My Wild Beast
Chapter 31: Misunderstandings (2)

Chapter 31: Misunderstandings (2)

Atia hopped to his feet, about to leave the pair for what might turn into an argument until his mind caught up with him. "What do you mean... Return to your people?" He turned to look at the girl. She was paler, definitely smaller, and he scented no shifter powers from her. "You’re not from here...?"

How was that possible?

Nova shook her head. "I wasn’t born on this island," she answered him, her gaze still locked in a silent war with Yoa. Her heart kept twisting at his words and she wanted to pinch herself for feeling this way about this man. She was certainly over tired and he definitely brought a sense of security and comfort. Not right now though.

"Not from the island..." Atia murmured, tilting his head as Nova and Yoa. There was a lot of tension between them right now. "Do you really want to return to wherever you came from?"

Nova paused and frowned at Atia, her mouth dropping open, her words coming out sounding more absurd than she felt. "O- Of course I do! Are you crazy?!"

"How does that make me crazy? It is a simple question, little snack," Atia smirked and ignored the small growl reverberating in the cavernous space from Yoa, a quiet warning at his little nickname of the girl his friend is highly protective of. It was definitely entertaining to see this side of his stoic friend. Who knew a sweet little thing like her would be the reason.

"Little snack?" Nova hissed, clutching the animal hide tighter as she glared at Atia. "My name is Nova. I’m nobody’s snack."

Sweet but feisty. Atia smirked. "Sorry, sorry." He held his hands up. "Nova. I am just trying to understand what the problem is here. Why can’t you find your people, and why do you want to if you have a huge hunk of a man like Yohuali here waiting on you like a goddess?"

Both Nova and Yoa froze at his words. Atia couldn’t help but chuckle at their peculiarly innocent reactions. There was nothing innocent in the way they glanced at each other from time to time. Yoa decided then to clear his throat and return to finish. "Stop speaking nonsense again, Atia. Your big mouth and stirring up trouble are why you were always being punished."

Atia snickered, enjoying their reactions. When he left in search of Yoa earlier that day, he never anticipated running into this situation. He just wanted to clear Yoa’s name or understand his friend if he did kill or unintentionally kill Kanti.

Nova’s cheeks were still rosy at the mention of Yoa’s ’hunkiness’. Yes, he was a Greek God of a man, and she couldn’t deny that watching him all caveman-like, prepping food for her, and acting all protective was making her feel like a swooning school girl. But she was literally with Chad days ago. There was no place for any of this.

There certainly was no room for interest in staying on this island for a man Nova had known for a few days. Although, she wasn’t quite sure if leaving the island was even a possibility at this point. Not just leaving the island but returning home.

Nova cleared her throat. "I should see if my dress is dry," she murmured, standing up again from the bed, making sure the animal hide was wrapped around her well.

As Nova walked away to check on her dress, Yoa threw a rock at the back of Atia’s head. Atia caught it without looking at him. "Stop acting creepy," Yoa grumbled.

"Why? Are you concerned I’d sweep her off her feet, brother?" Atia smirked as he looked at him, tossing the rock aside, allowing it to roll away as he returned to his spot from before.

A muscle feathered in Yoa’s jaw at his friend’s response. "Nova does not want to stay here. She is not of this place, Atia. She must miss her home terribly. Do not make this harder for her."

"Nah, I think I’ll pursue her," Atia smirked, still playing with his friend.

"You have lost interest in Aiyana?" Yoa retorted back as he collected three sharpened bones, handing one to Atia to spear his fish.

Atia’s playful expression became sombre for a moment, and then he scoffed. "Really? Low blow, bro."

"Then stop playing. This is not a game." Yoa’s voice was low, commanding as his gaze was focused on Nova’s back. She was testing the dampness of her dress. It was already completely dry. Atia watched Yoa’s eyes dilate slightly as he watched the girl.

Yep, Yoa was completely obsessed with her. That’s it. Atia decided he wasn’t about to let this duo split up over something as silly as being an outsider. Nova was definitely something special to Yoa, whether or not either of them knew this yet. He was about to help ’build this ship’, as his younger sisters would call it.

Nova looked behind her as she felt a pair of familiar, burning eyes lock on her back. She blushed at the intensity in Yoa’s gaze, unaware of his friend’s determination to put some sort of action plan in place for them.

Nova turned her back to Yoa again, walked to the side a little, and lifted the dress above her, trying to manoeuvre it to cover her as the animal hide slid to the ground. Yoa watched at first, then realised what she was doing and looked away, giving her the privacy she deserved. Atia was about to look behind him after seeing the heated look in Yoa’s gaze, but he gripped Atia’s chin in a brutal grip, halting his head from turning to see what had Yoa so transfixed on the little snack.

"Look at her, and I’ll carve your eyes out with my claws," Yoa threatened in a low growl.

Atia and Yoa stared at each other, both eyes widening slightly at the possesiveness in his voice. Atia burst into laughter. "Aww come on bro, that’s not very nice. I’m not sure if I can grow back eyeballs."

"Keep your eyes on your fish. Nova is changing," Yoa clipped back, his voice gruffer than normal, trying to calm this sudden emotion gripping at his chest like a net tightening around him.

"Thought you wouldn’t care if I saw the little snack-"

Yoa growled at Atia’s words, aware that he was trying to provoke him for some reason. Atia held his hands up with a wide grin. "Alright, alright. Let’s make your girl a good meal, eh?" He winked.

"She’s not my girl," Yoa growled, eyes flashing and flicking briefly to Nova, who was folding up the animal hide in her arms and taking her time to return.

"Not yet," Atia sang out before being smacked on the top of his head.