Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 59: brought to you by Possessive Males

Today on "Muscle Licking": Shay realizes her overprotective males chased away the mail man, get in a fight with Neara about leaving, and a baby starts to shed.

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"...Why is Neara's house empty?"

Her cool tone betrayed the utter panic popping into being.

Curtis and Parker, who had accompanied her, stiffened.

"I'm sure she wasn't kidnapped," said Curtis hurriedly. "There's no signs of a struggle."

"Winston became the new Tiger King," said Parker, more calm, but still tensed as though for battle. "I...I thought you knew."

"And you let me walk all the way over here without saying anything?"

"I thought you knew!" he repeated senselessly, losing his calm.

"Knew what?"

"Whether she'd gone with him or not!"

"How the hell would I--ugh, I don't have the energy for this." And she didn't, still being on her period. Though the cramps had eased up, only being back-bendingly awful in the beginning and near the end, it still left her feeling bloated, fatigued, and craving all the Hostess treats she couldn't have. "Stop looking like I've beaten you, it was an honest mistake. Curtis, would you be willing to carry me to Tiger Castle? I still feel awful."

"You should stay home then." But he picked her up anyway.

"What about me?" asked Parker plaintively.

"Since I don't know where the Tiger Castle is..." said Curtis with the tone of a forbearing parent.

It wasn't until they reached the road that they saw Harvey heading that same way. Even from a distance he stood out in his white clothes, and even if he wasn't wearing those white clothes, he was the only beastman that didn't instantly change directions on seeing Curtis.

"I'm assuming you're heading up to see your friend," he said.

Shay scowled. "You knew?"

Her sudden aggression startled Harvey.

"I'm sorry, knew what?"

"That Neara had moved to the Tiger Castle?"

"I-I just found that out today." He paused. "Ryan did chase away a tiger who came to visit the other day."

As she often did around these boys, she slapped a hand to her forehead and slid it down her face.

"Freaking animals," she muttered.

"She called me to treat Rosa and her mother, who had their tongues cut out by the Ape King."

Shay stiffened. "What?!"

But she was the only one caught off guard. Parker and Curtis, the latter which learned the whole 'try-to-kill-Shay-and-Neara' story from Ryan on a report-like basis, looked satisfied.

"It's the least she deserves for trying to kill you," said Parker.

"Am I the only one who thinks it's obvious he wanted to make sure they couldn't tell us something?" she sighed. "Whatever. We're leaving this place as soon as I figure out Neara's plans. Freaking Ape King. Freaking Ryan."

Curtis seemed especially pleased by her last curse to the point there was a happy flick to each back and forth swerve of his tail. He even nuzzled the top of her head.

Since he had other clients to check on anyway, Harvey left them there and Shay, Curtis, and Parker continued on to Tiger Castle, which was adjacent to Leopard Castle.