4. Monster beast

Chapter 4 - His POV

“Looks like you can't turn around now,” my twin brother smirks as he gets out of the car and opens the door for me to get out.

I hate this, but I have no choice but to come to the human auction.

I’ve been king for fifty years now, equivalent to five years in human calculations, but I haven’t been able to bring forth an heir.

All those I’ve claimed or mated with either die the moment they learn they are carrying my child or manage to survive until childbirth, only to die along with the offspring.

After consulting the oldest diviner in the clan, she points us here.

Fifty years ago, after I ascended the throne by merging our clan with that of the monster beasts by killing their king, I was cursed by his wife, a witch, as she breathed her last breath.

Cursed to never have an offspring in my clan.

That would have been bypassed if she hadn’t made a contract with a divine beast to make the curse effective.

A curse like that means I won’t rule for long because being unable to bear an heir after becoming king is the same as forfeiting my throne, which translates to my death.

And that’s why I desperately try to make an heir, all to no avail, but the diviner finds a loophole in her curse.

“The curse was between the mystical beasts and the monster beasts, which means if you mate with another creature, you might have an heir that will live,” she says two days ago.

“‘Might’?” I ask, and she shrugs.

“It’s a curse, but we can find out if it works or not.” So, it’s a fifty percent chance that the species I find could bear my heir and live.

“Come on, bro, put your faith in this and give it your all. Find a mate at this auction. No one would come for you,” he encourages as we step in before we are ushered into the highest room.

Kylanor might sound caring, and he might be my twin brother, but I can’t bring myself to trust his kindness blindly.

After all, the moment I am kicked off the throne, he’s next in line for it.

“Anyone who dares to beg for death,” I reply to him as I sit, my heavy crown weighing on my head.

I scan around the auction house for the species on sale, only to find out they are all humans.

“Hmm,” I hum silently, but Kylanor notices my frustration and points it out.

“What’s wrong, brother?” he asks as he leans in, trying to follow my line of sight.

“They are humans,” I say, and he nods.

“Yes.”

“They are weak!” I say, and he nods again.

“Yes, but they are also fertile.”

I don’t see his logic because I can literally crush ten human males with just a swing of my tail.

“We should leave. This is useless,” I say.

“If we leave now, you would have to consider the marriage alliance of the witches or the elves,” he says, and I sit back down.

“Those greedy creatures,” I hiss with loathing.

While the news of my inability to raise a living heir is still a secret, there have always been marriage alliances with those two clans, but at the cost of half my authority.

I shed too much blood to get to where I am and would never give it up.

“You don’t have to worry, I’ll find you a chubby one,” he says, while I fight the urge to stay still.

It’s in the midst of my frustration that I sight her.

She looks scared, just like all of them, but she seems to be the only one who isn’t screaming her head off.

And also, the only person who can look me in the eyes when they are red.

My red eyes have led to the most unintentional deaths in the clan back home, yet her eyes are glued to mine. Not until she looks away do I realize that all my rage and frustration have disappeared with her.

“Are you okay, bro? You look like you're in a daze,” Kylanor asks as he traces my line of sight and tries to find the source of my distraction, but I look away.

I am suddenly intrigued by this human female.

There is nothing about her.

Nothing at all that points to her being a special person, yet she manages to keep me entranced like that.

“No, have you found the one?” I ask him, but he shakes his head.

“They are all so small and fragile, I fear they wouldn’t survive a day at the clan,” he says, and I nod.

“Keep looking.”

I don’t want Kylanor to know she has caught my eye because despite his kindness, he is competitive by nature, and while I always win in the past, something tells me that this human quest might be a test to my winning streak.

I keep stealing glances at her until she is brought to the auction altar, and I just can’t look away from then on.

She’s no special than the others, but there’s something about her.

“How about that one?” Kylanor asks, and I nod.

“Sure,” I say, almost subconsciously.

“Okay, I’ll bid on her,” he continues, but once again, I’m not listening.

“Virgin and untouched. Her starting price is 300 thousand,” the auctioneer begins, and others start bidding aggressively.

“A virgin? She is mine!” someone shouts aggressively, but Kylanor remains mute as the bid goes up to 700 thousand.

“700 thousand, going, going…”

“2 million,” Kylanor says, and the whole building goes into an uproar, but the moment they realize it’s from our section, they turn their heads away and go silent. No one dares to raise another bid.

My gaze locks with the human again, and I notice her shivering from pure fear, and I can’t help but smirk at the sight.

She seems aggrieved by that but is more concerned with fear.

“Someone else, please raise the bid. I don’t want to be sold to a monster!” Her tears and pleas are desperate, reaching every corner of the auction house, but no one dares to raise it—not even by one.

Finally, the auctioneer finds his voice and announces that she will be mine without the countdown.

“Virgin human sold at 2 million. Gone,” he hits the hammer, and she is immediately carried out of the altar into a different room. She doesn’t stop crying and begging.

I like her spirit.

“I can’t stand this place. Let’s leave,” I tell Kylanor, who nods and leads the way.

“This one is quite feisty. A pity humans aren’t my type, but don’t you think we should get two or more just in case this one dies on you?” he asks as he turns around.

“If this vessel dies, then we will just check with another species,” I reason logically, while hoping that I have a lot more time to toy with this one.

She seems squirmish, and I can’t wait to have her in my hands.

The large doors open, and we are escorted back to the garage where the human is brought to us.

“The diviner is really such an old hag whose predictions aren’t always accurate,” Kylanor starts as we wait for the human.

“If there’s a 50 percent chance, I’m taking it,” I say, not completing my sentence with how, if I am unable to produce an heir within this last year, he will usurp my throne ruthlessly.

After all, I am the only one cursed.

“Okay, bro, just know I have your back and you can always count on me,” he says.

“Sure.” My reply is curt. “I’ll wait in the car.”