Beauty and the Beasts

“They hesitated just now. I think their memories towards their mates were triggered when I begged them to let you off.”

Parker said, “Who knows? Now that they’re dead, nothing of the sort will ever happen again.”

“Hope so.” Bai Qingqing nodded as she walked towards him. “Let me take a look at your wound. Seems like the bleeding has stopped.”

Parker puffed up his belly for her to look.

Curtis swept his gaze over coldly. “Aren’t you going to roast meat?’

“Yeah, Qingqing has yet to eat. I’ll go and handle the prey now.” Parker ran outside and went to the river with the prey Curtis brought back.

Bluepool stroked his chest and said, “It’s time for me to go out and soak in the water.”

After the meat was roasted, Bai Qingqing wrapped a piece with the tree leaf and walked into the innermost corner of the cave.

“I’m a female. Don’t be scared. Here, eat something,” Bai Qingqing said gently as she slowly reached out a hand to place on the female’s shoulder.

Other than clearly sensing the body quivering under her hand, there didn’t seem to be other reactions.

“Meow—”

This had already become the territory that the leopard cubs had “claimed” for themselves. Ever since this female came, they had never left this area and had been pacing around.

Upon seeing their mother, they even raised their heads and revealed a look pleading for assistance.

Bai Qingqing didn’t dare to force her into a corner, so she simply set down the food by the side and said, “I’ll leave the food here. Remember to eat it. If something’s the matter, just call for me.”

For a female who wasn’t bound by the morals of chastity to be reduced to this state, it couldn’t have been just sexual assault. Physical abuse or mental torture would probably deal a greater blow to someone like her. This was what Bai Qingqing guessed.

But, it could also simply be because the females here were too well-protected, resulting in a frail psyche that made them unable to withstand a blow, regardless of how mild.

Both Parker and Curtis didn’t sleep well that night, as there was a foreign female in the stone cave. Also, there were all sorts of abnormal smells in the cave, which was definitely torture to the beastmen’s keen sense of smell.

Only Bai Qingqing and her little cubs managed to sleep soundly.

The next day, the rain came to a halt. The torrential rain took away with it the bloody stench in the air. If it weren’t for the fact that someone was in the stone cave, Bai Qingqing would have thought that the events of yesterday were but a dream.

She walked into the cave in small steps. Upon seeing that the food she had left there was already gone, Bai Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief and gently asked, “Did you like the roast meat? We cooked food again. Come out and eat with us.”

A clear and loud rumble could be heard from the female’s tummy. She timidly raised her head and revealed a filthy and skinny little face.

Her looks were considered ordinary among the females, with very small eyes. Yet, her terror-stricken expression induced heartache in those who saw it—even Bai Qingqing wished to shower some care upon her.

“Come out, those outside are my mates. There’s no need to fear them.”

The female gazed at the outside, and her body trembled again before she buried her head into the animal skin once more.

Bai Qingqing sighed and walked out.

Breakfast was prepared using the small fishes caught from the river by Bluepool. Parker made a stew from the fishes, from which a fragrance permeated throughout the entire cave.

Bai Qingqing picked out several fishes and placed them on a tree leaf by the female’s side. The female had probably been eyeing this for a long time, for she instantly grabbed one fish with her blackened hands and wolfed it down, totally disregarding the fact that it was scalding hot.

“Eat slowly. There are bones in the fish.”

Bai Qingqing had just finished speaking when the female started coughing. Even then, she didn’t stop. Before she even finished one, she grabbed another one to stuff into her mouth.

There wasn’t a famine going on, did they even refuse her food? Just how much hatred did those beastmen feel towards females?

“Don’t cook fish next time,” Bai Qingqing said to Parker. “I’m afraid she’ll choke on them.”

From the way it sounded, she was clearly prepared to help the female for the time being. But this was the best they could do for now.

Curtis furrowed his brows and suddenly spoke, “Find a village and send her there.”