Beastmen Kings At My Feet [Reverse Harem] - Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Veronica Byrne jolted awake to the deafening roar of what sounded like a helicopter overhead. She cracked open her eyes and was greeted by a massive, furry white head looming over her.
Noticing she was awake, the creature leaned in closer, baring two gleaming fangs.
Veronica's blood ran cold, and she finally realized that it was a white tiger. She screamed on instinct, "Mom, help me!"
'What the hell? I thought I was in my dorm. Where even is this place? Why is there a freaking tiger in my face?' thought Veronica.
Panicking, she blurted nonsense as she scrambled to get away, "Don't eat me, okay? I have junk food every day. I'm all preservatives and zero nutrition."
Her brain went blank from sheer terror, and just as she tried to run, she smacked full speed into something warm and solid.
Blinking hard, she realized it was a white wolf, an imposing and muscular one who was staring at her with its head tilted like it was confused. Its ears moved, and its glowing green eyes gave her a slow wink.
She thought in alarm, 'What the hell is going on here? Why am I cornered by a tiger and a wolf?' She was paralyzed, too freaked out to think straight.
As she backed up, trembling, the tiger padded closer too. Not rushing, just enough to box her in.
Her legs gave out, and she dropped to the ground, her brain circling one pathetic thought. 'I don't even weigh 110 pounds. There's no way I'll fill either of them up. I'm literally just a snack.'
The tiger stepped further forward. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for claws, for teeth, and anything. But the pain never came.
She cracked one eye open and froze. The tiger flopped over in front of her and rolled onto its back, its big paws curled in, showing off its belly. Its soft, pink paw pads bumped her leg like it wanted her strokes.
'Dude, seriously? You want belly rubs? Don't tell me you're just a pet cat,' wondered Veronica.
Seeing she didn't move, the tiger nudged its huge head under her hand with a whimper that sounded almost sulky.
To Veronica's surprise, its fur felt ridiculously soft.
Steeling herself, Veronica gave it an awkward pat, like she was petting a housecat, her brain still spinning. Just as she was wondering what kind of fever dream she'd fallen into, the wolf let out a howl that nearly sent her soul flying out of her body.
The next second, it wagged its tail, lolled out its tongue, and strutted toward Veronica like some model dog at a pet show.
She thought, 'This isn't right. Either I'm dreaming, or I've completely lost it. Two apex predators acting like overgrown puppies? This has the same energy as watching my bald, grumpy boss bust out some breakdance moves in full denim. This is crazy.'
She kept one hand on each giant furball, trying to calm them down while glancing around. Then, she was stunned again.
The sky was red. Not just red， it was crimson red. A pitch-black sun hung up there like the sky itself rotted, and someone poked a hole right through it.
She was surrounded by what looked like a forest, except the trees were jet-black—bare trunks without leaves, twisted and packed together like a cage made of wood.
Even weirder, chunks of buildings were scattered through the trees—rusted-out metal, crumbling concrete, and bits of broken walls. It looked like a city had been swallowed whole by the forest and spit back out in ruins.
Veronica blinked in confusion and thought, 'No way. This place looks like it hasn't seen a single human in forever, but why are there city ruins? And what's up with that creepy sky?'
Just then, that roaring sound came again—closer this time. She looked up to see a freaky-looking aircraft swooping toward her.
With a loud boom, it landed nearby. The hatch popped open, and a bunch of people in protective suits stepped out, weapons at the ready, eyes locked onto her.
Seeing the crowd, the tiger and wolf tensed instantly with their teeth bared, and they stepped in front of Veronica like personal bodyguards.
One of the crowd said, "Is that a female? What's she doing out here? Why isn't the radiation affecting her?"
Another person replied, "It seems the two beastfallen are protecting her. That can't be right. They're supposed to have only wild nature by now."
The first person added, "Wait, was that psychic power surge earlier coming from her?"
Their voices swirled around Veronica, yet none of it made any sense to her.
Veronica thought, 'Beastfallen? Why are they calling me as female? That's really rude.'
Then one of them stepped forward, speaking more carefully, "Honored female, we are the 132nd Division of the Snakehaven Guard Corps. We detected a surge of psychic power in this area and came to investigate. Have you been in danger? We can escort you to the nearest Safe Zone immediately."
His tone was all polite and formal, like he was addressing royalty or something.
Veronica blinked in total confusion. "Why do you call me 'honored female'?"
The guy actually looked shocked. "You're asking why? According to Federation law, all females must be protected and respected in every situation. Even high-ranking Federation officials are required to show proper deference."
Veronica was completely confused, thinking, 'This is insane. What the hell is he talking about?'
She had no clue what was going on, nor if she should trust these people or follow them. Just as she was trying to figure out how to respond, the white tiger beside her suddenly let out a furious roar, its pupils glowing with blinding light.
Before she could even process it, the people in protective suits gasped, "That beastfallen white tiger is about to ascend."
'Ascend? What does that even mean?' Veronica wondered.
As Veronica was trying to wrap her mind around it, she felt like the tiger was somehow drawing some strange energy from her—something she couldn't quite grasp. Her vision went black, and she passed out.
A voice rang out. "Mr. Holland, the female's condition isn't great. She's too weak, but her psychic power seems incredibly strong. Even being near her, I can feel the primal regression being suppressed."
A cold voice drifted into Veronica's ears. "When do you think she'll wake up? Where's the white tiger that ascended?"
The first voice replied, "It's hard to say. Her psychic power has been drained, and the tiger is unconscious too. It's been temporarily locked up in the holding cell."
Veronica's mind was hazy. She could hear beeping sounds in the background. There was a strange energy flowing through her body, gradually soothing the pounding in her head.
She couldn't help but let out a small groan, and the voices outside went silent instantly.
She opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by all sorts of strange equipment. Wires were attached to her body.
This didn't look like a regular hospital room—it was huge, more like a presidential suite. It was at least three times the size of any hospital room she'd ever seen, and it even had a bathroom and a kitchen.
Outside the room, a beastman in a black suit stood there. He was almost absurdly handsome, with golden slit eyes that radiated a cold, unsettling vibe.
His skin was so pale that she could see his veins. It was clear that he was not someone Veronica would want to mess with.
Despite being tall and lean, he had a commanding presence, and his black hair was neatly combed back, giving him a cold, noble vibe. Veronica felt her heart skip a beat just looking at him. His gaze was a little too intense.
But to her surprise, when the beastman noticed she was awake, he stepped forward with concern. "Honored female, are you feeling any discomfort?"
He bowed slightly, his movements graceful, a warm smile on his face that somehow seemed off. It was charming in a way that made her feel uneasy.
Veronica was so nervous she couldn't speak, and her ears burned red.
The beastman watched her delicate face with interest. He tightened his fist without thinking, then leaned down to gently kiss her hand.
His voice was serious when he said, "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Joshua Holland, the head of the Snakehaven Guard Corps. During your time in Snakehaven, I will make sure all your needs are met."
Veronica's heart skipped a beat when his cold lips brushed her skin. Her mind raced. 'What kind of freak is this guy? Why is he and everyone else treating me like I'm someone very important?'
She forced herself to calm down and asked, "Thank you, but... Snakehaven? Where is that?"
Joshua raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised. "You don't know Snakehaven?"
Veronica had no idea how to answer. She couldn't recall any place on Earth called "Snakehaven". She was even starting to question if she'd somehow crossed into another world.
Joshua explained, "Snakehaven is a border city in the western part of the Federation. You must have grown up in the Central District, so it's not surprising you haven't heard of it."
He smiled and gently placed her hand back onto the bed, tucking the blankets around her with care. "Can you tell me your name? I'll personally escort you back."
Veronica's mind was racing, and she looked at him with wide eyes. "I'm Veronica Byrne, but I don't remember where I'm from."
"Oh? You lost your memories?" Joshua's face grew serious. "Is this a side effect of overexerting your psychic power? Don't worry, the Federation keeps records of every female. We'll figure out your identity."
Veronica's heart dropped, and he protested in her mind, 'Wait, hold on. I'm basically a nobody in this world.'
She felt her nerves spike. "What if you can't find anything?"
"It won't happen." Joshua's smile was soothing as he added, "We've got records on every female in the Federation.
"From birth, we make sure they're documented and provided with the best possible living conditions. Besides, with your psychic power, you've definitely been under close watch and protection since you were born."
As he spoke, his golden eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked, "But why were you found in a radiation-covered wasteland?"