Mother Of Ferals | Beauty and the Beasts

[Chapter 19] The ploy to kill Bai Qingqing

Rhea gasped, jolting awake in her bed. Her heart raced as she scanned the room, searching for Harvey, but found only an empty space beside her. Panic gripped her as she called out his name, scrambling out of bed and almost tripping over her own feet in her haste.

"Harvey!"

A soft chuckle sounded from behind her, and she froze, slowly turning to see Curtis lounging on a pile of cushions in the corner of the room, his tail lazily curled around him.

"You're so loud," Curtis teased, amusement dancing in his eyes as he regarded Rhea.

Relief washed over her, and Rhea's face lit up with a smile. "Curtis! When did you get back?"

"Last night," Curtis replied, his tail snaking around her waist and pulling her gently into his arms. "It's too early to be awake. Come sleep with me."

Rhea hesitated, her mind still racing with the remnants of her nightmare. "Wait, Curtis, where's Harvey?"

"He's gone to study at the Healer's Guild," Curtis answered casually.

"What about the scorpions?" Rhea pressed, her worry for Harvey still lingering.

"They'll wake up soon," Curtis assured her.

The tension eased from Rhea's shoulders as she sank back onto the bed, relieved that Harvey was safe. She allowed herself to nestle against Curtis, finding comfort in his presence, and soon drifted back to sleep.

Hours later, Rhea was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on her door. She rubbed her eyes groggily, sitting up as she heard Bai Qingqing's voice calling from outside.

"Sorry to bother you, Rhea," Bai Qingqing said through the door. "I heard they're distributing seeds. You should come and get some."

Rhea perked up immediately, excitement replacing her drowsiness. "Oh! I'll get ready and be right over!"

Bai Qingqing nodded and headed off, leaving Rhea to coax Curtis out of bed.

"Curtis, get up! We need to go and get seeds!" Rhea exclaimed, a playful tone in her voice.

Curtis groaned theatrically, reluctantly pulling his upper body up from the soft bedding. "Alright, alright," he grumbled good-naturedly. "Let's go."

Together, they followed the group of people making their way towards the Ape King's castle.

"Shuu!" Rhea spotted him from afar, her keen eyesight picking him out among the crowd. "Are you working?" She called out as she and Curtis approached.

"Morning, Rhea," Shuu greeted nervously, glancing at Curtis. "Curtis is awake, that's good. Um, have you seen Qingqing anywhere?"

"I saw her this morning, but I don't know where she is now. Wait, are you finally going to do it?" Rhea's eyes sparkled with excitement as she realised Shuu might be about to confess his feelings to Bai Qingqing.

Shuu nodded shyly, a mix of nervousness and determination on his face. Rhea couldn't contain her delight. "That's great, Shuu! I'll help you look for her. Let's go!"

"But I thought you wanted seeds?" Curtis interjected, amused by the sudden change of plans.

"We can get seeds from the Black Wind Tribe anytime. This is much more interesting!" Rhea replied with a grin, and Shuu followed along as they navigated through the bustling castle grounds.

"I hope you have some flowers for her. Give them to her when you confess," Rhea recommended, her enthusiasm for romance bubbling over.

Shuu chuckled nervously. "Haha, I didn't think of that. You have the best ideas. I should have come to you for advice."