The Beast Keeper's Code

The world spun.My back hit the semi-soft leather of the couch. For a moment, I was disoriented.Twelve lowered his head and pressed the cold iron muzzle against me without a flicker of emotion.A breath, cool and faint, brushed over my lips.I reached up and lightly pushed his face to the side."No," I scolded softly. "Not obedient."Twelve went completely still.His face stayed where I'd turned it, frozen, like his brain had short-circuited.From what I'd read beforehand, adopted beastmen came with a certain wildness.I'd thought mermen were gentler and wouldn't have this issue. Turned out I was wrong.But then Twelve slowly turned his head back. He lowered himself deliberately and pressed the muzzle against my lips again, nuzzling lightly.It clicked."Sorry... This thing hurts, doesn't it? You want it off?"Twelve paused, then gave a small, obedient nod.I reached up, traced my fingers along his ear to the clasp at the back of the muzzle, and unhooked it cleanly.The muzzle fell aw

His handsome face was inches away.I was softening at his closeness when the TV in the other room crackled with an urgent news bulletin."We interrupt this broadcast. Frost Lab is reporting a high-risk biological specimen escape. A giant black crocodile beastman undergoing experimentation broke containment three days ago. The subject, codename Twelve, is extremely violent and dangerous. Though equipped with high-precision restraint devices, there remains a risk of breach. The head researcher, Mr. Miller, is cooperating with authorities in the pursuit. Citizens are advised not to engage the subject directly. Please contact the lab or police immediately if sighted..."Twelve went rigid.The collar around his neck blazed red, like a stop signal.I started to sense something off. Slowly, I relaxed my brow and reached up, taking his chin."Twelve... you..."His arm around my waist tightened. His pupils trembled violently, like they were about to shatter.I hesitated, then let the rest of th

It took several phone calls before I finally got to the bottom of it.According to the shop, Orion hadn't been lying. Due to internal adjustments, the merman that was supposed to ship a month ago had only just been sent out.The customer service rep had even messaged me about the delay, but I'd missed it in all the notifications.Still didn't explain why Twelve had been delivered to my door and lived with me all this time.Summer was creeping in. The AC hummed, cooling the room.Twelve and Orion stood on either side of me—two striking faces, one cold, one warm, both wearing the same hidden displeasure.Orion cracked first.He was clearly furious about the whole situation, but held back out of respect for me. When he finally spoke, his words came with strained politeness."So... now that everything's clear, miss." His voice was soft. "I apologize deeply for arriving late. But since I'm here, things should go back to the way they were meant to be. Certain... things don't belong here anym

That night, the entire city went on high alert for no clear reason.Police were everywhere. Red searchlights swept across the streets, combing for something.I hadn't seen this kind of mobilization in a long time.Before bed, Orion clung to my arm and whined about sleeping together. I patiently explained that he had his own room, and that Twelve always slept alone too.He grumbled but eventually shuffled back to his room.Twelve leaned against the doorframe, watching me with that cool, unreadable look.Outside, a storm broke.Lightning split the sky. Thunder rolled. The wind bent the trees sideways, rattling the window frames.In the dark and quiet, a soft knock came at my door.Twelve stood there. His red-gold eyes were calm but fixed on me. His voice came low, hesitant, almost pleading."Jenna... can I sleep with you tonight?"It was the first time he'd called me anything other than "Miss."Orion's door stayed shut. I hesitated, then silently stepped aside and let him in.The bedroom

I led Orion out to the balcony, closing the door behind us.The balcony was a fully enclosed sunroom. The violent wind and rain stayed locked outside the glass, sealed away from this small pocket of safety.Before I could speak, Orion said, "Are you going to send me away?"His voice was thin, trembling like a frayed string.I took a slow breath and kept my voice even. "I'm not sending you anywhere.""But you're clearly favoring him!" Orion's eyes glistened. "Because Twelve came here first. You like him more, don't you? But that's not fair... If it had been me..."His eyes burned red as he fought to hold back his sobs."If I had been the one who came here first, you would have loved me that way too. Right?"I didn't answer.I didn't know what to say.I knew I was biased. But maybe it wasn't just because Twelve came first. Maybe it was because he carried something familiar.When I was ten, our camp was attacked by a raging rhino. My parents tried to calm it, but they failed.The rhino we