My Wild Beast
Chapter 52: Besties! (1)

Chapter 52: Besties! (1)

There was no clash of feminine rage or intense, assessing stares—nothing like the dramatic tension you’d find in a romcom or TV series. No. Nova and Aiyana barely spoke. Silence and strained tension hung thick between them whenever Atia wasn’t around, acting like the glue holding together two unstable rocks drifting in a river straight toward a waterfall.

Whenever Nova did try to spark conversation, Aiyana replied, but her responses were blunt and short and killed any chance of continuing the topic. She’s really going to make me work for this, Nova thought, watching Aiyana walk off without even acknowledging her latest question as if it had been rhetorical—or not worth her energy to answer.

They were currently standing outside one of the other mini treehouses. Atia had taken it upon himself to act as a tour guide and revelled in showing Nova the treehouse before, which was his hideout. The one they currently stood before and remained standing in front of was Aiyana’s. Or so Nova presumed; the feline didn’t answer her and instead went inside without inviting them in.

Atia pointed out a few of the structures to the main treehouse in the meantime. Nova couldn’t get over the engineering of it all. It was basic yet so useful. She didn’t realise until now just how much technology had taken such prominence in the world—in her world.

Atia guided her along another bridge that swayed between the tree of his treehouse and the ancient Ceiba tree in which Yoa’s magnificent house was built. He guided her to the side where leaves fell down like drapes of a curtain, acting as a partial wall. In front of it, a large pool had been carved into the wide tree branch. It was definitely big enough for a few people to fit in and most definitely for someone as huge as Yoa.

"If you need to heat the water, use the rocks here." Atia pointed to a small bundle of smooth pale rocks that were definitely not from the forest but the beach. They were all similar in size and mostly smooth.

"Rocks?" Nova looked up at him questionably. "Are they magical?" She asked, feeling dumb for asking, but anything was possible in this world at this point. She crouched and touched one with her finger, expecting it to be boiling hot. It was not.

It was Aiyana’s snort from behind them that answered Nova’s question. The feline sauntered back to them, looking more refreshed, her hair damp and plaited behind her, revealing more of the sharp-angled of her refined face. "Magical rocks, huh?"

"Don’t be mean," Atia gave her a look. "She’s not from here, remember?"

"Do they have magical rocks where you’re from then?" Aiyana ignored Atia and rested her mocking gaze on Nova.

"No," Nova said through gritted teeth.

Aiyana chuckled and crouched beside Nova, plucking the rock from beneath Nova’s hand. "You put a few of these in the fireplace for at least an hour." Aiyana began to explain meticulously. "Wet a cloth, wrap it around the rocks, and bring it back to the pool." She then pointed at the bottom of the pool. "There’s also a wooden slab at the bottom that acts as a barrier so you won’t get burned."

Nova stared at it all in awe. She really was in awe of how they did things and how simple it actually was. It also had to work right? That was why there was a pile of rocks and instructions about how to heat up what she presumed was collected rainwater.

"Thank you," Nova smiled up at Aiyana.

Her thanks seemed to straighten the feline, and she cleared her throat, walking away without uttering another word. This made Nova’s smile form wider. Maybe they could be friends.

Aiyana might snicker and make little snide comments occasionally in their short time together but then she would help in the most subtleways. She was not a bad person. First of all, she was friends with Yoa and Nova could tell he would not have any old person in his close-knit circle that knew the whereabouts of his hideouts.

Atia looked between the girls with a satisfied smirk then continued showing Nova around. She plopped down in a hammock—its not as easy as it sounds and she almost fell out twice before steadying herself and sighing in relief and comfortability— before glancing at Atia who lounged on his back, legs dangling off the side of the decking. Aiyana remained standing, staring out at the forest below with sharp eyes, actually appearing like she was guarding Nova.

See, she wasn’t such a bad cookie.

"How come Yoa left you two with me?" Nova pondered aloud. "I thought his hideouts were the safest spots to be on the island?"

"Oh, lover boy is being super cute and taking protectiveness to a whole new level!" Atia replied with a broad grin. If he was in his jaguar form, Nova wondered if his tail would be happily wagging from side to side. That was dogs, wasn’t it?

At the same time, Aiyana drawled, "Well, someone has to babysit since apparently staying at home alone is a death sentence."

"I get the impression that this is just your vibe." Nova motioned her hand in a circle towards Aiyana.

Aiyana shot her a glare, and Atia nodded. "Where can I get some fabric of sorts to make some new clothes?" Nova asked, changing the topic and tactic, hoping to have a somewhat girly moment with Aiyana.

It sort of did the trick. Aiyana’s eyes wandered over Nova’s form, and her nose wrinkled. "Hmmm." Was her only response before she waltzed off.

Nova looked to Atia for an answer. "She wants you to follow her," he explained.

Nova threw her hands up. "Right! Because it was that obvious!"

Atia chuckled, his fingers brushing along his braid. "You’ll get used to her... mannerisms."

Used to it... Like they would be friends for a long time. Atia didn’t move from his spot but gestured towards where Aiyana went inside the main treehouse. "Best go after her if you have any hope of being besties!" He winked, exaggerating the term ’besties’ in a sing-song voice.

Nova’s lips quirked at his amusing attitude. Then, in a very unladylike manner, she tried to climb back out of the hammock and almost fell flat on the decking. She groaned at the impact.

Note to self: Only lounge on the hammock if you’re staying there for more than a ten minutes. And use the hammock that hangs over the netting for an easier fall.

That second point did make her heart skip a beat at the idea of just falling into the netting that hung away from the treehouse. There was only a high fall beneath that netting. She might not weigh as much as the others in their muscular forms, but the fear of falling through that netting was still there.

"Well?!" Aiyana called out from somewhere in the treehouse, dragging Nova’s crumpled form from the decking and to her feet.

Atia chuckled. "Poor snack," he pouted and started undoing his hair, making Nova what was on his mind even as he acted like a ray of sunshine at her crumpled form.

With a huff, Nova flicked her hair behind her head dramatically back at him, though it didn’t have the same finesse as Aiyana as her brown-blonde hair didn’t quite meet her shoulders.

Nova’s feet padded along the floors as she searched for Aiyana and found her in one of the alcoves, pulling out a few fabrics from hidden compartments like drawers. She sat, he knees folded beneath her, backing facing Nova. "You can use this to cover your chest..." Aiyana muttered, flinging the fabric towards her.

Nova caught it and looked at how Aiyana styled her top. "Thanks," she smiled softly, hoping to throw Aiyana off with her kindness. "I just didn’t want to keep wearing this. It needs a wash. I need a wash."

Aiyana pursed her lips. "’ Fashion’ isn’t much of a thing here, so don’t go making demands to wear multiple outfits a week."

Nova’s brows rose. "I wouldn’t. I just... didn’t want to wear this dress when my life is different now."

Aiyana paused, staring at Nova’s distressed dress. "It must have been very beautiful," she said softly. SOFTLY. Was Aiyana trying to be... concerned? Comforting?

"It was..." Nova said with a small smile and glanced at the fabric in her hands. "But I no longer need it." It felt like they were speaking about something far deeper than the dress on her back.

Aiyana smirked then stood up and handed the next fabric by hand, her features a little softer. Those eyes could still see straight through her soul but they’d calmed somewhat as their gazes locked. "Have you thought about what I said?" She asked in the softest tone Nova had heard from the feline so far.

"I haven’t had much time to ... think. But I understand your worry. I do need to be stronger. Not just for Yoa’s sake but my own... I don’t want to be the weak link, the one that could cause you all trouble."

There’s a hint of a smile in Aiyana’s amber eyes. But it was guarded the instant Nova took notice. "Good."

"Will you help me?" Nova asked before she could even catch up to where her mind was going with this. She braced herself anyway, hope twinkling in her eyes as she looked at the woman who could potentially be a friend.

Aiyana quirked a brow at her. "No."

Nova’s breath whooshed out of her instantly. Well, that hope ended quickly. Damn girl!