The Beauty's Hidden Beast

16 - [🍋NSFW 18+] Ridiculous Resilience (1.85k words)

╔═══ Author's note ════╗

A song that reminds me of Vick and his feelings toward Yaya:

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Another day began to wane, prompting us to seek shelter again. By fortune or fate, we stumbled upon a cave secluded and spacious enough to accommodate us all.

Muir approached his tasks with unwavering diligence, embracing his responsibilities with a seriousness that matched his declaration. Not only did he expertly manage the fire and procure food for our group, but he also went a step further. With thoughtful attention, he prepared a pelt for me, ensuring it was soft and comfortable.

Nivi had shared some wild details about this guy with me before: Muir saw Curtis as a big obstacle in his pursuit of Qingqing's heart and went as far as setting a forest on fire, Curtis included. He was totally up for getting rid of Parker too, all for a bit more alone time with Qingqing, whom he saved too many times to count. He is all sweet and cute until you realize he's kinda nuts on the inside.

He somehow began to believe that I was being suppressed by my males, not allowed to speak, being tied up, and all that stuff. Like, what gave this dude with a savior complex an impression that I needed saving? Because he didn't like how Curtis and Vick treated me?

"Hey, Muir," I called out, walking toward the cozy pelt beside the fireplace. Catching the icy stares from Vick and Curtis, I responded with a steeled one, "If you two want to play this stupid charade, do it yourself, but don't include me in—"

Muir suddenly stepped forward, positioning himself between me and the source of animosity. He met Vick and Curtis's glares with a level gaze, his expression unyielding yet devoid of aggression, "Don't worry, lady Yaya, I will do everything in my strength to protect you from them."

With a dismissive flick of my wrist, I turned Muir's shoulder to squarely face me, "Listen here, you deluded pigeon," I sneered, my eyes narrowed into slits of contempt. "Honestly, the way you keep claiming I'm better than other females, it's as if you're slathering me with mud while singing my praises. Because, let's be crystal clear, I am the embodiment of everything you claim to detest."

The shock on Muir's face was almost comical, his expression morphing as if he saw a ghost rather than the woman he thought he knew, "Lady Yaya?" he managed to stutter, disbelief lacing his voice.

My voice, a venomous whisper, ensured he caught every word, "Selfish, arrogant, ungrateful - you name it, that's me. Treat 'my' males like disposable playthings? Guilty as charged. Would I miss them if they were gone? Absolutely not. Would I hesitate to dispose of them if they got in my way?" A laugh escaped me, the bitterness of self-awareness seeping into my words. "Not for a second."

The air around us was charged, my savage words cutting deep, leaving no room for doubt about the kind of person I truly was.

"Lady Yaya, I know, but I still stand firm that you are unlike any female I've met," Muir's gaze softened, the initial shock dissolving into entranced admiration, "I'm truly relieved to hear you recognize the wrongs being done to you. I want to engage with you on your terms, to understand rather than to dominate. There's a unique pleasure in knowing I can navigate your moods without falling victim to them, unlike someone." His gaze then shifted, sliding effortlessly towards Curtis and Vick with a deliberate slowness that showed his scorn.