Surviving The Beast World With My 'Sassy' System-Chapter 45: Heat & Gaze
Lavayla’s eyes scanned the canyon walls. That was when she saw it—a sleek, dark creature clinging to the rock face, its body built like a panther but with elongated, spindly limbs. It slid downward without a sound. Its yellow eyes locked squarely onto the red-haired leader’s exposed back.
The Tiger warriors below were deep in the frenzy of battle, roaring as they tore through beasts. None of them looked up. None of them saw the beast descending.
"He doesn’t see it," Lavayla whispered as her fingers clenched reflexively around the fur wrap. "It’s going to attack him."
She didn’t pause to think or weigh the risk. Lavayla moved forward, filled her lungs, and screamed at the top of her voice, "WATCH YOUR BACK! A BEAST IS BEHIND YOU!"
The effect was instantaneous.
Below, the leader’s ears flicked sharply. He spun in one fluid motion, claws flashing as the shadow-stalker launched itself. The creature never had a chance to adjust. His hand closed around its throat mid-leap, muscles locking as he tore clean through flesh and spine, blood spraying as the body went limp and crashed lifelessly against the canyon floor.
Lavayla didn’t know it, but her scream had already done its damage and exposed her.
High above, the sky split with a furious shriek. Lavayla’s head snapped up just in time to see a massive shape plunge from the clouds—a four-winged monstrosity with a beak like a jagged saw, its feathers grey and razor-edged, wind screaming around it as it dove. She barely had time to gasp before the creature’s heavy wingtip slammed into the rocky outcrop.
The impact shattered the stone.
"Lavayla!" Ressha’s eyes widened as she stood to step forward, but the ground beneath Lavayla gave way with a loud crack, and suddenly there was nothing under her at all. Gravity seized her violently as she fell backward off the ridge, her eyes constricting in shock, instinct taking over as she wrapped her arms around the baby, gripping him tight.
The wind roared past her ears, her stomach lurching as the canyon rushed up—
Then something massive intercepted her fall.
Arms like iron bands slammed around her waist and shoulders, crushing her against a broad, unyielding chest. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, but the grip never loosened, never faltered.
A few seconds earlier, Mirek had heard the warning and reacted without question. When the female voice rang out, surprise had flared through him—but he obeyed instantly, killing the shadow-stalker in a single motion. Before he could finish off the remaining beasts, an enraged shriek tore through the air, and he looked up just in time to see the massive winged shadow-stalker diving toward the ridge, stone collapsing beneath the woman who had warned him.
He didn’t think twice as his body moved.
He shifted mid-stride, bones cracking as his crimson-and-dark-colored tiger form burst free, and sprinted forward before launching himself from the canyon floor. His claws dug into narrow ledges, using the canyon walls themselves as springboards as he propelled upward.
Midair, he shifted back.
Strong arms wrapped around her as he pulled her flush against his chest, his massive frame turning instinctively to shield her from debris and impact, one arm locked securely around her while the other curved protectively, creating a hollow between their bodies where the baby remained tucked, safe and unmoving.
Stone and dust rained past them as he twisted, but they didn’t hit the river. They hit the steep, leaf-cloaked slope of a side ravine.
They began to roll. It was a violent, bone-jarring tumble. The man held her so tight she could barely breathe, his body taking every hit from the rocks and roots as they cascaded down the incline. They rolled away from the noise of the battle, deeper into a shaded gully where the air grew cool and damp.
With a final, heavy thud, they slammed into a bank of thick, wet moss.
The man groaned, but he didn’t let go. Lavayla opened her eyes, gasping for air. The baby let out a small, startled whimper, but he was safe, cushioned by their combined warmth.
Mirek’s chest heaved against her, each breath a harsh pull of air that brushed hot and uneven against Lavayla’s ear. His arms were still locked tightly around her, his grip unyielding, as if letting go was not yet an option his body recognized. Beneath her cheek, his heartbeat thundered—fast, heavy, almost frantic—and she realized dimly that it was racing nearly as hard as her own.
The scent of him overwhelmed her senses: the sharp metallic tang of fresh blood, the raw, wild musk of a predator fresh from slaughter, and beneath it all the dry heat of sun-warmed fur and skin. Her lungs burned as she dragged in breath after breath, the world narrowing to the press of his body, the weight of the baby against her chest, and the roar of blood in her ears.
Slowly—reluctantly—his arms loosened.
Not enough to let her go. Just enough to look.
He drew back a fraction, still crouched over her, his hands resting at her waist and shoulder.
He looked down, his eyes meeting hers for the first time. His eyes were not fully human yet, still lit with that molten gold-red gleam of his beast form, pupils blown wide as instinct warred with reason.
Then his gaze swept over her with an intensity that felt almost physical, as though he were seeing something he could not quite understand.
She was... small.
That was his first thought.
Far smaller than any female he had ever seen, lighter than she should have been, fragile in a way that set every protective instinct in his body on edge.
Wait... she was not a beastman. She had no energy in her. Then she was a... a human—slight, dust-streaked, shaking faintly in his grasp—with a cub bound to her chest. The realization struck him with unexpected force.
A human? With a beast cub?
Feeling his gaze, Lavayla’s hands trembled as she shifted, her fingers brushing the fur wrap instinctively. She checked the baby first, pressing her palm lightly over his back, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing. Only then did she let out the breath she had been holding.
The movement drew Mirek’s attention downward.
His gaze fixed on the small bundle between them, the tiny whimper that escaped it, and a low, unfamiliar sound rumbled in his chest. It was confusing—deep and unsettling.
For a heartbeat longer, neither of them moved.
Lavayla used the chance to look at her surroundings, her gaze drifting past his shoulder as the pounding in her ears slowly began to settle. When they had fallen, they hadn’t hit the canyon river below as she had feared. Instead, they had landed on the steep, leaf-cloaked slope of a narrow side ravine, the ground beneath them softened by moss and damp earth, the incline broken by tangled roots and jutting stones that had slowed their descent enough to save their lives.
Just a few feet away, a small, vibrant waterfall poured over a dark lip of rock, its clear stream splashing into a shallow basin below before disappearing into the undergrowth. Fine mist hung in the air, clinging to her skin and cooling her flushed face, the steady rush of water a stark contrast to the distant chaos of battle echoing faintly through the canyon above. Behind the shimmering curtain of falling water, she spotted it—a dark, quiet mouth of a cave, partially concealed by trailing vines and slick stone.
Then Lavayla realized how close they still were.
Heat rushed to her face. She shifted back awkwardly, trying to create space where there was none. "Sorry..." she murmured without thinking, the word slipping out automatically.
He didn’t respond.
He just stared at her, brows knitting slightly, as if the apology itself made no sense to him at all.
She started to pull away properly this time, but before she could, his hand tightened at her arm—not rough, but firm enough to stop her.
"Don’t move." The command was low, instinctive.
Lavayla froze and looked up at him, confused, her expression questioning.
His gaze swept over her again, sharper now, assessing rather than staring. "You might be hurt."
Before she could answer, a distant, enraged shriek echoed down the ravine—the furious cry of the four-winged beast still raging above. Mirek’s head snapped toward the sound, jaw tightening as his teeth bared briefly in reflex.
Without asking and without hesitation, he slid one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back, lifting her and the baby together in one smooth, effortless motion. She barely had time to gasp before she was against his chest again, the ground vanishing beneath her feet.
"Don’t speak," he said, eyes locking onto hers, his irises returning to their red hue. "The Skystalker is still hunting. We have to go behind the veil."
He moved toward the waterfall, his steps soundless despite the slick moss underfoot. The cold spray struck her as he passed through the shimmering curtain of water, washing dust and blood from her skin in a sudden chill, and then they were inside—darkness swallowing them, cool stone and damp air closing in.
He set her down gently against the cave wall, careful despite his size, but he didn’t step away. He remained there, his broad frame blocking the entrance, one arm half-lifted as if ready to shield her again at the first sign of danger.
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{A/N: Only two reviews?! Why? Please leave a review, guys! ♡
Also, what do you all think about the ML? }
