B+Bs: To Stand In A Beast's World

1. True Start

"The City of Beasts is up ahead."

I listened to the rough and strained voice of the male that carried me, hoping that the disbelief I felt wasn't painted on my face. My weight shifted suddenly as the male leaned to set me down.

On reflex, I grabbed his shoulder, snagging strands of his long, dark hair in my grasp. The faded tattoo on my hand as well as the contrast of our skin tones caught and held my eyes for a fraction of a second.

"Really?" I still could not believe it. Even though we had been traveling for days.... Even though Mitchell had never taken me out of the city before... I had a hard time believing this all wasn't a dream.

"Yes." Mitchell's voice was taut with more emotion than he was used to feeling. She needed to go now before he found a reason to take her back; back to the city she couldn't stand.

I let him set me down as the chord around his neck swung in front of my face. My eyes lingered on the soul crystal that hung from it, doubting and wondering. Was Mitchell doing this because of the crystal? Would he change his mind once he wore this one out?

I looked to the morning sky, still dark as it was, hoping the sunlight would not kill the soul crystal.

I left my hand on his shoulder even as my feet rested stably on the ground. I didn't dare utter the question I had for fear that he might change his mind. 'Are you sure?'

This was my freedom. The freedom I've wanted since I ended up in this word a season ago. The freedom I never gave up on despite the odds of making out of that city being slim to none. Even though, in my wildest dreams, I never expected that Mitchell would be the one to give me back my life, I would not hesitate to take the opportunity.

"Go." Mitchell shrugged off the warm hand from his shoulder and gave her a shove. His pale yellow eyes seared her image into his mind.

He took one last gaze at his ghostlike mating mark that adorned the top of her right hand. It was more than he thought possible for a beast born rootless like himself and something he still did not understand.

The desire to monopolize that little ray of hope swelled up inside him and he yanked the soul stone off his neck. No more. He made a decision and he would see it through. This was not an end. He would come back one day, even if that day was a distant one.

"Mitchell."

He froze. Hearing his name spoken softly like that—in spite of not being influenced by a soul stone—pulled at his resolve.

With a near feral grin, Mitchell turned to her. "Oh? Do you want to return to Flam City with me?" he asked knowing very well what her answer would be.

I chewed my lip and shook my head. I—even considering everything that has happened—didn't hate Mitchell. But I did not love him either. I was not disillusioned.

"Then go."

I did not go; not immediately. The disbelief I had felt morphed to shock. I nodded and turned away from him. I took a step forward, then another. But I stopped; only long enough to look back once, but I did. Mitchell wasn't there.

I pulled the fur scarf around my neck tight, trying to hide what I had no intention of showing. I readjusted the headband made from Mitchell's molt until it was comfortably holding back my chin length hair. Feeling as put together as I could be, I resumed my trek towards the tall walls I saw in the distance.

My legs were shaking but propelled by a strong desire. The closer I got, the more my shock transformed into something else, something stronger. Gratitude.

It truly hit me as the first guard ran up to me. Mitchell had put my well-being before his convenience. That was a first since he saved me months ago. I felt the back of my hand warm and rubbed his mark. The mark was no longer a faded outline, but a dark, detailed depiction of Mitchell's beast form.

I gaped at it, ignoring the guard. It had been a confusing thing all this time. We assumed it was incomplete because of Mitchell's birth circumstances, but that didn't seem to be it at all. The timing and my feelings lined up perfectly. Had I unconsciously prevented this all along? But that opened a whole new area of question that I wasn't about to get into.

No, I had something else to do first. Something that I had been secretly planning to do if Mitchell followed through on his promise to bring me here. With a shaky breath and one hand fiddling at the item I had wrapped in my scarf, I asked for the ape king.