Beauty and the Beasts

“No!” The horrified Bai Qingqing shook her head, wrapping the animal skin more firmly around her. She said, “I only regard Parker as an older brother. Why don’t we move out? Don’t hurt him!”

Cortis’s expression eased. Seeing the look of terror on Bai Qingqing’s face, he caressed her fair face, his heart aching for her. He said gently, “Don’t be afraid, Xiao Bai. I won’t kill him.”

Bai Qingqing heaved a great sigh of relief.

“Parker has rescued you before, so by right, he can become your mate, isn’t that so?” Cortis’s cold fingers grazed Bai Qingqing’s face. There were no sweat glands on his skin, and there were no fingerprints on his fingers, so when his smooth fingers glided across a person’s face, it felt like the touch of a ferocious ghost from the netherworld.

Bai Qingqing felt her skin turning numb from the touch. She obediently sat next to Cortis and didn’t dare move recklessly. Her body, which had felt hot under the animal skin wrapped around her, now felt chilly.

After keeping quiet for a long while, Bai Qingqing said, “Mm. I’ll do as you say.”

Having made this decision, Bai Qingqing felt much more relaxed. If she was going to have two mates, so be it. This way, no one would get hurt. Anyway, this was a world where it was common for a female to have many husbands. No one would criticize her. Furthermore, she really didn’t dare to spend time alone with Cortis. With Parker around, she felt much more at ease.

“After you have my eggs, you can mate with him,” Cortis said as he stroked Bai Qingqing’s head.

Bai Qingqing said nothing.

Amidst the sound of falling rain, a leopard ran into the stone house with two prey. He carried a deer on his back and a wild wolf was hanging from his mouth. Although he had run all the way, he didn’t appear tired at all.

“Roar!” Parker tossed the prey into the house, then roared into the bedroom.

Bai Qingqing, who was leaning in Cortis’s arms, felt her face heating up upon hearing the leopard’s voice. Parker was about to become her husband as well! She suddenly felt so nervous!

Cortis uncurled his tail and wrapped her firmly, before slithering out, swaying his tail as he moved. When he saw the two prey Parker caught, Cortis looked at him in surprise.

Parker shook away the rainwater on his head and said, “One prey for you to replenish your strength so that you can mate with Qingqing when the time comes.”

Inside his heart, Parker laughed maniacally with his arms akimbo. The snake becomes drowsy after he’s eaten his fill. When that happens, it’ll be my turn to take care of Qingqing. Hahaha…

Bai Qingqing was about to go out with the animal skin wrapped around her when she heard what Parker said. She stopped in her tracks, her face heating up and blushing furiously.

Cortis glanced at Parker with a hint of a smile, as though he had seen through his little trick. Parker walked to one side sheepishly, dragging the deer with him to handle it.

Cortis slithered to the wild wolf and, feeling quite satisfied with the prey, transformed into his full beast form before slowly swallowing the wild wolf into his stomach. After that, he rolled out his body in the main room and slithered into the bedroom at a leisure pace.

Bai Qingqing glanced at the black and red stomach of the giant snake, then quickly moved to give him space.

Cortis would normally roll out his body entirely after eating, for he liked to digest his food properly. Today, however, he curled himself up into a huge circle, with his tail right next to Bai Qingqing.

“Ssss—” Cortis raised his head, his red forked tongue touching Bai Qingqing’s face.

Bai Qingqing smiled stiffly and said, “Go on and sleep.”

“Sss—” Placing his head on Bai Qingqing’s lap, there was now a transparent film over Cortis’s eyes.

Parker stuck his head into the room. When he saw that Cortis was asleep, he got bold and called her with a broad grin, “Qingqing.”

Bai Qingqing looked up and smiled at him.

Parker gazed at her, then happily went about preparing the food. He was also planning to eat one more meal himself, so as to store physical stamina for mating.