Little Pink Starfish

Asher’s vision spun. The sensation of being thrown around made him feel nauseous.

A burning heat exploded from within him, making it difficult to breathe.

“…H-help…!”

He couldn’t get any air.

It was suffocating.

As Asher desperately tried to take a deep breath, he was suddenly thrown to the floor with force.

Landing on his back, pain flared through his wounds, and a silent scream escaped his lips.

“This place should buy us some time before anyone finds us…”

Baluf muttered something, but Asher couldn’t focus on the words. He was too consumed by pain, struggling to endure it.

“…I had my eyes on you from the moment I first saw you… You. And doing it with a human isn’t bad either. It satisfies my need to dominate.”

Baluf approached slowly, and Asher could do nothing to escape.

He curled up tightly, holding his burning body. Sweat dripped endlessly down his skin.

“The rumors about you were disgusting, but… you really do look just as they said. Heh… what a pretty face.”
“…No…”

A rough hand grabbed his face, pulling him forcefully.

“The beastman dose was probably too strong… Hey, open your eyes!”

Asher’s body was shaken roughly. Gasping for breath, he weakly opened his eyes.

Baluf watched him with a twisted grin, then dragged his tongue across Asher’s cheek.

“You heard what was going to happen, didn’t you?”

The question echoed in his head.

But with the drug in his system, Asher couldn’t grasp its meaning.

What… was going to happen?
Why did this beastman take him out of the cell?
What was that drug he injected me with…?

Something felt… wrong.

He shuddered as Baluf’s warm, slimy tongue trailed from his cheek down to his neck.

“…Nngh…?”

It felt disgusting.

He hated it. He hated it.

Why wouldn’t his body… listen to him?

Even though it felt awful, a strange tingling sensation spread through him, making Asher even more confused.

“…Hah… Your body’s honest, look at that.”

Following Baluf’s gaze, Asher saw that his lower half had reacted.

“…Huh? W-why…?”
“Heh, just from a little licking, huh? What a lewd prince.”

His body was forcibly reacting due to the aphrodisiac Baluf had injected.

But Asher, overwhelmed and disoriented, couldn’t comprehend that.

Baluf took advantage of his confusion, sneering cruelly.

“You hate beastmen so much, yet you get like this from being touched? And with this body of yours… How many have you taken before?”
“…W-what… are you saying…?”

Asher trembled as Baluf suddenly tore open his shirt.

Before he could react, his exposed skin was left vulnerable.

The unbearable heat consuming him, the incomprehensible fear—his body froze.

“…Such pale skin… and delicious looking nipples too… Beastmen are a lot bigger than humans… My thing might break you.”

Baluf wasn’t the only one breathing heavily. His rough, erratic breaths signaled his rising excitement.

Asher’s gaze was drawn to the sharp fangs visible inside Baluf’s mouth.

The moment he saw them—

His heartbeat pounded in his ears.

A vision flashed through his mind.

A nightmare he had once seen.

A beastman with the head of a wolf—opening its massive jaws, about to swallow him whole.

“…No… No… NOOOOOO!!”

As the looming shadow engulfed him, Asher screamed.

But there was no escape.

Fear and heat consumed him.

Help me… Help me!! Theodore!!

---

After Asher was taken, Theodore repeatedly slammed his body against the iron bars. But no matter how hard he struck, they didn’t budge.

“Ugh…!”

His entire body ached, his skin stung where blood had begun to seep through, but none of that mattered.

He had to save Asher.

He had to break free.

Driven by desperation, he kept throwing himself against the bars.

The repeated crashes must have drawn attention—soon, two beastmen approached his cell to investigate.

“W-what the hell!? What are you doing?!”
“Hey… Where’s the prince?! What happened?! Stop struggling!!”

As they panicked, Theodore stretched out his hands, pleading.

“Open this door!! I beg you!! Right now!!”
“Are you insane?!”
“Where did you hide the prince?!”

One of the beastmen exchanged a glance with the other, who quickly nodded and ran off—likely to report Asher’s disappearance.

“I won’t run! Just open this door!!”

The beastman still standing hesitated, swallowing hard.

Theodore had started reverting to his human form earlier—but now, his beastly transformation was flaring up again.

Then—

A dull thud echoed behind them.

“…What?”

The beastman turned around—only to see his companion lying unconscious on the ground, just before reaching the door.

“H-hey… what the—”

He never finished his sentence.

Before he could react, something struck him hard, and his world went black.

With a thump, his body collapsed in front of the cell.

A hooded figure—the forest dweller—stood above him, looking down impassively.

“Where is Asher-sama?”
“The key…! Open the cell!!”
“Calm down. I’ll open it now. Where is he?”
“He was taken!! …Hurry, we need to save him!”
“Taken? And you just stood there and watched? Some ‘Black Knight’ you are.”

The forest dweller roughly pulled out the keys and unlocked the cell.

The moment the door opened, Theodore shot out like a beast freed from its cage.

“Hey! Wait—! Are you serious?! Stop!!”

There was no time to wait.

He ran, chasing the faint scent of Asher.

Behind him, the forest dweller shouted something and took off after him, but Theodore didn’t listen.

All that mattered was finding Asher.

A beastman appeared ahead, noticing him too late. Theodore knocked him aside with ease, barely slowing down.

Where is he?!

Where is Asher?!

Panting, Theodore came to a halt, sniffing the air.

Catching up, the forest dweller groaned, looking down at the unconscious beastman Theodore had just taken down.

“…Unbelievable. If you keep making a mess like this, we’ll be found before we even—HEY!!”

Theodore ignored him and took off again.

His heartbeat pounded in his ears. His body burned with the undeniable instinct—

His mate was in danger.

──I’ll kill him.

His vision burned red as pure hatred for Baluf consumed him.

He inhaled deeply, searching for Asher’s scent.

His senses, heightened by his partial transformation, picked up on it easily—his mate’s scent stood out above everything else.

He sprinted forward, shoving aside anything in his path.

The scent grew stronger.

His jaw clenched, a guttural growl rumbling from his throat.

A door came into view.

From behind it, Asher’s scent poured out.

Every nerve in Theodore’s body focused on that door.

Then, he heard it.

A weak, barely audible voice.

“…Nngh… no…”

Nothing else mattered.

Something inside Theodore snapped.

His entire being was swallowed by raw fury, and he let it take over.

With a deafening crash, he kicked the door down.

Inside, he saw his mate.

Asher lay sprawled on the floor—his body covered in blood.

His legs forced apart.

And the monster between them—preparing to violate him.

“…Tch—The Black Knight?! How the hell—”

Asher’s clothes were torn, his pale skin marred by deep bite marks that oozed red.

Blood stained his once-pristine body.

And his lifeless, empty blue eyes stared into nothingness, tears streaming silently down his face.

…He wasn’t even looking at Theodore.

Theodore’s fury reached its breaking point.

Something primal awakened within him.

And in the next moment—

The beast within completely took over.

---

Pinky says: My boyfriend’s back and you’re gonna get in trouble. Hey-ya, hey-ya, my boyfriend’s back! Weeeelll, he knows that you’ve been lying. Sooooo, you’re gonna get a beating. Did you really think he’d believe all your lies? Ha-oooo, Ha-oooo. You’re a big man now, but he’ll cut you down to size. Ha-oooo, wait and see!