[CHAPTER 19: THE HUMAN AND THE BEAR]
At the shelter camp. Bella could feel a very awkward atmosphere between her two companions. Borius was walking beside her, while Garuda and several other raven soldiers were behind them.
It was supposed to be just Garuda and her, but Borius offered to come along. How could they refuse?
"Sister Bella!" Paas called out when he saw Bella amongst the crowd. He came running to her. His small feet stumbled over the uneven ground and he fell face down, kissing the grassy soil.
Bella immediately ran to get him and helped him up.
"Are you okay?" Bella pulled him up and patted the dirt from his clothes. Her delicate hand helped brush off the dirt on Paas's face. The bear cub grinned childishly at Bella. He was happy to see her. He didn't know anyone in the camp. His closest friends and family were nowhere to be found.
"How can you be so careless, young cub?" Garuda came over to tease. He placed one hand on Paas's head and ruffled his short brown hair.
"Brother Garuda is mean." Paas said with his mouth pouting.
"Paas, this is another friend of mine, his name is Borius." Bella introduced Borius to Paas when she noticed he too, had come over.
"Brother Borius is so white! Whiter than brother Garuda." Paas opened his little mouth in astonishment. He's probably never seen other beastmen clans before. Well, he has not seen the paleness of the snake beastmen. Bella thought.
Bella chuckled at his words. If they were in her world, those words would definitely offend some people. It sounded racist. Bella glanced over at Borius. He was indeed all white-- his skin, hair, eyes, and even his clothes.
Bella was accompanying Paas while Garuda and Borius watched from a distance.
"Why is she carrying a sword?" Borius asked when he noticed the short sword on her waist.
"I do not know, my lord. But apparently, she knows self defense." Garuda answered.
"I see."
"Brother Garuda!" Paas came running towards them, exclaiming, "Sister Bella said I can go with her to the castle!"
Borius and Garuda both widened their eyes when they heard him.
Then, just when they were about to ask, Bella came to them and told them that she wanted to bring Paas back to the castle with her.
"I want to adopt him." She said.
"Adopt...?"
Borius and Garuda gave each other a questioning gaze. They didn't understand what she meant by that.
"Adopt is... Um, take someone who is a child of others into care, as one's own." Bella explained, reciting every word slowly.
"What?!"
"Are you certain?"
They were shocked to hear it. No one has ever done that before. No one would take other's cub to care as their own. Even if the cub has lost his or her mother and father.
"Why would you do that?" Garuda asked.
"Why wouldn't I? Paas doesn't have a family. He needs someone to raise him."
Her answer shocked them even more. Why would a beastman cub need someone to raise him? They can grow up perfectly well without anyone looking after them.
But of course, Bella has her own view. She insisted on her decision. So they took Paas back to the castle and informed Raneki about it.
Raneki too, was shocked as hell. His eyes widened and Bella could finally see the little white part of his eyes.
"Are you certain, Bella? That this is what you want to do?" Raneki asked the same question as Borius and Garuda.
"Why, can't I be a mother to a bear cub?" Bella questioned back.
"You are only old enough to be his sister." Raneki replied, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Well, then... sister it is."
Raneki and Borius both let out a sigh. Garuda who was standing with the other soldiers only pursed his lips. He was speechless as well.
"That is your choice, Bella." Raneki finally said after considering the matter for a while.
"Yes! I'm a mommy now!" Bella exclaimed happily.
All the other beastmen only exchanged questioning gaze. Like, what on land is 'mummy'?!
Bella went to hug Paas tightly as she cheered with joy. Paas too, was very happy to know that he now has a new family. Bella took Paas's little hand and walked him out of the hall, heading to her bedchamber.
"Let's go to my room, Paas. We're going to sleep together tonight. I'm gonna bathe you, and feed you, bla bla bla..."
Garuda's eyes widened when he heard her babbling. What? Sleep together? Bathe??
He immediately ran to chase after them. Borius wanted to follow too, but was called by Raneki.
"I have another favor to ask, Borius."
*****
"Wait, are you really going to bathe with him?"
Outside her chamber, Garuda had called out to her before she entered her room with Paas.
"Why? He's just a child, I mean, cub."
"I get to bathe with sister Bella!" Pass cheerfully exclaimed, he jumped into Bella's arms and clung onto her neck.
Garuda's eyes widened as the sight of Paas pressing his face against Bella's chest. This is preposterous! Insanely absurd! How can a male and female sleep together, or bathe together? Even if one of them was a cub? Such intimacy should only occur when the male and female were a mate.
"But he is a male, Bella."
"He's just a cub."
Garuda drew in a breath and pursed his lips tight. He glared at Paas who was still clinging to Bella, leaning one side of his face on her chest as he gazed back at Garuda.
"Don't be mean, Garuda." Bella smacked his arm and walked away. Garuda was left speechless.
*****
Bella spent the day with Paas, and during the evening, she asked Garuda to take them to the waterfall. Garuda was really unhappy about it but he took them to the waterfall.
Bella was playing splash with Paas when Garuda flew over. He was supposed to keep his distance and his sudden appearance above them made Bella shriek. She quickly covered her breasts with her hands. Although she was wearing a dress in the water, she got herself wet and her bouncy breasts were visible underneath her wet clothes.
"What are you doing, pervert?!" Bella scolded.
"I cannot take this anymore. How you humans get along with each other is not my concern, but here, we males and females do not bathe together, even if one of you is a cub." Garuda said from above. He had one hand reached down to Bella, wanting to pull her out of the water.
Bella raised one hand and took his hand. She smirked. She pulled him down by force when Garuda flew down to get close to her. She even had Paas to help her pull Garuda down into the water.
Burshhh...!
Garuda was caught off guard and was pulled into the cold water. Bella and Paas laughed hysterically.
"You...!" Garuda groaned loudly before laughing together with them. Did they really think they could pull him down that easily? With his strength and his gigantic wings, at least three beastmen warriors needed to pull him down. Those two were able to pull him into the water only because he let them to. He spread open his wings and used them to splash water at those devilish two. Bella and Paas shrieked as they tried to run back to the bank.
Bella pulled Paas's little hand and pushed him to the bank. Paas shrieked when Garuda splashed water at him again and ran away to hide behind a big tree nearby. Garuda caught Bella by the waist just when she was about to climb up the rocky bank.
"Ah!"
"Now, you are in big trouble...!"
Garuda spun her over so that she faced him. Bella was wet all over and her lips were turning purple for being in the cold water for a period of time. She was still giggling and cute dimples appeared on both sides of her cheeks. He could feel her body trembling slightly in his arms, probably because of the cold. Bella's sparkly black orbs were staring back at him. Her fair smooth skin was translucent and the water made her skin appear gleaming. The wet fabric attached close to her skin that the shape of her big round breasts and rosy nipples were clearly visible.
She was too beautiful not to watch. Garuda swallowed. His Adam's apple bobbed as his eyes narrowed down to her chest. Without himself realizing it, he pulled her body close against his. Bella stopped laughing when she noticed his austere expression.
Garuda clasped her face with his large hand, his thumb casually brushed against her cold lips.
Those seductively delicious looking lips...
Why on land did he suddenly have the urge to taste those lips with his mouth? That was such a lewd and nasty thought.
Garuda's eyes narrowed to Paas who was still hiding behind the tree, the cub was tilting his head with a questioning look on his face. Garuda spread open his wing again and covered himself and Bella, shielding them from Paas's sight.
"Huh...?" Bella widened her eyes, gazing up at Garuda's wing.
Before Bella could react, Garuda leaned down and gently sucked on her lips. It was so natural, he knew what he was doing. Bella was so dumbfounded, she gasped in between the sudden kiss.
Bella could somehow feel Garuda's lips curving out a smile while his lips were still latched on hers. He slowly pulled away from her. When their eyes met, Garuda's face was flushed red.
"I... I did not know why I did that."
When he averted his gaze and tried to back away, Bella grabbed the back of his head and forced him to look at her,
"You like me, don't you?"
He didn't answer immediately, but his reddened face could not lie. Bella let out a small chuckle.
"Is it not obvious?" He mumbled.
Bella smiled. Of course it was obvious. She knew that from the very start. She wanted to respond to that but Paas came out from his hiding place and whined,
"What are you doing? Why are you covering yourselves?"
Garuda cleared his throat as he lowered his wing. He glared at Paas and instantly made him whimper.
"Brother Garuda is scary!" Paas cried, running towards Bella.
"Stop glaring like that, Garuda!" Bella smacked Garuda on his arm.
Garuda grunted as he pursed his lips,
"You are going to train as a soldier if you want to live."
"Tsk!" Bella smacked his arm again, telling Garuda that Paas was only a cub, what do he know about fighting?
"I had lost my father and mother when I was younger than his age now. I had no choice but to cope, I trained and grew up by my own. We all do."
Garuda explained how Lord Borius had to go through devastation before he became a strong and reliable leader. Bella recalled how Satria said the same thing about Gaharu, who singlehandedly unite the clans and formed the Ra tribe.
Well, I guess Garuda has a point.
"Paas," Bella bent down and caressed the cub's head gently, "is being a soldier something that you want to do?"
"Yes, sister Bella," he nodded his head, "I want to become strong and be able to protect those whom I care."
Bella smiled. Paas's words reminded her of Satria who had said the same thing. Maybe she was wrong. Children here were not like human kids. They were beastmen, they were born with strong survival instincts.
*****
In her chamber. Bella writhed and twisted in her bed. She then let out a long sigh as she stared at the ceiling above her. Gaharu's face appeared in her mind. What could he possibly be doing right now? She wondered. And Mihaje, would Tayen give him a hard time because of her? She already could not decide between the two of them.
And here she was, having her head filled with Garuda's kiss from earlier incident.
I can't believe what a slut I am. She was never a playgirl before. She hated disloyalty within a relationship. The reason why she broke up with her previous boyfriend in college was because he cheated on her.
But look at her now. She became the thing that she detested most. What the hell was she thinking?
Bella let out another sigh. She closed her eyes as she asked herself, who exactly that she really liked-- Gaharu, Mihaje, or Garuda?
The feelings she developed for Gaharu was slow but it was so natural and heartwarming. He appeared to have bipolar traits but that was what actually attracted her. No matter how she rejected him by showing her protest towards his behaviors, deep down she couldn't deny that she actually liked Gaharu. Or perhaps she had gotten used to his nonchalant sexual harassments that resulted in fondness of his warm touches.
The feelings for Mihaje probably started from that day he abducted her. The first impression he gave her was that he seemed cold, malicious, and merciless, yet there was a hint of loneliness and unspeakable pain in his eyes. It made her want to protect him and give him the love he'd never had. It could be a mental health issue between Mihaje and her that resulted in their feelings towards each other. Could be Stockholm syndrome or maybe she had a savior complex towards him or something.
And Garuda, it was as if she had known him for a while. It was probably because he was the first beastman she had encountered during her first day in this world. He saved her from being caught in the ceasefire between Ra tribe and Zov tribe. It was somewhat similar to how she felt with Gaharu. Natural. They became close in just days and she could freely be herself in front of him. Shamelessly saying, that it doesn't fluster her when he sees her body.
"Hm..." A sigh left her lips again as she rolled over to get up. She then walked out of her chamber and went to the garden. The sun was setting and the sky was a mixture of blue and orange. Bella rested her bum on the cold stone bench as she looked up at the sky, throwing her gaze beyond the still bare trees. The air was so cold, she could clearly see her own breath.
This world was always so quiet. No sound of birds chirping, no sound of insects whatsoever. Only the howling of wind could be heard, or sometimes the sound of tree branches and leaves brushing against each other.
Bella turned her face to the side when she heard a long sigh. Borius was there beside her on the bench, and was gazing at the sky as well.
"Can I have a sip?" Bella pointed at the wine jar in his hand.
"No, you cannot. You are a very terrible drinker."
The corners of Bella's lips narrowed down in discontent as she glared sideways at Borius who was sipping his wine directly from the jar. As he exhaled, Bella glanced at the thick misty cloud of his breath in the air in front of her.
"Come on now, it's freezing. Let me have a sip."
She heard Borius groaned softly before turning to her, handing over the wine jar.
"Heehee..." Bella giggled like a little child. She then took a few sips of the wine in her hands.
"Do not drink too fast, you will end up drunk like last time." He warned her.
"It's not like I did something embarrassing or stupid. I just blacked out, didn't I?"
Borius pursed his lips tight when she said that. The moment where she pressed her lips on his flashed through his mind. He immediately cleared his throat and changed the subject,
"Look, snow." He raised a hand and let the fresh drop of snow fell on his palm.
Seeing that, Bella lifted her face to find that it was starting to snow. She gasped and chuckled quietly. Although it was her first snow, nostalgic overwhelmed her. It was... a strange feeling.
The country where she was from was a tropical country, so it was her first time witnessing a snow fall. She was mesmerized by the sight, she didn't realize Borius was staring at her.
She was beautiful, the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his entire life. Her quiet laughter was adorable, her expression was just like a young cub who had just seen food for the first time. She looked so naive and pure.
"Have you not seen a snow before?" He asked.
"Nope," Bella shook her head, her eyes were still fixed at the falling snow, "the place that I lived in was a tropical country where the weather was hot and humid all year around. But there are countries that have four seasons; summer, autumn, winter, and spring. It snows in winter. Just not in my country."
Borius nodded once, glaring briefly when he saw Bella chugged on his wine again.
"Give me that." He grunted as he seized the jar from her hands.
"You're a pain in the ass!" Bella tsked. Beastmen were just like human males, just different species. She thought.
"I just do not want you to get drunk and try to eat my mouth like last time-" Borius froze with his mouth still partly opened. Darn it, why on land did I say that out loud?

"I did what...?!"
Borius avoided her eyes when Bella's widened eyes gazed back at him in shock.
"Don't lie, come on, tell me the truth!" She demanded.
Borius took one look at her upset face and accidentally burst out a small laugh.
"It's a fuckin' lie, isn't it?" Bella angrily smacked him on the arm, "You damned wolf!"
Borius could not help but to stare at her angry face. She looked particularly adorable when her cheeks puffed up in anger like that. Her well-defined reddened nose, her flushed red face, her pouty lips...
When she smacked his arm again, he caught her wrist and took her hand in his,
"Bella," he said as his expression turned austere, "you said something about me did not come back to you. I did not understand what you were saying."
"I... I said that?" Bella's mouth parted open. Confusion was in her sparkly black orbs.
"Do I look like someone that you used to know?" Borius questioned again. Bella's hand was still in his grip.
Bella pursed her lips as she gazed into Borius's silver eyes.
Yes, he does.
He looked exactly the same as the foreign boy in her neighborhood. Those captivating doe eyes, those silver irises and silver hair, that snowy fair complexion, his perfect nose bridge. Bella saw flashes of memory where she forced herself on Borius. It was blurry, but it seemed like she really did kiss him while she was drunk that night. She was babbling about her childhood memories to him as well.
"Nope. Not at all." She lied, blowing raspberries.
"Then why did you eat my mouth?" That question just made Bella choked on her own saliva.
"You must like that male so much, yes? That you want to eat his mouth. But you ate my mouth instead because I look like-"
Bella covered Borius's annoying mouth with her palm to prevent him from keep spewing nonsense, humiliating her. It was snowing, the air was cold. But her face was hot.
"Would you stop saying that! I didn't... e-eat your mouth!" She wanted to sew his mouth shut if she could.
Borius leaned back, gently pushing away her hand that was on his mouth.
"What was it, then?" He nonchalantly asked. His face was cold and stern. That was only on the outside. He was laughing inside because of Bella's cute angry expression. She was embarrassed and angry, her face turned crimson red.
Borius thought that her angry look and helplessness was adorable. As those thoughts flashed through his mind, he thought that maybe he was losing his mind. How could he possibly feel entertained just by making her angry?
"What is the purpose of eating someone's mouth?" He stared her straight in the eye. Her sparkly black orbs stared back.
Bella didn't want to talk to him anymore. He was so obnoxious. Bella immediately got up and walked away. Borius caught her slender wrist, but she pulled her hand away. Bella gave him a sharp glare before turning her heels and marched on. Borius rubbed his chin. Seemed like she got really angry this time.
Should he chase after her? Then what?
Borius thought long, he got up and strode his way back into the castle, straight to Bella's chamber. Thankfully, she was just about to shut her door close when he caught up to her,
"Bella, wait." He called. His voice was as fresh as the cold snow. Calm yet with a hint of awkwardness.
"Shoo! Go away! I don't want to see you, damn it!" She grunted, pushing the door. But Borius managed to get past her door without using a lot of effort.
"Get the fuck out-"
He didn't say anything, he cupped the back of her head and bent down slightly to kiss her. Bella was dumbfounded. She was stunned, she froze like a statue. When Borius pulled away, he began to brush the tip of his nose all over her, from her hairline all the way down to her neckline. He breathed in her scent.
Bella's face turned hotter than before. Borius smelled of strong canine muskiness mixed with fine liquor and a hint of fresh snow.
"I cannot seem to think straight after that."
Bella's heart pounded fast when he whispered such words in her ear. His warm breath tickled her ear and she gulped.
"Wait, Borius. I just met you like, days ago-"
"Strangely, I feel like I have known you much longer than that."
True, there was something about him that she could not explain. Probably because of his face. He looked undeniably familiar.
"Will you be my female, Bella?"
*****