Beastbound

Serpent's Tail

Beastfolk were on the lower end of society's hierarchy. If Nathaniel's beastfolk side was revealed to the public, his company would be in danger.

This was great news! I was delighted, and tears of joy streamed down my astral form's cheeks. Now I finally had dirt on him! Let's see him trying to snipe my projects now!

The serpent's tail slowly coiled around me. Its chilly sensation was the polar opposite of Nathaniel's warmth. A song of ice and fire.

"Babe." Nathaniel looked at me with burning eyes. "My tail wants to feel the warmth within."

Something cracked. I thought that was my leg.

…

Nathaniel's face was unusually flushed as his tail slithered around me with excitement. He caressed my cheek, but when his hand touched the corner of my eye, the look on his face shifted.

His expression was dark, and his lust was gone. The guy shoved me down on the ground, and I fell with a loud thud. I rolled around like a ball, and agony swam across my body.

God, I really wanted to curse him.

Right before darkness took my consciousness, he got off his bed and came to me. His gaze was still dark, and he kicked me. "You're nothing but a fake in the end. You'll never be like her."

…

The next morning, I was jolted awake and sat up on the bed, gulping in fresh air greedily. I wondered if that was all a dream.

And then waves of pain swept through my body. I got out of bed and hopped into the bathroom. My reflection showed a red mark on my neck, and around that mark were hickeys.

I slept naked, so I also saw bruises all over my body, especially near my joints. Goddammit!

Wait, if the bruises were real, did that mean what happened last night was real too? If that was the case, then my soul must've transmigrated into Nathaniel's doll and shared her senses.

Which also meant Nathaniel did have a girl he loved but couldn't get, and he was also a beastfolk!

Joy beyond any description filled my heart.

I jumped up and down with joy, laughing loudly. Finally, I could blackmail him! I charged right into his company to verify my guess."

His assistant stopped me. "Mr. Gray is in a meeting, Ms. Birch. You'll have to wait for a moment."

"Very well." I went to the waiting room, but Nathaniel did not show up for hours.

I shouted, "Hey, Nathaniel's assistant, come here!"

"How may I help you, Ms. Birch?"

Doubtful, I asked, "Are you sure he's in a meeting?"

The assistant adjusted his glasses, and a hint of nervousness flashed in his eyes.

"You lied to me?" How dare they play me like a fool!

The assistant shook his head. "I didn't! He told us not to disturb him! You can see him after he's—"

I was already dashing toward Nathaniel's office, and I kicked the door open with all my might.

What met my eyes shocked me. Nathaniel was sharing a kiss with a long-haired girl.

No Proof

The assistant and I stood frozen at the entrance. The interruption made Nathaniel's face fall, and his amber eyes fired a look at us. "Get out!"

So even a guy like Nathaniel would do something steamy in his office. Awkwardly, I said, "S-Sorry."

I was just about to leave with his assistant when Nathaniel said, "You stay."

He was talking about me, of course, but why'd he want me to stay while he was snogging someone else?

The assistant closed the door. The girl hadn't turned around at all. She was in a sexy dress and had a slender body.

I could only see her back, but she was sitting astride on Nathaniel's lap. 'Maybe she's too shy to show her face,' I thought.

"So…" I organized my words, my eyes still on the girl. "You have a girlfriend now?" That was for Nathaniel.

"A girlfriend?" Nathaniel's lips curled into a smirk as he looked at the girl. "Yes, she is. Would you like to have a look?"

"I…" I took an involuntary step back. Something about this screamed odd to me. I was supposed to be blackmailing him, but now I felt like running away.

Nathaniel noticed what I was trying to do, and he narrowed his eyes, but the sharp glint within only grew colder.

He pushed the girl away, and she fell to the ground but never got back up. The crash she made sounded oddly familiar. The doll I possessed the night before.

Nathaniel kicked the doll away and approached me. A hint of pain throbbed within me, as if I still shared the doll's senses.

I blurted, "Can you not manhandle her—"

He grabbed my hand and gave me a judgmental look.

"Are you calling me rough? You're defending my doll now? Didn't peg you as that kind of saint. You interrupted me, you know that?"

Then, he clasped his hand around my chin. Something in his eyes glinted. I then noticed that his ears were getting a bit red.

"First time you came to my company. So, how are you making it up to me?"

He was asking for compensation? Even though I had dirt on him, it felt like he had the upper hand. I shoved him away and cut to the chase immediately. "I have business with you."

Nathaniel crossed his arms and leaned on the wall. "And that would be?"

Anticipating his response, I said, "I know your secret. You're a beastfolk." I approached him. "You're a snake, aren't you?"

Nathaniel chuckled, and a sardonic smile curved his lips. "Why don't you prove it?"

How was I supposed to do that? Tell him I possessed his doll last night? As if anyone would believe that. They'd think I had gone mad.

Nathaniel observed me closely, and he twirled my hair. "I can help you with evidence collecting." He then lowered his voice and whispered into my ear, "You claim I'm a snake, and snakes have two of a certain part. How about you touch me and see if that's true?"