Beastmen Kings At My Feet [Reverse Harem] - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

"Mistress, what's wrong?" Chase completely missed the point of Veronica's panic. He immediately reached out to pick her up again. "Are you hurt? Or did you almost drown in the bath? There, there, I'm with you."
Without waiting for a response, he bent down and scooped her up, quickly marching toward the big bed.
"Wait, put me down. I'm fine." Veronica's face was crimson red, and she could feel her body pressed up against his solid chest, her skin burning hot.
Chase stared at her, confused. "But Mistress, you're burning hot, and your face is all red."
He pressed his large palm against her forehead, and he started talking to himself, "I heard that delicate species easily get sick, and when they're sick, they get burning like this. You must be sick."
His logic was pretty clear and reasonable, but Veronica couldn't help thinking, 'You know about fevers but still don't know you're not supposed to barge into a girl's room like this?"
She tried to push him away. "I'm really fine. We can't sleep together. You're a man—I mean, you're a male, and I'm a female."
Chase looked even more puzzled. "But you're my mistress. I can sleep with you."
Before she could protest further, he lay down on the bed, still holding her in his arms. He leaned in close and whispered, "You must be feeling miserable, right? Let's bond, and you'll feel better."
Veronica was totally lost, and she thought, 'What the hell is bonding?'
Her eyes widened as she felt his warm breath getting closer, her face burning hotter by the second. She weakly tried to push against his chest and protested, "Don't come any closer."
Chase, however, paid no attention to her warning. He effortlessly caught both her wrists and leaned in to kiss her lips.
A strange tingling sensation shot through Veronica, and her mind went blank.
Chase's kiss was gentle. He carefully parted her lips with his tongue and cradled her head with his hand.
A warm energy flowed from his lips, and Veronica felt herself melting into it, her body soothingly warm.
The next second, she snapped back to reality. Her mind screamed, 'What the heck! My FIRST kiss just got stolen like that?'
Veronica's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she bit down on his lip. "Chase, let go of me. Stop this."
Chase insisted, "I can't, Mistress. You're still so burning. It's for your own good. We have to bond."
Chase's lip bled from her bite, but he was still determined to kiss her again.
Just then, the door to the room suddenly swung open. A strong, disinfectant smell filled the air, and Chase was yanked by the collar of his shirt and thrown off the bed.
"Idiot, she doesn't need you to bond with her right now." Joshua's cold voice rang out.
Veronica looked up, only to see Joshua standing by the bed, his golden pupils colder than ice.
Chase shot back, "Who the hell are you? My mistress is sick, and who are you to stop me from bonding with her?"
Chase rolled onto his feet with fury flashing in his eyes. "Get out."
Joshua sneered, "You're indeed a completely uneducated fool. I don't have time to teach you right now. Leave. I need to talk to her."
Veronica felt a pang of nervousness as she saw Chase ready to fight. She spoke up, "Chase, no fighting."
Chase deflated immediately at her words, and he complained, "But he called me a fool."
He looked at Veronica with a hurt expression. "I just can't bear this."
Veronica rubbed her temples, speaking patiently, "Right, he shouldn't have called you that. It's his fault. But kissing me without permission is rude. If you hit him, I'll be angry. But I'll make him apologize to you, okay?"
Chase lowered his head and mumbled, "Fine, Mistress."
Veronica then turned to Joshua, saying, "He doesn't mean any harm. Can you... maybe let him off the hook?"
Joshua's eyes darkened a bit. He reached out and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Why should I? This is my domain, and he's nothing more than a prisoner I'm keeping. Letting him in here was a favor."
Veronica opened her mouth but couldn't think of anything to say in return.
Chase was absolutely fuming now after hearing those words. He clenched his fist and launched himself toward Joshua.
Joshua smoothly dodged. He spun his wrist and drew out a black gun to press against Chase's forehead, warning, "With your bloodline, you're not even of worthy being her bondmate."
Joshua flashed a cold, mocking smile, and pressed the barrel of the gun tighter onto Chase's forehead. "If I kill you, she won't lose anything. You're just a newly ascended beastman, after all. You dare act up in front of me? You'll pay the price for it."
Veronica sensed the danger and shouted, "Joshua, don't go too far!"
Joshua turned his gaze to her, his hand tightening around the gun, his veins bulging in his arm. "You care about him that much? If you want a bondmate, I can..."
Veronica snapped, "I don't like you to keep talking about killing people. That makes me scared, you know?"
Veronica gritted her teeth, scrambling to her feet and pulling Chase in front of her. Meeting Joshua's eyes, she added, "It has nothing to do with bonding."
Joshua stared at her and finally lowered the gun with a quiet sigh. "Sorry, I was too impulsive."
He gave a small bow and muttered a half-hearted apology to Chase. Then, he returned to his polite and composed demeanor. "Forgive my abruptness. I have something very important to discuss with you. Could you ask him to leave for now?"
Veronica shot a glance at Chase and asked Joshua, "Can't you talk with him here?"
Joshua sized up Chase, noticed the coldness in his eyes, and flashed a gentle smile, "There are some private matters I'd rather he not hear. After all, he doesn't fully understand the social rules of beastmen. If he knows too much, it might cause trouble for you."
Veronica immediately understood what Joshua meant. Whatever he wanted to say was probably related to her secret status.
She didn't think Chase would ever do something harmful to her, but if that idiot blurted something out, it could cause a huge problem.
As she tried to think of a way to explain without hurting his feelings, Chase seemed to get the idea. He lowered his head and walked toward the door. "Mistress, I'll wait outside."
Then, he raised his fist and waved it at Joshua. "If you hurt my mistress, I'll smash your skull. You heard me?"
Joshua watched impassively as Chase left. Soon, the door closed, leaving only Joshua and Veronica inside.
Joshua sat down on the couch and stated, "Now, I need to conduct a psychic power assessment for you, and I plan to arrange a suitable identity for you."
Veronica raised her eyebrows and asked, "Will it work?"
Joshua chuckled lightly, his tone gentle. "Of course. Whether accept it or not is up to you. It would be an honor for me if you do, but for now, let me test your psychic power first."
Veronica wondered, 'So, it looks like whatever identity he's planning for me has something to do with him?'
Veronica studied him carefully, her guard going up.
Joshua pulled out a gold chain from his pocket with a blue gem attached. He extended his hand toward Veronica and said, "Please link your fingers with mine."
Such an intimate gesture was something Veronica had never experienced before, but looking into his calm eyes, she couldn't quite sense any ill intent. After a brief hesitation, she took his long hand.
The warmth of his hand seeped into her palm, and then, a blinding white light burst from their hands, gradually shifting into a brilliant gold.
Joshua froze, his eyes wide with shock. "No way. You're at S-level. In nearly a century, no female has ever had such strong psychic power."
Veronica blinked and asked in confusion, "Is it really that impressive?"
Joshua snapped back to reality and released her hand. "Yes. The most powerful female in Central District is only at A+ level. No wonder you were able to bond so easily with a primal beastman."
Veronica suddenly remembered that she still didn't know what bonding was. She hesitated and asked, "Is bonding difficult?"
Joshua nodded. "Having a bondmate is like gaining an extra life. The beastman will be completely loyal to his bondmate. That idiot kissed you because he thought you were ill, so he tried to bond with you through kissing to transfer your pain.
"And once a beastman bonds with a female, he'll never risk primal regression again as long as he stays by her side."
'It works like that?' Veronica's thoughts spun. 'So if I get hurt or sick, I just need to kiss Chase to make it better?'
The thought alone made her face burn. Then, a low chuckle interrupted her thoughts.
She looked up to find Joshua smiling knowingly at her, his gaze lingering on her with an almost teasing undertone. "We don't just bond through kisses. There are other ways, as long as the two parties are close enough."
Veronica suddenly felt like he was implying something else. She cleared her throat, trying to sound calm. "I see. So, what kind of identity are you planning to arrange for me?"
Joshua rubbed his fingers together, his voice cold and smooth. "You'll be my Mistress."