She Stole My Seventh Beast, I Smiled Chapter 01

She Stole My Seventh Beast, I Smiled Chapter 01

In Alveria, every woman had to bond with a beastman before she turned eighteen. If she didn’t choose one herself, the state would assign one to her.

But the state-assigned beastmen were the worst of the registry. Some suffered from feral rages, the kind that made them violent enough to kill their own bonded partners.

So I went looking for a decent one on my own.

My eighteenth birthday was coming up fast, and I was running out of time because my twin sister, Chloe Vance, had stolen every single one I’d found.

Her excuse every time? She was just “testing their loyalty” for me.

By the seventh one, I was shaking with rage. I got in her face about it.

She didn’t even flinch. She just laughed.

“Valerie, you should be thanking me. I’m weeding out the trash before you get stuck with them. Would you rather bond with some fickle beastman and be miserable for the rest of your life?”

There was no winning with Chloe. So the next time, I kept my mouth shut and let her find out about a new guy I was supposedly eyeing.

She still took the bait. She still took him.

But this time, I wasn’t angry. I actually laughed.

After all, first she’d have to survive long enough to bond with that one.

…

[Babe, I’m outside. I’ll walk you to class. I miss you so much. I already can’t wait to bond with you.]

Raymond Thorne. My real new beastman, and the one Chloe didn’t know about yet. I read his message, felt my cheeks warm, and typed back a quick reply. Then I shoveled down the rest of my breakfast so I could get out the door.

Before I could lock my screen, a hand snatched the phone away.

Chloe. She read the whole conversation out loud in this sugary, theatrical voice, and by the time I lunged for the phone, both my parents were already frowning.

“‘I already can’t wait to bond with you.’ Wow, Valerie. Just because a few beastmen dumped you doesn’t mean you should throw yourself at the first warm body.”

“Look at this, Mom and Dad. How embarrassing.”

My face burned. I grabbed for my phone.

“Stay out of my life, Chloe. Give it back.”

I hadn’t even touched her. But Chloe still folded to the floor, clutching her wrist, tears already spilling.

“Valerie, why are you so angry with me? I was only trying to protect you from getting hurt again. That’s the only reason I tested them.”

“Valerie, your sister is trying to look out for you. The least you can do is not tear into her for it.”

“You’re supposed to be the older one. Act like it.”

I opened my mouth to say I hadn’t touched her. But my mom was already at Chloe’s side, pulling her up, and the look she shot me could have drawn blood.

I bit down on the inside of my cheek. I’d heard the story my whole life. My delivery had almost killed my mom. Chloe’s hadn’t. And that had shaped everything since.

I told myself I was used to it by now. But every time they chose her right in front of me, the old sting came back like it had never left.

Everything Chloe said about looking out for me was a lie.

Every beastman she stole, she’d come back to rub it in my face. She’d brag about how obsessed they were with her, tugging her collar aside so I’d see the marks trailing down her neck.

“Your new beastman, Brandon? He’s delicious, Valerie. Don’t worry. I already broke him in for you.”

My stomach turned.

I’d tried telling my mom once. She slapped me across the face before I even finished the sentence.

“Are you out of your mind, Valerie? That’s your little sister. And you’re going to spread filth about her?”

“They’re just beastmen. You’ll find others. Get over it.”

“Honestly? I think you’re just jealous. You can’t hold on to a man, so you take it out on your sister.”

Something in me went quiet after that. I never brought it up again.

But the bonding deadline was almost here. If I showed up with no one, the state would assign me whoever was still in the registry, and the leftovers were dangerous.

That would be the end of me.

Raymond was my last chance. I couldn’t let Chloe take him too.

Someone was waiting for me outside. I didn’t want to waste another second in this room.

“Whatever. No one in this house believes a word I say anyway. Think what you want. I have class.”

I grabbed my bag and walked out.

Raymond was right where he said he’d be. The second I stepped outside, his tail started wagging like crazy, and his whole face lit up. He pressed a hot coffee into my hand and nuzzled into my shoulder.

“I didn’t get to see you all weekend. Did you miss me?”

“So much.”

I ran my fingers through his hair.

He leaned into my touch. “I missed you too. Only a few days left until we bond. After that, no one’s taking you away from me.”

Raymond’s eyes lit up, and he opened his mouth to say something, but a voice behind us cut in.

“Valerie! Your beastman is the Beast King’s son?”

The smile died on my face. I turned around, and Chloe was standing right there, eyes bright with the kind of hunger I knew too well.

My skin crawled. I grabbed Raymond’s arm and turned to leave without a word, but Chloe was already glued to his other side, her voice turning syrupy.

“Raymond, right? How long have you two been together?”

Then she let her sleeve ride up, just enough to flash the red mark on her wrist, and gasped like she’d forgotten it was there.

“Valerie can get a little rough sometimes. She grabbed my wrist earlier, and it’s still sore. But she’s my sister, and I love her no matter what. I’d never let anyone hurt her.”

“So if you’re planning to bond with her, you’re going to have to win me over first.”

A wave of disgust hit me. Chloe had already plastered herself against Raymond’s arm, her chest brushing him in a way that was anything but subtle. Bile rose in my throat, and I smacked her hand off him.

“Don’t touch him!”