Chapter 5: The Real MC
Julius enjoyed breaking things in, bending them to his will. He had been patient with Riven for years, taunting him, testing him, waiting for the inevitable moment when the mutt would yield completely.
But now?
Now, Riven was playing a new game.
A game of push and pull.
Julius' smirk deepened.
If Riven wanted to spread his wings, fine.
Let him fly.
Julius would simply enjoy the chase, watching how high he dared to soar before ultimately dragging him back down.
It was, after all, inevitable.
For now, though, he would wait.
There was something oddly satisfying about seeing Riven's newfound defiance, his sharp tongue and unbothered attitude. It made Julius wonder—had he been hiding this side of himself all along, or had something changed?
Riven was free... He planned to live for the poor OG Riven, he didn't deserve his experiences and though he did not know what happened to him, he was determined to live a good life for him.
The cool morning air greeted him, rustling through his black hair, and ruffling the fur of his very visible wolf ears and tail.
Ah, right.
That explained the looks.
He had barely made it five steps onto the main street before whispers broke out around him. Some people were subtle, others not so much. A passing noblewoman actually pulled out a lace fan and started whispering behind it dramatically, her painted lips barely concealing her very loud words.
"Oh dear, look at that! A half-breed in broad daylight! And with his ears and tail out like that—scandalous!"
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Another nobleman scoffed beside her, sneering. "How shameful. He should be hiding, not flaunting such filth in public."
Riven merely flicked his ears in their direction, making direct, unbothered eye contact as he wagged his tail mockingly.
The noblewoman nearly fainted.
"Oh, the audacity!" she gasped, clutching her chest as if he had physically assaulted her.
Riven barely suppressed a snort. These people were so dramatic.
His whole life, his father had forced him to suppress his features. Walk straight. Keep your tail still. Wear a hat to cover your ears. He had been conditioned to be ashamed of what he was.
But honestly?
Why should he care? If people wanted to stare, let them stare.
He looked good. Black wolf ears? Check. A fluffy tail? Double check. Sharp green eyes that screamed, "I'm the main character now"? Absolutely.
The original Riven had kept his head down in public, avoiding attention. This Riven? He walked with a spring in his step, humming to himself as if he weren't the outcast of the Veldrin family.
And that was when it happened.
BAM.
Something—or rather, someone—slammed right into him.
A flurry of soft fabric, an adorable yelp, and then a basket full of neatly wrapped medicinal herbs went flying.
Riven blinked down at the figure now sitting on the ground, a very flustered bunny shifter looking up at him with wide, pink eyes.
Oh. Oh.
This was him.
The BL novel's original MC.
The pure, innocent, sweet little bunny who had captured all the male leads' hearts. He had short white hair that made him look so pure and pink eyes that were unique, his eyes were round and always teary... As if they screamed 'submissive and breedable'.
Riven, who had read the novel twenty times, felt like he had just been handed the ultimate opportunity. Riven had the irresistible urge to take this bunny for himself. Look at how cute he was!
Riven thought to himself, 'I'm no better than a man.' After getting a good look at the bunny in front of him, 'Wait, but I am a man now... So. I guess it's fine.'
The bunny shifter scrambled to gather his fallen herbs, ears twitching in distress. He was small and petite, he looked so vulnerable at the moment.
Riven bent down, scooping up a handful of herbs and handing them back. He had to fight the urge to tease him immediately.
"...You okay there, little rabbit?"
The bunny froze.
Then, his face turned red.
Riven immediately realised two things.
One: This bunny was exactly as flustered in real life as he had been in the novel.
Two: Riven was going to have so much fun with this.
"I-I wasn't looking where I was going! I'm really sorry!" The bunny stammered, bowing so quickly that Riven worried he'd fall over again.
"And what exactly had you so distracted, hmm?" Riven drawled, tilting his head.
The bunny clutched his basket like a lifeline. "I-I was just in a hurry! The werewolf alpha—Ronan—he's injured, and I need to deliver these quickly!"
He looked up to face Riven and was taken aback, it was his first time meeting a half-breed. The wolf ears stuck out and so did his tail... But he did not walk in shame, he walked confidently. He felt like he could learn a thing or two from him.
Right. The werewolves.
Riven resisted the urge to roll his eyes. In the novel, the bunny MC worked as a herbalist for his faction and often got tangled up in dangerous situations because he was too selfless for his own good.
This time, he had to help Ronan recover, he apparently had been out marking new sights for rare minerals and as the supreme Alpha of all the packs, he led the expedition.
"Well," Riven said, stepping closer, "since you nearly took me out, I think it's only fair you tell me your name."
The bunny hesitated.
Then, with a nervous twitch of his ears, he mumbled, "Eli."
Riven smiled. "Eli, huh? Cute name."
Eli's ears twitched wildly. Bunnies were not really known for a lot of things, of all the animal classes they were the weakest ones, they were always mistreated, and they were also the ones with the least powerful shifter abilities so their animal behaviour tends to come out often.
Riven observed Eli's ears twitch and nose scrunch, but no sign of bunny ears coming out, Riven wished he could see that.
"What about y-" Eli wanted to know this kind wolf's name, no wolf had ever shown him kindness before, they all treated rabbits like lesser beings.
But before he could ask, a voice called out to him.
"Elliot! Hurry up!"