Rebirth: Beasts Bound

"Are you okay?" Liora asked, placing her hands on my wrist, and I trembled.

"Don’t worry about what she said, it’s merely her suspicion," she added, but that only made my tummy churn in greater discomfort.

"I’m okay, just a bit tired," I lied, and she nodded. She walked off and strode toward her eagle beast-man, while I just stood there at the edge, staring as the academy looked farther away and became smaller.

"Peace and quiet is so good," I mumbled and turned my gaze to the sky, admiring how blue it was and how wide the clouds were, when suddenly I felt a hot breath behind me. I turned instinctively, but there was no one.

My beast-men seemed busy, and Liora was with hers... what just happened? I thought, still panting heavily, when Azrael met my gaze. I flashed a forced smile and looked away that second.

"You look super cute!" he said, and a forced smile curved on my lips.

"I’ll be in the room," I mumbled and walked toward the underground corridor. I opened my door; it was beautiful, giving a wooden vibe. I strode to the bed, lay on it, and stared at the ceiling while smiling.

"Keep smiling for now, Raven," Elowen’s words burst in my ears, and my eyes snapped open. The peaceful sleep I wanted was gone instantly. Why do I have a bad feeling about this trip?

Just then, a knock came on the door. I sat up.

"Come in," I said, gently rubbing my aching forehead.

It was Ryker. He was holding a sketchbook and some paint pens.

"You don’t look good," he said softly, and I sighed tiredly. He walked in and closed the door.

"Come here," he said, pulling a chair close to the center of my room.

I raised a brow in question, but nothing escaped my lips. I stood up and sat down on the chair.

"What are you going to do to me?" I asked, laying my head back to have a better view of his face, and he lowered his head. It was fast yet also slow. His lips landed on mine... I felt my breath cease at the surprise kiss.

"Is anything special happening?" I added. He didn’t respond and kissed deeper. I followed his rhythm until we parted. My lips were swollen a bit from the kiss, and he pinched my cheeks softly. Before I could say a word, his two fingers rested at the sides of my head, gently massaging.

"Aaaaah," I moaned in satisfaction. Gawd, I needed this massage. I smirked and my eyes gently drooped closed. Clearly, I was falling asleep when he asked,

"About what Elowen said..." he trailed off, and my eyes snapped open. I felt my heartbeat hammer so hard, and I sucked on my bottom lip.

"What about it?" I asked, trying to make my voice steady and cool.

"Are you really Raven?" he asked, and my lashes fluttered. The panic I felt died down that instant.

"Are you hoping I’m not, or I am?" I asked, and he looked down at me.

"I like you the way you are, Master. Whether you are Raven or not. It just seems you are too worked up over mere words," he said, puzzled. I sighed and gently retracted his fingers from my forehead and said:

"Sit on the bed, let me sketch you."

I said, and he paused, seeming to try to understand my modern words.

"Sketch?" he asked, raising a brow, making me stare in shock. "You brought a sketchbook and you don’t know what it is?" I asked, and he stared at the book he had brought earlier and laughed. "That’s an art notebook!" he replied, and my lips parted in an "oooh."

Looks like they call a sketchbook an art notebook here...

"It means I want to paint you," I added simply, and he nodded. He seemed surprised, but still sat down on the bed.

I placed the sketchbook on my thighs, holding the pencil, while I gazed at him and began to scribble dark ink on the paper.

"I will ask you questions. You can answer, but keep your face the same way!" I said, and he nodded.

"What’s your hometown like? Do you have beast parents?" I asked, but Ryker’s lips parted and no words came out. He seemed to be trying to put the pieces together.

"It’s okay if you don’t feel like replying," I said, and he chuckled softly. I couldn’t help but daze at him for a while.

"I don’t have beast parents, and my hometown is lively. Lots of beast-men live there, the females are humans. It’s nice, houses are made from clay, and it’s full of wild forests. There’s a butcher supermarket to get raw meats or cooked ones... there are ponds and rest!" he said, and I smiled.

"They sound really lively," I mumbled, and he raised his face, gazing intensely at me, making me stop sketching and give him a look.

"Is anything wrong?" I asked, and he nodded negatively.

"You just look too beautiful!" he complimented.

My cheeks went rosy red hearing those words. I hardly received them. "Stop flattering me," I said and scoffed playfully, but he just stared, still serious.

"I do mean what I say," he added, and my moving hands stopped.

"Raven, how about you visit my hometown? The shop seems to be heading the exact north!"

I stared at him and thought for a while. It would be nice seeing foxes everywhere, and their tails... a wider smile curved on my lips, and his lips parted.

"No looking or ogling at other beasts men except us!" he said, and I snapped out of my thoughts.

"I’m content with you guys," I said and laughed. He was being all jealous now... I continued to draw, staring at his eyes and then his lips, when they parted:

"If love were a fight,

I’d still lose to you,

Mostly because,

You growl and say ’boo.’"

I froze, trying to comprehend what he said, but I still couldn’t get it.

"What was that?" I asked, concerned, and he cleared his throat. A proud, smug expression appeared on his lips.

"A poem... I hear females love it a lot..." he said confidently.

I burst into laughter that second.

Did Ryker just say a cheesy poem?? And for me??

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!