Beastmen Kings At My Feet [Reverse Harem] - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

"M-Mistress?" Veronica's eyes went wide. She didn't expect the cold and reserved man would want her to be his mistress.
Joshua narrowed his eyes slightly and added, "I've never beastified, nor have I ever had my psychic power soothed by a female. Or, more accurately, no female's psychic power has ever been strong enough to soothe me."
Joshua knelt down on one knee, with one hand behind his back. He took Veronica's hand gently with the other hand and placed a soft kiss on it. "If you agree, from now on, you will be my mistress.
"I haven't beastified, and everyone knows I don't need to rely on a female's psychic power. But if I tell them I already have a mistress with S-level psychic power, everything will make sense to them," Joshua spoke with calm certainty.
Veronica was stunned upon hearing that, and she thought, 'Does he trust me so much? We've only just met, and he's already telling me his secrets.'
His golden eyes locked onto hers, unwavering, filled with both reverence and sincerity.
Veronica shifted her hand, still held in his, feeling suddenly stiff. She sighed to herself, 'What have I done to deserve this? This devilishly handsome guy is looking at me with this almost pleading gaze. How am I supposed to say no to him?'
"M-Maybe get up first." Veronica fumbled, trying to pull Joshua to his feet.
But the expressionless man suddenly spoke in a low, almost despondent tone, "If you refuse, I'll figure out another way."
Veronica kept shaking her head and explained, "No, I didn't mean that. I'm not saying I refuse."
She thought to herself, 'Come on, can I really say no to this guy? He clearly runs the show here. He is respectful to me, but just the way he casually gives orders that can take anyone's life, how could I possibly say no?
'Besides, right now, I don't have a better option.'
Joshua leaned in close, their foreheads touching. "Don't be afraid, Mistress. I told you I would protect you, no matter who you are."
Veronica nodded with a blush.
Just then, the door burst open, and Chase stormed in. "What did you do to Mistress? Why is her face so red?"
Joshua sneered, his voice dripping with scorn. "With your bloodline, you actually dare to call her Mistress?"
Chase's face turned red with fury. "You're full of crap. She's my Mistress."
Joshua's face remained calm, but he spat out words that almost made Chase choke. "The one most qualified to call her Mistress is me."
Veronica could tell the situation was escalating, and it felt like a competition for her favor. She quickly intervened. "Stop shouting, both of you."
Joshua moved beside Veronica and took her hand with an air of possessive dignity. "Just now, Mistress agreed to bond with me. As for you, you're just a fluke of her psychic power leakage.
"For you to ascend is already a huge stroke of luck. Asking for more is nothing but a pipe dream."
Chase froze, the shock written all over his face. "Mistress, did you really agree to bond with him?"
Veronica looked at Chase's hurt expression and, replied, trying to stay composed, "Y-Yes, I did."
"WHY?" Chase's voice cracked. "I met you first."
"Why?" Joshua's golden eyes narrowed, and he retorted, "Because you're a useless low-blooded fool who would only hold Mistress back."
Chase raised his fist, ready to punch Joshua, but then he remembered what Veronica had said earlier—she'd get angry if he hit Joshua. With a frustrated growl, he slammed his fist into the nearby couch instead.
Veronica felt completely helpless, and she tried to explain, "It's not like that. Chase, don't get me wrong. I didn't think that at all. Joshua and I are just... just..."
She trailed off, unable to find the right words.
Chase hung his head, wearing a pitiful look on his face. "I get it, Mistress. I'm not good enough to bond with you, but I'll get stronger."
"That's not the reason." Veronica seemed to see his tail drooping in defeat, though he wasn't in beastman form. She almost saw him holding up his paw for her to pet.
She didn't want to see him so down, so she offered comfort. "Don't worry, okay? Even though I can't bond with you right now, you can stay by my side if you want."
"Really?" Chase's eyes lit up, and he started circling around Veronica, his joy infectious.
Joshua clenched his fists, clearly tempted to punch the idiot, but he held back.
"Is that okay, Joshua?" Veronica's voice was soft, almost hesitant.
Joshua suddenly flashed a smile and replied, "Of course, Mistress. I respect all your decisions."
Veronica scratched her head, thinking, 'Am I imagining things? Why does it feel like Joshua said that so unwillingly?'
She pointed at the door and said, "Alright, you two can leave. I need to rest now. We'll talk about it tomorrow."
"Mistress, can't I sleep with you?" Chase pouted and made a move toward her, but he was immediately grabbed by the neck by Joshua.
"She said she wants to rest. Can't you understand that?" Joshua's voice was cold.
In the end, Chase had no choice but to leave Veronica's room under Joshua's forceful grip. As he walked out, he called out, "Mistress, I'll miss you."
Finally, with both of them gone, Veronica collapsed onto the soft bed, replaying the events of the night in her mind.
It all felt so surreal. She was lying in her dorm room, yet when she woke up, she was in a completely different world. She couldn't even imagine how her roommates would react when they noticed she was missing.
With those thoughts in mind, Veronica drifted into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Veronica was half-awake when she felt something fluffy brushing against her face.
Still groggy, Veronica instinctively swatted at it. But then her hand touched something warm, and the sensation was oddly pleasant.
She opened her eyes to find Chase's face, impossibly close, as if he was about to kiss her any second.
Veronica froze in panic, remembering the kiss from last night, and her face flushed with heat. She shouted in her mind, 'Oh no, that was my first kiss. This dumb tiger took it away,'
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Looking at his big, innocent eyes, though, she couldn't bring herself to hit him. Instead, she squeezed his face in frustration.
Chase, whose face was now squished in her hands, blinked in confusion. "Mistress, what's wrong?"
Veronica was amused by his looks and couldn't help but laugh.
Chase scratched his head and sighed, "Mistress, you look really pretty when you smile."
Veronica snorted inwardly, 'This dumb tiger just knows how to sweet-talk me.'
Veronica sat up, giving him a serious look. "Listen, without my permission, you CANNOT get this close to me. And NO kissing, understood?"
Chase was about to move in closer to nuzzle up against her, but Veronica stopped him. "Stop. Just talk to me from this distance."
Chase replied, "Why, Mistress? I just want to be close to you. It feels so good being with you."
"B-Because men and women, I mean males and females shouldn't be so close," Veronica snapped.
Just then, Joshua's voice rang out, "Because you're a fool."
Hearing that annoying voice, Chase whipped around in fury. "You!"
He then turned to Veronica and whined, "Mistress, did you hear him? He called me a fool again."
Veronica gave an awkward laugh and said, "Well, well, I'll make sure to give him a piece of my mind."
She turned to face Joshua. "Hey, can you just stop picking on him?"
Seeing that Joshua didn't respond, Veronica then tried to add a little charm to her plea. "Please, pretty please."
Joshua seemed a bit pleased for a moment, but then the thought of Veronica doing this for that dumb tiger made him clench his fists. He complained, "You really care about him that much?"
Veronica, a little confused by Joshua's frustration, cautiously replied, "Well, he's the very first person I met here, right? And he's so clueless. Just be nicer to him, alright?"
Joshua bowed and replied in a polite tone, "Sure, I won't hold it against him. I will do as you wish."
Chase stood nearby, grinning like a fool as he stared at Veronica.
'Mistress also thinks I'm clueless, but it's fine. As long as I'm with her, I'm happy,' thought Chase.
"However..." Joshua added, his eyes turning a bit sharp. "I just hope he understands his place. This is my territory, and I am your bondmate."
Joshua's tone seemed calm, but inside, he wasn't so sure. He watched Veronica's delicate face, swallowing hard. He grumbled in his mind, 'It's obvious she cares more about that idiot tiger right now. But it's okay. One day, she'll be mine and mine alone.'