(This chapter is specially dedicated to @UnderwaterSunDaisy for your constant support to this book.)
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"Mom, you called for me?" A magnetic and firm voice echoed in the cave as both of us broke the hug and together turned our heads to the source of the voice.
And well, well, there was he. The man of my dreams and desire..... Kevi.
Well, how did I recognize him this easily? 'Cause only he had those mesmerizing black eyes and a little black mole at the bottom of his left eye.
And his voice.... My Goddd! Even though I had never heard it before today, I felt so attracted to it.
Too Heavenly!
So this is what those netizens used to call... a voice that can make ears pregnant?!
I could feel it now! Ahhh! I want ti hear more of his voice and I just couldn't stop staring.
Specially, when our eyes met. A bubbly feeling inside of me, started to grow and bloom inside of me, making me impatient with the tickles.
'Oh Kevi! I finally met you! You're so f*cking hot! Can you leave Sofia please? Will you be my mate instead, please Kevi? I'll cherish you all life long! Even though I never saw you up this close, I missed you so much.' That's what I wanted to say but I just couldn't. I didn't want to give him a scare on our first meet.
And the book had clearly told that he used to cold and aloof to all the females until he met the female lead. It was mainly because they would either lust for him or for his power or for both.
Still, even though, I'm trying my best not to reveal too many of my emotions, I could feel, I wasn't fully covering them.
"Sheea?"
I was shaken awake from my wandering thoughts by Lisa with a pat on my shoulders. I looked at her questioningly, all confused.
"Eh? What did you say, Mom?" I asked her, tilting my head a little at my side, while giving her a 'Did you say something to me?' look when she didn't answer but chuckled, making me more confused.
Just what happened here?
I looked at Kevi who was smiling at me. Gosh! He's looking more handsome! Ahhh! My heart!
And then was the time when I spotted two more characters... well beasts behind him. Both of them were looking at me with mixed emotions.
Hope, Excitement nd Fear!
Hey... Hey, just what the hell happened here?
"You... you really have Kevi and Siri all the time in your mind, don't you?" Lisa said in between her chuckles and then there my mind flew open with a BOOM!
I could even feel my blood started to boil under my cheeks as I failed to figure out how could she openly say that thing... like that... in front of Kevi. I didn't dare to raise my head again as I whined like a child, clinging my arms around her with a small pout, "Mommm!"
"Okay! Okay! I won't tease you anymore," She said as she gave a look at Kevi's direction and said, "Well, what I wanted to say is that, since both of us know what is going to happen in the future, I chose them for you! I'll like it if you can take them too along with Kyle. This taller one is Jemin, my bear cub and this muscular one is Len, my lion cub."
I subconsciously blinked.
What did she try to say just now? No... what did she say just now?
She chose them... for me?
The-these...
I can still go with Kevi as I came here for him and Siri, but... but I never thought to take more husbands that than. Well, Kyle was an exception. But still...
And what did she say...?
Jemin and Len?
Aren't they the side-characters who had mysteriously disappeared from the book after that attack where Kevi and Siri died....
I looked at Lisa and sized the beautiful wom- Shasha up again and again. She must be joking, right...? Or how could she do this to me?
If I continue to take these pitiful side-characters, won't I be called pity-f*cker by my older self.
So I immediately decided to turn down the offer and said almost in a deep protest, "Momm, no! I won't be taking so many mates all together!"
I even pouted to her (which I realized she liked it and goes all weak against me) as I shook her arm coquettishly and whined like a child, "Mom, please! You know na, I can't take so many mates! Kevi, Siri and Kyle are the only exceptions!"
I even tried to reason out with her, bit when I saw that she was about to say something else again, I immediately said something that even shocked me too, "Mom! If that's the case, I will only take Kyle as my one and only mate. I can just try to make sure that the other things won't go as they would have gone!"
But I immediately regretted it. There was a say in my previous world that, If a word is said with strong desire, they may come true.
So, I didn't know what to say again to sound more determined to my previous statement. But after a long time, no excus- words came into my mind.
I peeped at Lisa from the corners of my eyes and it broke my heart to see her disappointed and sad look. And when I thought to peep at others, I almost got a heart attack.
I found Kevi's chest was heaving up and down badly as if he ws fuming. At his side, Jemin was standing there with his head drooping down. I couldn't see his facial expressions, but the way he was clipping his nails with one another, I took it as he was hurt too. And as for Len, the lion, his head was also drooping down and he was literally shaking.
These... these reactions. I didn't mean to hurt them like that.
I just wanted to say something to male everything normal, but I just couldn't figure it out what to say.
Could I say that I was joking? Or that I was just testing their emotional power?
Then again, mating and rejection are really the sensitive issues in this world. No one jokes with these two, right?
I was still in a dilemma with myself when I heard a rasp yet baritone voice, "Umm.. Mom, if you don't mind, can we go back first? We had just got back today, so we needed to make some changes in our cave!"
I looked up to see who it was and found that it was Len who spoke it. His eyes were bloody red as if he was in pressure to hold back his tears.
I pursed my lips and immediately made my mind. And just when, I saw Lisa was about to say something, I immediately spoke first, "Well, I was just merely joking and testing you all to see how would you react...! Hehe! But I didn't realize, it'll turn so gloomy here!"
I said while fanning myself with my left hand.
And just when I finished, they all looked at me with wide eyes and made me feel like a unique monkey in the zoo.
Why... why are you looking at me like that? Did I say anything wrong here again?
"You... you really were joking?" I heard a new male voice which was a little hoarse, but s*xily thick.
I turned to look at him and as expected it was Jemin who spoke. I just gave my sweetest and reassuring smile while nodding twice.
"You are okay with us? I mean... you're still joking, right? No... I mean.. you... are you.. Uhhh!" I saw Len who was babbling and tried to find out the correct words to express himself.
And as for Kevi, he was looking at me with narrowed eyes. I was sure, he didn't completely belief what the bluff I babbled just now.
Well, if he could be that easily fooled, he wouldn't have been chosen as the next leader, right?
So, I could only use that last weapon of mine... The Feminine power.
I cleared my throat a little as I blurted out all the silly excuses my mind was making, trying to act as convincing and natural as possible, "Well, you see, I'm not from here. So, I don't know much about you all," (I earned a raised brow from Lisa who was watching me from the start), "And I just wanted to make sure how my mates or rather mates-to-be would be comfortable while talking with me."
Jemin and Len look at me with an open "O" mouth as I watched Kevi pursed his lips.
Eh? What did that mean?
Wasn't that excuse and my act not convincing enough?
I looked at Lisa with my puppy eyes as I asked for her help. She blinked at me with assurance as she turned to them and waved at them.
"Well, cubs, if you don't like how the way she communicates, then of course, you can leave. Len, Jemin, you can leave if you're feeling tired. And Kevi, if you're not okay with your future mate to be, of course you can go too."
"NO!"
"NO!"
"NO!"
Three loud growls of deniel echoed in the cave, almost making me deaf. I looked at them in horror.
I could tell Jemin's and Len's reason of deniel as like other beasts here, they were desperate to settle down with a mate, but... but... Kevi... he?
I pursed my lips as I looked at Kevi from the other two.
Why did he deny to leave? Didn't he use to love Sofia that he happily sacrificed his life for that?
He had even said that iconic line before his 'death' in the book, "I don't fear death! It's just that I'm dying without seeing her safe!"
Then... then.. did he fall for me???
And again, it might have just been few weeks that Sofia and her mates had settled here. So, his love might not have been that deep... right?
That's why he had a change in heart and fall for me... isn't it?
Or is it that since his mother chose me as his mate, he took me in as he might have sense there was no future of him with Sofia?
The more I thought on it, the more sure I got on my last guess.
And yeah! Finally I settled on it. That must be it.
My trail of thoughts and inner debate broke when I heard Lisa pushing me a little then, "Well, since all are settled, you can leave now."
I stood up and gave her a deep look as my lips twitched at the corners.
What did she mean by 'Leave Now'?
She stood up and even gave me a light push towards Kevi. And since, I was in daze, I directly fell into Kevi's strong arms, who immediately enveloped me in his arms.
"Okay Mom, we'll leave now!" I heard the voice from above my head as I was being dragged by him in his arms.
What the hell? Am a sack pack or what? Why drag like that? I can walk. I can!
"Rest well, mom. We're leaving!" I heard both Jemin's and Len's voice as their footsteps followed us.