Chapter 64: Reddy Gets A Nickname, And Isabella Makes A Decision!
The protection rotation started immediately.
Just as the meeting ended, Cael kissed Neve on the forehead and promised to be back early. Without another word, he shifted into his leopard form and rode off into the snow, leaving Ryker as Neve’s escort for the day.
Neve had no idea where he was heading, but he was sure that Cael was about to get extremely busy for winter.
Well, it wasn’t just Cael. Neve also had a lot of things to do—especially his missions.
He already sat down and tried to reason with himself why this system was giving him these weird-ass missions that had nothing to do with him.
Improving his relationship with his mates? Taking care of the villagers?
He thought he was in this world just to give birth to litters, and that’s all, but he’s wrong.
The system didn’t want him to end up like those lackadaisical mates who don’t care about their partner. He shouldn’t just bond with them because he needs them for his litters. He was sure that the system was making him fall in love with his mates, so the trust and loyalty would be greater than any mates in all the tribes.
It was also prepping him for the future where he’ll have to take care of his 200 litters. He couldn’t imagine that. He shut his eyes, and he suddenly imagined himself in the midst of his new tribe where everyone respects him as their... mother.
He immediately opened his eyes, and Ryker’s voice penetrated his ear. He just would not stop talking ever since they left the cave.
"When you say you’ll bond with me after winter, do you mean two days or right after winter ends?" Ryker asked, following close behind as Neve walked through the village.
"It depends on the situation, Ryker," Neve answered, walking ahead of him toward the village centre. He put the thought of the litter and mission behind him and focused on the present.
"I have to clean up my cave ahead of that day and make sure you’re the most comfortable," Ryker said. His voice had shifted into something more practical, like he couldn’t wait till then. "Where did you get that soft white thing from? If that’s what you like, I could purchase some from the trade market for you."
He was talking about the bed.
Neve had gone back to his room earlier to return the animal skin blanket, and Ryker had followed him as his assigned protector. He had seen the bedroom. He had stood in the doorway and looked at the mattress and the sheets and the lamp with the expression of someone encountering something completely foreign.
"You can’t find it anywhere, Ryker," Neve replied, already feeling exhausted by the constant questions.
They finally reached the village centre.
Isabella was sitting with her two friends, watching the men organise the cleanup from the festival. They were sorting through things that had been left behind or broken during the celebration. She was chewing on roasted meat, and her eyes locked on Neve the moment he came into view.
Neve looked away immediately.
Someone greeting him broke the moment.
Then everyone else joined in with greetings and waves.
All of a sudden, Neve had respect. All of a sudden, being marked by the dragon king made him worth acknowledging.
He gave what he thought of as a celebrity smile and waved his hand at the crowd.
’Hmmm. Not bad,’ he thought to himself.
"What are you going to do with that?" he asked one of the men, pointing at the pile of trash they had collected. Squeezed leaves that had been used as cups for wine, broken carved wooden cups, and various other debris from the festival.
"Uh... We’ll just add it to the other dumps," the man answered.
"Oh," Ryker said from beside him.
Neve tilted his head slightly. "Why don’t you burn it to reduce space?"
The men all looked at each other like Neve had just made the best suggestion anyone had ever heard.
"Oh! That can work," Ryker agreed immediately from behind him.
Neve felt proud for a few seconds. He had solved a practical problem. He had helped the tribe be more efficient.
Then Isabella and her two friends approached.
"Burning the trash?" Isabella asked. Her voice was dripping with disdain. "That’s lame, Reddy."
Neve raised an eyebrow.
Reddy. That was the nickname that was given to him by Isabella, apparently. Even though it sounded weird, it was better than being called Female, at least.
"So, what do you suggest, Bella?" Neve asked.
Isabella’s expression turned sharp. "I’m not suggesting anything. It’s winter. Making fire is impossible."
"Right," Neve said. He turned back to the men. "I’ll teach you how to burn the trash properly. Would you come with me?"
"Yes!" They all agreed eagerly.
Neve watched Isabella’s fist clench. Her plan clearly had not gone the way she wanted.
He turned back to her with a grin.
"You should also come and watch, Bella. Maybe you could learn a thing or two."
He walked away without waiting for her response, and Ryker followed him. The men followed behind them, all moving toward the area where they could safely control a fire.
Behind them, Isabella’s friends looked uncertain.
"Should we follow him, Bella?" one of them asked.
"What if he ends up creating fire successfully?" the other said. "You know he’s always right about things."
"Shut up!" Isabella snapped at them.
She continued to glare at Neve as he walked away so confidently. She could feel it in her bones that she was going to lose this confrontation. But what could she do about that?
Just then, an idea formed in her head. A very dark idea.
She turned to one of her girls and whispered something into her ear.
The girl pulled back immediately, gasping hard. "But that’s for the outcasts."
"Shut up and bring it," Isabella said. Her voice had gone quiet and dangerous. "After all, we’re just using it on Reddy, who is also an outcast in our tribe." She burst into laughter, the sound coming out bright and cheerful like she had just heard something funny. "Today will definitely be his last day alive."