Standing in the streets, Thalina couldn't believe her eyes.
Sure, she saw aliens with blue skin—like she had written—but what really shocked her were the Alien beast men that filled the streets.
She knew about the beast men. Of course, she did—she'd created them. But the sheer number of them roaming around? That was insane.
Yes, there were women too, but so few. For every female Thalina spotted, there seemed to be at least ten males trailing behind her.
Each male hovered like a shield, throwing sharp, protective glances at anyone who came too close.
It didn't take much for Thalina to guess the dynamics. They were either the female's mates or males trying to court her.
Her gaze darted across the busy streets, taking in the bear beast men, lions, tigers, all of them with varying numbers of stripes on their arms.
The highest she'd seen so far was three stripes, but males with that rank were rare. Most had two or just one.
It was like a bizarre mix of aliens and beast men, all coexisting in a way she hadn't fully accounted for.
She'd written that beast men could transform into their animal forms when necessary, but this?
The sheer presence of them, the overwhelming masculinity radiating off their forms—it was nothing like she'd imagined.
And maybe that was the problem.
Thalina frowned, a pang of realization hitting her. She hadn't written this world like this. Could that be why her novel kept getting rejected?
Maybe she'd been too vague, too ambiguous in her descriptions. She hadn't fully captured the chaos and raw energy she was seeing now.
She took a step back, her basket slipping slightly in her grip as she processed everything.
This wasn't just her story anymore. This was something else entirely.
Thalina saw a female near the end of the street, sitting by a lake, and decided to approach her. "Hello," she greeted shyly.
The female, who had been intently watching something, turned to Thalina with a warm smile.
This was the first female in this world that didn't look… well, hideous.
She had a softness to her features, with downturned eyes that could even pass as cute back on Earth.
"Hi! Join me," the female said, patting the ground beside her. Thalina hesitated but sat down, glancing in the same direction the female was looking.
"Are these the little kittens you're raising?" Thalina asked excitedly, pointing to the tiny creatures tumbling around a few feet away.
"Pfft," the female sputtered with laughter, turning to Thalina with a look of pure amusement. "What kittens?"
Thalina blinked, confused. "Those." She gestured at the creatures bouncing around, clearly looking like playful house cats to her.
The female laughed harder, wiping at her eyes. "Oh no, dear. Those are the cubs I gave birth to."
Thalina froze, her smile faltering as her brain short-circuited. "C-cubs?"
The female nodded, giving Thalina a quick once-over.
Her gaze lingered on Thalina's unmarked skin, and a flicker of confusion crossed her face.
"You don't have a single mating mark… Why haven't you taken in males yet?"
Thalina ignored the question, too busy squinting at the so-called cubs.
She had to admit, the markings on their fur did look a lot like leopard spots. Still, they were cat-sized. Cats.
"Wait," Thalina muttered, the realization dawning as she spotted one cub gnawing on what looked like a rock.
It let out a soft growl, almost babyish, but distinctly not catlike. Oh no. Oh hell no.
"I… I'm so sorry for the mistake," Thalina stammered, trying to keep her shock from spilling onto her face. "I've never seen leopard cubs before."
The female chuckled, waving it off. "It's okay. Leopard cubs do look like cats at this stage"
"They are three and a half months now," the female said, her voice laced with affection as she glanced at the little cubs tumbling over each other.
"They've weaned off breastfeeding and are incredibly mischievous."
Thalina nodded along, trying to look impressed, but inwardly, her mind was a mess.
Fuck. She barely stopped herself from saying it out loud. Fuck everything about this situation.
Thalina nodded, but inside she was screaming. Celibacy. She was committing to it right here, right now.
There was no way she was pushing out creatures like that, let alone breastfeeding them.
Her stomach churned at the thought, and she clutched her basket tighter for emotional support.
"Um… will they transform?" she asked hesitantly, her curiosity overriding her horror.
Zeriah turned to her, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. For a moment, Thalina thought she'd asked the stupidest question in the universe.
Then the confusion vanished, replaced by an amused smile.
"What is your name, dear?" Zeriah asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Thalina," she replied, her tone careful, as though trying to gauge whether she was being set up for ridicule.
"Well, mine is Zeriah," the female said warmly. The introduction was nice and all, but it did nothing to dispel the awkwardness that immediately followed.
Silence. Painfully long silence. Thalina shifted uncomfortably, her hands gripping the hem of her dress.
She glanced at the cubs again, as if they might provide a distraction, but they were too busy pawing at a leaf to be of any help.
Zeriah finally broke the silence with a sly grin. "Do you now feel now embarrassing your question was?"
"Y-yeah," Thalina stammered, forcing an awkward laugh.
"Well, I won't blame you," Zeriah said, her smile softening into something almost maternal. "Your parents probably protected you a bit too much, didn't they?"
"Huh?" Thalina blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question.
"Because otherwise, how could you not know that male beast men only transform when they come of age?"
Zeriah continued, pausing to watch Thalina's expression shift from confusion to panic.
Zeriah asked curiously. "What tribe are you from?"
Thalina stiffened hearing her question.
"What tribe are you from?" Zeriah's question landed like a bombshell.
Thalina, who had been wallowing in her embarrassment, froze mid-thought, her mind scrambling for an answer.
Tribes? Her heart sank. Since when were there tribes in this alien world? She didn't remember writing anything about tribes!
Thalina's eyes darted around in desperation, searching for a distraction, but there was nothing—just Zeriah's leopard cubs tumbling over each other like fluffy chaos incarnate.
"Enough about me," Thalina blurted, a nervous edge creeping into her voice. "And you're right.
My family barely taught me anything about this, so I'd love to learn more." She added a forced smile, praying that her deflection would stick.
Zeriah blinked at her for a moment, then nodded, her expression softening.
She took a long, curious look at Thalina's face and skin. The smooth, glowing complexion, unmarred by mating marks, caught her attention.
Zeriah's gaze lingered, and her lips twitched into a knowing smile.
Thalina fought the urge to squirm.
To Zeriah, the explanation was simple: Thalina had to be one of those rare, cherished females raised in isolation by a powerful tribe.
Females like that were notoriously sheltered, rarely leaving the house or interacting with the outside world.
It made sense that someone so protected wouldn't know the basics of beast-men biology.
"No wonder," Zeriah said, her tone understanding.
"Females are in their human form from birth. Since you've never seen a male cub before, it's normal for you to think this way."
Thalina nodded along, though inwardly she was screaming.
Her lack of knowledge was becoming painfully obvious, and Zeriah's assumption only made things worse.
But what could she do? Admit that she'd somehow ended up in a world she was supposed to have created?
Zeriah chuckled, clearly finding Thalina's naivety endearing. "You're so pure, like a child".
She said, laughter dancing in her voice. "If you ever have questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I'd be happy to help."
"Thanks," Thalina mumbled, grateful for the lifeline but inwardly fuming. Pure? Like a child? She clenched her fists.
This world was supposed to follow her rules, and yet it kept blindsiding her with things she'd never written.
She tucked away Zeriah's comment about human forms at birth, filing it under Things I Apparently Need to Know Now.
With a mental groan, she tried to refocus, carefully crafting her next question to avoid sounding clueless again.
"When I came to the city," she started cautiously, "I noticed there were more males than females."
At that, Zeriah's expression darkened. Her smile vanished, replaced by a shadowed look that sent a chill down Thalina's spine.
Zeriah let out a long, weary sigh, her shoulders slumping. "You're right. Females are far fewer than males in every city and tribe," she said, her voice tinged with sadness.
Thalina's brows furrowed, but Zeriah continued before she could interject. "That's why most females mate with more than one male. It's their way of keeping the population from plummeting."
"Wait…" Thalina's head tilted, her confusion evident as she squinted at Zeriah. "What do you mean by 'the females'? Aren't you one of them?"
Zeriah smiled sheepishly, her gaze dropping briefly to the ground. "Well, I'm one of the very few females who decided to have only one male."
Thalina blinked, her lips parting in genuine surprise. "Wow." Her voice was almost reverent as her wide eyes took in Zeriah's calm expression. "That's... so inspiring."
Her words were so sincere, and her face so adorably earnest, that Zeriah couldn't help but giggle.
But just as Thalina felt a warm wave of admiration, another thought smacked her across the face.
"Wait a minute," she said, snapping her fingers dramatically. "What about the females in the palace? There seemed to be plenty of them."
Zeriah chuckled knowingly, her smile turning sly.
"Ah, the palace. That's a different story." She crossed her arms and leaned closer to Thalina, as though ready to share some juicy gossip.
"Well, let me break the news to you," Zeriah said, her voice tinged with mischief. "Fifty percent of those females are already mated, and the other fifty? Not mated yet."
Thalina's eyebrows shot up, but Zeriah wasn't done. "Oh, and eighty percent of the males? They're mates to those same females."
"What?!" Thalina's jaw nearly unhinged.
The shameless nerve of those palace females! Weren't they supposed to be prim and proper? Yet there they were, openly chasing after other males with their mates in tow.
Guilt quickly followed indignation as Thalina sighed. Of course, this is all my fault. I created this ridiculous world.
A sudden rumble of thunder pulled her from her spiraling thoughts. She looked up, noticing the darkening sky. "Looks like rain," she muttered, clutching her basket. "I better get going."
"Stay safe," Zeriah called after her with a wave, still chuckling softly.
IN THE FOREST
Thalina clutched her basket tighter, her steps quickening as the rain intensified.
Her gaze darted frantically, scanning the landscape for shelter until her eyes landed on a dark, jagged opening nearby—a cave.
Without hesitation, she made a beeline for it.
On her way, a cluster of peculiar flowers caught her attention, their vibrant, glowing petals shimmering even under the overcast sky.
She froze. She recognized those flowers instantly.
They were the very ones the female lead in her novel had used to mask her scent and evade her people before escaping to the palace.
Her lips curled into a mischievous grin. What if I did the same? she mused.
If the flowers could cloak her presence, maybe she could finally ditch the palace and its suffocating rules.
Without a second thought, she plucked a few and rubbed the sticky, fragrant residue onto her skin.
Just as she finished, the heavens opened, and rain poured down in earnest.
With her basket bouncing on her arm, Thalina dashed into the cave, her footsteps splashing through puddles as she crossed the threshold.
The cave was cold, much colder than she'd anticipated. The damp air clung to her skin, and the echo of dripping water filled the space, creating an eerie rhythm.
Her sandals squelched against the moist stone floor as she walked deeper inside, shivering.
The faint sound of a stream drew her attention to the back of the cave. She followed the noise and found a trickle of clear water cascading down the rocks, its surface sparkling like liquid crystals.
She crouched down, brushing her fingers against the fine mist it created. The chill was refreshing, though it did little to calm her nerves.
The rain seemed to have calmed outside, and she was about to leave when something caught her eye—a piece of fabric draped over a rock.
"Wow," she breathed, running her fingers over it. The material was luxurious, far softer and finer than anything she'd ever touched. It felt like it was made for royalty.
Stealing would be wrong, she thought reluctantly, even as she stared longingly at the fabric. With a sigh, she left it behind and stepped out into the now-damp forest.
"Hah! Take that, Eryssia," Thalina muttered, her steps light as she skipped along with zero situational awareness. "I'll show her who's useless when—"
A deep, guttural growl shattered her gloating.
She froze mid-step, her basket swinging to a halt at her side. Slowly, she turned her head, and her heart sank.
Forty—no, fifty—wolves surrounded her, their glowing eyes fixed on her like she was the day's special.
"This has to be a joke," she whispered, her smile twisting into a nervous grimace. "Haha... good one, universe."
The alpha wolf stepped forward, its lips pulling back to reveal sharp, saliva-drenched teeth.
The deep rumble of its growl vibrated through the air as it crouched, its claws carving small trenches in the muddy ground.
Thalina gulped, backing away slowly. "Okay, God, you win. I'll never, ever try to escape the palace again.
I'll even apologize to Eryssia... Maybe. No, no—definitely. Just please don't let me become wolf chow!"
Her knees wobbled, and her voice cracked as panic bubbled over.
"Maybe bringing a guy along wouldn't have been such a bad idea after all," she added weakly, clutching her basket like it could fend off fifty sets of fangs.
The alpha wolf's muscles coiled, ready to spring. But then, it paused. Its glowing eyes darted around, ears swiveling like radar dishes. Thalina blinked.
"Oh my god, you heard me?" she blurted, throwing her hands up dramatically. "Are you considering sparing me?"
Then the alpha's gaze locked on something behind her. Its ears flattened, and a deep, uneasy growl escaped its throat.
Thalina turned, and her breath caught. A massive shadow fell from the trees, its descent silent but menacing.
Then the alpha's gaze locked on something behind her. Its ears flattened, and a deep, uneasy growl escaped its throat.
Thalina turned, and her breath caught. A massive shadow fell from the trees, its descent silent but menacing.
"Never mind, you weren't the one listening!" she squeaked, stumbling backward as a massive snake coiled onto the ground with unsettling grace.
Its scales shimmered like an oil slick under moonlight, and then—before her brain could fully process the horror—the upper half of the snake shifted.
It morphed into something— horrifyingly Alien.
Her jaw dropped. "Oh. Oh no. So this is how I die? In the middle of a freak nature documentary?"