Chapter 3

Chloe was roughly thrown over Bjorn's shoulder and carried back to his cave,while I carefully cradled the palm-sized little red dragon in my hands.

Right now,he was too weak to shift into his human form,let alone speak.

But even so,I could tell from his body language that his guard was down around me.

A beastman's power was tied to their bloodline,but it was also heavily dependent on the resources they acquired.

Once we returned to my stone hut,the tribe delivered a pile of mana crystals and fresh prey,hoping we would breed as soon as possible.

Poof—

The little red dragon spat a tiny spark of fire,illuminating the dim room.

He flapped his sparse little wings and flew up to my face,scrutinizing me with deep blue eyes.

"Why can't you talk yet?Are you not getting enough to eat?"I stared at his scrawny frame;he was smaller than my foot.

[I can speak,you foolish mortal!]

A haughty male voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

"Huh?I can hear your thoughts?Can other beastmen do this too?"

[I am a noble Dragon.How dare you compare me to those lowly beasts?Now that our soul bond is formed,we share a telepathic connection.]

Seeing him puff out his tiny chest,I melted at how cute he was.

"Alright,alright,don't be so grumpy.From now on,I'll call you'Little Smaug'."

The little red dragon flailed in my palms:[My name is Ignis!What the hell is a'Little Smaug'?!]

"Everyone else's beastmen are huge and fierce.Why are you so skinny?Are you a picky eater?"I pushed the food the tribe had sent over to him.Ignis batted it away with his wing in disgust.

[I only consume high-purity mana gems.I do not eat mortal food.]

"Who can afford a pet that eats gems every day?No wonder you're so tiny."I reached out a finger and gently pinned him against the stone slab with a smile.Even so,I mentally planned to visit the Grand Druid tomorrow to trade for some mana crystals.

Suddenly,the ground trembled violently.

[That werewolf and the Naga are fighting.]

Ignis fluttered down and landed on my shoulder.

[Human,are you alright?]

I stroked his warm scales."I'm fine.Come on,let's go watch the drama."

Logically,Bjorn shouldn't have lost his mind this quickly right after the mating bond.What exactly did Chloe do?

The clearing outside the stone huts was packed with beastmen watching the spectacle.Chloe was kneeling at the entrance of the Naga's cave,her clothes disheveled.

"Why are you seducing my mate?!"Bjorn pounded his chest in a fury,unleashing an earth-shattering roar.

"The Grand Druid said anyone can serve her as long as she's willing!You're just a guard dog,what right do you have to tell me what to do?"The Naga hissed,refusing to back down.

It was the same in my past life.Just days after the bonding ceremony,that perverted snake had come to harass me.

I fought back with my life and stabbed him with a dagger,forcing him to retreat in frustration.

When I told Bjorn what happened,he accused me of being naturally promiscuous and beat me.

But in this life,Chloe had probably approached the stronger Naga of her own volition,only to get caught red-handed by Bjorn.

"Everyone,calm down.If it comes down to it,why don't you two just share the female?"Lucius,the Merfolk Prince,stepped out elegantly to play the peacemaker.

After all,in the eyes of beastmen,it was completely normal for multiple males to serve a single female.

"Absolutely not!What if she gives birth to a half-breed pup?It would be a disgrace to the wolves!"Bjorn roared.

"Then let the female choose!"the Naga scoffed.

Standing between them,Chloe looked incredibly smug.

In her eyes,two males brawling over her was the ultimate honor.

Ignis's voice echoed from my shoulder:[I bet your sister chooses the snake.]

I shook my head."You don't know her well enough."

Just as I expected,Chloe clung to Bjorn's arm and cooed,"Bjorn,of course I'm going back with you."

The beastmen around them stared hungrily at her bare shoulder.Being the center of attention greatly satisfied Bjorn's masculine ego.

However,while Chloe was still lost in her fantasy of becoming the supreme Beast Queen,a cold,sharp pain suddenly bit into her ankle.

Bjorn's face was dark.He snapped a heavy iron chain around her ankle and began dragging her toward his cave."Bjorn!Why are you chaining me?It hurts!Let me go!"

Chloe cried out,her face full of shock.

Bjorn ignored her completely,yanking the chain forward with an expressionless face.

Chloe was pale,muttering under her breath—probably still comforting herself with the title of"future supreme Beast Queen."

Stifling a laugh,I kindly reminded her,"Chloe,the snake hasn't gone far.It's not too late to change your mind."

As if finding an outlet for her anger,Chloe shrieked and cursed at me:"What are you so smug about,you bitch?!It's a long road ahead—just you wait and see!"

Ignis covered my eyes with his tiny wings:[Your sister is so vulgar.My brother and I always got along.We'd never bite at each other like rabid dogs.]

"You have a brother?Where is he?Why haven't I seen him?"

Ignis's expression darkened,and he mumbled quietly:[To cover my escape from the Dragon's Lair,he...sacrificed himself.]

Seeing how crestfallen he looked,I gently cradled him against my chest."It's okay.You have me now."

Barely two seconds later,his haughty attitude returned:[I can easily live for thousands of years.You're just a mortal—how long can you possibly stay with me?]