My Wild Beast
Chapter 25: Yoa’s Hideout (1)

Chapter 25: Yoa’s Hideout (1)

Yoa snuck Nova around the Sacred Lands, and unlike the few times Nova had been there, the giant of a man took them through a hidden, secret passage that was past the giant jaguar statue. It looked like any ordinary rock to Nova until Yoa put the palm of his hand on it, applying little pressure, and it slid inwards with a soft, grinding scrape, the ground rumbling slightly from the action. Nova’s frazzled state paused for a moment to stare wide-eyed at what could only be described as some sort of Indiana Jones booby trap door.

It was a nice distraction to stare into the cavernous structure, flames igniting in the torches hanging from the walls as they were two steps away from them, lighting up the path. Unlike the rest of the forest, it was a little cooler, a nice respite from the humidity.

The pathway opened up further, and darkness followed them, the torches flickering out like magic. Gradually, as Yoa continued to walk down what seemed like a slope, the ceiling began to glow a soft blue, revealing a large cave. Nova leaned into Yoa a little more, expecting to see some more of those vampire bats. Instead, she gazed in wonder at the high ceiling of the cave as they ventured further underground.

"Glow worms," Yoa explained quietly.

"They don’t... transform into people, too, right?" Nova asked meekly, not wanting to see what they might look like or if they too would attack her.

Yoa chuckled. "No, little mouse. They are just worms."

"So, the insects here don’t transform?" Nova questioned, distracting herself. She might sound foolish, but it was plausible. She had no idea how this island worked and how the resort didn’t even seem to exist... Nope, not going down that route, Nova thought. She would just spiral again, and right now, like the few days before seeing the beach, she needed to keep it together. At least a while longer anyway.

"No," Yoa chuckled, finding her questioning amusing, but there was no mockery in his tone of voice as he answered her. "The island would be far too populated if that were the case."

Nova nodded, feeling a little numb as her mind returned to the beach. Once again, she forced her mind to shut down her spiralling and stare at the cave. "Is this your home?" She peeked up at him.

Yoa glanced down at her and smirked. "No, little mouse." He made it to the other side of the expansive cave and pressed on the wall again. It slid open with a low rumbling, grinding sound. A few loose stones and dust trickled off the entrance.

Nova gaped as he stepped through, revealing a mini oasis behind a giant bed made from a tree trunk, the roots loosely spreading along the smooth floor and sinking into the rock. The inside of the trunk had been carved to fit a comfortable-looking bed, woven from thick grasses and soft animal hides, with the frame, the trunk growing outwards through a large hole, letting in light from the outside world, casting the interior in a golden hue.

That was a marvel in itself, along with some other little furnishings like the fire pit and little carved drawings on the side of the walls, gems like crystals glittering along one side and dazzling the space further in a multitude of colours. But beyond that the far side opened with large leaves dangling down the ceiling to reveal a natural infinity pool, making it look as though the turquoise water continued to the sea beyond. To the right was a tranquil, small waterfall.

"This... is your home?" Nova marvelled, uncaring that her voice was one of impressed awe.

"One of a few hideouts," Yoa grinned and placed his little mouse on her feet.

"A few?" Nova’s brows raised in curiosity, wondering what the others looked like and if they were just as naturally beautiful as this. "Wait... Hideouts?"

Yoa shrugged. "Not many beasts like me."

Nova’s hand trailed along the smooth trunk of the bed, marvelling at its craftsmanship and imagining how she could have turned something like this into a trendy BnB back home. Something like this would have been considered pricey there, yet here on the island, Yoa had it so effortlessly.

"And why is that?" Nova questioned. "Beyond the fact you probably eat them..."

Yoa burst out laughing and flopped down on the bed with a loud thump, seeming unconcerned that the structure might break, or perhaps it was durable at that size, and smiled playfully. He was purely a king in his domain, a big cat watching her in amusement, those golden-red eyes gleaming as he propped his hands behind his head. "Besides hunting them... Many fear me. Especially those who know what I am."

Nova eyed him. "And what are you?"

Yoa shook his head. "That is not what is important right now. What do you want to do now?"

"That’s a good question..." Nova muttered, dropping her gaze and fiddling with her thumbs. "I don’t know what happened. The resort should be there."

"There have never been any settlements on the beaches here. All tribes are within the jungle," Yoa said confidently.

Nova watched him for a moment. "You never heard any of the construction?" She questioned, her brows furrowing. Even if Yoa wasn’t nearby, she sensed that he would have investigated the beach if he knew from others on the island attacking the new ’settlers’ as Yoa called them.

"Construction site?" Yoa stared at her, waiting for further explanation.

Of course, he didn’t understand what that meant.

"You know... men ripping down the trees, creating buildings, a pool..." Nova observed him as she spoke, noting his furrowed brows and blank expression. "One of the tribes kept attacking us, warning us to leave the island. A sign was even built on the beach..."

Yoa’s expression didn’t change. "I would have been aware if there were issues among the tribes beyond the usual bickering or hunting."

"Nothing at all?" Nova asked, her voice sounding much smaller. The room spun a little as her mind had already accepted what Yoa was saying while she still fought it, hoping to make sense of it all.

"Believe me. If a few pale faces were arriving on the island, I would have been the first to know," Yoa stated as he sat up languidly.

Nova didn’t second-guess his words. What he said was a finality, and felt like the final nail in the coffin as it were. "Then..." Her voice trembled. "How am I here? Where did the resort go?"

Nova wrapped her arms around her waist as she tried to process what was happening. This was far too real to be a dream like she’d already assumed. The aches in her body, the scratches and blisters on her feet and being chased around the island by the tribes were far too real.

Yoa’s large strides shortened the distance between them as he rested his large hands on her shoulders in a comforting gesture. It was starting to become his response whenever she was close to snapping or in need of comfort. "I do not know of this resort, little mouse, but I will guarantee your safety as long as you’re with me on Isla de Tayun." He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "You have my word."

Jeez, she couldn’t melt in his arms right now. This big hunk of a man really was charming! The grating part was that he didn’t even realise he was doing it! Nova had to focus on not sighing or swooning. This was no time to be swept away by this Tarzan.

"Thank you," Nova’s voice cracked. Great start there, girl. Swallowing down her slight embarrassment and fleeting thoughts, she asked, "What do you think of all this? Do you think I am mad?"

Yoa shook his head. "It is clear that you are not from this island, Nova. All we need to figure out is how you came to be. Is there anything at all that struck you as odd?" His gaze locked on hers, waiting for her answer.

Nova stared into his sunset eyes, trying to think back to what happened before running through the jungle. "A lot of odd things have happened here," she whispered, ignoring the flashbacks of the men transforming into beasts.

"Think, Nova," Yoa stroked his thumbs on her shoulders, pressing them into her skin slightly, hoping to push her mind into gear.

"I fell into the lake..." Nova murmured in a bit of a daze.

"Luna Lacus?" Yoa frowned, his mind spinning.

Nova’s question was on the tip of her tongue until her stomach rumbled, and it rumbled loudly. Her cheeks heated as she realised it had been a while since she last ate. Yoa chuckled, and his hands slipped from her shoulders. "Let me go hunt. You should rest."

"Hunt?" Nova blinked up at him. She didn’t know why it was only occurring to her now that this was what he did.

It was so primitive. The idea of hunting for food. Nova was used to just going to the supermarket and grabbing a prepackaged piece of meat. Gosh, was she spoilt or what?

"Do you not eat meat?" Yoa tilted his head. "There are plenty of fruits I could gather for you."

"Um... I do... but... I don’t really want to eat monkey..." Plus, wasn’t it kind of cannibalistic? They transformed into humans.

Yoa snorted. "I only hunt them if resources are low or the opportunity arises..." His eyes flicked between hers. He could easily read her thoughts. "This is our world, little mouse. But I only hunt them in their animal forms whilst in mine. If that helps?"

"It doesn’t really, sorry. But I have a better understanding now," Nova added quickly. "Um, I could try and come fishing with you?"

"No." Yoa was already striding towards the entryway. "You will slow me down, and Ixana and Vulcan might be searching for you. It won’t take me long to fish. Stay, rest, bathe if you need to. I won’t be long."

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