was. It was on a mountain... Or maybe this was actually a mountain that was dug inside to make a residence for that crazy man!
From the window, she could see the waterfall from the other side of the palace. When she looked down, she could see the jungle from far down. Bella's legs were shaking just by the sight of the height.
This is fuckin' crazy! How can I escape from here?
As Bella bit her nails, thinking of a way to escape the place, Gaharu walked it. He had something in his hand.
"Here," he said, handing a piece of garment to Bella, "wear this. The things you have asked for may take a little time to get on hand."
He explained. Bella hesitantly took the garment from Gaharu's hand.
"I... I need to shower!"
Gaharu shot her another questioning glance,
"Do you mean, clean yourself...? We beastmen go clean at the shallow river, I can take you there now. Hurry up then, the sun will set soon and I have not eaten anything yet."
"Just, just tell me where and I can go there myself! You can go and eat or do whatever you want. Don't wait for me."
Gaharu bent down to glare at Bella, his face was close to hers as he shot her his sinister smirk,
"You are not leaving my sight, Bella. I will not allow it. Besides, I cannot risk you being seen by other males so I will escort you to the river until you are done with your SHOWER, and you WILL accompany me for mealtime after that."
He sounded like he was threatening but his lips curved a smile. He knows that I was thinking of running away!
**********