Imara Diversifies The Beastmen World

Chapter Twelve: Love At Last 🤧💞

I looked at her, my mind stumbling over my words, feeling the vulnerability clawing at my insides. "I-I thought you liked Parker," I managed, my voice barely above a whisper. Each word felt fragile, as if they'd break apart in the space between us. How could I be enough for her when everything I'd seen, everything I'd heard, told me she needed so much more?

I glanced down, gathering the strength to continue.

"When you arrived, you mentioned that Parker might be the one to claim you, especially since he was the one who found you in the Misty Forest. Later, when you came to my hut, I thought your tears were because Parker had... rejected you and all you had lost. And with the pain you were in, I believed you were left with no choice but to stay with someone like me—a no-stripe male—only because I'm a doctor."

I tried to smile, but the weight in my chest made it feel hollow. "Based on what you told Parker earlier, I began to realize there was no way you could have had true feelings for him." I paused, each word tightening the ache in my chest. "But that doesn't mean you were going to choose me."

I held up my hand, seeing the confusion in her eyes. There was more I had to say, more that had weighed on me for too long.

I looked away, feeling the shame of my own words pressing on me, but I knew I had to say it. "Down by the lake, I overheard you saying that none of the males here could protect you, that you need a mate who could stand up to any threat." I steadied myself, "I knew then that even though I'd already accepted it... I was never a choice."

Flashback

I had made my way to the lake to find her and Bai Qingqing. Every moment and day with Imara had been a taste of something I never thought I'd experience, let alone deserve. Each laugh we shared, every quiet moment, felt like stolen time from a life I knew wasn't mine to keep. But selfishly, I wanted to live it as long as I could. When we were together, I forgot that I had nothing to offer her.

We'd talk, laugh, share food, and even sing together. She'd hum tunes that calmed me in a way no medicine could. And every day, every time I heard that voice, I promised myself I'd cherish these memories for the rest of my life, even if they would be all I had left of her when she found her true mates—mates who could protect her in ways I couldn't.

I told myself over and over to be grateful for the bond we'd built. But each day it grew harder to ignore the ache in my heart, the growing love I couldn't stop, the hope I knew better than to cling to. When I looked at her, I didn't just see someone who needed protection. I saw someone I wanted to love with every part of myself, to cherish, to be worthy of.

But I also knew that soon, she would need mates who could protect her in ways I couldn't. Someone with strength, with stripes, who could stand by her side and keep her safe in this world. And when that day came, I would lose the light she'd brought into my life.

Yet every soft look she gave me, every time her hand brushed mine, it became harder to hold back.

So when I heard her voice by the lake that day, her words were like a knife.

"None of the guys here can protect me like I need to be protected. I have myself and my future family to think about, and I need mates who can stand up to any threat," she'd said to Bai Qingqing.

The truth hit me in the gut, unraveling the hope I'd tried so hard to suppress. I tuned out the rest of their conversation, already knowing what her choice would be.

End of Flashback

Harvey's pain was written clearly on his face, the weight of his words pulling at my heart. I reached forward, my hand lifting to wipe away the tears that streaked his cheeks, feeling each tear as if it were my own. My heart softened, realizing the depth of his love for me.