Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Eighty-nine

"No, you can't kill him." Death would be far too easy. I didn't want to give this male a restart button. No. He needed to earn his way out of the shithole he put himself in.

Winston looked very disappointed with my answer. I patted his arm. "Give me a little bit of time to think of what I want to do. But first, I'm going to take another nap."

While Mitchel marinated, I dozed off again.

The next day after we'd all regained our strength, we pulled Mitchell out from the water and as he kneeled in front of me, I doled out his punishment.

"Mitchell, whether I chose to have it or not, your mark is now on my skin. If you wish to live and not have me turn you rootless once more, I have three tasks you must complete."

The waterlogged barbarian lifted his red rimmed eyes to me in disbelief. He must have really believed today would be his last. He might wish that it was after he heard what I had to say.

"First, you will release any females held captive and create laws within your city that prevent and punish the unwilling capture of females in the future."

"-but ferals don't-" he tried to speak but I cut him off with an upheld hand. He was going to argue that ferals won't follow rules. They don't. But he would have to make it happen one way or another. I didn't care how. This city was the only one on the continent where ferals and rootless were welcome. Mitchell was in a unique position to help change a unique population.

In the feral world, it was normal to have to kidnap a female as most females wouldn't willingly mate with a feral. If you were scaled, had an exoskeleton or more than four legs, you were not desirable. And so, they resorted to violence. If you wanted ferals and rootless to try a different way, they would need to learn empathy. That was where my next task came in.

"Second, you will cease any future mining efforts. Each stone you have already mined will be assigned to a resident of the city and that soul will be tasked with helping that beast learn how to be empathetic towards females. The stone must be cared for and if damaged or destroyed, extreme punishment must be dealt." This was my version of an emotional support animal. If a rootless beast could find a soul stone partner, they may be able to help each other overcome their pasts. If a feral had a soul constantly nagging about how they were too rough or rude, they may have a better chance at wooing a female.

The whole plan could very well be wishful thinking on my part and blow up in smoke, but I wouldn't know until I tried. I never thought of myself as a great planner.

He looked down at his own chest, a disapproving look on his face. "Male souls aren't as innocent as you like to think Bailey. Even the fox you care about so much deceived you to keep you to himself."

"I'm aware." I said shortly. He looked at me in confusion. When I had regained my memories, I understood that Ryan had been gaslighting me since the day we mated. But this wasn't earth and we weren't human. The term 'All's fair in love and war' was even truer here. Males were beasts in every way. They did many underhanded things to keep their females ignorant and satisfied. Even Muir, Parker, even Shuu had manipulated and lied to the female they loved to keep her next to them. So I did not hold a grudge over it. I had been satisfied and ignorance was bliss. Having Ryan as my only companion for years was not something I regretted. Though his words kept me timid and lowered my confidence, I was also happy because I felt loved. Even if his love took on the form of manipulation, it was still real. He had still lived and died keeping me safe.

But now that I had my memories, I was no longer blind to the guileful ways of males. In a moment of weakness, I had let Ryan take advantage of me for the last time. This punishment was not only Mitchell's, but Ryan's as well.

"Third. You are tasked with always keeping Ryan's soul stone on you and you must never let it be destroyed." The two males would either use their conniving brains to make the city better or they would drive each other insane. Either way worked for me. "When the city is no longer one where ferals and rootless run amok killing and raping whoever, whenever they wish; and when it instead resembles a sanctuary for stray beasts, I will allow you to find a suitable replacement for king and seek me out. Until then, you may not come near me, or you will be killed."

Mitchell's grimacing face changed to Ryan's pleading one. "BB! You can't do this! Just when we've reunited, you're going to leave me again?"

"Ryan. I'm glad the gods brought us together again." And I was. Despite it all, I did love him. "But things must change for us to be happy and safe in the future. I'm counting on you to keep Mitchell on task. When things here have changed for the better, come find me."

His expression hardened. He wasn't happy and I didn't blame him. The tasks I had given him were next to impossible with the only reward, being allowed to return my side with his life and emotions intact. Not a very fair trade but this wasn't a trade. This was punishment. If death was something beasts feared, humans might say they were getting off easy. I thought otherwise.

Somewhere deep in my heart, I hoped it would all work out though. Mitchell had been set up to be a villain from day one. He was a sociopath from birth. He didn't feel empathy. The rape and murder of others was nothing to him. Zachary used that to his advantage, feeding his son crystals and raising him up to be a ruthless king with four stripes that had not been earned. Mitchell had to play the part he was given because he would have been crushed by either the ferals and rootless he ruled over or the father he ruled under. I hoped he would use these tasks to become something different, to change his role in the play of life.

He put his head down in thought and bit his chapped lips till they bled, then he looked back up. "Promise me, Bailey." He took a breath and sat up straighter on his knees. "Promise me that if I do what you've tasked, I will be allowed to be by your side."

I gave him a warm smile. "I promise." I said easily. I could promise he would be allowed to come to my side. I didn't promise it would be for forever.